2018 MLS Cup Playoffs

The 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2018 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) began on October 31 and ended on December 8 with MLS Cup 2018, the 23rd league championship match for MLS. This was the 23rd version of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season. Twelve teams, the top six of each conference, competed in the MLS Cup Playoffs.[1]

Main article: 2018 Major League Soccer season

2018 MLS Cup Playoffs
CountryUnited States
DatesOctober 31 – December 8
Teams12
Defending championsToronto FC
(did not qualify)
ChampionsAtlanta United FC
(1st title)
Runners-upPortland Timbers
Semi-finalists
Matches played17
Goals scored52 (3.06 per match)
Attendance494,421 (29,084 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Josef Martínez
Diego Valeri
(4 goals each)
← 2017
2019 →

The first round of each conference had the third-seeded team hosting the sixth seed while the fourth-seed hosted the fifth seed in a single match to determine who advanced to the Conference Semifinals. In the Conference Semifinals, the top seed played the lowest remaining seed while the second played the next-lowest. The winners advanced to the Conference Finals. Both the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals were played as a two-legged aggregate series. The winners advanced to the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the participant with the better regular season record which was played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.[2]

Toronto FC were the defending MLS Cup champions, but failed to qualify for the playoffs. Atlanta United FC won their first MLS Cup title.

Qualified teams

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Conference standings

The top six teams from each conference advanced to the MLS Cup playoffs.

Bracket
                                           
Knockout Round  Conference Semifinals Conference Finals MLS Cup
10/31 – Bronx, New York              
E3  New York City FC  3
E3  New York City FC  0  1  1
E6  Philadelphia Union  1      
E2  Atlanta United FC  1  3  4  
Eastern Conference
11/1 – Washington, D.C. E2  Atlanta United FC  3  0  3
 
  E1  New York Red Bulls  0  1  1  
E4  D.C. United  2 (2)
E5  Columbus Crew  1  0  1
E5  Columbus Crew (p)  2 (3)   December 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
E1  New York Red Bulls  0  3  3  
 
10/31 – Frisco, Texas E2  Atlanta United FC  2
 
  W5  Portland Timbers  0
W4  FC Dallas  1
W5  Portland Timbers (p)  2  2  4 (4)
W5  Portland Timbers  2      
W2  Seattle Sounders FC  1  3  4 (2)  
Western Conference
11/1 – Los Angeles, California W5  Portland Timbers  0  3  3
 
  W1  Sporting Kansas City  0  2  2  
W3  Los Angeles FC  2
W6  Real Salt Lake  1  2  3
W6  Real Salt Lake  3  
W1  Sporting Kansas City  1  4  5  

Knockout Round

Summary

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Eastern Conference
New York City FC (E3) 3–1 Philadelphia Union (E6)
D.C. United (E4) 2–2
(2–3 p)		 Columbus Crew SC (E5)
Western Conference
Los Angeles FC (W3) 2–3 Real Salt Lake (W6)
FC Dallas (W4) 1–2 Portland Timbers (W5)

Matches
FC Dallas1–2Portland Timbers
 Report
Attendance: 10,297
Referee: Alan Kelly
New York City FC3–1Philadelphia Union
 Report
Attendance: 15,153
Referee: Robert Sibiga
D.C. United2–2 (a.e.t.)Columbus Crew SC
 Report
Penalties
 2–3
Attendance: 20,600
Referee: Allen Chapman
Los Angeles FC2–3Real Salt Lake
 Report
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Mark Geiger

Conference Semifinals

Summary

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Columbus Crew SC (E5) 1–3 New York Red Bulls (E1) 1–0 0–3
New York City FC (E3) 1–4 Atlanta United FC (E2) 0–1 1–3
Western Conference
Real Salt Lake (W6) 3–5 Sporting Kansas City (W1) 1–1 2–4
Portland Timbers (W5) 4–4
(4–2 p)		 Seattle Sounders FC (W2) 2–1 2–3 (a.e.t.)

Matches
Columbus Crew SC1–0New York Red Bulls
 Report
Attendance: 12,892
Referee: Nima Saghafi
New York Red Bulls3–0Columbus Crew SC
 Report
Attendance: 22,789
Referee: Alan Kelly

New York Red Bulls win 3–1 on aggregate.

New York City FC0–1Atlanta United FC
Report
Attendance: 19,198
Referee: Kevin Stott
Atlanta United FC3–1New York City FC
 Report
Attendance: 70,526
Referee: Mark Geiger

Atlanta United win 4–1 on aggregate.

Portland Timbers2–1Seattle Sounders FC
 Report
Attendance: 21,144
Referee: Ted Unkel
Seattle Sounders FC3–2 (a.e.t.)Portland Timbers
 Report
Penalties
 2–4
Attendance: 39,452
Referee: Jair Marrufo
Tied 4–4 on aggregate. Portland Timbers win 4–2 on penalties.
Real Salt Lake1–1Sporting Kansas City
 Report
Attendance: 14,045
Sporting Kansas City4–2Real Salt Lake
 Report
Attendance: 19,918
Referee: José Carlos Rivero
Sporting Kansas City win 5–3 on aggregate.

Conference Finals

Summary

Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Atlanta United FC (E2) 3–1 New York Red Bulls (E1) 3–0 0–1
Western Conference
Portland Timbers (W5) 3–2 Sporting Kansas City (W1) 0–0 3–2

Matches
Atlanta United FC3–0New York Red Bulls
 Report
Attendance: 70,016
Referee: Kevin Stott
New York Red Bulls1–0Atlanta United FC
Parker  90+4' Report
Attendance: 22,137
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Atlanta United win 3–1 on aggregate.

Portland Timbers0–0Sporting Kansas City
Report
Attendance: 21,144
Referee: Robert Sibiga
Sporting Kansas City2–3Portland Timbers
 Report
Attendance: 20,091
Referee: Mark Geiger

Portland Timbers win 3–2 on aggregate.

MLS Cup
Main article: MLS Cup 2018
Atlanta United FC2–0Portland Timbers
 Report
Attendance: 73,019
Referee: Alan Kelly

Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals[3]
1 Josef Martínez Atlanta United FC 4
Diego Valeri Portland Timbers
3 Sebastián Blanco Portland Timbers 3
Damir Kreilach Real Salt Lake
Raúl Ruidíaz Seattle Sounders FC
Dániel Sallói Sporting Kansas City
7 Federico Higuaín Columbus Crew SC 2
Daniel Royer New York Red Bulls
Diego Rubio Sporting Kansas City
Franco Escobar Atlanta United FC

MLS Cup Playoffs Best XI
Year Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
2018

[4]

 Jeff Attinella (POR) Aaron Long (NYR)
Matt Besler (SKC)
Leandro González Pírez (ATL)
Franco Escobar (ATL)		 Sebastián Blanco (POR)
Miguel Almirón (ATL)
Diego Chará (POR)
Diego Valeri (POR)		 Josef Martínez (ATL)
Johnny Russell (SKC)

References
  1. "Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule revealed, final to be played on Dec. 8". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. September 8, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  2. Baer, Benjamin (November 11, 2018). "Red Bull Arena or Mercedes-Benz Stadium to host 2018 MLS Cup". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  3. "Playoffs Top Scorers". Major League Soccer.
  4. Boehm, Charles (December 11, 2018). "Team of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs: Who made the postseason Best XI?". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
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