MLS playoffs: How the East stacks up after Game 2

“We knew that today they would come to press high, come to play because they are in front of their fans,” Baribo explained, via Jose Nunez of the MLS website. “We knew that the team that would score first would probably be the team to win the game. So this is what we did.”

Baribo’s two goals were his first for Philadelphia in over two months. But it wasn’t just Baribo breaking into a hot run of form against Chicago. His striking partner Bruno Damiani found the back of the net, too.

"The guys seem to be galvanizing in a really good way,” Philadelphia coach Bradley Carnell said, via Nunez. “These guys empty the tank every single day.”

Eliminated: Chicago Fire

Philadelphia’s big win came at the expense of the Chicago Fire. Injuries derailed Chicago’s series from the jump, with attacking playmaker Philip Zinckernagel missing Game 1 and goalkeeper Chris Brady missing Game 2. Their absences were keenly felt, and the team crumbled without their efforts.

Still, 2025 has to go down as a strong season for Chicago. It fought through a historically challenging Eastern Conference to claim its first playoff spot in well over a decade.

Moving on to Game 3: Cincinnati-Columbus, Miami-Nashville, Charlotte-NYCFC

Only one Eastern Conference series was decided in two games. The remaining three will advance to a do-or die Game 3.

After losing away to Cincinnati in its series opener, Columbus pulled out all the stops in front of its raucous home crowd. It didn’t just beat its Ohio Rival in Game 2: it slaughtered it. The score ended up at 4-0 but could easily have been 7-0 or 8-0 instead.

The star of the show? U.S. Men’s National Team star Max Arfsten. The left wingback scored a stunner to open the scoring and kept his foot on Cincinnati’s neck for the entire match.

“Honestly, it was the perfect night for us,” Arfsten said, via Charles Boehm of the MLS website. “The vibes are good right now.”

After a tepid, tentative and ultimately terrible performance in its series opener, Nashville bounced back to beat Inter Miami 2-1 and force Game 3 in Florida. It was easily the most physical match of the playoffs thus far, with heavy challenges flying in left and right under a near-biblical downpour at Geodis Park.

And Charlotte? After being the only home team to lose in Game 1, it took NYCFC to penalties in the Bronx in Game 2 and scored a surprise season-extending win. (NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, usually a penalty specialist, saved just one of the seven Charlotte shots he faced.) This was the closest matchup in the East before a ball was kicked, and it remains close heading into Game 3. Charlotte enters with home field advantage, but NYCFC enters with a real point to prove after that stinging late loss.