MLS conference semifinals: Will Lionel Messi be worn out?

Philadelphia Union (1) vs NYCFC (5), Sunday, 7:45 p.m. ET

The last time these teams met, a stellar Mikael Uhre goal handed Philadelphia a 1–0 win and the 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield. The result knocked NYCFC down the Eastern Conference standings and cost it home-field advantage in the playoffs. All that drama ensures this semifinal will carry the edge of a fraught recent history.

Under normal circumstances, NYCFC is capable of going toe-to-toe with Philadelphia — but its current circumstances are anything but normal. The club enters this match without regular starters Andrés Perea (midfielder) and Alonso Martínez (forward), who suffered season-ending injuries after carrying NYC through the opening playoff rounds.

Without those two — and with Phildelphia's strong recent form at home — this match tilts clearly in the Union’s favor.

The West: Vancouver Whitecaps (2) vs LAFC (3), Saturday, 9:30 p.m. ET

When asked about his upcoming MLS playoff match, Vancouver attacker Thomas Muller got straight to the point. 

“You know how the game is played, especially here with you guys and the cameras. So it’s about the idols, it’s about the big players, it’s about names,” he said, according to the league's website.

And he's right. In this clash, it's the big names who are bound to attract the most attention. That includes LAFC winger/forward Denis Bouanga and forward Son Heung-mon and Muller himself.

Don't let all those stars blind you from the rest of their rosters, though. Both teams will anchor their midfields with standout USMNT players (Vancouver's Sebastian Berhalter and Los Angeles midfielder Timmy Tillman).

With both teams following similar trajectories this season, this is the one semifinal that is too close to call. 

San Diego FC (1) vs Minnesota United (4), Monday, 10 p.m. ET

Talk about opposites: San Diego is one of MLS' most possession-based teams while Minnesota barely needs any touches to clinch its results. San Diego got here by pressing every one of its opponents off the field; Minnesota got here by turning itself into an immovable block.

Which way will this game swing? It feels like pragmatic, defensive Minnesota has the edge. It would be an upset, for sure, but after dispatching Seattle in a three-game series despite failing to beat it in regular time, Minnesota is no stranger to those.