The Major League Soccer playoffs begin on Wednesday and Thursday with four single-elimination, intraconference knockout round matches.

UniMás will air all four matches nationally in Spanish language, while ESPN2 and FS1 will each air a knockout round match in English. TSN and TVA Sports will provide coverage of all four knockout round matches nationally in Canada.

On Wednesday the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed Chicago Fire, led by MLS Golden Boot winner Nemanja Nikolić, host the No. 6 New York Red Bulls (UniMás, FS1, TSN3/5, TVA Sports, 8:30 p.m. ET). On the Western Conference, the No. 3 Vancouver Whitecaps FC host the No. 6 San Jose Earthquakes (UniMás, TSN Network, TVA Sports 2, 10:30 p.m. ET). San Jose was the final team to clinch a berth for the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, thanks to Marco Ureña’s stoppage-time winner against Minnesota United FC.

On Thursday, expansion side Atlanta United, the Eastern Conference No. 4 seed, will host No. 5 Columbus Crew SC (UniMás, ESPN2, TSN4, TVA Sports, 7 p.m. ET) followed by the Western Conference’s No. 4 Houston Dynamo welcoming the fifth-seeded Sporting Kansas City (UniMás, FS1, TSN4, TVA Sports, 9:30 p.m. ET).

After enjoying a bye in the knockout round, Toronto FC await the lowest-seeded team from the East that advances, while second-seeded New York City FC will face the highest-seeded Eastern Conference team that advances.

Likewise, in the West, the top-seeded Portland Timbers will face the lowest-seeded Western Conference team that advances, while No. 2 Seattle Sounders FC will be matched against the highest-seeded Western Conference team that advances.

The national broadcast schedule for the conference semifinal series matches will be announced following the four mid-week Knockout Round matches.

MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule  
*Subject to change. Canadian and international broadcast information to be announced at a later date.

Knockout Round
(Conference third seed vs. sixth seed, and fourth seed vs. fifth seed in a single-game elimination match)

Wednesday, Oct. 25

  • No. 3 Chicago Fire vs. No. 6 New York Red Bulls (UniMás, FS1, TSN3/5, TVA Sports, 8:30 p.m. ET)
  • No. 3 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. No. 6 San Jose Earthquakes (UniMás, TSN Network, TVA Sports 2, 10:30 p.m. ET)

Thursday, Oct. 26

  • No. 4 Atlanta United vs. No. 5 Columbus Crew SC (UniMás, ESPN2, TSN4, TVA Sports, 7 p.m. ET)
  • No. 4 Houston Dynamo vs. No. 5 Sporting Kansas City (UniMás, TSN4, TVA Sports, 9:30 p.m. ET)

Conference Semifinals
(Two-game series, aggregate-goal format between conference top seed vs. lowest advancing seed from Knockout Round and conference second seed vs. highest seed from Knockout Round)

Eastern Conference Semifinal Series

Eastern Conference Semifinal Leg 1 (2 games)

  • Monday, Oct. 30            Time TBD    (FS1)
  • Tuesday, Oct. 31           Time TBD     (ESPN)

Eastern Conference Semifinal Leg 2 (2 games)

  • Sunday, Nov. 5             Toronto FC vs. TBD, Time TBD            (ESPN or FS1)
  • Sunday, Nov. 5             New York City FC vs. TBD, Time TBD (ESPN or FS1)

Western Conference Semifinal Series

Western Conference Semifinal Leg 1 (2 games)

  • Sunday, Oct. 29            Time TBD           (ESPN)
  • Tuesday, Oct. 31          Time TBD           (FS1)

Western Conference Semifinal Leg 2 (2 games)

  • Thursday, Nov. 2           Seattle Sounders FC vs. TBD, Time TBD          (ESPN or FS1)
  • Sunday, Nov. 5             Portland Timbers vs. TBD, Time TBD                 (ESPN or FS1)

Conference Championships
(Two-game series, aggregate-goal format)

Eastern Conference Championship Series

Eastern Conference Championship Leg 1 (1 game)

  • Tuesday, Nov. 21          8 p.m. ET          (ESPN)

Eastern Conference Semifinal Leg 2 (1 game)

  • Nov. 28 or 29                Time TBD         (FS1)

Western Conference Championship Series

Western Conference Championship Leg 1 (1 game)

  • Tuesday, Nov. 21          10 p.m. ET        (FS1)

Western Conference Championship Leg 2 (1 game) 

  • Thursday, Nov. 30         10 p.m.             (ESPN)

MLS Cup 

(Hosted at the home venue of the finalist with the best regular season record)

  • Saturday, Dec. 9           4 p.m. ET          (ESPN, UniMás, TSN, TVA Sports, 4 p.m. ET)

 

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.