MLS is Back Tournament Round of 16: An early preview at each match - MLSsoccer.com

July 22, 202011:52PM EDT

The MLS os Back Tournament Knockout Stage presented by Audi is starting to take shape. It's time to win or go home.

The top two teams from each of the six groups earn automatic berths to the Round of 16 and four other wild cards will round out the field: the next four best 3rd-place finishers based on points total (and other tiebreakers, if necessary).

Round of 16 matchups

Here's an early look at each of the confirmed Round of 16 matchups:

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Philadelphia vs. New England

Saturday, July 25 (10:30 pm ET | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes in US; TSN in Canada)

Fans of these two clubs are eager to finally see their respective team make the leap from playoff material to championship contenders and both the Union (2W-1L-2D) and the Revs (1W-1L-3D) entered 2020 with heightened expectations after proving they were worthy postseason competition.

Philadelphia: Jim Curtin's Union are a hard-working unit with few obvious weaknesses and captain Alejandro Bedoya sets the tone in midfield alongside Brenden Aaronson, whose stock continues to rise. What's different about the MLS is Back Tournament is that Philly have been unabashed about their ambition to win it all well before they set foot in Orlando and they walked the walk in the group stage. Only the goal differential tiebreaker prevented them from topping Group A.

New England: The Revs, coached by Hall of Famer Bruce Arena, are equally solid and well-balanced, relying on star players Gustavo Bou, Adam Buksa and playmaker Carles Gil for the magic moments in attack. That's why there's concern among Revolution supporters after Gil was seen wearing a protective boot during the final group game. He starred in New England's first two matches and then watched from the sidelines as his team picked up a 0-0 tie in the Group C finale.

Series history: The Union hold the slight edge in the regular season: 5W-3L-3D. The two teams have never met in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, but they did face off in two knockout matches in the U.S. Open Cup. The Union beat the Revs in the first meeting in the 2014 quarterfinals (2-0) and the Revs returned the favor in the 2016 quarters, advancing on penalty kicks. 

Orlando vs. Montreal

Saturday, July 25 (8 pm ET | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes in US; TSN in Canada)

Two clubs that have taken strong first steps under new coaches will now get a chance to make some more noise when Oscar Pareja’s Orlando City (2W-1L-2D) meet Thierry Henry’s Montreal Impact (2W-2L-1D). Neither team has enjoyed much success in the last few years, but their encouraging performances to start 2020 have offered hope that new heights may not be far off.

Orlando: The Lions have started to show flashes of being a dangerous attacking team under Pareja, regularly getting numbers forward in attack and averaging a pair of goals per game in the group stage, in part thanks to some standout showings from Chris Mueller. Despite being in a group with two Eastern Conference contenders (NYCFC and Philadelphia) and big-spending Inter Miami, Orlando looked right at home when the tournament kicked off, and will be feeling confident of continuing their run.

Montreal: The Impact got here by the skin of their teeth, but sometimes that’s all you need in a knockout tournament like this. After dropping their first two games, including a high-scoring Canadian Classique, the Impact were able to do just enough in a 1-0 win over D.C. United and advance as one of the best-placed third placed teams. Saphir Taider has been the star so far with three of Monteal's four goals, while they have a number of other intriguing attackers, but ultimately Henry needs to ensure that his largely inherited roster can provide a variety of consistent scoring threats.

Series history: Montreal hold the series edge, with a 6W-4L-2D record against Orlando. This will be the first win-or-go-home meeting between the two sides, given that Orlando are yet to make the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and the two teams compete in separate domestic cups.

Columbus vs. Minnesota

Tuesday, July 28 (8 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes in US; TSN in Canada)

The best team in the tournament so far will meet one of 2019’s most improved outfits in what should prove to be an intriguing matchup between two teams that will feel they have a real shot at the title. The so-far-dominant Crew (4W-0L-1D) should be favorites, but Adrian Heath’s Minnesota (3W-0L-2D) have shown time and again over the last year that they are not to be counted out.

Columbus: The Crew have played pretty passing soccer, comfortably dispatched two Eastern Conference powers (albeit ones that seem to be sliding in 2020) and put up the tournament’s joint-largest margin of victory to date, all while rotating their squad. There have been a few injury questions in the team, but the star trio of Darlington Nagbe, Lucas Zelarayan and Gyasi Zardes are all playing at a high level and do not seem ready to let up anytime soon.

Minnesota: The Loons, who launched themselves into the league’s upper echelon in 2019 but are without reigning Defender of the Year Ike Opara for the MLS is Back Tournament, have had a solid, if not fully convincing showing in Orlando so far. They posted a memorable comeback win in their opener against Sporting Kansas City, which ultimately proved crucial to their advancement, and looked good value for the draws they earned in their final two group games. They may need to hit another gear to beat Columbus, though.

Series History: The two teams have met just three times prior, with Columbus holding a 2W-0D-1L advantage over their Western Conference opponents in MLS play. However, the Loons won their most recent meeting, on May 19, 2019, with none other than former Crew winger Ethan Finlay, also a two-goal scorer against Colorado on Wednesday night, getting the winner. The two squads have never met in postseason or Open Cup play.

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