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Christian Benteke, D.C. UnitedImagn
Alex Labidou

MLS Decision Day Roundup: Heartbreak for Christian Benteke, D.C. United; celebrations for Atlanta United, LAFC steal West from LA Galaxy

Decision Day 2024 more than lived up to the hype as the MLS regular season closed on a dramatic note

Christian Benteke's face said it all.

Here was a man who sealed Major League Soccer's Golden Boot, but was covering his eyes to hide the pain he felt from missing the MLS postseason on the final day of the regular season, as D.C. United lost 3-0 to Charlotte FC Saturday night. It was raw. It was emotional. It is what MLS needs more of.

MLS has grown dramatically, especially over the past decade and a half, and it can certainly make a case that it is a more efficiently run league than some of its European counterparts. But one area in which it struggles to match the old continent's leagues is the week-to-week drama that appears on a consistent basis in the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga.

Decision Day is certainly a step in the right direction.

Now the challenge for the league is to find more ways to bottle that energy and excitement and spread it more throughout the season, especially during the times where the season can feel a bit more routine.

Moving forward, there were plenty of storylines to follow on Decision Day.

Here are the top four.

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  • Troy Lesesne, D.C. UnitedImagn

    Troy Lesesne deserves criticism after failed tactical plan

    D.C. United had one job: Draw or win and they're in. And they were at home.

    Despite a favorable setup, United failed miserably, losing 3-0 to Charlotte and extended a playoff drought that started following the 2019 season in which Wayne Rooney as a player brought them to the postseason.

    Manager Troy Lesesne, who had a decent first season in D.C., deserves criticism for getting the tactics wrong in this match. United dominated possession with a 58.3 percent advantage, but it had no answers for Charlotte FC's counter attack and conceded three goals. In attack, the home side wasn't much better as it over relied on Benteke to create magic. Charlotte, which didn't have as much at stake, had an xG of 2-1.

    Considering everything that was at stake for D.C., focusing on a more defensive gameplan might have worked towards its favor. Unfortunately, the team's fans will spend the entire offseason wondering what if.

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  • Late night thriller from both Los Angeles teams

    What a night for MLS.

    For about 30 seconds it appeared as LAFC would steal back the Western Conference from its Carson rivals in the LA Galaxy. LAFC sealed a 3-1 win over Wooden Spoon holders and the Galaxy were trailing 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo. Then insanity ensued.

    LA would draw a penalty, which was soundly converted by Newcomer of the Year favorite Gabriel Pec. The Galaxy were on top of the Western Conference summit - for about another four minutes. As broadcast cameras panned in on a devastated LAFC fanbase in Los Angeles, a defensive lapse by the Galaxy would ultimately bring joy to BMO Stadium. Ex-Galaxy man Daniel Steres would score 11 minutes into extra time to seal a 2-1 win for Houston and the West for LAFC.

    It was top-level action that would remind Premier League fans of Manchester City's title steal over Sir. Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2012.

  • Laurent Courtois CF MTLUSA Today Images

    Montreal, Atlanta United peaking at the right time

    Both CF Montreal and Atlanta United had in-season turmoil. First-year Montreal manager Laurent Courtois found himself on the hot seat after a mid-season cold spell and USMNT legend Carlos Bocanegra lost his job as United's VP and technical director.

    Then throw in the fact that Atlanta lost its three best players to transfers in Caleb Wiley, Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis while Josef Martinez publicly criticized Courtois - tronger clubs have collapsed under these circumstances.

    However, pressure forms diamonds right?

    While neither team is expected to hoist the MLS Cup this year, there will be plenty of intrigue when they meet in Stade Saputo midweek. And at the very least, the remarkable 18-year career of Dax McCarty will extend for at least one more game.

  • Philly's long postseason run comes to an end

    The Philadelphia Union are a well-run organization that has a strong coach in Jim Curtin and one of the best scouting and development programs in all of North America. That makes the fact that they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017 following a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati standout even more. This seems like a changing of the guard for a team that just lost the MLS Cup final in 2022 on penalties.

    Longtime midfielder Alejandro Bedoya is very likely out of the door and he'll probably be joined by other veterans who no longer fit the team's plan. And the Union have arguably the best homegrown cast in the league, with Jack McGlynn, Quinn and Cavan Sullivan poised for big jumps in the years to come.

    Yet, it did feel as if something was a amiss in Philly. And if certain quotes circulating around social media are indicative of a larger issue, it could point to a need of investment in the squad.

  • Around the League

    • Obed Vargas' red card for the Seattle Sounders is a significant blow for a team who has a sneaky chance of being an MLS Cup contender this year. He's been a breakout player for the team this season who recently snubbed the USMNT in favor of Mexico, and will miss Seattle's playoff opener.

    • The Rapids' current funk continued as they lost 3-2 to a Austin FC side who are coachless and out of the playoffs. Further dampening the mood is the apparent injury to star Djordje Mihailovic, who was stretchered off after just six minutes. If Mihailovic misses any time, it will only make things more difficult for Chris Armas -- a Coach of the Year candidate just a month ago.

    • Kudos to Real Salt Lake for quietly sneaking back into the third spot in the West after their 2-1 win over Vancouver. A topsy-turvy season means RSL hasn't gotten much hype as a contender, but at times they've proved to be among the best in the league. Their matchup vs. Minnesota in the opening round promises to be a good one.