MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the annual postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer. The MLS Cup, the league's championship game, is the final match of the tournament. Under the current format adopted for the 2023 season, 18 teams qualify for the tournament based on regular-season point totals — the nine highest-placed teams from each the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Audi is the title sponsor of this tournament.
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Region | United States Canada |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Current champions | Los Angeles FC (1st title) |
| Most successful team(s) | LA Galaxy (5 titles) |
| 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs | |
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 both champions earn a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League, the continental tournament.[1]
Playoff system
Since 2023, the top nine teams from the Eastern Conference and top nine teams from the Western Conference qualify for the playoffs, playing in separate brackets.[2][3][4] The Wild Card round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and the MLS Cup are single-match eliminations hosted by the team with the better regular season record, while the conference quarterfinals is a best-of-3 series with the higher seeds hosting the odd-numbered games with no re-seeding in any round. A penalty shoot-out are used if the teams are still tied in all games while extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) are utilized from Conference Semifinals onwards.
The top seven teams in each conference are given byes to the conference quarterfinals. The teams ranked 8th and 9th in each conference compete in the Wild-card round, with the winner advancing to face the 1 seed in Round One. The winners of the first round series advances to the Conference Semifinals. Winners of that round play in the Conference Finals which is then followed by MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the finalist with the better regular season record.[2][3][4]
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.[5][6] 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
Eighteen teams qualify for the playoffs: the top nine 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 seven teams in each conference get a first-round bye, advancing to the conference quarterfinals.[2][3][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.[7]
- most wins
- goal differential
- goals scored
- fewer disciplinary points
- away goal differential
- away goals scored
- home goal differential
- home goals scored
- coin toss (2 clubs) or drawing of lots (3 clubs)
Note:
History
| Seasons | League teams | Playoff teams | % of teams | Matches played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–1997 | 10 | 8 | 80% | 19 |
| 1998–2001 | 12 | 66.7% | ||
| 2002–2004 | 10 | 80% | 11 | |
| 2005–2006 | 12 | 66.7% | ||
| 2007 | 13 | 61.5% | ||
| 2008 | 14 | 57.1% | ||
| 2009 | 15 | 53.3% | ||
| 2010 | 16 | 50% | ||
| 2011 | 18 | 10 | 55.6% | 13 |
| 2012–2014 | 19 | 52.6% | ||
| 2015–2016 | 20 | 12 | 60% | 17 |
| 2017 | 22 | 54.5% | ||
| 2018 | 23 | 52.2% | ||
| 2019 | 24 | 14 | 58.3% | 13 |
| 2020 | 26 | 18[a] | 69.2% | 17 |
| 2021 | 27 | 14 | 51.9% | 13 |
| 2022 | 28 | 50% | ||
| 2023 | 29 | 18 | 62.1% | 25-33 |
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 | 2013–2021 |
Records
- Matches determined by shoot-out counted as win–loss, not draw
- As of the conclusion of 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs
| Club | MLS Cups | MLS Cup apps | Win | Loss | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United FC | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Austin FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chicago Fire FC | 1 | 3 | 20 | 16 | 5 |
| Chivas USA | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Colorado Rapids | 1 | 2 | 15 | 21 | 3 |
| Columbus Crew | 2 | 3 | 20 | 24 | 5 |
| D.C. United | 4 | 5 | 29 | 14 | 5 |
| FC Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FC Dallas | 0 | 1 | 15 | 26 | 6 |
| Houston Dynamo FC | 2 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 6 |
| Inter Miami CF | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| LA Galaxy | 5 | 9 | 43 | 25 | 6 |
| Los Angeles FC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Miami Fusion | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnesota United FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| CF Montreal | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Nashville SC | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| New England Revolution | 0 | 5 | 20 | 20 | 7 |
| New York City FC | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| New York Red Bulls | 0 | 1 | 19 | 28 | 8 |
| Orlando City SC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Philadelphia Union | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Portland Timbers | 1 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Real Salt Lake | 1 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 5 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 1 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | 4 | 22 | 14 | 5 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 2 | 3 | 21 | 25 | 8 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Toronto FC | 1 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 1 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
Appearances
- As of November 5, 2022
| Club | MLS playoff appearances | Active streak | Longest streak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United FC | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Austin FC | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Chicago Fire FC | 13 | 0 | 6 |
| Chivas USA | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Colorado Rapids | 15 | 0 | 5 |
| Columbus Crew | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| D.C. United | 15 | 0 | 4 |
| FC Cincinnati | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| FC Dallas | 19 | 1 | 7 |
| Houston Dynamo FC | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Inter Miami CF | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| LA Galaxy | 20 | 1 | 10 |
| Los Angeles FC | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Miami Fusion | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Minnesota United FC | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| CF Montréal | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Nashville SC | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| New England Revolution | 16 | 0 | 8 |
| New York City FC | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| New York Red Bulls | 23 | 13 | 13 |
| Orlando City SC | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Philadelphia Union | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Portland Timbers | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Real Salt Lake | 12 | 2 | 7 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 10 | 0 | 5 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 19 | 0 | 8 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Toronto FC | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 5 | 0 | 2 |
- 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 5, 2022
| 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 | ||
| 8 games have been decided in 5 rounds 7 games have been decided in 4 rounds 1 game has been decided in 3 rounds | |||||
Game played at neutral location
See also
References
- ^ "Concacaf announces qualification criteria for Confederation's expanded Champions League starting in 2024". Concacaf. June 1, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Major League Soccer Announces Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Format and Schedule" (Press release). Major League Soccer. February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ a b c "MLS reveals new playoff format for 2023 season". 90min.com. February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ a b c "MLS playoff format: Major League Soccer introduce a play-in round to their postseason". CBSSports.com. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ "Major League Soccer to introduce away-goals rule for first time in 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs". MLS. March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ^ "MLS adopts away goals rule". ESPN. March 8, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ^ "MLS Cup Playoff Format". Retrieved October 29, 2018.
- ^ "New tiebreakers designed to encourage attacking play". MLS Communications. MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ^ "How the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will work: Qualifying and competition format". Major League Soccer. September 11, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
External links
- MLS standings