Major League Soccer announced the schedule and format for the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs on Wednesday, including broadcast details and the date of the league’s championship showcase.
The 2018 MLS Cup will be played on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 4:30 pm PT, airing live on FOX and UniMás in the United States, in Canada on TSN (English) and TVA Sports (French) and across more than 170 countries worldwide via MLS’s network of international broadcasters.
For the fourth consecutive season, all postseason games will be broadcast nationally across ESPN, FS1, and UniMás in the U.S., and in Canada on the TSN and TVA Sports networks.
Qualification for the postseason will follow the format implemented in 2015, with the top six teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences qualifying.
After the close of regular-season play on MLS Decision Day presented by AT&T – set for Sunday, Oct. 28 – the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs kick off with the Knockout Round, four single-game elimination matches played October 31-November 1.
Following the Knockout Round, the 2018 postseason schedule moves on to the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinal series (on Nov. 4 and 11, both Sundays). Four games will be played on each of the match dates, and just four teams, two from each conference, will advance from the two-game, aggregate-goal, home-and-home series to the Conference Championships.
The Conference Championship series will also unfold on a pair of match dates, with both conferences facing off on Sunday, Nov. 25 and Thursday, Nov. 29, in doubleheaders that will ultimately decide the 2018 MLS Cup finalists.
As it has been since 2012, the 2018 MLS Cup will be played at the home venue of the finalist with the best regular-season record.
Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule
*Subject to change. Canadian and international broadcast information to be announced at a later date.
KNOCKOUT ROUND - Oct 31 and Nov 1
Conference third seed vs. sixth seed, and fourth seed vs. fifth seed in a single-game elimination match
Eastern and Western Conference Knockout Round (4 games)
Wed, Oct 31 - Times TBD - UniMás, English-Language broadcast TBA
Wed, Oct 31 - Times TBD - UniMás, English-Language broadcast TBA
Thu, Nov 1 - Times TBD - UniMás, English-Language broadcast TBA
Thu, Nov 1 - Times TBD - UniMás, English-Language broadcast TBA
CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS - Nov 4 & 11
Two-game series, aggregate-goal, home-and-home format between conference top seed vs. lowest advancing seed from Knockout Round and conference second seed vs. highest seed from Knockout Round
Eastern Conference Semifinal Series: Leg 1 (2 games)
Sun, Nov 4 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Sun, Nov 11 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Eastern Conference Semifinal Series: Leg 2 (2 games)
Sun, Nov 4 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Sun, Nov 11 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Western Conference Semifinal Series: Leg 1 (2 games)
Sun, Nov 4 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Sun, Nov 11 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Western Conference Semifinal Series: Leg 2 (2 games)
Sun, Nov 4 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Sun, Nov 11 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS - Nov 25 & 29
Two-game series, aggregate-goal, home-and-home format
Eastern Conference Championship
Leg 1: Sun, Nov 25 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Leg 2: Thu, Nov 29 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Western Conference Championship
Leg 1: Sun, Nov 25 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
Leg 2: Thu, Nov 29 - Time TBD - TV to be announced
2018 MLS CUP - Dec 8
Hosted at the home venue of the finalist with the best regular season record
Sat, Dec 8 - 7:30 PM ET - FOX, UniMás, TSN, TVA Sports
