The top two teams in each conference qualify and are seeded 1 and 2 in their respective four-team playoff conference brackets. The four MLS teams with the next most points, regardless of conference, receive "wildcard" berths.
• The four wildcard teams will be seeded according to conference first.
• If more than four teams qualify from one conference, the team finishing lower than fourth in its conference will shift over to the other conference bracket.
• A team switching conference brackets will be seeded below all other teams in its new conference playoff bracket.
If the season ended after the games of Sept. 13, the teams shown in bold below would qualify for the playoffs. Their current points (in parentheses), and games remaining [in brackets] are as follows:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Columbus (42) [6]
2. Chicago (39) [5]
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Houston (40) [4]
2. Los Angeles (38) [5]
The remaining four teams that would fill out the 8 playoff spots are as follows:
5. Seattle (37) [5]
6. Colorado (36) [6]
7. D.C. United (36) [4]
8. Chivas USA (36) [7]
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9. Real Salt Lake (34) [5]
10. Toronto FC (34) [5]
11. New England (33) [7]
This order is based strictly on total points, and does not give regard to whether a team has played fewer or more games than any other team in order to earn those points. However, where teams are tied in points, the official tiebreakers have been used to break those ties.
The first tiebreaker in a three-way (or more) tie is also head-to-head, but it is determined via points-per-game versus the other two teams. If two teams are tied in points-per-game head-to-head, the next tie breaker is goal difference. If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format:
TIEBREAKER FOR SIXTH PLACE:
Colorado: 1-1-0 vs Chivas USA; 1-1-0 vs DC United. Record: 2-2-0. Points per game is 6/4, or 1.50.
Chivas USA: 1-1-0 vs Colorado; 0-0-1 vs DC United. Record: 1-1-1. Points per game is 4/3, or 1.33.
D.C. United: 0-0-1 vs Chivas USA; 1-1-0 vs Colorado. Record: 1-1-1. Points per game is 4/3, or 1.33.
Colorado gets spot 6 (4th in West)
TIEBREAKER FOR SEVENTH PLACE:
Chivas USA vs D.C. United: 0-0-1; GD: CHV +1; DC +1; GF: CHV 25; DC 39
D.C. United gets spot 7 (3rd in East)
Chivas USA gets spot 8 (crossover; 4th in East)
The respective Conference brackets would be as follows:
