The MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs rage onto the Conference Semifinal stage.
Tuesday's Pick-Your-Opponent Show saw Philadelphia Union II and North Texas SC make the final selections of the tournament, setting the bracket for another round of knockout soccer.
So far, upset city has been located in the Eastern Conference with Crown Legacy FC and Columbus Crew 2 pulling off stunning road wins in the Conference Quarterfinals.
All the hosts handled their business in the West, but will that stay intact with all of the natural top four seeds battling it out now?
Read all about it below.
Saturday, October 26
Philadelphia Union II vs. Crown Legacy FC (5 PM ET | MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Up first, the highest remaining seed in the East takes on the lowest.
Philadelphia Union II selected Crown Legacy FC, but don't expect that to bother the latter one bit. CLFC ousted top-seeded FC Cincinnati 2 on the road 2-1 on Sunday and ride into the Semis fully committed to the road dog mentality they'll need to make it to the Cup Final.
"We're going into the matchup with no pressure, just like we went into the Cincinnati game," said CLFC head coach Kevin Sawchak. "We're looking forward to it."
Season series: Union II earned a 3-0 road win over CLFC in June in the lone head-to-head matchup.
Players to watch:
Union II: Will Cavan Sullivan get his first playoff goal? All eyes will be on the young phenom this weekend as he aims to guide his team to the Eastern Conference Final.
On the defensive end, Neil Pierre has been a key anchor in Union II's backline, and last week, he demonstrated his ability to create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.
CLFC: Midfielder Aron John's 10 assists in the regular season tied him for tops in the league's single-season record stat. Oh, and he scored eight goals on top of that.
During the Pick-Your-Opponent selection show, Union II head coach Marlon LeBlanc praised CLFC's forward Idan Toklomati, who has impressed this season with three goals and two assists in less than 450 minutes of play this season.
More:
North Texas SC vs. Tacoma Defiance (8:30 PM ET | MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
One of the stories of the season has been North Texas SC's unbeaten home record at Choctaw Stadium, and they invite the Tacoma Defiance to test them next.
"Keeping with the theme from last weekend, the postseason redemption tour continues with North Texas, another team that got the better of us this season," Seattle Sounders (Tacoma Defiance) Director of Player Personnel Corey Sinser said. "We played them early on in the year, so I think both sides have changed a little bit."
It got sweaty for NTSC last weekend, fending off Whitecaps FC 2 in a wild 3-2 win. The Defiance, on the other hand, cruised past Ventura County FC 4-0 to earn their advancement.
Season series: NTSC topped the Defiance 2-1 at home in April in their only regular season meeting.
Players to watch:
NTSC: Pedrinho has been their production leader all season long and assisted the opening goal last weekend. Diego Garcia has also been on fire as of late, scoring four goals in his last five appearances.
Defiance: Chris Aquino has been the leader with his 10g/2a season. Snyder Brunell commanded the midfield against Ventura County FC last week. Can he have a repeat performance in Arlington?
More:
Sunday, October 27
Chicago Fire FC II vs. Columbus Crew 2 (2 PM ET | MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Well, well, well. Desperation mode set in for both Chicago Fire II and Columbus Crew 2 a few weeks ago, as neither had their playoff spot secured ahead of Decision Day.
Look at them now. One will advance to the Eastern Conference Final, and if Crown Legacy can upset Union II, the winner of this one will be hosting.
That's something Crew 2 (2022 MLS NEXT Pro Cup champions, 2023 Eastern Conference champions) would be no stranger to. The 2024 Capybara cast looks a little different than years past, but their 6-2 win over Inter Miami II last weekend proved they've still got that championship-caliber grit.
But asking to host or even appear in a third-straight conference final is a lot to ask for, and Fire II showed their brand of grit by going the distance and besting Orlando City B in a shootout after 120 minutes of a 1-1 deadlock to advance.
Season series: Fire II bring the edge with a 2-1 win in May, a shootout win (1-1 tie) in June, and 1-0 win in September.
Players to watch:
Fire II: David Poreba, the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot winner put up 18 goals (two against Crew 2) during the regular season, and scored Fire II's only goal against OCB last week. Christian Koffi and Omari Glasgow will be relied upon to shoulder some of the goal scoring responsibility on Sunday.
Crew 2: Jayden Da has three goals in his last two games in addition to netting and assisting in two goals Crew 2 have in the season series. Brent Adu-Gyamfi featured sparingly against Fire II this season, but is always a factor when he's on the pitch.
More:
- READ: Chicago Fire FC II’s David Poreba wins 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot Award
- WATCH: Chicago Fire FC II advance in shootout win over Orlando City B behind 'keeper Jeff Gal's 8 saves in regulation
- WATCH: Crew 2 score MLS NEXT Pro playoff record 6 goals in impressive first-round win over Inter Miami II
St Louis CITY2 vs. The Town FC (5 PM ET | MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
A rematch, anyone? Sunday's action closes with much pride on the line, beyond the obvious.
"We lost last year against The Town, so we want to make sure that doesn't happen again." St. Louis CITY SC Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel said. "...And we're looking forward to that game and we'll try our best to get further than last year."
CITYPARK has been a scenic setting all season long, drawing out thousands of raucous supporters. That was true last year as well, and Town FC were able to play spoiler with a heroic 2-0 win in the Conference Quaterfinals.
It's everything a second vs. third seed matchup should be. CITY2's 53 goals in the regular season squared with The Town's league-best 28 goals conceded makes for a mouthwatering matchup where elite strengths will be tested.
A 2-1 win over LAFC2 did the job for St Louis CITY2 last weekend, while The Town FC hung on for a late winner to top Dynamo Dos 2-1.
Season series: CITY2 earned a home 1-0 win in May, and The Town FC took the reverse fixture 2-1 in September.
Players to watch:
CITY2: MyKhi Joyner has been CITY2's leader all season long (17g/4a) and secured their advancement with a 93rd-minute winner last weekend. Brendan Mcsorley will also be one to watch. The 22-year-old has been in exceptional form over his last six appearances, netting seven goals in that stretch.
Town FC: That stingy goals allowed metric has been helped greatly by star goalkeeper Emi Ochoa. Offensively, the trio of Cruz Medina, Edwyn Mendoza, and Beau Leroux will be relied on to serve as The Town FC's creative spark.
More:
- WATCH: Player Profile - Emi Ochoa, The Town FC
- WATCH: Coaches Corner - Dan DeGeer, The Town FC
- WATCH: MyKhi Joyner's stoppage-time heroics lead St Louis CITY2 to 2-1 win over LAFC2 in playoff first round
- WATCH: Joel Garcia scores late winner to send The Town FC past Houston Dynamo 2 in playoff first round
