Columbus Crew and Los Angeles. MLS playoff finalists have been determined

Last night witnessed the MLS semi-final matches.

In the first encounter, Cincinnati faced off against Columbus Crew.

Cincinnati took the lead as early as the fourteenth minute, courtesy of Brandon Vazquez's goal, doubling the advantage in extra time through Luciano Acosta. However, in the second half, on the 75th minute, Cincinnati's Alvas Powell scored another goal, unfortunately into his own net. Columbus Crew capitalized on the reduced lead, equalizing on the 86th minute, thanks to Diego Rossi's goal. The match went into overtime, where Christian Ramirez's decisive strike established the final score, leading Columbus Crew to the final.

The second semi-final match saw Los Angeles against Houston Dynamo. This match, while not as dramatic, also featured an own goal. Ryan Hollingshead opened the scoring with a precise strike in the 44th minute, while the final act was an own goal by Franco Nicolas Escobar in the 80th minute.

Columbus Crew has twice been the MLS champion, in 2008 and 2020. Last season, the team failed to make it to the playoff stage, finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference. In the current season, the Crew secured the third spot and progressed to the semifinals after defeating Atlanta United (2-1) and Orlando City (2-0).

Los Angeles, defending the MLS championship title, won against Philadelphia Union in last year's final match via a penalty shootout. This year, Los Angeles secured the third spot in the Western Conference and advanced to the semifinals after victories against Vancouver Whitecaps (2-0) and Seattle Sounders (1-0) in the previous stages.

This sets the stage for a clash between two championship-winning teams, each holding third place in their respective conferences. They have faced each other three times in the past, with Los Angeles emerging victorious on all occasions, scoring a total of seven goals, while Columbus Crew has yet to notch a goal against the Californian team.

The final showdown between Columbus Crew and Los Angeles will take place on Saturday, December 9, at 22:00 Central European Time.