MLS Playoffs 2016: Schedule, Bracket, Format As Race Starts For Major League Soccer Cup

After a flurry of goals on the final day of the Major League Soccer regular season, the playoffs and the quest for MLS Cup will get underway on Wednesday. Decision Day saw FC Dallas claim the Supporters’ Shield as the best team in the regular season for the first time in its 20-year-history and the club is now looking to complete an unprecedented treble with MLS Cup, having also taken home the U.S. Open Cup in September.

As the top seed, Oscar Pareja’s young side will get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, meaning it would get to play the second legs of both the conference semifinals and final at home before potentially hosting MLS Cup on Dec. 10. And the team will be especially thankful for the reward, having lost key man Mauro Diaz to a season-ending injury in its penultimate match of the regular season.

FC Dallas beat out the New York Red Bulls to gain the honor, in a reversal of the battle of a year ago. However, the Red Bulls, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, have still guaranteed themselves a bye through the knockout round.

New York City FC, in its first-ever playoff appearance and in its second year of existence, also secured a bye after beating out Toronto FC on the final day to get the second seed. Instead, Toronto FC, in its first-ever home playoff match, will host a Philadelphia Union side playing its first playoff game since 2011.

In the other knockout round game in the Eastern Conference, Toronto FC’s fellow Canadian outfit Montreal Impact, minus Didier Drogba, will travel to take on four-time MLS Cup winners D.C. United.

In the Western Conference, joining FC Dallas with a first-round bye is the Colorado Rapids. It means record five-time MLS Cup winners the LA Galaxy will have to negotiate a knockout-round clash with Real Salt Lake at StubHub Center. Adding to the Galaxy’s concerns, there are major doubts over the fitness of two of its star names: Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard.

The Seattle Sounders will similarly have to make it through the knockout round. Spearheaded by Rookie of the Year contender Jordan Morris, the Sounders, still looking to claim its first MLS Cup, will host Sporting Kansas City in the final knockout-round game on Thursday evening.

The winners of those four single-elimination games will then go on to the conference semifinals where the top seed will take on the lowest seed remaining.

Playoff Bracket, TV Schedule (all times EDT)
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Toronto FC vs. Philadelphia Union (7.30 p.m. EDT, ESPN2, UniMás, TSN2, RDS2)
LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake (10.30 p.m., UniMás, TSN2)

Thursday, Oct. 27
D.C. United vs. Montreal Impact (7.30 p.m. UniMás, TSN 1/5, RDS2)
Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting KC (10 p.m., FS!, UniMás, TSN 1/5)

Conference Semifinals
Sunday Oct. 30 (first legs, lower seeds host)
TBD vs. TBD ( 3 p.m., ESPN)
TBD vs. TBD (5 p.m., ESPN)
TBD vs. TBD (7.30 p.m., FS1)
TBD vs. TBD (9.30 p.m., FS1)

Sunday, Nov. 6 (second legs, higher seeds host)
TBD vs. TBD (3 p.m. ESPN)
TBD vs. TBD (5 p.m., ESPN)
TBD vs. TBD (7.30 p.m., FS1)
TBD vs. TBD (10 p.m., FS1)

Conference Championships
Sunday, Nov. 20
Western Conference, Leg 1: TBD vs. TBD (8 p.m., FS1)

Tuesday, Nov. 22
Eastern Conference, Leg 1: TBD vs. TBD (8 p.m., ESPN)

Sunday, Nov. 27
Western Conference, Leg 2: TBD vs. TBD (4 p.m., ESPN)

Wednesday, Nov. 30
Easter Conference, Leg 2: TBD vs. TBD (7 p.m., FS1)

MLS Cup
Saturday, Dec. 10
TBD vs. TBD (8 p.m., Fox, UniMás, RDS)