The 2023 MLS regular season has come to a close. Up next is nearly a month and a half of postseason action.
Decision Day decided the fate for several teams, with a few still looking to punch their ticket after the Wild Card matches.
FC Cincinnati ended the season as the Supporters' Shield winners for posting the best regular-season record and are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Debutants St. Louis City SC shocked the league by holding onto their No. 1 seed out West.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami did not qualify for the postseason due to the club's poor start prior to La Pulga's arrival.
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But with a new playoff format in play for 2023, anything can happen. Here's what to know for the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs:
When does the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs start?
Postseason play will begin on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with Wild Card action.
Soccer
When is the 2023 MLS Cup Final?
The final will be played on Saturday, Dec. 9.
What is the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule?
Here's a round-by-round breakdown of the postseason schedule:
- Wild Card matches: Oct. 25 - 26
- Round One best-of-three series matches: Oct. 28 - Nov. 12
- Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals: Nov. 25 - Dec. 3
- MLS Cup Final: Dec. 9.
What is the format for the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs?
Nine teams from each conference qualified for the 2023 playoffs for a total of 18, though the last two teams will battle it out for the No. 8 seed in the Wild Card round. The winners of those games will go on to play the No. 1 seed in the Round One best-of-three series.
The Round One series will see a home-away-home format in favor of the higher seed. Each game must end with a victor; there are no ties or aggregate scores. Matches will go straight to penalties should a game be tied at the end of regulation. The first to two wins the series.
The Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals will both be single-game elimination scenarios to determine which two teams advances to the MLS Cup Final.
What is the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs bracket?
The matchups will be determined by the highest seed vs. the lowest in a No. 1 to No. 8 seed assortment, similar to the NBA and MLB.
Here's a conference-by-conference look, in order by seeding:
Eastern Conference
- No. 1 FC Cincinnati vs. No. 8 New York Red Bulls/No. 9 Charlotte FC
- No. 2 Orlando City vs. No. 7 Nashville SC
- No. 3 Columbus Crew vs. No. 6 Atlanta United
- No. 4 Philadelphia Union vs. No. 5 New England Revolution
Western Conference:
- No. 1 St. Louis City SC vs. No. 8 Sporting Kansas City/No. 9 San Jose Earthquakes
- No. 2 Seattle Sounders vs. No. 7 FC Dallas
- No. 3 LAFC vs. No. 6 Vancouver Whitecaps
- No. 4 Houston Dynamo vs. No. 5 Real Salt Lake
Who will get to host the 2023 MLS Cup Final?
The priority to host the 2023 MLS Cup Final is based on Supporters' Shield standings, so the team that posted the best record in the regular season. That puts FC Cincinnati at the No. 1 priority spot while Charlotte SC cannot host the final under any scenario since it is the lowest overall seed.
Here's the order:
- FC Cincinnati
- Orlando City
- Columbus Crew
- St. Louis City SC
- Philadelphia Union
- New England Revolution
- Seattle Sounders
- LAFC
- Houston Dynamo
- Atlanta United
- Real Salt Lake
- Nashville SC
- Vancouver Whitecaps
- FC Dallas
- Sporting Kansas City
- San Jose Earthquakes
- New York Red Bulls
Who won the 2022 MLS Cup Final?
Last year saw LAFC pull off the double by winning the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup Final thanks to Gareth Bale's late heroics vs. Philadelphia. But LAFC's roster took a hit over the offseason, including Bale's retirement, that saw the club drop down the ladder in 2023 despite Denis Bouanga winning the Golden Boot for scoring 20 league goals.
