Major League Soccer has adopted a new playoff format for 2019, one that both expands the number of qualifiers but reduces the number of postseason games.
The top seven teams in both the Western and Eastern Conferences will advance to the playoffs, which will begin Oct. 16, with the top team in each conference getting a first-round bye. That means 14 of the league’s 24 teams will make the playoffs next season.
All playoff rounds will consist of single-elimination games rather than the two-leg, home-and-home series MLS has previously used for the conference semifinals and finals.
The MLS Cup will be played Nov.