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2024 MLS Playoffs: Vancouver thrashes Portland, Atlanta beats Montréal in penalties to secure spots in Round 1

Atlanta United squeaked past CF Montréal in a PK shootout, while the Whitecaps crushed the Timbers 5-0 away to advance to the next round

kari anderson
Contributing writer
·3 min read
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Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld scores a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Portland Timbers Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Howard Lao)
Vancouver midfielder Ryan Gauld scored a hat trick in the Whitecaps' dominant 5-0 win over Portland. (AP Photo/Howard Lao)

The first round of the MLS Playoffs is now set. After winning games in the wild-card round, Atlanta United and the Vancouver Whitecaps will advance to Round 1.

The two midweek wild-card games had very different results, with Atlanta getting a narrow win over CF Montréal after the Canadian team had two second-half equalizers to force a penalty shootout. Vancouver, meanwhile, pummeled the Portland Timbers with a dominant 5-0 win away.

With the wins, Atlanta will now take on Supporters Shield winners Inter Miami in a best-of-three matchup, and Vancouver will take on top Western Conference seed LAFC as a busy slate of Round 1 games begins this weekend.

Atlanta and Montréal kicked off the MLS playoffs with a wild-card matchup in Montréal on Tuesday. Atlanta got an early lead, with Brooks Lennon and Stian Rode Gregersen scoring in the 29th and 44th minutes, respectively. But in the second half, Montréal striker Josef Martinez came up big, scoring in the 63rd minute and sinking a penalty in the 89th.

The game, tied 2-2, then went straight into a penalty shootout to determine the winner. Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan had a massive save early in the shootout that ended up being the winning save, with Atlanta winning 5-4 on PKs.

With the win, Atlanta will now travel to take on Inter Miami. The first game of the series will take place on Friday, kicking off Round 1.

On Wednesday, the Western Conference wild card saw a meeting of two Cascadia rivals, but ended with a very uneven 5-0 defeat.

Due to a scheduling conflict in Vancouver's BC Place — with a motocross event already scheduled in the arena — the Timbers hosted the match despite being the lower seed. But it wasn't much of a home-field advantage for Portland: Vancouver scored three times in the first half, and finished out the first 15 minutes of the second half with two more.

Whitecaps midfielder and captain Ryan Gauld hit a hat trick, netting his third goal of the night — and Vancouver's fifth — in the 59th minute.

After the game, the Whitecaps took the crushing win in stride.

Vancouver will now play at LAFC in the first match of the round on Sunday, and will host the No. 1 seed the following Sunday.