MLS playoffs return with Eastern Conference semifinals

Which team will make it happen? Here’s a look at the two semifinals that will decide the Eastern Conference.

New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls – Blue and red, new and old, New York and New Jersey: the two halves of MLS’s famed Hudson River Derby have been on a collision course toward this precise face-off all season. 

NYCFC enters this match with a higher seed, a stronger record and better momentum, but the Red Bulls enter it with much more individual talent. Their Swedish attacker, Emil Forsberg, is one of the finest athletes in the league.

Forsberg didn’t start in either of the Red Bulls’ regular-season meetings with NYCFC, and it showed since NYCFC beat them 7-2 on aggregate over two games in May and September. 

But the Red Bulls have proved themselves more than capable of turning up for big matches, and this is the biggest one of all. It’s the first Hudson River Derby in the MLS playoffs, and it’s the one the Red Bulls can’t afford to lose.

While the regular-season results back an NYCFC win here, the statistics back a Red Bulls upset. The Red Bulls played a brilliant tactical series against the Columbus Crew and have consistently outperformed their expected goals in the league. They relish being the underdog and tend to perform better when their backs are against the wall. 

“We are able to win when we are tactical in the good spot, when we are from the mental side in a good spot, when we have this energy level, and when we have also then our supporters,” said Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz. 

After proving themselves against the league’s best, it’s hard to see the Red Bulls backing down against their New York neighbors.

Orlando City SC vs. Atlanta United FC – Atlanta’s 3-2 win in the final game of its Miami series wasn’t just the biggest result of the playoffs, it was the biggest result in MLS history. 

“The last couple of weeks, there’s something special,” said goalkeeper Brad Guzan, whose heroics sealed Atlanta’s victory. “There’s something special in the group, there’s something special in the locker room. And what that thing is, is belief, is confidence, is desire to help the group. And when you have those things, the margins are fine, right?”

They are. But for all of Miami’s star power, it’s a much easier team to break down than Orlando is, and Atlanta will likely struggle against its Florida foes. 

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Atlanta midfielder Dax McCarty said of facing Orlando. “We knew against Miami we were going to be able to build out of the midfield and have more time and space because of the lack of defensive responsibility that Suarez and Messi have. Orlando doesn’t play like that. They are extremely well-versed in how they press, their front four is very compact and they all work for each other, and their two midfielders are tireless. They’re relentless.”

Orlando should take this game thanks to its superior organization and clinical attack … but Atlanta’s giant-slaying antics against Miami will never be forgotten.

NYCFC will take on the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. ET; Orlando will take on Atlanta United on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET. 

The winners of each game will compete for the Eastern Conference title.