The leaks all turned out to be true: the MLS Cup Playoffs will adopt a single-elimination format for the 2019 season, expand to 14 teams and be condensed into a calendar that can be played between international breaks. The only previously unknown detail is that the two seven-team brackets will be fixed as opposed to being reseeded after each round.
u25aaufe0f Single-game rounds
u25aaufe0f All between Oct/Nov FIFA breaks
u25aaufe0f Rewards regular-season success
Our new @Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs format: https://t.co/stSKmmToih pic.twitter.com/3uogrh4jCy— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 17, 2018Although the season will still start in March in 2019, the start of the season may be moved up in subsequent seasons to shorten the offseason.