The Pitch: Need to Know for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Conference Finals

The Audi 2024 MLS Cup Conference Finals are here. The Western Conference winner will advance to host MLS Cup presented by Audi and the Eastern Conference winner will have the opportunity to become just the fourth away team to win MLS Cup since 2011.

Eastern Conference Final: No. 4 Orlando City SC vs. No. 7 New York Red Bulls
(Saturday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m. ET/7:40 p.m. ET kickoff, Inter&Co Stadium, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)

Orlando will host the Red Bulls in the first Conference Final match onSaturday evening. The Lions advanced to their first-ever Eastern Conference Final after defeating rivals Charlotte FC in three games in the Round One Best-of-3 Series and Atlanta United, 1-0, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Red Bulls spurred two upsets en route to the club’s fifth Eastern Conference Final appearance since 2008, sweeping the reigning MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew in the Round One Best-of-3 Series and besting bitter rivals New York City FC, 2-0, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Orlando City SC Virtual Media Availability
- Approx. 11 a.m. ET, Wednesday, November 27
- Virtual media availability with head coach Óscar Pareja and defender Rafael Santos
- Media should contact Orlando City SC Communications to RSVP
New York Red Bulls Virtual Media Availability

Approx. 12:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, November 27
Virtual media availability with head coach Sandro Schwarz and select players
Media should contact New York Red Bulls Communications to RSVP

Western Conference Final: No. 2 LA Galaxy vs. No. 4 Seattle Sounders FC
(Saturday, Nov. 30, 10 p.m. ET/10:10 p.m. ET kickoff, Dignity Health Sports Park, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)

The Galaxy will host the Sounders to decide who will earn the honor of hosting MLS Cup. After defeating the Colorado Rapids in two games in the Round One Best-of-3 Series and Minnesota United FC, 6-2, in the Western Conference Semifinals the Galaxy return to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2014. For the Sounders, ironclad defense and penalty-kick efficiency pushed them past Houston Dynamo FC in the Round Best-of-3 Series before upsetting top-seeded LAFC in the Western Conference Semifinals, 2-1, in extra time.

LA Galaxy Virtual Media Availability
- Approx. 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT), Wednesday, November 27
- Virtual media availability with head coach Greg Vanney and select players
- Media should contact LA Galaxy Communications to RSVP
Seattle Sounders FC Virtual Media Availability
- 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT), Wednesday, November 27
- Virtual media availability with head coach Brian Schmetzer and select players
- Media should contact Seattle Sounders FC Communications to RSVP

Credential Application for MLS Cup presented by Audi is Now Open

The media credential application for MLS Cup 2024 presented by Audi is now open and accepting requests. To apply, please click **HERE**. All applications require a high-quality headshot. MLS all-venue credentials, team full-season credentials and/or credentials from previous MLS events will not be valid for MLS Cup 2024 presented by Audi.

The deadline to apply for media credentials is Monday, December 2 at 5 p.m. PT. No late applications will be accepted. Media in need of assistance with completing the MLS Cup 2024 accreditation process should contact comm.credentials@mlssoccer.com prior to the application deadline.

Hosted by the MLS Cup finalist with the best regular-season record, MLS Cup 2024 presented by Audi will be played on Saturday, December 7 at 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, FOX, FOX Deportes, TSN, and RDS.

The Unlikely Hero Rising Out of the Eastern Conference

Heading into the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, top-seeded Inter Miami CF, reigning MLS Cup champion the Columbus Crew, and FC Cincinnati were chief among the favorites for MLS Cup out of the East, but the tides have shifted dramatically in the postseason to where either Orlando City SC or the New York Red Bulls will be the conference’s representative at MLS Cup presented by Audi.

Orlando head coach Óscar Pareja returns to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2015 with FC Dallas and in his fifth season in charge of the club. This is the first time the club has advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, with Uruguayan international midfielder Facundo Torres continuing to come up with big moments and clutch scoring from Ramiro Enrique, who scored the game-winner against Atlanta United. Now, after defeating Atlanta and Charlotte, the Lions will look to assert Eastern Conference dominance by stopping the Cinderella run of the Red Bulls and advancing to their first-ever MLS Cup.

The Red Bulls are no strangers to Eastern Conference Finals with five appearances since 2008, but the club has not returned to MLS Cup since losing the championship match in 2008. Despite being the lowest-seeded team remaining, the pressure is on the Red Bulls to take advantage of their postseason run and lift the club’s first MLS Cup title. First-year head coach Sandro Schwarz helped the league’s youngest roster qualify for the playoffs for a league-record 15th consecutive, and now they have a chance to become the lowest seeded team to reach MLS Cup in league history.

Legacies On the Line in Western Conference Final

The ties to 2014 only grow stronger for the LA Galaxy as they will face Seattle Sounders FC in the Western Conference Final in their first visit to the Conference Finals since the last time they won MLS Cup.

The “Killer P’s” – Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec, and Riqui Puig – have been lights out this postseason, producing a combined 15 goal contributions (10 goals, five assists) as the Galaxy continue to carve open their opponents’ defenses. Head coach Greg Vanney is looking to become just the sixth head coach to appear in four MLS Cup matches and return to the championship match for his first time since 2019 with Toronto FC. Postseason history also leans in the Galaxy’s favor against the Sounders, as the club has accrued a 4-0-3 record against their Pacific Northwest foe in the playoffs, including two Western Conference Finals victories in 2012 and 2014.

There are legacies on the line in Seattle as well heading into this Saturday’s match as a win would ensure a fifth MLS Cup presented by Audi appearance for the Sounders since their first MLS season in 2009 – the most of any MLS club over that span. Head coach Brian Schmetzer and three players – Stefan Frei, Jordan Morris, and Cristian Roldan – have been part of each of the last four MLS Cup runs, and the trio of players will look to join Darlington Nagbe and Hector Jiménez as the only active players to have won at least three MLS Cup titles. Additionally, Schmetzer would join Bruce Arena as the only head coaches in league history to lift the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy three different times.

To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.