There aren’t many leagues around the world where rivalries can brew as quickly as they do in Major League Soccer, especially in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Since the league introduced the Round One best-of-three series in 2023, the series that have gone to a third and decisive game almost always bring drama the next season and spark discontent within the matchup.
That’s unlikely to be any different in 2025, with five of the eight first-round matches heading to Game 3, giving one team a chance to advance and the other plenty to think about—notably if they won Game 1.
predicts each of the possible outcomes from this weekend’s matches.
