MLS Conference Finals: Magic Messi to Get Closer to MLS Cup Glory?
by Bradley Gibbs | by Bradley Gibbs
Conference Finals Key Details
And then there were four. Only four teams remain in the battle for MLS Cup glory. Ahead of the final game in the play offs, there’s the battle for Eastern Conference supremacy, as well as the duel for Western Conference supremacy.
Here are the key details ahead of the 2025 MLS Conference Finals:
Inter Miami vs NYCFC:
Date: Saturday, November 29th
Kick off time: 18:00 EST
Venue: Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale
Where to watch: Apple TV
San Diego vs Vancouver Whitecaps:
Date: Saturday, November 29th
Kick off time: 21:00 EST
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
Where to watch: Apple TV
Inter Miami vs NYCFC
As we can see in the betting from our top sportsbooks, the hosts are huge favorites to get the job done and advance to what would be a first ever MLS Cup Final.
Priced around -200 to win this game inside regulation time, I think it’s fair to say that the early betting market expects the hosts to come out on top, and let’s be real. Is that hard to argue with? Absolutely not.
When push has come to shove of late, especially at home, the Herons have been unplayable. Messi has rolled back the years, having opposition players in the palm of his hand, while someone like Tadeo Allende has really stepped up to the plate, scoring back-to-back braces to send the Miami boys this far.
Earlier in the season, we did see NYCFC go to Chase Stadium and cling to a share of the spoils, tying 1-1, but that was almost nine months ago, plus they faced ten men for most of the contest. Since then, the Herons have stepped on the gas a lot, as we saw when they beat Pascal Jansen’s men by a resounding four goals to zero in the Bronx back in late September. Should we expect to see something similar here? I think so, don’t you?
San Diego FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps
Unlike the final duel in the east, the showdown in the west seems to be a little less clear cut, or rather that’s what the betting suggests.
The hosts are the early favorites, but their favoritism is nowhere near as strong as that of Inter Miami in the earlier game. The hosts are currently priced around the +130 mark with most books, with the Whitecaps coming in at a general price of +175. In other words, no result would be a surprise.
When the pair last met, back in July, they tied 1-1 at Snapdragon Stadium, which makes this game all the more intriguing. Both teams have lots of firepower, as they showed when sharing eight goals at BC Place back in June. San Diego emerged victorious on that occasion, but both teams created lots, so much so that the pendulum could’ve swung in either direction.
For the Whitecaps, mid-season signing Thomas Muller, who has been a big hit so far, will be hoping to make it through to reignite his old UCL and international rivalries with the likes of Messi, Busquets and Alba, with whom the Germans has shared the field in a few legendary battles over the years. The visitors have shown a clear ability to grind out results in the playoffs, so he may just get his wish.
