MLS Cup Playoffs

MLS Cup Playoffs

Founded	1996
Region	United States Canada
Number of teams	14
Current champions	New York City FC (1st title)
2021 MLS Cup Playoffs

The MLS Cup Playoffs is the annual postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer. The final match of the tournament is the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. Under the current format adopted for the 2019 season, 14 teams qualify for the tournament based on regular-season point totals—the seven highest-placed teams from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Audi is the title sponsor of this tournament.

Awarding a championship through a postseason tournament differs from most other soccer leagues around the world, where the team with the most points at the end of the season is deemed champion. MLS awards the regular-season champions with the Supporters' Shield, and the winner must be a U.S.-based team in order to earn a direct berth in the CONCACAF Champions League, the continental tournament.

Playoff system[]

In the 2020 season, the top ten teams from the Eastern Conference and top eight teams from the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs, playing in separate brackets. All rounds were single-match eliminations hosted by the higher seed and there was no re-seeding in subsequent rounds. Extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) and a penalty shoot-out were used if the teams were still tied.

The teams ranked 7th through 10th in the Eastern Conference competed in a play-in round, to join the top six seeds who were given a bye. In the first round, the lowest remaining seed from the play-in round (New England Revolution) played against the Eastern Conference regular-season champions, the Philadelphia Union, while the highest remaining seed from that round (Nashville SC) played against the Conference runners-up, Toronto FC. 3rd place vs 6th place and 4th place vs 5th place were the other first-round pairings. First-round winners advanced to the Conference Semifinals; winners of the Conference Semifinals advanced to the Conference Finals.^[1]

The Western Conference had the top eight teams qualifying. There was no play-in round; the top-seeded team hosted the 8th seed, with 2nd place vs 7th place, 3rd place vs 6th place and 4th place vs 5th place being the other first-round pairings. The first-round winners then advanced to the Conference Semifinals and then the Conference Finals, just like in the East.

The winners of each Conference Finals, Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders FC, then competed in the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by Columbus, who had the better regular-season record; Columbus won the game and was thus crowned MLS Cup champions.

In 2021, as in the 2019 season, the top seven teams per conference qualified for the playoffs. The top-seeded team gets a first-round bye.

In 2022, the top eight teams per conference will qualify for the playoffs, and the top seed will host the eighth seed in the first round.

The Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals were formerly conducted in a home-and-away, aggregate-goal format. From 2014 to 2018, the away goals rule was used for these rounds.^[2][3] In both rounds, the higher-seeded team hosted the second leg. If the teams were tied after two games (180 minutes), the team that scored more goals on the road advanced. If there was still a tie after the away goals rule has been applied, the teams played 30 minutes of extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods), followed by a penalty shoot-out if necessary. The away goals rule did not apply to goals scored in these extra time periods.

Qualification[]

Fourteen teams qualify for the playoffs: the top seven teams from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference that had earned the best points per game record during the 34-game regular season. The top-seeded team in each conference gets a first-round bye, advancing to the conference semifinals, and will host the fourth-fifth seed winner from the first round.^[4]

Tie-breaking procedures[]

If at least two teams finish the regular season with an equal number of points, the following criteria are used to break the tie.^[5]

1. most wins
2. goal differential
3. goals scored
4. fewer disciplinary points
5. away goal differential
6. away goals scored
7. home goal differential
8. home goals scored
9. coin toss (2 clubs) or drawing of lots (3 clubs)

Note:

• If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 for the two remaining clubs.
• Head-to-head competition results have not been used in tie-breakers since 2012.^[6]

History[]

MLS playoff records[]

• Records include all knockout playoff matches, individual legs of aggregate-goal rounds, and MLS Cup appearances.

Goals[]

Note: Players in bold are still active for an MLS club.

Rank	Player	Years	Goals
1	Landon Donovan	2001–2014 2016	25
2	Carlos Ruiz	2002–2008 2011 2013 2016	16
3	Roy Lassiter	1996–1999 2001–2002	13
4	Jaime Moreno	1996–2010	12
5	Ante Razov	1996–2009	11
6	Brian McBride	1996–2003 2008–2010	10
	Preki	1996–2005
	Taylor Twellman	2002–2010
9	Jozy Altidore	2006–2008 2015–present	9
	Will Bruin	2011–present
	Robbie Keane	2011–2016
	Raúl Ruidíaz	2018–present
	Bradley Wright-Phillips	2013–present

Records[]

• Matches determined by shoot-out counted as win-loss, not draw

As of the conclusion of 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs

Appearances[]

As of November 7th, 2021

• Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny folded after completion of the 2001 season
• Chivas USA folded after completion of the 2014 season

MLS playoff shoot-outs[]

• MLS began implementing a shoot-out to determine the winner of a playoff series in 2004.
• From 2014 to 2018 the away goals rule was used (but not in extra time).

As of November 23, 2021

Longest MLS Cup Playoffs Shoot-outs

Rank	Rounds	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Season / Stage
1	11	Portland Timbers	2–2 (7–6)	Sporting Kansas City	2015 Knockout Round
2	10	Sporting Kansas City	1–1 (7–6)	Real Salt Lake	2013 MLS Cup
3	8	Portland Timbers	1–1 (7–8)	FC Dallas	2020 First round
4	7	Orlando City SC	1–1 (6–5)	New York City FC	2020 First round
		Real Salt Lake	1–1 (5–4)	Los Angeles Galaxy	2009 MLS Cup
		Chicago Fire	0–0 (4–5)	Real Salt Lake	2009 Conference Finals
7	6	Seattle Sounders FC	0–0 (5–6)	Real Salt Lake	2021 First round
		Toronto FC	0–0 (4–5)	Seattle Sounders FC	2016 MLS Cup
		FC Dallas	4–4 (4–5)	Colorado Rapids	2006 Conference Semifinals
		D.C. United	3–3 (4–3)	New England Revolution	2004 Conference finals
5 games have been decided in 5 rounds 3 games have been decided in 4 rounds 1 game has been decided in 3 rounds

Game played at neutral location

See also[]

• MLS Cup
• Playoffs
• List of MLS club post-season droughts

References[]

External links[]

• MLS standings