The Major League Soccer postseason will look much different in 2023 compared to previous seasons. The league announced changes to its playoffs system on Tuesday, introducing a wild-card round and best-of-three series for the first round.
In previous years, seven teams from each conference made the postseason. The first-placed teams in conferences received a bye in the first round, effectively being guaranteed a semi-finals spot. All matchups were played in a best-of-two format.
The new system will see nine teams from Eastern Conference and nine teams from Western Conference take part in the playoffs. The teams that finish No. 9 and No. 8 will square off in a wild-card round, with the winner then playing the top-seeded teams in their respective conferences in the first round.
The first round will feature the best-of-three series, with the higher-seeded team hosting Game 1 and Game 3 (if applicable). There will be no extra time, as the ties in the regular 90 minutes will be resolved in a direct penalty shootout.
The conference semi-finals and finals, as well as the championship game, will be contested in a single-elimination game like in previous years.
The 2023 MLS season kicks off on February 25th. The Los Angeles FC enters the campaign as the reigning champion and has the biggest odds to win it all again.
