FRISCO, Texas — FC Dallas' playoff picture has looked the same for the past few weeks: Win and get in.
But, for whatever reason, the club has made it harder on themselves than it needed to be, drawing in their last five matches. The playoff berth potential began with its match against San Jose on Oct. 7, but they salvaged a draw after going down 1-0 early.
No matter, they had an extra game against the Western Conference's worst team that got rescheduled for severe weather on Saturday, Oct. 14. Deja vu set in. The Rapids took an early 1-0 lead and FC Dallas was left clawing back ... again. They did so, courtesy of MLS 22 Under 22 top man Alan Velasco. Velasco buried a free kick from outside the 18-yard box to level the match.
The draw against Colorado has lifted FC Dallas into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference standings with one match left on Decision Day. FC Dallas still controls their own destiny and the easiest avenue to the playoffs remains the same: Win and get in.
There are, however, other avenues FC Dallas can clinch the playoffs, should they draw against LA Galaxy or even lose. Here is a look them all (Maybe third times the charm?):
Option 1:
Win. Period. If FC Dallas wins, they will clinch. Then, it becomes a question of seeding. Here is what the seeding projection looks like:
FC Dallas would be the No. 7 seed if Houston beats or ties Portland. If Portland wins, FC Dallas would be the No. 8 seed.
Option 2:
If FC Dallas ties against LA Galaxy, they'll finish the year with 44 points in the standings. This really opens them up to potentially being the odd team out. FC Dallas would still clinch a playoff berth, however, if one of these three things happen: Houston beats Portland, or Austin beats or ties San Jose, or Sporting KC and Minnesota tie each other.
Option 3:
Doomsday scenario. If FC Dallas lose, they're pulling heavily for an Austin win (San Jose cannot tie in this scenario and would jump FC Dallas) or Sporting KC and Minnesota to tie each other.
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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