MLS playoffs: Which teams are leading after Round 1 opening games?

The 18-team field is set for the 2024 edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

After setting a league record for the most points scored in a single season, Inter Miami CF will have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Lionel Messi aims to add another trophy to his impressive collection — MLS Cup would be a 47th trophy won for club or country by Messi after Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield earlier this month for his 46th trophy.

Some worthy challengers could interrupt Messi and Miami’s road to glory. The Columbus Crew are the defending league champions and coach Wilfried Nancy’s club will be striving to be the first repeat MLS Cup winner since 2012.

The 2022 MLS Cup winners, Los Angeles FC, bring a talented group into the postseason for what they hope is a third consecutive MLS Cup run.

And it’s been a decade since the LA Galaxy last won MLS Cup, but the resurgent club seems determined to return to its prior glory.

The New York Red Bulls, meanwhile, extended the longest active playoff appearance streak among North America’s major men’s professional sports leagues. RBNY has made the MLS playoffs in 15 consecutive seasons, which is more than MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers (12), NBA’s Boston Celtics (10) and NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs (nine).

Here’s a look at the MLS playoff teams, seeds, matchups and results:

Eastern Conference playoff seeds

1. Inter Miami CF
2. Columbus Crew
3. FC Cincinnati
4. Orlando City SC
5. Charlotte FC
6. New York City FC
7. New York Red Bulls
8. CF Montréal
9. Atlanta United

Western Conference playoff seeds

1. Los Angeles FC
2. LA Galaxy
3. Real Salt Lake
4. Seattle Sounders FC
5. Houston Dynamo FC
6. Minnesota United FC
7. Colorado Rapids
8. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
9. Portland Timbers

MLS Cup Playoffs 2024: Wild card and Round 1 matchups and schedule

These are the MLS playoff matchups through the first round (all games available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) …

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Wild-card match:

Round 1 (best-of-three series):

Inter Miami CF vs. Atlanta United

• Game 1 (at Miami): Inter Miami 2, Atlanta United 1
• Game 2 (at Atlanta United): Saturday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (at Miami, if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m. ET

Columbus Crew vs. New York Red Bulls

• Game 1 (at Columbus): New York Red Bulls 1, Columbus Crew 0
• Game 2 (at RBNY): Sunday, Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (at Columbus, if necessary): Sunday, Nov. 10, 5 p.m. ET

FC Cincinnati vs. New York City FC

• Game 1 (at Cincinnati): FC Cincinnati 1, New York City FC 0
• Game 2 (at NYCFC): Saturday, Nov. 2 (time and venue TBD)
• Game 3 (at Cincinnati, if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. ET

Orlando City SC vs. Charlotte FC

• Game 1 (at Orlando): Orlando City SC 2, Charlotte FC 0
• Game 2 (at Charlotte): Friday, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (at Orlando, if necessary): Saturday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m. ET

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Wild-card match:

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 5, Portland Timbers 0

Round 1 (best-of-three series):

Los Angeles FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

• Game 1 (at LAFC): Los Angeles FC 2, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1
• Game 2 (at Vancouver Whitecaps FC): Sunday, Nov. 3, 8:45 p.m. ET (FS1)
• Game 3 (at LAFC, if necessary): Friday, Nov. 8, 11 p.m. ET

LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids

• Game 1 (at Los Angeles): LA Galaxy 5, Colorado Rapids 0
• Game 2 (at Colorado): Friday, Nov. 1, 9:30 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (at Los Angeles): Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 p.m. ET

Real Salt Lake vs. Minnesota United FC

• Game 1 (at Salt Lake): Minnesota United FC 0, Real Salt Lake 0 (Minnesota United FC won penalty shootout, 5-4)
• Game 2 (at Minnesota): Saturday, Nov. 2, 9 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (at Salt Lake, if necessary): Friday, Nov. 8, 9 p.m. ET

Seattle Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo FC

• Game 1 (at Seattle): Seattle Sounders FC 0, Houston Dynamo FC 0 (Seattle Sounders won penalty shootout, 5-4)
• Game 2 (at Houston): Sunday, Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m. ET
• Game 3 (at Seattle, if necessary): Sunday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. ET

2024 MLS playoff schedule

• Oct. 22-23: Wild-card matches (single-elimination matches)
• Oct. 25-Nov. 10: Round 1 (best-of-three series)
• Nov. 23-24: Conference semifinals (single-elimination matches)
• Nov. 30-Dec. 1: Conference finals (single-elimination matches)
• Dec. 7: MLS Cup (single winner-take-all match)

MLS CUP: Ranking every Major League Soccer championship game

MLS Cup Playoffs bracket

Here is the full playoff schedule in bracket form from MLSsoccer.com.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

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