Credit: Chicago Fire
Matchday two of the 2025 MLS playoffs round one series began on Saturday, with Charlotte winning at NYCFC 7-6 on penalties after drawing 0-0 in regulation. NYCFC failed to convert in rounds four and eight while Charlotte didn’t score in round two. Their series is now tied 1-1 with the deciding game in Charlotte on Friday, November 7.
“The result – it’s a pity,” NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen said. “We were focusing on getting the job done within two games. We had the opportunities, even though we didn’t play as well as I was hoping for. We had two or three big moments to go in front, and when it comes down to penalties, that can go either way.”
Philadelphia won their series against Chicago, shutting out the Fire 3-0 on the road at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL. Tai Baribo opened the scoring for the Union in the 8th and doubled the lead in the 16th. Bruno Damiani finished off the Philadelphia scoring in the 35th minute.
The message after the game was, we’ve made progress,” Chicago coach Gregg Berhalter said. “I thanked them for all their effort and hard work throughout the course of the season. And then, remember this feeling that we have right now, because it stinks. We all have a very bitter taste in our mouths about the performance, about how we’re exiting, and that we should use that as motivation. And next year we have to come back stronger.”
Nashville beat Inter Miami 2-1 at home to tie their series. Sam Surridge converted a Nashville penalty in the 9th and Josh Bauer doubled the lead in the 45th. Lionel Messi scored for Inter Miami in the 89th minute. Game three of that series is set for Saturday, November 8.
Vancouver drew 1-1 in regulation at FC Dallas, winning 4-2 on penalties to advance. Petar Musa opened the scoring for Dallas in the 25th, and Vancouver’s Ralph Prisco equalized three minutes into stoppage time. Dallas failed to convert in the second and fourth rounds of penalties, while the Whitecaps went four-for-four from the spot.
“This has been an absolute rollercoaster, emotional, physical, even spiritually, just to get back here to the playoffs where this club belongs,” FC Dallas midfielder Sebastian Lletget said. “We just came up short, but credit to everybody in this organization to really turn this thing around.”
Saturday’s schedule ended with Portland leveling their series with San Diego 3-2 on penalties after drawing 2-2 in regulation. Kristoffer Velde put the Timbers up in the 19th. Amahl Pellegrino equalized for San Diego twelve minutes into first-half stoppage time and Hirving Lozano put them up in the 51st. Portland leveled the score eight minutes into stoppage time. The Timbers didn’t convert in rounds two and three. San Diego didn’t score in rounds three, four, and five. That series concludes on Sunday, November 9.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to play like a final type of feel, to do it at home,” San Diego coach Mikey Varas said. “And the only focus for us is on ourselves. You know, we don’t fall into that trap of focusing on other people. We haven’t done it. We won’t. So, it’s just about making sure that we, right now, recover, and that we use this little bit of pain we have as motivation to get to go home and close this out in front of our fans playing our best football.”
On Sunday, Columbus shutout Cincinnati 4-0 at home to level their series. Maxi Arfsten put the Crew up in the 33rd. Cincinnati’s Yuya Kubo saw red in the 38th. Columbus doubled its lead from a Dylan Chambost goal in the 41st. Andres Herrera extended the Crew lead in the 65th and Jacen Russell-Rowe finished off the scoring in the 69th minute. The series concludes on Saturday, November 8.
Quotes courtesy of MLS team press releases.
Photo by the Chicago Fire
