The 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2018 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) began on October 31 and ended on December 8 with MLS Cup 2018, the 23rd league championship match for MLS. This was the 23rd version of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season. Twelve teams, the top six of each conference, competed in the MLS Cup Playoffs.[1]
The first round of each conference had the third-seeded team hosting the sixth seed while the fourth-seed hosted the fifth seed in a single match to determine who advanced to the Conference Semifinals. In the Conference Semifinals, the top seed played the lowest remaining seed while the second played the next-lowest. The winners advanced to the Conference Finals. Both the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals were played as a two-legged aggregate series, with the higher-seed hosting the second leg. The winners advanced to the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the participant with the better regular season record which was played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.[2]
Toronto FC were the defending MLS Cup champions, but failed to qualify for the playoffs. Atlanta United FC won their first MLS Cup title.
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
The top six teams from each conference advanced to the MLS Cup playoffs.
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Eastern Conference
Source: MLS
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Western Conference
Source: MLS
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| Knockout round | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup December 8 – Atlanta, Georgia | ||||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | New York City FC | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10/31 – New York, New York | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Atlanta United FC | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | New York City FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Philadelphia Union | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Atlanta United FC | 3 | 0 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New York Red Bulls | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Columbus Crew | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11/1 – Washington, D.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| E1 | New York Red Bulls | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| E4 | D.C. United | 2 (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Columbus Crew (p) | 2 (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Atlanta United FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Portland Timbers | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Portland Timbers (p) | 2 | 2 | 4 (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 10/31 – Frisco, Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | 3 | 4 (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| W4 | FC Dallas | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Portland Timbers | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Portland Timbers | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Real Salt Lake | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 11/1 – Los Angeles, California | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sporting Kansas City | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Los Angeles FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Real Salt Lake | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | ||
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| Eastern Conference | ||||
| New York City FC (E3) | 3–1 | Philadelphia Union (E6) | ||
| D.C. United (E4) | 2–2 (2–3 p) |
Columbus Crew SC (E5) | ||
| Western Conference | ||||
| Los Angeles FC (W3) | 2–3 | Real Salt Lake (W6) | ||
| FC Dallas (W4) | 1–2 | Portland Timbers (W5) | ||
| FC Dallas | 1–2 | Portland Timbers |
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Report |
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| New York City FC | 3–1 | Philadelphia Union |
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Report |
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| D.C. United | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Columbus Crew SC |
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| Report |
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| Penalties | ||
| 2–3 | ||
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
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| Eastern Conference | ||||
| Columbus Crew SC (E5) | 1–3 | New York Red Bulls (E1) | 1–0 | 0–3 |
| New York City FC (E3) | 1–4 | Atlanta United FC (E2) | 0–1 | 1–3 |
| Western Conference | ||||
| Real Salt Lake (W6) | 3–5 | Sporting Kansas City (W1) | 1–1 | 2–4 |
| Portland Timbers (W5) | 4–4 (4–2 p) |
Seattle Sounders FC (W2) | 2–1 | 2–3 (a.e.t.) |
New York Red Bulls win 3–1 on aggregate.
Atlanta United win 4–1 on aggregate.
| Real Salt Lake | 1–1 | Sporting Kansas City |
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Rusnák  51' |
Report | Rubio 60' |
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | ||||
| Atlanta United FC (E2) | 3–1 | New York Red Bulls (E1) | 3–0 | 0–1 |
| Western Conference | ||||
| Portland Timbers (W5) | 3–2 | Sporting Kansas City (W1) | 0–0 | 3–2 |
Atlanta United win 3–1 on aggregate.
Portland Timbers win 3–2 on aggregate.
| Year | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
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| 2018 |  Jeff Attinella (POR)
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Aaron Long (NYR) Matt Besler (SKC) Leandro González Pírez (ATL) Franco Escobar (ATL)
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Sebastián Blanco (POR) Miguel Almirón (ATL) Diego Chará (POR) Diego Valeri (POR)
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 Josef Martínez (ATL) Johnny Russell (SKC)
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