For Sporting Kansas City fans still reeling from Thursday's extra-time loss to the Houston Dynamo, the forthcoming slate of Conference Semifinal matches in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs might be hard to watch.
But for MLS addicts eager to see the rest of the postseason unfold, the next seven days are sure to provide unpredictable drama and plenty of thrills. The four Conference Semifinal series are delicately poised with compelling storylines galore, and they begin with all-important first leg fixtures hosted by the lower-seeded teams. We take a look at each nationally televised first-leg matchup below.
No. 3 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. No. 2 Seattle Sounders FC | 7:30 p.m. CT Sunday, ESPN
Vancouver's reward for a 5-0 thrashing of the San Jose Earthquakes in the Knockout Round? How about a date with defending MLS Cup champion Seattle. The Whitecaps won't be short on confidence, having earned four points from two home games against the Sounders in the regular season, and the visitors will be without suspended forward Clint Dempsey. But Seattle has lost just two of its last 18 MLS matches dating back to June, and head coach Brian Schmetzer's men know how to navigate the postseason. In what will likely be a cagey first leg, this one might come down to set pieces, a particular strength of both teams.
No. 6 New York Red Bulls vs. No. 1 Toronto FC | 6 p.m. CT Monday, FS1
Toronto FC is fresh off the best regular season in MLS history, touting the Supporters' Shield after rattling off 20 victories and 69 points. But in order to stake the claim as the best team in league history, the Reds will have to go a step further than last year when they lost to Seattle in the MLS Cup. The task this time around won't be easy, as the Red Bulls posted an emphatic 4-0 win at Chicago in the Knockout Round. If Bradley Wright-Phillips, Sacha Kljestan and Daniel Royer are clicking against Toronto like they were in the Windy City, Toronto FC will need the likes of Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Victor Vazquez to be just as effective.
No. 4 Houston Dynamo vs. No. 1 Portland Timbers | 8:30 p.m. CT Monday, FS1
Few teams, if any, in the Western Conference are playing as well as the Dynamo. Just ask Sporting KC, who failed to beat Houston in three tries during the month of October. Head coach Wilmer Cabrera's side edged Kansas City with a 1-0 extra-time win on Thursday and puts a seven-game unbeaten run on the line against Portland, who finished atop the West thanks to an MVP-caliber season from the talismanic Diego Valeri. The Argentine's 21 goals and 11 assists paced the Timbers throughout the regular season, but the playoffs will be a different test entirely. Houston has lost just once at BBVA Compass Stadium this season in MLS competition, and the club hasn't lost a home playoff game since 2009.
No. 5 Columbus Crew SC vs. No. 2 New York City FC | 7 p.m. CT Tuesday, ESPN
Columbus is probably the biggest story in MLS right now, and only partially because of their 11-game unbeaten run dating back to late August. Amidst reports that owner Anthony Precourt will move the club to Austin, Texas in 2019 if a new stadium deal isn't finalized, Crew SC went into Mercedes-Benz Stadium and silenced more than 67,000 Atlanta United fans after winning Thursday's Knockout Round battle on penalties. Goalkeeper Zach Steffen's heroic performance helped Columbus bring the playoffs back to MAPFRE Stadium for what will be one of the biggest games in club history on Tuesday night. New York City FC enjoyed another strong regular season behind MVP contender David Villa, but the Sky Blues are running into a red-hot Crew outfit that is playing for the city of Columbus.
