*Taps microphone*
Hey, is this thing on? By this thing, of course I mean the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs.
After a two-week pause for the November international window, the MLS postseason is back up and running, with the conference semifinal round set to kick off on Saturday. Eight teams are still vying for MLS Cup, and thanks to some historic upsets in the first round -- including the shock exit of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami -- they're not the teams you might think.
It's been an unpredictable start to the playoffs, and the chance for upsets remains high. With single-elimination clashes the rest of the way, each remaining club is only three wins away from lifting a piece of silverware.
So, how are these playoffs going to finish? And who will add a trophy to their cabinet? Let's peer into the stats-filled MLS crystal ball to answer those questions. That ball is murky, but hey, it's ours.