MLS playoffs in flux, Inter Miami on the verge of history on Decision Day

While groups are battling to enhance their playoff position on Decision Day, Inter Miami will be trying to make Major League Soccer history.

The Lionel Messi-led team has the chance to safe the league’s all-time points record on Saturday versus the New England Revolution. The Revolution set the record in 2021 with 73 points, and Miami presently has 71.

Miami has currently clinched the leading area in the Eastern Conference and protected the Supporters Shield.

Messi, a front-runner for the MLS MVP this season, has 17 objectives and 15 helps inspiteof playing simply 18 videogames duetothefactthat of an ankle injury and dedications with the Argentine nationwide group.

Messi might not start versus New England giventhat the match doesn’t have any playoff ramifications, and he simply returned this week from nationwide group responsibility.

“On the 20th of January, it would have appeared illogical to talk about intending for the points record; however now it’s within reach, we would like to get it,” Miami coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino stated. “However, we are not [going] to do anything insane duetothefactthat 6 days lateron, we start the most crucial videogames. That’s where I should be mindful (managing gamers’ minutes).”

[Related: Lionel Messi leaves door open for 2026 World Cup: ‘We will see’]

D.C. United’s Christian Benteke is on the edge of winning the 2024 MLS Golden Boot with a league-high 23 objectives. Benteke is ahead of 2023 winner LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and the Crew’s Cucho Hernández, who have 19 objectives each.

There are still 2 playoff berths open in the Eastern Conference heading into Decision Day. D.C. United and Montreal are in the 8th and ninth areas however sanctuary’t clinched yet, while Philadelphia and Atlanta are still in contention.

Benteke stated D.C. United won’t be scoreboard viewing throughout its last videogame versus Charlotte. All the East’s matches on Saturday takeplace atthesametime.

“We had some ups and downs through the season, and now this is it,” Benteke stated. “We are there. We can see the last line. Man, it’s amazing since this is our possibility. We’ve worked so hard and we’ve been through numerous, lotsof things.”

The No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in each conference play in a match for the last playoff area and a possibility to play the top-seeded group — Miami in the East and either the LA Galaxy or LAFC in the West.

Although all 9 playoff berths were currently clinched in the West, the Galaxy and LAFC are still jockeying for the leading seed. The Galaxy requires a win or draw at Houston on Saturday to lock it down.

With a win, the Galaxy will surface with 67 points, matching the group’s 2011 overall when it went on to win the MLS title.

“I think it’s fantastic that the videogame is significant,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney stated. “At this time of year, I would rather have a significant videogame that we’re playing for something, rather than a videogame where you feel like you’re not playing for something right before you actually start playing for something. So I believe that keeps the right strength and the right attention in the group.”

The top 4 seeds in each conference after Decision Day win home-field benefit for the veryfirst round.

Further down the table in the West, Cascadia Cup competitors Portland and Vancouver hold the wild card positions. That might alter, as the bottom 5 playoff-bound groups are all within 6 points of each other.

The Whitecaps hope to relocation up the table this weekend at Real Salt Lake, however Vancouver hasactually been winless in its last 6 matches.

“Obviously, we’ve had a bad run of results justrecently,” striker Brian White stated. “So it’d be terrific to go into playoffs with a little bit of more favorable energy, a win, and see what we can do from there.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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