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Son Heung-min's winning scenario is complete.
The U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) secretariat revealed the semifinals of each conference in the 2025 season MLS Playoff on the 10th (Korea time).
The semi-finals of the two conference playoffs were completed on the 10th. Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs between San Diego and the Portland Timbers was played before the announcement by the MLS Secretariat. San Diego is a powerhouse that ranked first in the Western Conference this season, and it struggled a bit because it met Portland, an eight-seeded player.
After a tough 2-1 win in the first game, they drew 2-2 in the second game, but lost the penalty shootout and had to proceed to the third game. Still, San Diego smashed Portland 4-0 in Game 3 as one of the favorites to reach the Western Conference semifinals.
There are now a total of eight teams left in the MLS playoffs. There was no big turnaround in the first round. Most of the top seed teams advanced. The only case where the lower seed overpowered the upper seed and came to the conference semifinals was that New York City, the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, overpowered Charlotte FC, the fourth seed. It's hard to say that it's an upset because the seeds of the two teams were almost different.
Now, Son Heung-min and LAFC will become MLS strongest if they win just three times. The MLS playoffs will be held in the best-of-two of three rounds only in the first round, and the rest of the schedule will be a single-round match, so defeat means elimination from now on.
Son Heung-min's LAFC must first subdue the Vancouver Whitecaps led by Thomas Muller. Unfortunately, LAFC's chances of winning are high locally. Nevertheless, we must not let our guard down. Vancouver has been on a good track for three consecutive months before losing to FC Dallas, the last regular league game. It is a very difficult opponent for LAFC, which does not have a solid defense, because its offense has become stronger since Mueller was recruited.
Still, if Son Heung-min and Dnie Buanga can revive their destructive power, Vancouver is also an opponent that can defeat them. If you beat Vancouver, you reach the Western Conference finals. The Western Conference finals will face the winners of San Diego and Minnesota United. No matter which team comes up, it is not expected to be an easy match. The leading opponent is San Diego, which is also No. 1. If LAFC also wins the Western Conference finals, it will reach the MLS playoff final. It will face the Eastern Conference playoff winners.
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami is the leading candidate for the Eastern Conference. Inter Miami must first subdue FC Cincinnati. Inter Miami will face the winners of the Philadelphia Union and New York City when it reaches the Eastern Conference finals.
The MLS playoff final lineup most anticipated by MLS fans is the match between Son Heung-min's LAFC and Messi's Inter Miami. This is because the two players are the best superstars representing each conference.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
