MLS Play-offs: Full format explained

Inter Miami are on the verge of winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield trophy.

Inter Miami are just one win away from lifting the MLS Supporters’ Shield trophy. All they have to do is beat Columbus Crew in the next match.

Lionl Messi changed the destiny of the club when he signed for Inter Miami midway through 2023 on a free move from Paris Saint-Germain. He duly drove his new side to win the Leagues Cup.

However, Inter Miami were unable to advance to the playoffs, as the Columbus Crew emerged victorious in their third MLS Cup. There is a lot of optimism that the Herons can mount a serious challenge for the championship this time around with the addition of Luis Suarez, another of Messi’s former Barcelona teammates, to Gerardo Martino’s team along with Jordi Alba & Sergio Busquets.

If they manage to lift the Supporters’ Shield trophy their next focus will be MLS Cup playoff games where they face more teams. They will hope to add that Cup trophy to their cabinet. But how does MLS playoffs work?

MLS play-offs explained

The Major League Soccer playoffs underwent a redesign. Each conference will now send nine teams to the postseason. The first seven seeded teams in each conference advance to the first round, while those ranked eighth and ninth will play one-off wild card games.

In the past, teams competed in a single-elimination knockout bracket to determine the winner. The Round of 16 in 2023 consisted of a best-of-three series with no draws. The first side to emerge winners in two games then reach the more traditional single-elimination format is utilized for conference semifinals, conference finals, and MLS Cup finals.

Meanwhile, the last team that remains at the end of the knockout bracket lifts the MLS Cup and are considered MLS Champions. LAFC claimed both the Major League Soccer Cup and the Supporters’ Shield in 2022. Although this double is quite uncommon—it was only accomplished eight times since the league’s founding in 1996.

Inter Miami are seen as favourites to sweep both trophies this time and become the ninth team to win the double since the league’s inception.

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