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2023 MLS Cup playoffs

2023 edition of the MLS playoffs From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2023 MLS Cup playoffs
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The 2023 MLS Cup playoffs (branded as the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) was the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. It was the 28th edition of the MLS Cup playoffs, the tournament culminating at the end of the 2023 season. The playoffs began on October 25 and concluded with MLS Cup 2023 on December 9.[1]

Quick Facts Tournament details, Country ...

Los Angeles FC entered the playoffs as the defending MLS Cup champions. FC Cincinnati entered as Supporters' Shield winners, but were eliminated by Columbus Crew in the Conference Finals. Charlotte FC and St. Louis City SC reached the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in 2023, the latter qualifying in their debut MLS season.

Columbus Crew won a third MLS Cup title after defeating Los Angeles FC 2–1.

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Format

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The playoffs featured a new format from previous years with an expanded field of 18 teams—the top nine teams from each conference. The top seven teams in each conference automatically qualify for round one while the eighth and ninth-placed teams in each conference contested a single wild card match for the right to play the No. 1 seed in their conference, with only a penalty shoot-out occurring if the game was tied. Round one comprised a best-of-three format with higher seeds playing against lower seeds, for the first time since 1999. The round did not have the aggregate score kept, and tied matches proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. The remaining three rounds — the Conference Semifinals, Conference Final, and MLS Cup — were single-elimination matches played with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if still tied.[1][2] The team with the better regular season record hosted the match in all rounds except for the best-of-three series in round one, where the lower-ranked team hosted the second of three possible matches. All matches were broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass, a streaming service operated by Apple.[1]

The introduction of a best-of-three round and the expanded field, which allowed 62% of the league's 29 teams to qualify for the playoffs, were criticized for being more confusing and diluting the competition.[3] It was the first major revamp of the playoff format since 2019, when all rounds were switched to single-elimination matches.[4] The format added more matches, including home games for lower seeds, and was developed with fan input according to MLS officials; other outlets noted that new broadcaster Apple TV would benefit from the additional matches.[5][6] The new playoff format was announced on February 21, 2023, shortly before the start of the regular season;[7] earlier media reports indicated that another format with a round-robin group stage was also considered.[8]

Unlike regular season matches, playoff matches did not have a sixth substitute added for periods of extra time. Players were suspended for a match after accumulating three yellow cards; the suspension applied to the next match, whether it was in the playoffs or the 2024 regular season. In the event that a playoff match could not be played and neither team had forfeited or is at fault, the team with the higher points per game during the 2023 regular season would advance.[9][10][11]

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Qualified teams

The playoffs were contested by eighteen teams. The date listed indicates when each team qualified for the playoffs.

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Conference standings

More information Pos, Pld ...

Bracket

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The higher seeded teams hosted single-elimination matches, with the MLS Cup host determined by overall points in the Supporters' Shield table. During the best-of-three round, the team with higher seed hosted the first match, and the third match if necessary.

Wild card
single match
Round one
best-of-three series
Conference semifinals
single match
Conference finals
single match
MLS Cup
single match
E1 FC Cincinnati 3 1 (8)
E8 New York Red Bulls 5 E8 New York Red Bulls 0 1 (7)
E9 Charlotte FC 2 E1 FC Cincinnati 1
E4 Philadelphia Union 0
E4 Philadelphia Union 3 1 Eastern Conference
E5 New England Revolution 1 0
E1 FC Cincinnati 2
E3 Columbus Crew (a.e.t.) 3
E3 Columbus Crew 2 2 4
E6 Atlanta United FC 0 4 2
E3 Columbus Crew (a.e.t.) 2
E2 Orlando City SC 0
E2 Orlando City SC 1 1
E7 Nashville SC 0 0
E3 Columbus Crew 2
W3 Los Angeles FC 1
W1 St. Louis City SC 1 1
W8 Sporting Kansas City (p) 0 (4) W8 Sporting Kansas City 4 2
W9 San Jose Earthquakes 0 (2) W8 Sporting Kansas City 0
W4 Houston Dynamo FC 1
W4 Houston Dynamo FC 2 1 (4) 1 (4) Western Conference
W5 Real Salt Lake 1 1 (5) 1 (3)
W4 Houston Dynamo FC 0
W3 Los Angeles FC 2
W3 Los Angeles FC 5 1
W6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 0
W3 Los Angeles FC 1
W2 Seattle Sounders FC 0
W2 Seattle Sounders FC 2 1 1
W7 FC Dallas 0 3 0
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Wild card round

Eastern Conference

More information New York Red Bulls, 5–2 ...

Western Conference

More information Sporting Kansas City, 0–0 ...
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Round one

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More information Team 1, Series ...

Eastern Conference

More information FC Cincinnati, 3–0 ...
Attendance: 24,022
Referee: Rubiel Vazquez
More information New York Red Bulls, 1–1 ...
Attendance: 20,044
Referee: Victor Rivas

FC Cincinnati won the series 2–0.


More information Orlando City SC, 1–0 ...
More information Nashville SC, 0–1 ...

Orlando City SC won the series 2–0.


More information Columbus Crew, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 20,176
Referee: Lukasz Szpala
More information Atlanta United FC, 4–2 ...
More information Columbus Crew, 4–2 ...

Columbus Crew won the series 2–1.


More information Philadelphia Union, 3–1 ...
Attendance: 19,778
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
More information New England Revolution, 0–1 ...

Philadelphia Union won the series 2–0.

Western Conference

More information St. Louis City SC, 1–4 ...
Attendance: 22,423
Referee: Ted Unkel
More information Sporting Kansas City, 2–1 ...

Sporting Kansas City won the series 2–0.


More information Seattle Sounders FC, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 30,741
Referee: Joseph Dickerson
More information FC Dallas, 3–1 ...
Attendance: 19,096
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
More information Seattle Sounders FC, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 33,048
Referee: Fotis Bazakos

Seattle Sounders FC won the series 2–1.


More information Los Angeles FC, 5–2 ...
Attendance: 22,002
Referee: Jon Freemon
More information Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 0–1 ...
Attendance: 30,204
Referee: Timothy Ford

Los Angeles FC won the series 2–0.


More information Houston Dynamo FC, 2–1 ...
Attendance: 17,508
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
More information Real Salt Lake, 1–1 ...
Attendance: 20,251
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
More information Houston Dynamo FC, 1–1 ...

Houston Dynamo FC won the series 2–1.

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Conference semifinals

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The higher-seeded team as determined by regular season ranking hosted the match.[1]

More information Team 1, Score ...

Eastern Conference

More information Orlando City SC, 0–2 (a.e.t.) ...
Attendance: 25,527
Referee: Jon Freemon

More information FC Cincinnati, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 25,513
Referee: Ismail Elfath

Western Conference

More information Houston Dynamo FC, 1–0 ...
Attendance: 20,319
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.

More information Seattle Sounders FC, 0–1 ...
Attendance: 33,649
Referee: Ted Unkel
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Conference finals

The higher-seeded team as determined by regular season ranking hosted the match.[1]

Eastern Conference

More information FC Cincinnati, 2–3 (a.e.t.) ...
Attendance: 25,513
Referee: Allen Chapman

Western Conference

More information Los Angeles FC, 2–0 ...
Attendance: 22,221
Referee: Victor Rivas
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MLS Cup 2023

The highest-ranked finalist in the overall Supporters' Shield table (Columbus Crew) hosted the match.[1][24]

More information Columbus Crew, 2–1 ...

Top goalscorers

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References

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