Welcome to the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs!
It’s been three years since the Houston Dynamo were last here, so we’ll forgive you if you don’t completely remember the finer points of how the MLS Cup Playoffs work. Back in 2013, the Dynamo were still in the Eastern Conference and only five teams made the playoffs.
But here the Dynamo are, the fourth seed in the Western Conference and ready to host Sporting Kansas City at BBVA Compass Stadium this Thursday at 8:30 p.m (TICKETS). In the meantime, here’s a refresher on how the MLS Cup Playoffs work.
WHO QUALIFIES?
The six teams from each conference that finished the regular season with the most points qualify for the playoffs to bring the total field to 12 participants, a number unchanged since the current format began in 2015.
Here is what the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs field looks like in both conferences:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
- Toronto FC
- New York City FC
- Chicago Fire
- Atlanta United
- Columbus Crew SC
- New York Red Bulls
WESTERN CONFERENCE
- Portland Timbers
- Seattle Sounders
- Vancouver Whitecaps
- Houston Dynamo
- Sporting Kansas City
- San Jose Earthquakes
HOW DO I WATCH?
For the second straight year, all postseason matches will be shown live on national television on FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, and UniMás. Local broadcasts for certain matches are also available. The 2017 MLS Cup will air on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 3 pm CT on ESPN and UniMás. In addition to the domestic broadcasts, playoff matches will be aired in more than 175 countries around the world.
SEEDING AND KNOCKOUT ROUND
Now that the top six teams in each conference have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, it’s all about seeding as each team’s path to the final takes shape.
The top two teams in each conference have qualified directly to the Conference Semifinal, a week-long break that serves as a reward for regular-season performance.
Meanwhile, the other four teams in each conference are facing a quick turnaround for the Knockout Round, which pits the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds and the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in winner-take-all matches hosted by the higher seed. Away goals do not count as a tiebreaker in the Knockout Round, which will be contested on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Knockout Round pairings for 2017 are as follows:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
- Chicago Fire vs. New York Red Bulls (Wed., 7:30 pm CT | FS1, UniMás in US; TSN3/5, TVAS in Canada)
- Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew SC (Thurs., 6 pm CT | ESPN2, UniMás in US; TSN4, TVAS in Canada)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs. San Jose Earthquakes (Wed., 9:30 pm CT | UniMás in US, TSN1/3/4/5, TVAS2 in Canada)
- Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City (Thurs., 8:30 pm CT | UniMás in US; TSN4, TVAS in Canada)
RE-SEEDING FOR THE CONFERENCE SEMIS
When the field has been trimmed to eight teams, four per conference, the Knockout Round winners are re-seeded ahead of the Conference Semifinals based on regular-season performance.
The lowest remaining seed in each conference will play the No. 1 seed, while the No. 2 seed takes on the other team in the Conference Semifinal round, which begins on Nov. 2.
For example, if the No. 6 seed sprung an upset against the No. 3 seed and the No. 5 seed did the same against the No. 4 seed, the conference semifinals would pit the No. 1 seed against the No. 6 seed and the No. 2 seed against the No. 5 seed.
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS
Once the single-elimination Knockout Round matches narrow the field, the format switches to two-match, aggregate-goal series for the Conference Semifinals and Conference Championships, with the lower seed hosting the first leg and the higher seed hosting the second leg. The team with the most total goals over two legs advances.
If the teams score an equal number of goals over the course of both matches, the team with the most road goals in the series advances to the Conference Championship. If at the end of the 180 minutes the teams are tied on both total goals and away goals, the teams will play two 15-minute extra time periods in which away goals DO NOT count as a tiebreaker, followed by, if necessary, penalty kicks to determine a winner.
MLS CUP - December 9
After more than a month of winnowing the 12-team field, two will remain. It’s time to determine a champion on Saturday, December 9 at 4 pm ET on ESPN, UniMás, TSN, and TVA Sports.
MLS Cup’s format – a winner-take-all match hosted by the team with the most regular-season points – should be familiar by now. Like the Knockout Round, away goals DO NOT count for tiebreaking. Like the Knockout Round, extra time and, if necessary, penalty kicks will break any tie in regulation.
And once the winner’s decided, there’s only one thing left to do: celebrate. A trophy will be lifted, medals distributed, champagne bottles popped and, for good measure, a CONCACAF Champions League berth awarded to the winner.
A little more than nine months to the day after the season began, the curtain will close on 2017. Don’t fret, though, the offseason always keeps things interesting…
