Los Angeles FC, Seattle Sounders, Atlanta United and Toronto FC meet in Conference finals live on Sky Sports with a place in the MLS Cup final at stake
Tuesday 29 October 2019 22:54, UK
The 2019 MLS season approaches its climax on Sky Sports this week with the Conference Finals deciding who reaches the MLS Cup final. NBC Sports Soccer's Nicholas Mendola previews a pivotal week as the final four teams face off...
Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC enter the Conference Finals as significant underdogs against Los Angeles FC and Atlanta United, but they won't be too worried about that.
The two sides contested the MLS Cup finals in 2016 and 2017 (Seattle winning the first and Toronto the second), and won't be too worried about the pressure in Georgia and California, respectively.
What odds do they have of springing the upsets? In all honesty, not great; LAFC and Atlanta have lost just three games between them this season.
But it wouldn't come as a surprise if the golden finale the MLS so desperately desires doesn't come to fruition.
A quirk of scheduling means these sides are meeting for the first time since April, when LAFC took four of six points in an eight-day stretch.
Here's what I love about LA: they kill you everywhere. Thirty-three per cent of their attacks come from the right, another 33 from the left, and 35 right up the middle. There's no lack of courage from Bob Bradley's side, and no other side in MLS can claim the same level of guts (Portland was second at 31 per cent heading up the centre of the defence).
Here's another crazy stat for you: LAFC has five of the top 19 players this season when it comes to the number of successful dribbles (Carlos Vela, Latif Blessing, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Eduard Atuesta and Diego Rossi).
Nicolas Lodeiro, Raul Ruidiaz, and Jordan Morris can bring plenty of creativity too, and the Sounders have the ability to challenge for an upset, but we're thinking LAFC guarantees one more loud day in California.
Toronto have taken points in 11 of their 17 away matches this season but lost 2-0 to Atlanta early in the season at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The Reds did, however, outlast Atlanta in the reverse fixture, which came in late June.
Atlanta has the best possession figures of any home team this season, holding the ball 57.7 per cent of the time. Remarkably, though, Toronto managed the fifth-best possession number away from home this season and will like the idea of Michael Bradley, Marky Delgado, and Jonathan Osorio keeping hold of the ball.
I think Toronto have the physical defenders to flummox Atlanta's attack in Chris Mavinga and Omar Gonzalez, but the biggest question is whether Jozy Altidore will be able to contribute at the other end.
Alejandro Pozuelo is wonderful, but the Reds need their powerful striker to have hope of an upset. Seeing as we cannot be sure if the former Sunderland and Hull frontman will be ready to go, Atlanta look on course for a return to the MLS Cup final.
