Following Wild Card wins from New York Red Bulls (Eastern Conference) and Sporting Kansas City (Western Conference), the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs continue with the Round One Best-of-3 series.
Comprised of a 16-team field, Round One will unfold via a home-away-home format, with the higher-seeded team enjoying hosting privileges as follows:
- Game 1: higher seed hosts
- Game 2: lower seed hosts
- Game 3 (if necessary): higher seed hosts
The first team to win two matches will advance to the Conference Semifinals. Four teams from each conference will move on, for a total of eight conference semifinalists.
Eastern Conference: Round One Best-of-3
(1) FC Cincinnati vs. (8) New York Red Bulls
- Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 29 | 8 pm ET (TQL Stadium, Apple TV - Free/FS1/ FOX Deportes /TSN, RDS)
- Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 4 | 7 pm ET (Red Bull Arena, MLS Season Pass)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 11 | 2 pm ET (TQL Stadium, MLS Season Pass)
(2) Orlando City SC vs. (7) Nashville SC
- Game 1: Monday, Oct. 30 | 7 pm ET (Exploria Stadium, Apple TV - Free/FS1/ FOX Deportes /TSN/RDS)
- Game 2: Tuesday, Nov. 7 | 9 pm ET (GEODIS Park, MLS Season Pass)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Nov. 12 | 5 pm ET (Exploria Stadium, MLS Season Pass)
(3) Columbus Crew vs. (6) Atlanta United
- Game 1: Wednesday, Nov. 1 | 7:30 pm ET (Lower.com Field, Apple TV - Free/FS1/ Fox Deportes/TSN/RDS)
- Game 2: Tuesday, Nov. 7 | 7 pm ET (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, MLS Season Pass)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Nov. 12 | 7 pm ET (Lower.com Field, MLS Season Pass)
(4) Philadelphia Union vs. (5) New England Revolution
- Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 28 | 5 pm ET (Subaru Park, Apple TV - Free)
- Game 2: Wednesday, Nov. 8 | 7 pm ET (Gillette Stadium, MLS Season Pass/FS1/ FOX Deportes/TSN/RDS)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, Nov. 12 | 3 pm ET (Subaru Park, MLS Season Pass)
Western Conference: Round One Best-of-3
(1) St. Louis CITY SC vs. (8) Sporting Kansas City
- Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 29 | 10 pm ET (CITYPARK, Apple TV - Free/FS1/ FOX Deportes/TSN/RDS)
- Game 2: Sunday, Nov. 5 | 5 pm ET (Children's Mercy Park, MLS Season Pass)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 11 | 6 pm ET (CITYPARK, MLS Season Pass)
(2) Seattle Sounders FC vs. (7) FC Dallas
- Game 1: Monday, Oct. 30 | 9 pm ET (Lumen Field, Apple TV - Free/FS1/ Fox Deportes/TSN/RDS)
- Game 2: Saturday, Nov. 4 | 9 pm ET (Toyota Stadium, MLS Season Pass)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, Nov. 10 | 10 pm ET (Lumen Field, MLS Season Pass)
(3) LAFC vs. (6) Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 28 | 8 pm ET (BMO Stadium, Apple TV - Free)
- Game 2: Sunday, Nov. 5 | 7:30 pm ET (BC Place, MLS Season Pass/FS1/ Fox Deportes/TSN/RDS)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, Nov. 9 | 10 pm ET (BMO Stadium, MLS Season Pass)
(4) Houston Dynamo FC vs. (5) Real Salt Lake
- Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 29 | 6 pm ET (Shell Energy Stadium, Apple TV - Free)
- Game 2: Monday, Nov. 6 | 9 pm ET (America First Field, MLS Season Pass)
- Game 3 (if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 11 | 4 pm ET (Shell Energy Stadium, MLS Season Pass)
Win-only: Every Round One game will have a winner; no ties, no aggregate score.
PK shootout: If a Round One game is tied at the end of regulation time (90 minutes), no extra time will be played. There will immediately be a penalty kick shootout to determine the winner.
Best-of-3: The first team to win two matches will advance. Conversely, the loser's playoff journey will end.
The winner of each Round One Best-of-3 series moves on to the Conference Semifinals.
This stage of the playoffs will consist of single-elimination matches hosted by the higher seed. If the score of a Conference Semifinal game is tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score is still tied at the end of the two extra time periods, teams will determine the winner via a penalty kick shootout.
Eastern Conference Semifinals
- Winner of No. 1 vs. No. 8/9 series vs. winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 series
- Winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 series vs. winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7 series
Western Conference Semifinals
- Winner of No. 1 vs. No. 8/9 series vs. winner of No. 4 vs. No. 5 series
- Winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 series vs. winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7 series
Date: MLS Cup presented by Audi is set for December 9 at 4 pm ET.
Hosting: The finalist with the highest regular-season point total hosts MLS Cup. In the event that both finalists have the same amount of regular-season points, the team with more wins – or if they're tied in that category, better goal difference – will host MLS Cup.
