2016 MLS Cup playoffs

Last updated

2016 MLS Cup Playoffs
2016 MLS Cup Playoffs logo.png
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams12
Defending champions Portland Timbers
(did not qualify)
Final positions
Champions Seattle Sounders FC (1st title)
Runner-up Toronto FC
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Matches played17
Goals scored50 (2.94 per match)
Attendance472,461 (27,792 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Flag of the United States.svg Jozy Altidore
(5 goals)
  2015
2017  

The 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) began on October 26, and ended on December 10 with MLS Cup 2016, the 21st league championship match for MLS. [1] This was the 21st version of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season.

Contents

Twelve teams (the top 6 per conference) competed. The first round of each conference had the third-seeded team hosting the sixth seed while the fourth-seed hosted the fifth 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 two-legged aggregate series. The winners advanced to the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the participant with the better regular season record.

Seattle Sounders FC defeated Toronto FC 5–4 on penalties to win their first-ever MLS Cup. The game ended scoreless after extra time.

It was the first MLS Cup in league history that two expansion teams participated in the final. [2] It was also the first time in the league's history that a Canadian MLS team competed in the MLS Cup.

Conference standings

The top 6 teams from each conference advance to the MLS Cup playoffs. Green background denotes also qualified for 2018 CONCACAF Champions League.

Bracket

Knockout round Conference semifinals Conference finals MLS Cup
December 10 – Toronto, Ontario
                
E5 Montreal Impact 1 2 3
October 27 – Washington, D.C.
E1 New York Red Bulls 0 1 1
E4 D.C. United 2
E5 Montreal Impact 4
E5 Montreal Impact 3 2 5
Eastern Conference
E3 Toronto FC (a.e.t.)2 5 7
E3 Toronto FC 2 5 7
October 26 – Toronto, Ontario
E2 New York City FC 0 0 0
E3 Toronto FC 3
E6 Philadelphia Union 1
E3 Toronto FC 0 (4)
W4 Seattle Sounders FC (p)0 (5)
W4 Seattle Sounders FC 3 1 4
October 27 – Seattle, Washington
W1 FC Dallas 0 2 2
W4 Seattle Sounders FC 1
W5 Sporting Kansas City 0
W4 Seattle Sounders FC 2 1 3
Western Conference
W2 Colorado Rapids 1 0 1
W3 LA Galaxy 1 0 1 (1)
October 26 – Carson, California
W2 Colorado Rapids (p) 0 1 1 (3)
W3 LA Galaxy 3
W6 Real Salt Lake 1

Knockout round

Summary

Team 1 Score Team 2
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC 3–1 Philadelphia Union
D.C. United 2–4 Montreal Impact
Western Conference
LA Galaxy 3–1 Real Salt Lake
Seattle Sounders FC 1–0 Sporting Kansas City

Matches

Toronto FC 3–1 Philadelphia Union
Report
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 21,759
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

D.C. United 2–4 Montreal Impact
Report
RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 12,773
Referee: Jair Marrufo

LA Galaxy 3–1 Real Salt Lake
Report
StubHub Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 18,124
Referee: Alan Kelly

Seattle Sounders FC 1–0 Sporting Kansas City
Report
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 36,151
Referee: Ismail Elfath

Conference semifinals

Summary

Team 1 Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC 7–0 New York City FC 2–0 5–0
Montreal Impact 3–1 New York Red Bulls 1–0 2–1
Western Conference
LA Galaxy 1–1 (1–3 p) Colorado Rapids 1–0 0–1 (a.e.t.)
Seattle Sounders FC 4–2 FC Dallas 3–0 1–2

Matches

Toronto FC 2–0 New York City FC
Report
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 28,220
Referee: Silviu Petrescu
New York City FC 0–5 Toronto FC
Report
Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York
Attendance: 28,355
Referee: Kevin Stott

Toronto FC won 7–0 on aggregate.


Montreal Impact 1–0 New York Red Bulls
Report
Saputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
Attendance: 15,027
Referee: Robert Sibiga
New York Red Bulls 1–2 Montreal Impact
Report

Montreal Impact won 3–1 on aggregate.


LA Galaxy 1–0 Colorado Rapids
Report
StubHub Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 24,487
Referee: Drew Fischer

1–1 on aggregate. Colorado Rapids won 3–1 on penalties.


Seattle Sounders FC 3–0 FC Dallas
Report
FC Dallas 2–1 Seattle Sounders FC
Report
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Attendance: 14,878
Referee: Hilario Grajeda

Seattle Sounders FC won 4–2 on aggregate.

Conference finals

Summary

Team 1 Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Montreal Impact 5–7 Toronto FC 3–2 2–5 (a.e.t.)
Western Conference
Seattle Sounders FC 3–1 Colorado Rapids 2–1 1–0

Matches

Montreal Impact 3–2 Toronto FC
Report
Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
Attendance: 61,004
Referee: Juan Guzman
Toronto FC 5–2 (a.e.t.) Montreal Impact
Report
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 36,000
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Toronto FC won 7–5 on aggregate.


Seattle Sounders FC 2–1 Colorado Rapids
Report
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 42,774
Referee: Chris Penso
Colorado Rapids 0–1 Seattle Sounders FC
Report

Seattle Sounders FC won 3–1 on aggregate.

MLS Cup

Toronto FC 0–0 (a.e.t.) Seattle Sounders FC
Report
Penalties
4–5
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 36,045
Referee: Alan Kelly

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals [3]
1 Flag of the United States.svg Jozy Altidore Toronto FC 5
2 Flag of Italy.svg Sebastian Giovinco Toronto FC 4
Flag of Uruguay.svg Nicolás Lodeiro Seattle Sounders FC
Flag of Italy.svg Matteo Mancosu Montreal Impact
Flag of Argentina.svg Ignacio Piatti Montreal Impact
6 Flag of Ghana.svg Emmanuel Boateng LA Galaxy 2
Flag of the United States.svg Jordan Morris Seattle Sounders FC
Flag of Ghana.svg Dominic Oduro Montreal Impact
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jonathan Osorio Toronto FC
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tosaint Ricketts Toronto FC
Flag of Paraguay.svg Nelson Valdez Seattle Sounders FC

References

  1. "MLS announces broadcast schedule, format for Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs". Major League Soccer. September 6, 2016. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  2. "Toronto FC vs Seattle Sounders is the best MLS Cup matchup you could ask for". foxsports.com.
  3. "Playoffs". MLSsoccer.com.