MLS playoffs: LA Galaxy run riot as Orlando also make conference finals

  • LA Galaxy 6-2 Minnesota United
  • Orlando City 1-0 Atlanta United
  • Orlando will play Red Bulls; Galaxy face Sounders

Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic each scored two goals Sunday to help the LA Galaxy beat Minnesota United to advance to the Western Conference finals.

The Galaxy, the No 2 seed in the Western Conference, will play host to the fourth-seeded Seattle Sounders for the conference title on Saturday.

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New York Red Bulls silence NYCFC to reach Eastern Conference final

  • Red Bulls beat NYCFC 2-0 to reach MLS Cup last four
  • No 7 seed will face Atlanta or Orlando in East final

Dante Vanzeir notched an assist on a first-half goal by Felipe Carballo and then scored nine minutes later, and Carlos Coronel made them stand up by posting his seventh career clean sheet against New York City FC in the New York Red Bulls’ 2-0 victory in an Eastern Conference semi-final at Citi Field on Saturday night.

The seventh-seeded Red Bulls will play the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between No 9 seed Atlanta United and fourth-seeded Orlando City for the conference championship and the right to play for the MLS Cup.

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NYCFC’s New Queens Stadium to Be Named Etihad Park

The longstanding partnership between New York City FC and Etihad Airways took another significant leap. The MLS side announced that the airliner will take the naming rights of its future soccer-specific stadium in Queens in a 20-year agreement. Construction of the $780 million venue, now called Etihad Park, is slated to begin by the end …

Juan Mata hopes ‘to build something special’ with San Diego FC investment

  • Midfielder follows David Beckham into MLS ownership
  • San Diego will be part of Western Conference from 2025

Juan Mata has followed David Beckham in becoming the owner of an MLS team, after he announced that he was joining the investment group of San Diego FC. The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder, who now plays for Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s A-League, is the first active player to become a partner in a US franchise. San Diego will be part of the Western Conference from 2025.

The award of an expansion slot was announced in May 2023, with San Diego chosen ahead of Las Vegas, whose bid was backed by the owners of Aston Villa. The 2025 launch came too late for Mata to be involved as a player, with the Spanish midfielder, who had been released by Vissel Kobe in January, eventually joining Sydney as a free agent in September. Now he has become a part owner with a small shareholding while he continues as a professional, unlike David Beckham, whose ownership of Inter Miami had been written into his contract with MLS when he joined LA Galaxy, but was not announced until he had retired.

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Tata Martino out at Inter Miami after record season for personal reasons

  • Argentinian coach to resign from Messi’s club per reports
  • Miami won MLS-record 74 points before early playoff exit

Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has resigned as the head coach of Inter Miami, citing personal reasons, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

Martino guided the Lionel Messi-starring club to an MLS-record 74 points (22-4-8) and the Supporters’ Shield in the regular season, but Inter Miami fell short in the MLS Cup playoffs. The club were eliminated in the first round by No 9 seed Atlanta United.

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