When the New England Revolution face Columbus Crew SC in the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday, they’ll again be the underdog.
How head coach/sporting director Bruce Arena sees it, that role at MAPFRE Stadium will suit them just fine. If anything, the single-elimination playoff format has benefited lower seeds ever since Major League Soccer adopted it in 2019.
“I think in a single-elimination, it favors the team that’s the underdog because it’s a one-and-done,” Arena said Tuesday via virtual press conference.