MLS 2022 playoff format: How will the Major League Soccer postseason work?

Major League Soccer’s new 2022 season kicks off on February 26 with a game between Philadelphia and Minnesota Utd at Subaru Park. Last season’s defending champions are New York City FC, they won the MLS Cup final against Portland Timbers on penalty kicks.

A new team joins the MLS as an expansion franchise, Charlotte FC will play in the Eastern Conference as the 14th team in the conference standings. Now the MLS has 28 teams that will play more than 900 games during the season. Most games will be available live stream in the United States by FuboTV with a 7-day free trial.

The big favorites for the 2022 MLS season are the Seattle Sounders, Sporting KC, Portland Timbers, Nashville, Atlanta United, NY Red Bulls and defending champions New York City FC. Other teams like Inter Miami have a new opportunity to play better.

How will the Major League Soccer postseason work?

The postseason format is pretty easy to understand, the 28 Major League Soccer teams play in their respective conferences, Eastern and Western, to win games and stay in the top seven spots before the end of the regular season.

First Round: This is the first phase of the playoffs, of the seven teams with the best records in each conference six (2th to 7th spot) must play in the First Round. While the teams that finished in the first spot of each conference receive a direct bye to the conference semifinals.

Conference Semifinals: The semifinals are four games between the two 1st seeded (number one of each conference), and the rest of the six teams that won during the first round. The games are a single leg, extra time and penalty shoot-out are included if necessary.

Conference Finals: The winners of the semifinals, the top four teams play to advance to the next and final round of the playoffs. In the 2021 season neither 1st seed (New England and Colorado Rapids) made it to the finals as both lost during the conference semifinals.

MLS Cup: The last game of the postseason is the one that determines the Major League Soccer champion, a single game with extra time or penalty kicks. In the 2021 season, defending champions NYCFC won on penalty kicks.