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2011 MLS Cup Playoffs

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 12.96.87.102 (talk) at 14:54, 29 September 2011 (→‎Current scenarios: The Revs are still technically in playoff contention. If they end up tied on points with NY 'and' DC, they'll make the playoffs.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Main article: 2011 Major League Soccer
2011 MLS Cup Playoffs
Tournament details
Country United States
 Canada
Teams10
Defending championsColorado Rapids
← 2010
2012 →

The 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs will be the sixteenth post-season tournament culumnating the Major League Soccer regular season. The tournament will begin on October 26 with the play-in round and will conclude on November 20 with the championship match. It will be the first playoff-series to include 10 clubs, two more than the traditional eight. Six of the 10 teams will earn a direct bye into the conference semifinals, while the four wildcard teams will play a single elimination match to earn a berth into the conference semis. These eight clubs will play in a single-elimination tournament en route to playoffs championship MLS Cup 2011, which doubles as the league championship for the 2011 MLS season altogether.

The defending MLS Cup champions are the Colorado Rapids, who beat FC Dallas 2–1 in the 2010 championship.

Should the CONCACAF Champions League qualifying format remain the same, the cup champion will earn a direct bye to Group Stage of the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, along with the Supporters' Shield winner for the regular season. The cup finalist will earn a spot in the Preliminary Round for the Champions League, along with the 2011 U.S. Open Cup champion. However, none of these berths are available to the league's two Canadian teams, which instead participate in the Canadian Championship for that country's single berth in the Preliminary Round of the Champions League.

Format

Main article: MLS Cup Playoffs

The format for the tournament was announced on February 23, 2011.[1] The top three clubs in each of the league's two conferences will earn the six automatic spots in the quarterfinals.[1] The wild-card entrants, seeded seventh through tenth, will enter based upon their overall position in a single table of the league standings.[1] The new format is assembled so that the weakest seed to qualify out of the wild-card rounds will have to play the Supporters' Shield winner.[1] The other entrant will play the conference champion that did not win the Shield.[1]

The playoffs will begin with the Play-in round, which will contain the wildcard seeds. The first and second-placed wildcard seeds (seventh and eight place, respectively) will host the third and fourth-placed wildcard seeds (ninth and tenth place, respectively). The winners of each play-in proper will earn a berth into the conference semifinals, or the quarterfinals, of the playoffs.

Following the play-in round, will be the conference semifinals, where the two play-in round winners will join the six clubs that earned a direct bye into this round. The conference semifinals, will be a two-legged, aggregate series, in which each team plays their opponent twice: once at home, and once away. The team with the most goals accumulated over the two-match series will win the series and qualify for the conference championship. In this round, the lowest seeded wildcard team to advance will play against the MLS Supporters' Shield winner (regular season champion). The other wildcard seed will play against either the Eastern or Western Conference regular season champion, depending on which conference champion wins the Supporters' Shield. Also in the conference semifinals, feature the conference runners-up and third place finishes from both the Eastern and Western Conference.[1]

The semifinal round, or the conference championship, will feature the winners from the conference semifinals. This round will be a one-legged affair, in which the higher seeded club will host the lower seed. The winner of this match, earns a berth into the 2011 MLS Cup championship, as well as a guaranteed berth in the preliminary round of the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League.

The Eastern Conference and Western Conference bracket winners will meet in the MLS Cup final, which will be held at the pre-determined neutral venue. This year, the final will be held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA.[1] The MLS Cup winner will earn a Group Stage berth in the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, while the finalist will earn a Preliminary Round berth. Additionally, the MLS Cup winner will be crowned league champion for the 2011 MLS season.[1]

Qualification

The top three clubs from each conference, based on final point totals, will qualify for the playoffs. From among the remaining clubs, the top 4 qualify as wild cards, and will have a 2-leg play-in round to narrow the field to 8. The Los Angeles Galaxy were the first MLS club to qualify for the playoffs, qualifying with a 1–0 win over Colorado Rapids on September 9.[2]

Conference Standings

Eastern Table

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Sporting Kansas City 34 13 9 12 50 40 +10 51 MLS Cup Conference Semifinals
2 Houston Dynamo 34 12 9 13 45 41 +4 49
3 Philadelphia Union 34 11 8 15 44 36 +8 48
4 Columbus Crew 34 13 13 8 43 44 −1 47 MLS Cup Play-In Round
5 New York Red Bulls 34 10 8 16 50 44 +6 46
6 Chicago Fire 34 9 9 16 46 45 +1 43
7 D.C. United 34 9 13 12 49 52 −3 39
8 Toronto FC 34 6 13 15 36 59 −23 33
9 New England Revolution 34 5 16 13 38 58 −20 28
Source: MLS

Western Table

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 LA Galaxy 34 19 5 10 48 28 +20 67 MLS Cup Conference Semifinals
2 Seattle Sounders FC 34 18 7 9 56 37 +19 63
3 Real Salt Lake 34 15 11 8 44 36 +8 53
4 FC Dallas 34 15 12 7 42 39 +3 52 MLS Cup Play-In Round
5 Colorado Rapids 34 12 9 13 46 42 +4 49
6 Portland Timbers 34 11 14 9 40 48 −8 42
7 San Jose Earthquakes 34 8 12 14 40 45 −5 38
8 Chivas USA 34 8 14 12 41 43 −2 36
9 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 34 6 18 10 35 55 −20 28
Source: MLS

