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MLS: Top 3 performances from Conference Finals

By Matt Coles

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 29: Nicolas Lodeiro #10 of Seattle Sounders celebrates his first half goal during the MLS Western Conference Final between Los Angeles FC and Seattle Sounders at the Banc of California Stadium on October 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Seattle Sounders won the match 3-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 29: Nicolas Lodeiro #10 of Seattle Sounders celebrates his first half goal during the MLS Western Conference Final between Los Angeles FC and Seattle Sounders at the Banc of California Stadium on October 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Seattle Sounders won the match 3-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images) /
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MLS, Seattle Sounders, Nicolas Lodeiro
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 29: Nicolas Lodeiro #10 of Seattle Sounders celebrates his first half goal during the MLS Western Conference Final between Los Angeles FC and Seattle Sounders at the Banc of California Stadium on October 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Seattle Sounders won the match 3-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images) /

Two Conference Finals, two overwhelming favourites, and two shock results. Here are the top three performances from the MLS Conference Finals.

In this week’s Major League Soccer Conference Finals, the Seattle Sounders travelled to Banc of California Stadium looking to become only the second visiting team to beat Los Angeles FC in their own home this season, Minnesota United the only side to do so. They travelled to Los Angeles as complete outsiders, went behind early, and still came back to stun the Black and Gold fans, advancing to a third MLS Cup final in four seasons.

In the Eastern Conference, the story was exactly the same. The hosts, and favourites, Atlanta United, were expecting to defeat Toronto FC with ease. However, that was not the case. The 2017 MLS Cup champions knocked out the 2018 winners, despite going behind inside the opening five minutes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Canadian side then scored a goal in both halves, whilst shutting out the Five Stripes for the remaining 85 minutes of their Conference Final clash.

Related Story. MLS: Top 3 performances from Conference semi-finals. light

So, for the third time in four seasons, it will be Seattle Sounders against Toronto FC. It was the Sounders who lifted the trophy in 2016, while the Canadian side took revenge twelve months later. Both sides caused shocks in the Conference Finals, and to cause shocks, you need your best players to stand up and be accounted for.

So, here are our best three performances from Conference Finals week.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 30: Goalkeeper Quentin Westberg #16 of Toronto FC saves a penalty kick attempt by Josef Martinez #7 of Atlanta United in the first half during the Eastern Conference Finals between Atlanta United and Toronto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 30: Goalkeeper Quentin Westberg #16 of Toronto FC saves a penalty kick attempt by Josef Martinez #7 of Atlanta United in the first half during the Eastern Conference Finals between Atlanta United and Toronto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

3. Quentin Westberg

The first of our top three performances in Conference Finals week comes from a goalkeeper, one that saved a penalty to keep his side in the game. After Atlanta United took a very early lead in their Eastern clash with Toronto FC, Pity Martinez won a penalty kick. The game was on the edge. That was when Quentin Westberg came up with a huge save to deny Josef Martinez, keeping TFC in the match.

Martinez, an MLS history-maker, one of the best goalscorers the league has ever seen and a renowned penalty taker, struck the ball hard, low and angled into the side netting. But Westberg stood tall, got down brilliantly to his right and palmed the ball clear.

Within another couple of minutes, the Canadian side had pulled level through Nicolas Benezet’s curling effort, making it 1-1 after a frantic opening quarter of an hour. Nick DeLeon then eventually unleashed a powerful effort to give Toronto FC the victory, one that was solely possible because of Westberg’s brilliance.

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