Your kickoff on Friday: Will Orlando and Galaxy secure spots in the conference semifinals tonight?

Round one continues tonight

Tonight it’s back to the first round. Never count out the home team in MLS, right?

Hey, remind me what happened in Game 1?

The Lions were all over Charlotte in Game 1. Facundo Torres and Martin Ojeda both scored and Orlando outscored The Crown with 1.9 xG to 0.8. Orlando shot 17 times, Charlotte eight. Charlotte had a few good chances, but the Lions were in control here from start to finish.

Unfortunately for Charlotte, DP #10 Pep Biel wasn’t in control of his emotions at the end of the game. He received a red card in injury time of a game that had already been decided and will miss tonight’s deciding game.

Who are the key players tonight?

It’s important to keep pointing out that Orlando’s turnaround this season coincided pretty directly with Martin Ojeda handing the keys to tenth place in the 4-2-3-1 system. He wasn’t an MVP-caliber player who created chances or a box-crasher who put up big numbers, but he was good to great at everything you needed him to be good to great at. His non-penalty xG + xA numbers per 90 place him in the 86th percentile among other attacking midfielders in MLS this season. That’s everything they expected from him.

This in turn helped Facundo Torres achieve success. The Uruguayan has scored seven goals in his last ten games and looks to be as good as Orlando always hoped at just the right time.

Meanwhile, Charlotte will have to adjust a bit without Biel. That probably means turning to winger Kerwin Vargas, but a small part of me hopes they do something unexpected and bring Patrick Agyemang into the starting lineup. Especially because we just love Patrick Agyemang.

However, that is a difficult question. You don’t want to accidentally slow down Karol Swiderski, who has been considered Charlotte’s No. 9 since returning to Carolina. Swiderski has six goals and two assists in nine starts.

No matter what they do, someone has to step in and make sure Biel’s absence isn’t felt.

Is there a chance for Game 3?

Definitely! Orlando is just as hot as everyone else, but Charlotte also came into the playoffs on a roll. They were outclassed on the road in Game 1, but so were many other teams. That’s how it works in the MLS. Now Charlotte can return home in front of what will likely be the largest crowd in MLS this year and try to put on a show in their first home playoff game. Even without Biel – who, let’s be honest, was underwhelming anyway – they have a chance to prevail and bring the game back to Orlando. That’s a tough question, but in most cases home teams are home teams.

Hey, remind me what happened in Game 1?

Nothing your kids would be safe to read about.

The Galaxy suffered one of their worst playoff losses in recent memory last week. Dejan Joveljić and Riqui Puig each scored a brace to give LA a 5-0 win. You and I had exactly the same number of shots on goal as the Rapids in that game. The final xG balance was 2.2 to 0.0. Colorado actually took a shot, but it came from about 30 yards away. So.

Yes, the Rapids feel kind of cooked.

Who are the key players tonight?

I don’t need to remind you of Joveljic, Puig, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil. One of the most dynamic attacking groups we’ve ever seen in MLS should be fully prepared to end this early in Colorado.

On the other hand… I mean, based on Game 1, it’s goalie Zack Steffen who will probably have to stop a lot of shots if things don’t change quickly. Pretty much.

Is there a chance for Game 3?

Look, we’re not trying to be too dismissive here. You can’t do without a home team, especially not at altitude. But we all saw what happened in Game 1, and we all saw what’s been going on with the Rapids over the last few weeks. You look mentally and physically gassed. Their push to third place in the League Cup earned them a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup, but also took the wind out of their sails.

I think that’s a fair trade for this group in a season where no one really knew what expectations to set. Unfortunately, winning a playoff series against an elite offense doesn’t help.

Yes, there is a chance. It’s just not a big one.

Good luck out there. Wear clothing appropriate to the occasion.