Why Inter Miami Are Hosting Mls Cup Final Despite Seeding Discrepancy

1 jam yang lalu

Inter Miami will big nan Vancouver Whitecaps successful nan MLS Cup last connected Saturday, contempt being nan little seeded squad successful nan MLS Cup playoff bracket.

While nan Whitecaps are nan Western Conference No. 2 seed and Miami nan Eastern Conference No. 3, nan Herons earned hosting rights by having a greater points full successful nan regular play Supporters’ Shield standings. Conference seeding only plays a domiciled successful determining location section advantage up until nan MLS Cup final.

The Herons amassed 65 points complete their 34-match schedule, trailing only nan Supporters’ Shield-winning Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati.

Vancouver put together a club-record 63-point season, bully capable to necktie San Diego FC for nan apical of nan Western Conference, but mislaid retired connected nan apical spot because of nan full wins tiebreaker. As such, nan Herons will big nan last astatine Chase Stadium connected Saturday, Dec. 6.

Miami and Vancouver person not met successful MLS action this season, but faced each different successful a two-legged bid successful nan Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. Vancouver won each limb 2–0 and 3–1 respectively to beforehand complete nan Herons.

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Lionel Messi (left) will lead Inter Miami into MLS Cup against nan Vancouver Whitecaps and Thomas Müller (right). / Carmen Mandato/Getty Images, Omar Vega/Getty Images

The MLS Cup champion will beryllium decided successful a azygous match. Should nan teams beryllium tied aft 90 minutes, nan last would see 2 15-minute halves of other clip earlier penalties if nan other periods grounded to nutrient a winner.

Although MLS Cup has ever been a one-match showdown since nan first version successful 1996, nan hosting formats person changed. From nan inaugural MLS Cup done to 2012, nan convention hosted nan lucifer astatine a predetermined neutral venue. Since then, location section advantage has been fixed to nan highest remaining squad successful nan Supporters’ Shield table.

In MLS history, a squad playing connected their location transportation has won 12 of 16 times, swaying nan likelihood successful Inter Miami’s favor.

Should Vancouver travel distant arsenic champions, they would beryllium nan 4th nine successful MLS history to triumph either nan U.S. Open Cup aliases Canadian Championship and MLS Cup successful nan aforesaid season.