The 2024 Major League Soccer Playoffs have arrived, and it is a battle of will and skill as the league’s best teams fight for the most coveted trophy in North American soccer. With the playoffs kicking off, fans can expect everything from dramatic goals to heart-stopping saves as the league’s elite clubs battle for supremacy. It is not just about winning—it is about legacy, pride and claiming the title that every team dreams of.
As the regular season fades into a memory, every moment counts—and with it, the promise of thrilling, high-stakes drama that only the playoffs can deliver. The season officially kicked off Oct. 22, 2024. The playoffs typically involve a knockout format, with teams competing in single-elimination matches leading up to the final.
The teams are currently undergoing round one. These games are played between Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Nov. 10, then lead into round two for the semi-finals.
It has been a fierce season, as any season can be, and GCSU students are watching ardently in hopes that their favorite team will make it to the finals, for Georgia fans, that is Atlanta United.
“Atlanta United is my favorite,” said Natalee Studdard, a freshman nursing major. “I like them because they are close to my hometown, and I used to go with my old soccer team to watch them play. I have good memories there, so I’m rooting for them.”
Whether it is nostalgia for a home team or simply the love of the game, fans are on the edge of their seats to see who will make it through this round into the semi-finals.
“For the playoffs this year, I personally believe that it’s kind of boring,” said Taylor Justice, a sophomore on the girls club soccer team. “It’s the same couple of teams who always take the top of their conference. We never see smaller and newer teams take the top like how Atlanta United did in 2018.”
Coming in at number nine, as of Nov. 8, for the Eastern Conference is Atlanta United. Though they took home the trophy in 2018, the team has been unable to earn another title since. Miami was ranked number one in the Eastern Conference and LAFC is at the top in the Western Conference.
“This season, it’s been incredible to watch Inter Miami FC because David Beckham has been able to bring back the core four from Barcelona,” Justice said. “I 100% believe that Inter Miami will take it all the way and win the cup this year. Messi has destroyed the competition, turning a losing team into a record-breaking team. Messi alone will take the MLS Cup home to Miami.”
The rivalry is fierce, the passion is unmatched and the road to the finals is getting intense. Although the road to playoffs this year has been rocky and seemingly unentertaining to GCSU students and in their anticipation of Miami vanquishing the competition this year, Atlanta United has shocked everyone by winning their match against Inter Miami on Saturday, Nov. 9.
“The Five Stripes pulled off the biggest upset in MLS history with their comeback 3-2 victory in a devastatingly dramatic Game 3 decider at Chase Stadium Saturday night,” said Charles Boehm, a writer for MLS Soccer.
Until the MLS Cup on Dec. 7, only time will tell which teams have what it takes to defeat their competitors and take home the trophy at the end of the season. One thing fans know for certain, and that is that the 2024 MLS Playoffs just got interesting.
