2020 MLS Cup playoffs
2020 edition of the MLS Cup playoffs tournament
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The 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) was the 25th edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The tournament culminated the 2020 MLS regular season. The playoffs began on November 20 and concluded with MLS Cup 2020 on December 12.[1]
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| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Dates | November 20 – December 12 |
| Teams | 18 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Columbus Crew SC (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | Seattle Sounders FC |
| Semifinalists | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 17 |
| Goals scored | 50 (2.94 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) |  Kevin Molino(4 goals) |
On October 29, the league announced that the final regular season standings and playoff qualification would be determined by points per game rather than by overall points. This was due to eight MLS clubs, all in the Western Conference, being unable to play all of their scheduled 23 regular season matches in time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven postponed matches were cancelled altogether in order for the playoffs to be able to start on the scheduled date.[2] A 12-day break between Decision Day and the start of the playoffs was added to accommodate an international break; MLS waived quarantine requirements for players who returned on charter flights, but several positive cases affected the opening rounds.[3][4]
The 2020 regular season Supporters' Shield champions were the Philadelphia Union, who were eliminated in the first round by the New England Revolution.
Seattle Sounders FC were the defending MLS Cup champions, having won their second title in MLS Cup 2019. They were beaten by Columbus Crew SC 3–0 in the MLS Cup final. As a result, Columbus Crew SC earned their second MLS Cup title, and first since 2008.
Qualified teams
- Eastern Conference
Conference standings
The top ten teams in the Eastern Conference and the top eight teams in the Western Conference advanced to the MLS Cup Playoffs, with the teams ranked seventh to tenth in the East going through an initial play-in round. Background colors denote playoff teams, with green also qualifying for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, and blue also qualifying for the 2021 Leagues Cup. The Portland Timbers and non-playoff Atlanta United FC qualified for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League as winners of the MLS is Back Tournament and 2019 U.S. Open Cup, respectively. Toronto FC qualified after being nominated by Canada Soccer by virtue of being the MLS finalists of the 2020 Canadian Championship.
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Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
Source: MLS[5] |
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Play-in round
This round was only applied to the Eastern Conference. The seventh-placed team, Nashville SC, played the tenth-placed team, Inter Miami CF, while the eighth-placed team, the New England Revolution, faced the ninth-placed team, the Montreal Impact. The lowest-ranked team to advance from this round, the New England Revolution, advanced to play the conference's first-placed team, the Philadelphia Union. The highest-ranked remaining team, Nashville SC, advanced to face the conference's second-placed team, Toronto FC.
Bracket
| First round November 21–22, 24 | Conference semifinals November 29, December 1–3 | Conference finals December 6–7 | MLS Cup December 12 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Philadelphia Union | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | New England Revolution | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | New England Revolution | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Orlando City SC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Orlando City SC (p) | 1 (6) | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | New York City FC | 1 (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | New England Revolution | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Columbus Crew SC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Columbus Crew SC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | New York Red Bulls | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Columbus Crew SC (a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Nashville SC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Toronto FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Nashville SC (a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Columbus Crew SC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sporting Kansas City (p) | 3 (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | San Jose Earthquakes | 3 (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Minnesota United FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Minnesota United FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Colorado Rapids | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Minnesota United FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Portland Timbers | 1 (7) | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | FC Dallas (p) | 1 (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | FC Dallas | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Los Angeles FC | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Note: The higher-seeded team hosted matches in the first three rounds. The team with the better regular season record hosted the final.
Source: 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs Bracket
First round
The top four teams in each conference hosted the first round matches.
Eastern Conference
| Columbus Crew SC | 3–2 | New York Red Bulls |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
| Toronto FC | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | Nashville SC |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Western Conference
| Sporting Kansas City | 3–3 (a.e.t.) | San Jose Earthquakes |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
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| Penalties | ||
| 3–0 | ||
Conference semifinals
The higher-seeded teams in each match-up hosted the tie.
Eastern Conference
| Columbus Crew SC | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Nashville SC |
|---|---|---|
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Report |
Western Conference
Conference finals
The higher-seeded teams in each conference hosted the matches.
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
MLS Cup 2020
As the highest-ranked team remaining in the overall table, Columbus Crew SC hosted the match.
Top goalscorers
There were 50 goals scored in 17 matches, for an average of 2.94 goals per match.
Notes
- The match was held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
- The match was held in restricted capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
- Toronto FC hosted their playoff match at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut. BMO Field was not available due to travel restrictions between Canada and the United States.[6]