Last-Gasp Winners, MLS Decision Day Stories and All-Time Records Mark a Key Time
Top seeds and a record
Nashville SC finished first in the Eastern Conference and set a league record for points. Vancouver won the Western Conference.
Columbus gets a late breakthrough
Columbus had been last in the Eastern Conference only weeks earlier, but a five-game winning run brought the club into playoff contention. A victory on Decision Day was still necessary to secure a postseason place.
In the third minute of added time, Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez scored the decisive goal against Chicago. Columbus won 4-3, made the playoffs and moved high enough in the standings to bypass the wildcard play-in game.
Philadelphia brothers both score
Philadelphia defeated Toronto 3-1, with brothers Cavan and Quinn Sullivan each finding the scoresheet. Cavan is 17, while Quinn is 22. It was the first time in club history that both brothers scored in the same match. The victory also meant Philadelphia avoided the MLS Wild Card Game.
Late rally and one-sided loss
Charlotte FC nearly matched Columbus’s comeback, recovering from a 3-0 deficit against Miami to draw 3-3. Liel Abada and Rodolfo Aloko scored during the rally. Real Salt Lake tore through the Galaxy’s defense in the opening 20 minutes. The Galaxy showed little pressure or counterattacking threat, and the match was effectively decided before the final whistle.
Key points
- Nashville SC won the Eastern Conference and set an all-time league points record.
- Columbus beat Chicago 4-3 on a goal in the third minute of added time.
- Cavan and Quinn Sullivan both scored in Philadelphia’s 3-1 win over Toronto.
- Charlotte rallied from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Miami.