2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs: How the Eastern, Western Conference fields are shaping up

9 Oct 2020

MLSsoccer.com

2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs How the Eastern Western Conference fields are shaping up

The Audi MLS Cup Playoffs field is bound to morph and evolve as the race to MLS Decision Day 2020 presented by AT&T, set for November 8, comes into view. Yet there’s already a picture taking shape as the 18-team field solidifies during these last seven

USA Today Sports

October 8, 202012:46PM EDT

The Audi MLS Cup Playoffs field is bound to morph and evolve as the race to MLS Decision Day 2020 presented by AT&T, set for November 8, comes into view.

Yet there’s already a picture taking shape as the 18-team field solidifies during these last seven weeks of the regular season. Before delving into specifics, the field has expanded by four teams (from 14) to account for myriad changes imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Western Conference, the top eight teams will directly qualify to Round 1. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference’s top six teams will directly qualify to Round 1. Those seeded No. 7-10 will compete in a play-in match, with the lower-seeded play-in winner facing the No. 1 seed and the higher-seeded play-in winner facing the face No. 2 seed in the East.

If the playoffs were to start today, here are the matchups we would see:

Eastern Conference Play-in games

No. 7 New York Red Bulls vs. No. 10 Nashville SC
No. 8 Montreal Impact vs. No. 9 Atlanta United

First round

No. 1 Toronto FC vs. lower seeded play-in winner
No. 2 Philadelphia Union vs. higher seeded play-in winner
No. 3 Columbus Crew SC vs. No. 6 New England Revolution
No. 4 Orlando City SC vs. No. 5 New York City FC

Western Conference

No. 1 Seattle Sounders FC vs. No. 8 Colorado Rapids
No. 2 Portland Timbers vs. No. 7 San Jose Earthquakes
No. 3 Sporting Kansas City vs. No. 6 FC Dallas
No. 4 Minnesota United FC vs. No. 5 LAFC

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