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

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]

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

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
  • Hedges 90+4'
 Report
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Attendance: 10,297
Referee: Alan Kelly
New York City FC3–1Philadelphia Union
 Report
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Attendance: 15,153
Referee: Robert Sibiga
D.C. United2–2 (a.e.t.)Columbus Crew SC
 Report
Penalties
 2–3
Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,600
Referee: Allen Chapman
Los Angeles FC2–3Real Salt Lake
 Report
Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Mark Geiger

Conference semifinals

Summary

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score 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
Zardes 61' Report
MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 12,892
Referee: Nima Saghafi
New York Red Bulls3–0Columbus Crew SC
 Report
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
Attendance: 22,789
Referee: Alan Kelly

New York Red Bulls win 3–1 on aggregate.

New York City FC0–1Atlanta United FC
Report Remedi 37'
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
Attendance: 19,198
Referee: Kevin Stott
Atlanta United FC3–1New York City FC
 Report Chanot 45'
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 70,526
Referee: Mark Geiger

Atlanta United win 4–1 on aggregate.

Portland Timbers2–1Seattle Sounders FC
 Report Ruidíaz 10'
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 21,144
Referee: Ted Unkel
Seattle Sounders FC3–2 (a.e.t.)Portland Timbers
 Report
Penalties
 2–4
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 39,452
Referee: Jair Marrufo
Tied 4–4 on aggregate. Portland Timbers win 4–2 on penalties.
Real Salt Lake1–1Sporting Kansas City
Rusnák 51' Report Rubio 60'
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 14,045
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Sporting Kansas City4–2Real Salt Lake
 Report
Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 19,918
Referee: José Carlos Rivero
Sporting Kansas City win 5–3 on aggregate.

Conference finals

Summary

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score 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
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 70,016
Referee: Kevin Stott
New York Red Bulls1–0Atlanta United FC
Parker 90+4' Report
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, New Jersey
Attendance: 22,137
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Atlanta United win 3–1 on aggregate.

Portland Timbers0–0Sporting Kansas City
Report
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 21,144
Referee: Robert Sibiga
Sporting Kansas City2–3Portland Timbers
 Report
Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas
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
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 73,019
Referee: Alan Kelly

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Club Goals[5]
1 Venezuela Josef Martínez Atlanta United FC 4
Argentina Diego Valeri Portland Timbers
3 Argentina Sebastián Blanco Portland Timbers 3
Croatia Damir Kreilach Real Salt Lake
Peru Raúl Ruidíaz Seattle Sounders FC
Hungary Dániel Sallói Sporting Kansas City
7 Argentina Federico Higuaín Columbus Crew SC 2
Austria Daniel Royer New York Red Bulls
Chile Diego Rubio Sporting Kansas City
Argentina Franco Escobar Atlanta United FC

MLS Cup Playoffs Best XI

Year Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards
2018

[6]

United States Jeff Attinella (POR) United States Aaron Long (NYR)
United States Matt Besler (SKC)
Argentina Leandro González Pírez (ATL)
Argentina Franco Escobar (ATL) 		Argentina Sebastián Blanco (POR)
Paraguay Miguel Almirón (ATL)
Colombia Diego Chará (POR)
Argentina Diego Valeri (POR) 		Venezuela Josef Martínez (ATL)
Scotland 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. Archived from the original on September 24, 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. ^ Strauss, Brian (April 6, 2017). "MLS clubs have resolution over qualifying for future CCL after format change". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  4. ^ Strauss, Brian (April 6, 2017). "MLS clubs have resolution over qualifying for future CCL after format change". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Playoffs Top Scorers". Major League Soccer.
  6. ^ 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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