Former Arsenal favourite, forgotten Leeds player and north London derby rivals all eyeing glory after shock Lionel Messi exit
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There would have been scenes of mourning in MLS HQ on Saturday night as Atlanta United dumped the Inter Miami juggernaut out of the playoffs.
There's no doubt the TV ratings will suffer without Lionel Messi contributing to the drama, while the Eastern Conference’s second and third-place finishers – FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew – also saw their seasons end.
So, as the postseason narrows down to just eight teams, who are the familiar names to look out for without Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets to entertain?
The biggest stars unsurprisingly come from the city of glamor, Los Angeles, potentially the only location that ever had the superstars to challenge Miami on a name-for-name basis.
CARLOS VELA
LAFC made waves in 2018 when they signed Vela – formerly of Arsenal – who at the age of 28 was well within his prime and playing a starring role for Real Sociedad in La Liga.
The move proved hugely successful and after seeing his contract expire at the end of the 2023 campaign, LA brought Vela back in September for another run towards glory.
Now 35 years old, Vela is one of the elder statesmen in this group, but he's not the only ageing star who made a notable impact in Europe before moving to southern California.
NORTH LONDON IS… BLACK AND GOLD
LA are led by two French World Cup winners in Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud.
Lloris departed Tottnham in the summer after racking up nearly 450 appearances to go with his mammoth 145 international caps – the most in France's illustrious soccer history.
While the final period of his Spurs career no doubt saw him decline, Lloris has proven that he still has something left in the tank, keeping 12 clean sheets in a LAFC shirt – just one short of the MLS lead this season.
Rounding out the ancient superstar contingent is Giroud, who at 38 years old has yet to find the kind of success his compatriot is enjoying.
Leaving AC Milan for Los Angeles in May, Giroud has played in 10 MLS games but failed to score a single goal.
That said, Giroud has earned his reputation as a big game player and should LAFC win their second MLS Cup, they'll no doubt need a huge moment or two from the striker.
Mateusz Bogusz
It was a much less recognized former contributor to European football who was the hero as LAFC narrowly saw off the Vancouver Whitecaps to reach the Conference semifinal stage.
Bogusz played just once for Leeds United in the Championship but at 23 years old he's seen his career take a massive leap forward in the MLS, notching 15 goals in 32 regular season games this year.
While he doesn't carry the name-power of his older teammates, Bogusz has continued to be a formidable force in the postseason, popping up with a goal and an assist.
MARCO REUS
Heading to the other side of the 'El Trafico' derby sees the LA Galaxy, perhaps the original MLS club of superstars with the likes of Landon Donovan and David Beckham, boasting their own set of notable names.
None more so than 35-year-old Reus. After more than a decade with Borussia Dortmund, the skipper finally departed for new pastures in August, joining the Galaxy just in time for their title push.
Reus has largely appeared off the bench so far and while his advanced age plays a role in that, he also isn't quite as necessary when the Galaxy have one of the premiere stars of MLS
Riqui Puig
Still only 25 years old, many were shocked when Puig swapped Barcelona for LA in 2022 but it certainly appears that the exciting attacker is enjoying life stateside.
He stepped up with 13 goals and 10 assists in the regular season and he has already made a significant mark on the playoffs with four goals and an assist through two games.
Puig could be the best individual player left in the running for the MLS Cup, providing must-see TV every time he takes to the pitch.
MAYA YOSHIDA
At the back, Yoshida – formerly of Southampton – has provided experience and savvy, always a smart defender who relied on his brain more than his brawn.
With the resources at the disposal of the two LA teams, it will take a mammoth effort from one of the other six remaining clubs to claim glory.
Of course, after beating Miami, Atlanta will feel they can find success against anyone.
Coming into the playoffs as the bottom-seeded team, the underdogs can thank a somewhat underrated former Premier League star for their stunning win.
BRAD GUZAN
Goalkeeper Guzan, who played nine seasons in the English top flight, primarily for Aston Villa, was so good in his side's three-game series against Miami that Jordi Alba labelled him as the decisive factor.
"Their goalkeeper was also outstanding in every match and I believe that was the key difference," Alba said following his side's elimination.
It's rare for a goalkeeper to have the impact Guzan has thus far provided but there's every reason to believe it can continue for someone who has been so reliable for such an extended period of time.
To reach the Conference finals, Atlanta will need to bypass Orlando City and fans of EFL clubs should be keeping an eye on attacker Duncan McGuire.
The American found himself on the brink of a move to Blackburn Rovers in January but the paperwork arrived too late and after an unsuccessful appeal to the EFL, McGuire was sent back to Florida.
He has since signed a new deal but there's every reason to believe European interest will continue. The 23-year-old has yet to start in the playoffs but is a handful off the bench.
The other Eastern Conference semifinal sees the two New York sides face off. For both clubs it's been a long time since the days of Thierry Henry with the Red Bulls and David Villa with City.
The Red Bulls do boast Sweden international Emil Forsberg who seemed eternally linked with a move to the Premier League that never quite materialized as he played out his top-level career in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig.
On paper the Red Bulls' cross-city rivals are lacking in traditional star power but they did finish ahead of Forsberg's team and can call on American James Sands who enjoyed a foray into Europe with a loan spell at Rangers.
Meanwhile, Minnesota United have a giant name in recent Championship history at their disposal in Teemu Pukki.
Coming to the end of his career, the Finnish international has failed to make much of an impact in the US, remaining on the bench for both of his side's playoff games thus far.
Perhaps more interestingly, Minnesota also have Kelvin Yeboah on their books – the nephew of former Leeds thriller Tony Yeboah.
Outside of the two big LA sides, the MLS playoffs are missing something in the way of superstars following multiple shock exits in the last round.
But that provides an opportunity for new names to rise.
