One area where Major League Soccer (MLS) differs from its European counterparts is its knockout playoff round format. It’s a thrilling way to sign off an MLS season. The MLS playoffs are contested by the top six teams in each conference with the teams seeded based on their finishing position in the regular season. The top two teams receive byes into the next round, leaving third through sixth to lock horns. This format provides an advantage to the third and fourth seeds as they get to host the first-round playoff games.
Los Angeles FC won its first MLS Cup in 2022, beating Philadelphia Union on penalties in the final. The Eastern Conference final was between Philadelphia Union and New York City FC. The Western Conference final was between LAFC and Austin FC. This season St. Louis City SC was added as an expansion team in the Western Conference, so now there are 29 clubs in total in the League.
Each team is vying for the top nine positions in each conference to ensure playoff qualification. Take a look at how each team is faring in the standings.
As we have already mentioned, some teams are playoff mainstays, including LA Galaxy, whereas others struggle to qualify for the postseason.
The 2022 MLS Cup Final saw two teams who had finished in the 1st place in their respective Conferences, both with a total of 67 points.
