The 2025 season started with 30 teams dreaming of MLS Cup playoff glory, but only eight remain after the first round best-of-three series concluded on Sunday.
Anders Dreyer’s San Diego FC showed their credentials as they thumped Portland Timbers 4–0 in a decisive Game 3 outing, advancing to the Western Conference semifinal. There was also joy in the Eastern Conference for, you guessed it, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami—they got their act together to blast past Nashville SC, with Messi unsurprisingly at the center of everything good for Javier Mascherano’s side.
Five of the eight best-of-three series reached a decisive game, with plenty of thrills, spills and excitement giving MLS fans a real buzz as the Western and Eastern Conference final gamedays edge closer.
The postseason resumes on Nov. 22, taking a small pause for the final international break of 2025, but before that gets underway, recognises the best five players from the first round of matches.
