MLS playoffs will begin on Saturday, and the knockout format will surely bring some surprises, sudden exits and no ending drama.
While most leagues around the world have won championships from a single league table at the end of the season, the 28 teams split into the east and west prefer the drama of a single knockout match, a form of competition more familiar to American sports fans.
LA Football Club is the most popular team, they won the Fan Shield, awarding the team with the best record of the regular season, rewarding the outstanding performance of head coach Steve Cherondolo in season one.
But formerly Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale and former Juventus and Italian defender George Chiellini featured the Blacks know that this form is more than 34 games, and while it guarantees a home advantage in the playoffs, it usually doesn't make much sense.
Only one of the past ten shield titles won the MLS Cup, won by New York City last season, which finished eighth in the regular season standings.
Los Angeles Football Club and Eastern League champion Philadelphia United both took the first round of the game that began Saturday, with the New York Red Bulls hosting playoff rookie Cincinnati at home.
Cincinnati failed to make the playoffs in Major League Baseball 's first three seasons, thanks in large part to Brazilian forward Brenner and US forward Brandon Vazquez each scoring 18 goals.
But Ohio will face the Red Bulls, which has the second-highest defense in the East, and the winner will face Philadelphia in the next round.
Another game on Saturday was Major League Baseball’s most successful club, five-time champion Los Angeles Galaxy, hosting Nashville at home, and they made the playoffs in all three seasons in the league.
used to be an established force in the league, and when players like David Beckham , Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane , the Galaxy, which has Mexican forward Javier, has been struggling in recent seasons, their first home game in the playoffs in six seasons.
"The players ended up coming to Los Angeles to win the championship, and now we have games to win the championship," Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney told the Los Angeles Times.
On Sunday, Austin will make their playoff debut, when they will host Real Salt Lake City at home in Texas, while Orlando City will travel to Canada to face Montreal, who ended the regular season with a good four-game winning streak.
One of the most interesting first round games was David Beckham with the International Miami champion in a game New York, which moved from the NYF Club's normal home court at Yankee Stadium to Citi Field, another of the Big Apple's baseball clubs, the Mets.
Philneville's Miami team has made some progress in the playoffs thanks to the goal of Argentina veteran Higuain , with Higuain scoring five consecutive games, which was his last game before retirement, scoring 14 goals in 16 games.
The Miami coach knew very well that if they collapsed after 90 minutes, the celebration of entering the playoffs for the first time would make no sense.
"I think what is really important now is to emphasize that we have not achieved anything yet," Neville said.
first round ended Monday, with Dallas unbeaten in the last seven home games, hosting Minnesota, who lost the last four away games.
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