Multiple teams clinch playoff spot on last day
Major League Soccer’s Decision Day solidified the playoffs and decided the Golden Boot race.
Going into Decision Day, there were three playoff berths in each conference that were up for grabs.
The New England Revolution had clinched both the Supporters’ Shield and the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a leaguerecord 73 points this season.
The Revolution gets a first-round bye as the top seed and will face the winner of the first-round playoff game between fourth-seeded NYCFC and fifth-seeded Atlanta. The playoffs start Nov. 20. NYCFC, unbeaten in its final five matches, earned its playoff berth with a 1-1 draw against Philadelphia on Sunday. Philadelphia clinched the second seed and will play the seventhseeded Red Bulls in the opening round.
NYCFC’s Taty Castellanos also won the league’s Golden Boot award, finishing the regular season with 19 goals.
Atlanta defeated Cincinnati 2-1 to claim the fifth seed and return to the playoffs after missing out last season.
Nashville secured a thirdplace finish with a 1-1 draw against the Red Bulls. Nashville will host No. 6 Orlando City in the opening round of the playoffs. Orlando shutout Montreal 2-0.
D.C. United defeated Toronto 3-1, but missed out on a playoff spot because of the draw between Nashville and the Red Bulls. United’s Ola Kamara scored a pair of goals to pull even at 19 with Castellanos, who won the Golden Boot tiebreaker with eight assists.
The defending champions Columbus Crew also were eliminated from playoff contention.
In the Western Conference, the Colorado Rapids hopped to the top of the table with a 5-2 victory at home over LAFC, which was eliminated.
After an opening-round bye, the Rapids will play the winner of the first-round match between the fourthseeded Portland Timbers and the fifth-seeded Minnesota United.
The Sounders earned the second seed with a 1-1 draw with Vancouver. Seattle will play seventh-seed Real Salt Lake, which beat thirdseeded Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in a must-win game. Sporting will face the sixthseeded Whitecaps.