For LAFC, it all begins with Thursday. Nothing else is guaranteed beyond that night at Banc of California Stadium.
Win, and you move on. Lose... you know the rest.
LAFC hosts Real Salt Lake in the first MLS Cup Playoffs match in Club history on Thursday. The knockout-round match is win or go home. There are no ties. If there's no winner after the 90 minutes, two 15-minute halves of extra time will be played - no golden goal in extra time, both halves will be played regardless of who scores first. A penalty shootout would follow if necessary.
The MLS Cup Playoffs feature the 12 best teams over the course of the regular season. Six teams from each conference comprise the two halves of the playoff bracket, with the top two sides in each conference receiving a bye to the conference semifinals. Here are the teams with their corresponding seeds in each conference:
Eastern Conferences |
Western Conference |
|---|---|
1. New York Red Bulls |
1. Sporting KC |
2. Atlanta United |
2. Seattle Sounders |
3. New York City FC |
3. LAFC |
4. D.C. United |
4. FC Dallas |
5. Columbus Crew |
5. Portland Timbers |
6. Philadelphia Union |
6. Real Salt Lake |
In the knockout round, eight teams across the two conferences are in midweek action. As previously noted, there must be a winner after each match - the away-goals rule is not in effect during these matches. The winner of the knockout round moves on to the conference semifinals - the lowest remaining seed faces the conference winner, while the No. 2 seed faces the highest remaining seed.
Knockout Round Schedule
- Oct. 31 at 4pm PT
#3 NYCFC vs. #6 Philadelphia Union - Oct. 31 at 6:30pm PT
#4 FC Dallas vs. #5 Portland Timbers
- Nov. 1 at 5pm PT
#4 D.C. United vs. #5 Columbus Crew - Nov. 1 at 7:30pm PT
#3 LAFC vs. #6 Real Salt Lake
Conference Semifinals
As the No. 3 seed in the West, LAFC already knows the identity of its conference semifinals opponent should it defeat Real Salt Lake. As the highest possible seed to come out of the knockout round, LAFC would draw the Seattle Sounders in the next round regardless of what happens in the West's other knockout match.
The conference semifinals changes formats from a knockout match to a two-leg, aggregate-goal format. The winner will be decided by the team with the most goals following a home and away series. If the teams are tied on goals after the 90 minutes of the second leg, the team with the most away goals advances. In the event both teams have the same number of away goals, two 15-minute halves of extra time will be played to decide a winner. Again, no golden goal during extra time and the away goals rule is no in effect. Penalty kicks will be used to decide a winner if the teams remain tied after extra time.
The tentative schedule for the conference semifinal round would be a home match for LAFC on Nov. 4 and the away leg in Seattle on Nov. 8. Times are TBD.
Conference Championships
Like the semifinals, the conference championships are a two-legged affair with the away-goals rule coming into play. The lower seed would host the first leg on Nov. 25, with the reverse fixture taking place on Nov. 29. The same extra-time provisions are in place should the two teams be tied on goals and away goals after the 180 minutes. The winner of each conference's championship moves on to MLS Cup.
MLS Cup
MLS Cup is one match, winner takes all.
Away goals are not in effect for MLS Cup. The host of the match will be the team with the highest points total during the 2018 MLS regular season. If the scoreline is tied after 90 minutes, there will be two 15-minute halves of extra time and then penalties if necessary.
The date for MLS Cup is set for December 8.
