MLS: Mbaizo & Phili Conquer East, Set Enthralling Battle Against L.A FC

Indomitable Lions’ fullback, Olivier Mbaizo was for 90 minutes as it took a second-half comeback from Philadelphia to conquer the Eastern half of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs bracket in rousing fashion, defeating last year’s MLS Cup champions NYCFC, 3-1, Sunday night at Subaru Park.

Maxi Moralez gave the Cityzens the lead with a 57th-minute stunner, but the Union flipped the script just 10 minutes later with rapid-fire goals from Julián Carranza and Dániel Gazdag. Veteran striker Cory Burke iced the game with goal No. 3 after a slaloming run through NYCFC’s backline.

The newly-crowned Eastern Conference champions will travel to Banc of California Stadium to play LAFC for MLS Cup on Nov. 5. The matchup features the year’s two best regular-season teams and offers Philadelphia a chance at redemption after they just missed out on the 2022 Supporters’ Shield to the Black & Gold. The teams finished level on 67 points, but LAFC claimed their second Shield in four years on the most wins tiebreaker.

This will be the Union’s first trip to MLS Cup after falling short in the playoffs the last four years, most notably suffering a 2-1 home defeat in the 2021 Eastern Conference Final to now-vanquished NYCFC. Sunday’s victory culminates a long and methodic build that saw Philadelphia rise from perennial also-rans in the early 2010s to Supporters’ Shield winners in 2020 and now MLS Cup finalists.

Led by longtime captain Alejandro Bedoya and goalkeeper Andre Blake, the Union will look to cap off the impressive journey with their biggest trophy yet. Union’s defender, Olivier Mbaizo is one of the world cup hopefuls. He dished out three assists in 19 games during the regular season.