MLS Playoffs Set Following Dramatic Decision Day Matches

Wild-card games open on Wednesday with Sporting Kansas City facing San Jose Earthquakes in the West and New York Red Bulls facing first-time playoffs contender Charlotte in the East; LAFC's Dénis Bouanga clinches Golden Boot award with 20 goals.

The MLS playoffs have been set with Sporting Kansas City facing San Jose Earthquakes in a wild-card game for the West and New York Red Bulls facing Charlotte, the first-time playoffs contender, in the East.
LAFC's Dénis Bouanga clinched the Golden Boot award with 20 goals in his first full MLS season. He is the third LAFC player to win the award for the league's leading regular-season scorer in the last five years.
The New York Red Bulls made the playoffs in dramatic fashion with John Tolkin scoring on a penalty in stoppage time for a 1-0 victory over Nashville SC. This results in Red Bulls going to the postseason for the 14th consecutive time, the longest active playoff streak in pro sports.
The opening round in this season's new format is a best-of-three series, starting Saturday and going until Nov. 12. This will be followed by the conference semifinals on Nov. 25-26, conference finals on Dec. 2-3 and the MLS Cup on Dec. 9.
Despite a 1-0 loss to Charlotte, Lionel Messi, who joined Inter Miami, played a full 90 minutes in the team's final match. Messi has concluded his maiden MLS campaign with one goal in six regular season appearances and 10 in seven Leagues Cup matches.