2018 MLS Cup playoffs

Last updated

2018 MLS Cup Playoffs
2018 MLS Cup Playoffs Logo RGB 4C ltbg.png
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
DatesOctober 31 – December 8
Teams12
Defending champions Toronto FC
(did not qualify)
Final positions
Champions Atlanta United FC
(1st title)
Runner-up Portland Timbers
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Matches played17
Goals scored52 (3.06 per match)
Attendance494,421 (29,084 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Flag of Venezuela.svg Josef Martínez
Flag of Argentina.svg 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]

Contents

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
December 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
                
E3 New York City FC 0 1 1
10/31 – New York, 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 Dallas 1–2 Portland Timbers
  • Hedges Soccerball shade.svg90+4'
 Report
Toyota Stadium , Frisco, Texas
Attendance: 10,297
Referee: Alan Kelly
New York City FC 3–1 Philadelphia Union
Report
Yankee Stadium , New York, New York
Attendance: 15,153
Referee: Robert Sibiga
D.C. United 2–2 (a.e.t.) Columbus Crew SC
Report
Penalties
2–3
Audi Field , Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,600
Referee: Allen Chapman
Los Angeles FC 2–3 Real Salt Lake
Report
Banc of California Stadium , Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Mark Geiger

Conference semifinals

Summary

Team 1 Agg. Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd 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 SC 1–0 New York Red Bulls
Zardes Soccerball shade.svg61' Report
MAPFRE Stadium , Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 12,892
Referee: Nima Saghafi
New York Red Bulls 3–0 Columbus 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 FC 0–1 Atlanta United FC
Report Remedi Soccerball shade.svg37'
Yankee Stadium , New York, New York
Attendance: 19,198
Referee: Kevin Stott
Atlanta United FC 3–1 New York City FC
Report Chanot Soccerball shade.svg45'
Mercedes-Benz Stadium , Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 70,526
Referee: Mark Geiger

Atlanta United win 4–1 on aggregate.

Portland Timbers 2–1 Seattle Sounders FC
Report Ruidíaz Soccerball shade.svg10'
Providence Park , Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 21,144
Referee: Ted Unkel
Seattle Sounders FC 3–2 (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 Lake 1–1 Sporting Kansas City
Rusnák Soccerball shade.svg51' Report Rubio Soccerball shade.svg60'
Rio Tinto Stadium , Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 14,045
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Sporting Kansas City 4–2 Real 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 scoreTeam 21st leg2nd 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 FC 3–0 New York Red Bulls
Report
Mercedes-Benz Stadium , Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 70,016
Referee: Kevin Stott
New York Red Bulls 1–0 Atlanta United FC
Parker Soccerball shade.svg90+4' Report
Red Bull Arena , Harrison, New Jersey
Attendance: 22,137
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Atlanta United win 3–1 on aggregate.

Portland Timbers 0–0 Sporting Kansas City
Report
Providence Park , Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 21,144
Referee: Robert Sibiga
Sporting Kansas City 2–3 Portland Timbers
Report
Children's Mercy Park , Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 20,091
Referee: Mark Geiger

Portland Timbers win 3–2 on aggregate.

MLS Cup

Atlanta United FC 2–0 Portland Timbers
Report
Mercedes-Benz Stadium , Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 73,019
Referee: Alan Kelly

Top goalscorers

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

MLS Cup Playoffs Best XI

YearGoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwards
2018

[4]

Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Attinella (POR) Flag of the United States.svg Aaron Long (NYR)
Flag of the United States.svg Matt Besler (SKC)
Flag of Argentina.svg Leandro González Pírez (ATL)
Flag of Argentina.svg Franco Escobar (ATL)		 Flag of Argentina.svg Sebastián Blanco (POR)
Flag of Paraguay.svg Miguel Almirón (ATL)
Flag of Colombia.svg Diego Chará (POR)
Flag of Argentina.svg Diego Valeri (POR)		 Flag of Venezuela.svg Josef Martínez (ATL)
Flag of Scotland.svg Johnny Russell (SKC)

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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. ↑ "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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