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The 2023 MLS Cup playoffs (branded as the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) was the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. It was the 28th edition of the MLS Cup playoffs, the tournament culminating at the end of the 2023 season. The playoffs began on October 25 and concluded with MLS Cup 2023 on December 9.
Columbus Crew won a third MLS Cup title after defeating Los Angeles FC 2–1.
Format
The playoffs featured a new format from previous years with an expanded field of 18 teams—the top nine teams from each conference. The top seven teams in each conference automatically qualify for round one while the eighth and ninth-placed teams in each conference contested a single wild card match for the right to play the No. 1 seed in their conference, with only a penalty shoot-out occurring if the game was tied. Round one comprised a best-of-three format with higher seeds playing against lower seeds, for the first time since 1999. The round did not have the aggregate score kept, and tied matches proceeded directly to a penalty shoot-out to determine the winner. The remaining three rounds — the Conference Semifinals, Conference Final, and MLS Cup — were single-elimination matches played with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if still tied. The team with the better regular season record hosted the match in all rounds except for the best-of-three series in round one, where the lower seed hosted the second of three possible matches. All matches were broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass, a streaming service operated by Apple.
The introduction of a best-of-three round and the expanded field, which allowed 62% of the league's 29 teams to qualify for the playoffs, were criticized for being more confusing and diluting the competition. It was the first major revamp of the playoff format since 2019, when all rounds were switched to single-elimination matches. The format added more matches, including home games for lower seeds, and was developed with fan input according to MLS officials; other outlets noted that new broadcaster Apple TV would benefit from the additional matches. The new playoff format was announced on February 21, 2023, shortly before the start of the regular season; earlier media reports indicated that another format with a round-robin group stage was also considered.
Unlike regular season matches, playoff matches did not have a sixth substitute added for periods of extra time. Players were suspended for a match after accumulating three yellow cards; the suspension applied to the next match, whether it was in the playoffs or the 2024 regular season. In the event that a playoff match could not be played and neither team had forfeited or is at fault, the team with the higher points per game during the 2023 regular season would advance.
Qualified teams
The playoffs were contested by eighteen teams. The date listed indicates when each team qualified for the playoffs.
The higher seeded teams hosted single-elimination matches, with the MLS Cup host determined by overall points in the Supporters' Shield table. During the best-of-three round, the team with higher seed hosted the first match, and the third match if necessary.
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