FRISCO, Texas — After salvaging a draw against San Jose, FC Dallas' playoff hopes remain alive and they continue to control their own destiny.
This season, MLS expanded its playoff bracket from seven to nine spots in each conference. The last three spots (No. 7-9) have yet to be clinched. FC Dallas has their opportunity to secure their spot in the MLS playoffs in Saturday's match against the Colorado Rapids, which was rescheduled after severe weather last week.
The scenario for FC Dallas to clinch the playoffs is simple: win and you're in.
If they don't, however, then things open up for some Decision Day pressure. A draw, or God forbid a massive upset loss, leaves FC Dallas vulnerable to being hopped in the standings on the final day of the season. FC Dallas currently has 42 points and lie 9th in the Western Conference. Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United both come in right below them with 41 points.
So, if FC Dallas ties on Saturday against Colorado, they'd have 43 points going into Decision Day on Saturday, Oct. 21. Therefore, a win from either Sporting Kansas City or Minnesota would propel them to 44 points on the season, and potentially above FC Dallas if they were to then either draw or tie on the final day (FC Dallas loses tiebreakers to both Sporting KC and Minnesota United).
Point is, FC Dallas just needs one win in its final two matches and they're in. Plain and simple.
Should they secure a spot, the MLS Cup Playoffs will look different this season. Here is how it all shakes out:
Who qualifies?
Eighteen teams qualify for the plays, the top nine from each the Eastern and Western Conferences. The bottom two seeds, No. 8 and No. 9 in each conference, will qualify for Wild Card matches. Seeds No. 1 through No. 7 will automatically qualify for the Round One Best-of-3 series.
When do the playoffs take place?
Four rounds will be played throughout the playoffs, ending with the MLS Cup match.
- Wild Card matches: Oct. 25-26
- Round One Best-of-3 series matches: Oct. 28 through Nov. 12
- Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals: Nov. 25 through Dec. 3
- MLS Cup: Dec. 9
Wild Card matches
The No. 8 and No. 9 seed in each conference will play a single match in the round. The higher seed will host the match.
If the score remains tied at the end of regulation, no extra time will be played and instead go to a penalty kick shootout.
The winner will advance to Round One to face the No. 1 seed.
Round One Best-of-3 series
Round One will be a best-of-3 series, the first team to win two matches will advance.
Every game will have a winner; no ties. If a match is tied at the end of regulation, no extra time will be played. The teams will participate in kicks from the penalty spot to get a winner.
The higher seed will host matches one and three, if necessary. The lower seed will host match two.
Matchups will be:
- No. 1 vs. No. 8 or 9
- No. 2 vs. No. 7
- No. 3 vs. No. 6
- No. 4 vs. No. 5
Conference Semifinals
The semifinals will be single-elimination matches that will be hosted by the higher seeds.
In this match, if the score remains tied at the end of regulation, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety. If the score remains tied, teams will determine the winner via a penalty kick shootout.
Matchups will be:
- 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
Conference Finals
The Conference Finals will also be single-elimination matches, hosted by the higher seed.
If the match remains tied after regulation, the rules will remain the same as the semifinals.
The winner of each match will advance to the MLS Cup.
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup will be a single match on Dec. 9, hosted by the higher seed.
The match will have the same rules as the conference semifinals and finals if the score remains tied at the end of regulation.
St. Louis has not announced when tickets will go on sale for the Round One Best-of-3 Series as of Oct. 4. The regular season will conclude on Oct. 21 for all MLS teams.
Find more information on the 2023 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs here.
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