At the time, this was the largest single-match crowd in MLS history; the record was broken in 2022 when 74,479 people watched Charlotte FC's inaugural home match in 2022.

Atlanta defeated New York City 3–1 in the second leg with two goals by Josef Martínez, securing a berth to the Conference Finals with a 4–1 aggregate win.

[26] Savarese used the targeted allocation money to sign several young players, including midfielder Cristhian Paredes and forward Samuel Armenteros, who were placed in the starting lineup.

[27] Portland started the season with five straight road games due to an expansion project at Providence Park, which finished in three losses and two draws.

[28][29] After returning to Providence Park in April, the Timbers went on a fifteen-match unbeaten streak (tying a club record) that was broken by a loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in August.

[31][32] After winning 4–1 and 3–0 in successive matches against Real Salt Lake to close out the season, the Timbers qualified for the playoffs as the fifth-seed in the Western Conference,[32] playing away to FC Dallas in the first knockout round.

[59] Fox's broadcast was led by play-by-play announcer John Strong, color analyst Stuart Holden, and sideline reporter Katie Witham.

The pre-match show was anchored by Rob Stone, Alexi Lalas, and Maurice Edu, with guest appearances from U.S. national team manager Gregg Berhalter and MLS commissioner Don Garber.

[61] UniMás's broadcast was anchored by play-by-play commentators Raúl Guzmán and José Luis López Salido, alongside color analysts Diego Balado and Marcelo Balboa.

[73] Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja performed the national anthem prior to kickoff, reprising her role from an earlier LA Galaxy game in September.

[74][75] Club owner Arthur Blank was honored at the "Golden Spike" ceremony prior to the match while both sets of supporters unveiled their tifos.

[76] Atlanta continued to increase its possession of the ball and pressed for further attacks, including a chance for Miguel Almirón in the 28th minute that was volleyed into the hands of Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella.

[79] A slide tackle in the 39th minute by defender Michael Parkhurst reached Martínez in the penalty area, who dribbled around Attinella and scored the match's opening goal.

[76] Portland responded in the 42nd minute with a cross by Sebastián Blanco to Jeremy Ebobisse, who headed the ball into the hands of Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

[80][81] Atlanta won a free kick that was taken by Almirón and headed by Martínez to right-back Franco Escobar, who scored to give the team a 2–0 lead in the 54th minute.

[79][80] The rest of the second half featured end-to-end plays that resulted in saves or missed shots as Atlanta looked to use up remaining time in the match.

[76] After the final whistle, Atlanta's substitute players rushed onto the field and were presented with the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy by league commissioner Don Garber.

[80][83] Martínez was named the match's most valuable player for his performance, while Atlanta captain Michael Parkhurst won his first MLS Cup after four earlier attempts with the New England Revolution and Columbus Crew.

[90] Super Bowl LIII, held two months later at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, drew 3,000 less attendees than the MLS Cup final due to the use of a different seating configuration.

[92] A one-mile-long (1.6 km) victory parade was held two days later in Downtown Atlanta, with an estimated crowd of 15,000 following the team bus from the Georgia Aquarium to Centennial Olympic Park and a rally outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The rally included speeches from Arthur Blank, Georgia governor Nathan Deal, and Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and culminated in outgoing coach Gerardo Martino hammering in the team's ceremonial golden spike.