MLS Playoff Schedule: Knockout Round begins on Wednesday

• by Soccer America , Oct 22, 2017

The MLS playoffs begin with four Knockout Games on Wednesday and Thursday. The four winners will advance to the conference semifinals. Toronto FC, New York City FC, Portland and Seattle have byes into the semifinals.

As part of the move to play more games on weeknights, only one of the four first legs will be played next Sunday. The conference top seed will face the lowest advancing seed from Knockout Round and conference second seed will face the highest seed that moved on from the Knockout Round.

Eastern Conference:
Knockout Round
Wednesday, October 25
No. 3 Chicago vs. No. 6 NY Red Bulls (UniMas, FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET)
Thursday, October 26
No. 4 Atlanta United vs. No. 5 Columbus (UniMas, ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET)

Semifinals, First Leg
Monday, October 30
Time TBD (FS1)
Tuesday, October 31           
Time TBD  (ESPN)

Semifinals, Second Leg
Sunday, November 5
Toronto FC vs. TBD, Time TBD (ESPN or FS1)
Sunday, November 5
New York City FC vs. TBD, Time TBD (ESPN or FS1)

Final, First Leg
Tuesday, November 21
8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Final, Second Leg
Tuesday, November 28
or Wednesday, November 29
Time TBD (FS1)

Western Conference:
Knockout Round
Wednesday, October 25
No. 3 Vancouver vs. No. 6 San Jose (UniMas, 10:30 p.m. ET)
Thursday, October 26
No. 4 Houston Dynamo vs. No. 5 Sporting KC (UniMas, 9:30 p.m. ET)
Semifinals, First Leg
Sunday, October 29
Time TBD (ESPN)
Tuesday, October 31
Time TBD  (FS1)
Semifinals, Second Leg
Thursday, November 2
Seattle vs. TBD, Time TBD (ESPN or FS1)
Sunday, November 5
Portland vs. TBD, Time TBD (ESPN or FS1)
Final, First Leg
Tuesday, November 21
8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Final, Second Leg
Thursday, November 30
10 p.m. ET (ESPN)

2017 MLS Cup:
Saturday, December 9
4 p.m. ET (ESPN, UniMas, 4 p.m. ET)
(Hosted at the home venue of the finalist with the best regular-season record)