Overall Standings

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 LA Galaxy (S, C) 34 19 5 10 48 28 +20 67 CONCACAF Champions League
2 Seattle Sounders FC 34 18 7 9 56 37 +19 63
3 Real Salt Lake 34 15 11 8 44 36 +8 53
4 FC Dallas 34 15 12 7 42 39 +3 52
5 Sporting Kansas City 34 13 9 12 50 40 +10 51
6 Houston Dynamo 34 12 9 13 45 41 +4 49 CONCACAF Champions League
7 Colorado Rapids 34 12 9 13 44 41 +3 49
8 Philadelphia Union 34 11 8 15 44 36 +8 48
9 Columbus Crew 34 13 13 8 43 44 −1 47
10 New York Red Bulls 34 10 8 16 50 44 +6 46
11 Chicago Fire 34 9 9 16 46 45 +1 43
12 Portland Timbers 34 11 14 9 40 48 −8 42
13 D.C. United 34 9 13 12 49 52 −3 39
14 San Jose Earthquakes 34 8 12 14 40 45 −5 38
15 Chivas USA 34 8 14 12 41 43 −2 36
16 Toronto FC 34 6 13 15 36 59 −23 33 CONCACAF Champions League
17 New England Revolution 34 5 16 13 38 58 −20 28
18 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 34 6 18 10 35 55 −20 28
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (S) Supporters' Shield

Current scenarios

  • Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC and Real Salt Lake have qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs
  • Los Angeles Galaxy is guaranteed a bye to the Conference semifinals
  • Vancouver Whitecaps FC cannot qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs
  • FC Dallas, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City, Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls, D.C. United, Portland Timbers, Chivas USA, Chicago Fire, San Jose Earthquakes, Toronto FC, New England Revolution and Vancouver Whitecaps FC cannot win the Supporters' Shield
  • Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC and Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City, Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls, D.C. United cannot finish in last place.

On the next match day

Los Angeles Galaxy will win the Supporters' Shield if:

  • Los Angeles win against Real Salt Lake AND Seattle lose

Seattle Sounders FC cannot win the Supporters Shield if:

  • Seattle lose at New England AND Los Angeles win

Real Salt Lake cannot win the Supporters' Shield if:

  • Salt Lake lose at Los Angeles Galaxy

FC Dallas will qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs IF:

  • FC Dallas defeat Colorado this week AND two of the following occur:
    • Portland lose or tie vs. Vancouver
    • Houston lose to Chicago
    • New York lose to Toronto

Toronto FC and/or the New England Revolution will be eliminated from playoff contention IF:

  • Toronto and/or New England fail to win this week OR
  • New York win or tie OR
  • D.C. United win OR
  • Portland win

(Toronto FC and New England cannot both qualify)

San Jose Earthquakes will be eliminated from playoff contention IF:

  • San Jose lose to Kansas City this week AND two of the following occur:
    • Philadelphia tie either game this week
    • D.C. United win either game this week
    • New York defeat Toronto
  • OR San Jose tie Kansas City AND:
    • Columbus tie or win one game this week AND
    • Philadelphia win either game this week AND
    • D.C. United win either game this week


Source: [3]

Tiebreakers

  1. Head-to-Head (Points-per-match average)
  2. Overall Goal Differential
  3. Overall Total Goals Scored
  4. Tiebreakers 1–3 applied only to matches on the road
  5. Tiebreakers 1–3 applied only to matches at home
  6. Fewest team disciplinary points in the League Fair Play table
  7. Coin toss

If more than two clubs are tied, once a club advances through any step, the process reverts to Tiebreaker 1 among the remaining tied clubs recursively until all ties are resolved.[4]

Bracket

Schedule

Major League Schedule released the schedule for its playoffs on August 9, 2011.[5]

Key
  • SS = MLS Supporters' Shield winner
  • E1/W1 = Eastern or Western Conference winner
  • E2/W2 = Eastern or Western Conference runner-up
  • E3/W3 = Eastern or Western Conference third place
  • WC1 = Top wildcard seed (7th place overall)
  • WC2 = Second wildcard seed (8th place overall)
  • WC3 = Third wildcard seed (9th place overall)
  • WC4 = Fourth wildcard seed (10th place overall)

Play-in round

WC1vWC4

WC2vWC3

Conference semifinals

WC2 or WC3 or WC4vSS

SSvWC2 or WC3 or WC4

E1 or W1vWC1 or WC2 or WC3

WC1 or WC2 or WC3vE1 or W1

E3vE2

E2vE3

W3vW2

W2vW3

Conference finals

Host will depend on the higher seeded team. Single elimination match.[5]

WC2-4 / SS winnervE2 or W2 / E3 or W3 winner

WC1-3 / E1 or W1 winnervE2 or W2 / E3 or W3 winner

Championship

Main article: MLS Cup 2011

Eastern championNote AvWestern championNote B
Notes
  • Note A: Due to the wildcard setup, the Eastern Conference champion may be a club from the Western Conference.
  • Note B: Due to the wildcard setup, the Western Conference champion may be a club from the Eastern Conference.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "MLS reveals expanded playoffs structure for 2011". Major League Soccer. MLSSoccer.com. February 23, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  2. ^ Bueno, Luis (September 10, 2011). "Recap: Galaxy dominant in 1-0 home win over Colorado". Major League Soccer. MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  3. ^ "Playoff scenarios: Galaxy can clinch Supporters' Shield". MLSSoccer.com. September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ a b "League announces fixture dates for 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs". MLS Communications. MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved August 9, 2011.

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_MLS_Cup_Playoffs&oldid=453056755"