Wild Card matches set for Oct. 22 and Oct. 23; top seeds Inter Miami CF and LAFC to open Round One Best-of-3 Series
NEW YORK (Saturday, October 19, 2024) – Following the culmination of Major League Soccer’s regular season on Decision Day 2024, the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs field is confirmed with Wild Card matches set to take place on Tuesday, October 22 and Wednesday, October 23. Both matches will air exclusively for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Heading into tonight’s contests, four teams were vying for the final two playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. No. 8 CF MontrĂ©al qualified for the postseason with a 2-0 win against New York City FC. First-half goals by midfielder Caden Clark and forward Josef MartĂnez sealed the victory in front of a sold-out crowd at Stade Saputo. MontrĂ©al will host Atlanta United on Tuesday, Oct. 22 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV). Atlanta, who entered Decision Day outside of playoff position, moved into ninth place with a 2-1 road victory with goals from Saba Lobjanidze and Jamal ThiarĂ© to clinch their sixth postseason berth in eight years.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC clinched the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference and will face No. 9 Portland Timbers on Wednesday, October 23 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV/TSN/RDS). Due to a conflicting event at BC Place, and with no other venues available in the Vancouver market, the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Wild Card match between No. 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC and No. 9 Portland Timbers will be played in Portland at Providence Park.
Portland qualified for the postseason for the eighth time in club history and for the first time since 2021. Portland standout and Landon Donovan MLS MVP nominee Evander will make his first appearance in the playoffs. The Brazilian has recorded a team high 34 goal contributions (15 goals, 19 assists) which is second across MLS this season.
The winners of each Wild Card match will advance into the Round One Best-of-3 Series and face the top seeds in their respective conference. Supporters’ Shield winner No. 1 Inter Miami CF will kick off Round One Best-of-3 action at Chase Stadium in a standalone match on Friday, October 25 (8:30 p.m. ET), airing exclusively for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The match marks the inaugural appearance in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for global superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba and will be broadcast live on screens in Times Square in the heart of New York City -- displayed on SILVERCAST Media’s high-definition “Mega-Zilla,” a Times Square spectacular with a 78-foot by 330-foot monster digital TV display.
Round One Best-of-3 Series Matchups:
Eastern Conference Round One Best-of-3 Series
- No. 1 Inter Miami CF vs. No. 8 CF Montréal/No. 9 Atlanta United
- No. 2 Columbus Crew vs. No. 7 New York Red Bulls
- No. 3 FC Cincinnati vs. No. 6 New York City FC
- No. 4 Orlando City SC vs. No. 5 Charlotte FC
Western Conference Round One Best-of-3 Series
- No. 1 LAFC vs. No. 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC/No. 9 Portland Timbers
- No. 2 LA Galaxy vs. No. 7 Colorado Rapids
- No. 3 Real Salt Lake vs. No. 6 Minnesota United FC
- No. 4 Seattle Sounders FC vs. No. 5 Houston Dynamo FC
HOW TO WATCH:
MLS Season Pass on Apple TV will broadcast every match in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs and is available through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans can also access MLS Season Pass from the Apple TV app on Apple Vision Pro, where they can watch games alongside other apps in their physical space; within an Environment, so the screen feels 100 feet wide; and in Spatial Audio for an even more immersive viewing experience. Fans in more than 100 countries and regions can sign up for MLS Season Pass for $9.99 for the remainder of the season. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up for a subscription to MLS Season Pass for free for the remainder of the 2024 season. For more information and to subscribe to MLS Season Pass visit apple.co/\MLS\.
To provide extensive coverage, MLS Countdown and MLS Wrap-Up in English and MLS La Previa and El Resumen in Spanish, will feature special edition 30-minute pre- and post-game shows providing in-depth analysis and highlights for the Wild Card matches and Round One Best-of-3 Series games. Inter Miami CF’s match against the winner of the Eastern Conference Wild Card game on October 25 will have an extended hour-long preview show.
For more information about the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, visit www.MLSsoccer.com.
Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule
Wild Card Matches
Tuesday, Oct. 22
7:30 p.m. ET – No. 8 CF Montréal vs. No. 9 Atlanta United (Stade Saputo, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Wednesday, Oct. 23
10:30 p.m. ET – No. 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. No. 9 Portland Timbers (Providence Park, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, TSN, RDS)  
Round One Best-of-3 Series: Game 1
Friday, Oct. 25
8:30 p.m. ET – No. 1 Inter Miami CF vs. No. 8 CF Montréal/No. 9 Atlanta United (Chase Stadium, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
The complete Round One Best-of-3 Series match schedule and additional broadcast details will be announced once finalized.
Conference Semifinals
Saturday, November 23 - Sunday, November 24
Conference Finals
Saturday, November 30 - Sunday, December 1
MLS Cup presented by Audi
Saturday, December 7, 4 p.m. ET
