Double Trifecta: 6 New York area teams advance in playoffs

Two weeks ago, there was much talk of the "sports equinox" that took place on October 28, when four professional teams from New York City all played on the same night: New York City FC were in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Yankees were in the World Series, the Giants were on Monday Night Football, and the Knicks were playing at Madison Square Garden.

In case you need reminding, that night didn't turn out so well for New York City. All four teams lost.

But this past weekend, the celestial bodies that oversee professional sports in the TriState Area smiled on the region once again. Call it the Double Trifecta, when Gotham FC became the sixth New York City area team not only to make the playoffs, but to win their matchup and advance to the next round.

It's an unprecedented run of regional athletic excellence. Every major professional sports team in the area that could make the playoffs this fall did, with the six clubs spread over four leagues: The New York Liberty (WNBA) won their title; Gotham FC (NWSL), New York City FC (MLS), and New York Red Bulls (MLS) are still contending for theirs; and the New York Mets (MLB) and New York Yankees (MLB) went deep into their postseasons. These six New York City teams put up strong results, combining for a postseason record of 27W-1D-16L since September, with at minimum three more games to be played in the coming weeks.

New York City Area | 2024 Playoff Record by Club

One title down, two more in play

The Liberty led the way when they won their first title in franchise history on October 21. They were followed by the Mets, who advanced to the National League Championship Series after beating the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies, and the Yankees, who made it to the World Series after beating the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians.

Then Red Bulls shocked the pundits by wining the best-of-three Round One series in just two games, beating No 2 seed Columbus Crew in one of the biggest upsets in MLS Cup Playoffs history. NYCFC came through one week later, beating No 3 seed FC Cincinnati in what was also one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. The two teams will play each other next in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with NYCFC hosting Red Bulls at Citi Field on Saturday, November 23, in the first-ever playoff edition of the Hudson River Derby.

It became a Double Trifecta on Sunday, when Gotham FC scored a stoppage-time winner to beat Portland Thorns in a raucous NWSL Championship quarterfinal match played in front of a record-breaking crowd at Red Bull Arena. They next face Washington Spirit at Audi Field on Saturday, November 16 at 12 pm ET, when they continue their defense of the NWSL title they won last year.

New York City > Los Angeles > Atlanta

New York City isn't the only metropolis to field multiple playoff teams this fall. Los Angeles is home to the 2024 World Series-winning Dodgers, who bested the Yankees in five games. It's also home to LAFC and LA Galaxy, who both advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs and are contenders to lift the trophy. But the Sparks finished dead last in the WNBA, and Angel City FC finished the NWSL season in 12th place, four spots out of the playoffs. As they say in math class, 6 > 3.

Atlanta deserves a mention. Atlanta United delivered the single biggest upset in MLS Playoff history when they knocked out No 1 seed Inter Miami over the weekend, and will next face Orlando City in the other Eastern Conference Semifinal. But they're the only professional team in that town to advance in the postseason. Atlanta Dream made it to the WNBA playoffs but lost to Liberty in the First Round. A few weeks later, the Braves lost to the San Diego Padres in the Wild Card round. Three teams qualified for the postseason, but only one advanced.

Episode 12: Bring on the biggest-ever Hudson River Derby

A special episode recorded immediately following New York City FC’s penalty shootout triumph over FC Cincinnati. Relive the drama of the messy draw-turned-win in Ohio and begin to get ready for the highest-stakes match against the Red Bulls in NYCFC’s history.

Hudson River BlueHudson River Blue Staff

Houston deserves a single sentence, as they are home to the Dynamo (eliminated by Seattle Sounders in Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs), Astros (eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in the MLB Wild Card round), and Dash (finished last in the NWSL and failed to make the playoffs).

In other words, there is no comparison: New York City is the capital of American sports. This fall, when it comes to the high stakes of the postseason, New York City outperforms the rest of the country (we'll just set aside Game 5 of the World Series for now).

Legacy teams not measuring up

To be sure, New York City's sporting excellence is rooted in the diversity of the teams based here, and local interest in all of the region's professional leagues. While legacy teams continue to be popular, newer organizations now have devoted fan bases.

See: The record-setting crowd of 15,540 at Red Bull arena that watched Gotham win on Sunday, and that provided a ringing soundtrack that lifted the team. Or: The capacity crowd of 22,5000 expected at Citi Field when NYCFC host the Red Bulls on November 23. And: The 18,046 fans packed into Barclays Center to watch the Liberty win the WNBA title in a decisive Game 5, setting a new franchise record for attendance.

In fact, it's the younger clubs that are providing New York City with titles, with three in four years. The Liberty won the championship this year, Gotham won it last November. NYCFC won MLS Cup in 2021, ending a nine-year championship drought by bringing the city their first trophy since the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012. But it's not all good news. It's been 15 years since a New York City baseball team won the World Series, 21 years since a hockey team won the Stanley Cup, and a dumbfounding 50 years since a basketball team won the NBA.

Still, winning is contagious: Just look at the Liberty, Gotham, and NYCFC. Maybe some of that championship mindset can rub off on the billion-dollar clubs, and help them in their quests to lift another trophy.