In the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, a pair of single elimination Wild Card matches will see the No. 8 seed host the No. 9 seed in each conference as they battle to advance to the Round One Best-of-3 Series.
Where to Watch:Â Both Wild Card matches will air exclusively on MLS Season Pass.Â
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The Matchups: Who's Competing in the Wild Card Matches?
Eastern Conference Wild Card: No. 8New York Red Bulls vs. No. 9 Charlotte FC – Red Bull Arena (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass)
- How Did They Get Here: Both teams punched their tickets to the Eastern Conference Wild Card match on Decision Day 2023, with New York Red Bulls homegrown defender John Tolkin scoring a 94th-minute penalty kick, the first PK goal of his career, against Nashville SC to secure the No. 8 seed. Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina put together a string of late, win-preserving saves against Inter Miami CF to seal the No. 9 seed.
- Need to Know (New York Red Bulls): Having now made the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for an MLS-record 14th consecutive season, the Red Bulls will host the Wild Card match and, as head coach Troy Lesesne put it after their Decision Day win, look to “create a new finish line” as they begin their postseason journey in search of the club’s first MLS Cup.
- Need to Know (Charlotte FC):Â Charlotte has qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time in just their second season as an MLS club. The club will feel the weight of an entire city on their shoulders, though, as they are the first Charlotte-based team to make a postseason appearance in their respective league since the 2017 Carolina Panthers.
- What's Next: The Eastern Conference Wild Card match winner will face No. 1 seed and Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati in the Round One Best-of-3 series, with Game 1 to be played at TQL Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 29 (8 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass/FS1/FOX Deportes/TSN, RDS).
Western Conference Wild Card: No. 8 Sporting Kansas City vs. No. 9 San Jose Earthquakes – Children's Mercy Park (9:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass)
- How Did They Get Here: In a win-and-in game, Sporting Kansas City throttled Minnesota United FC, 3-1, behind a brace from talismanic forward Johnny Russell on Decision Day 2023. The San Jose Earthquakes held onto a draw against Austin FC, with Cristian Espinoza providing the crucial goal to keep the score level at 1-1.
- Need to Know (Sporting Kansas City): Sporting Kansas City has written one of the most remarkable in-season turnarounds in MLS history, overcoming a 10-game winless streak to start the season to earn a berth in the playoffs. Now, they aim to continue their second-half surge with a win and force a postseason showdown between their newly-formed rival and Western Conference No. 1 seed, St. Louis CITY SC.
- Need to Know (San Jose Earthquakes): The San Jose Earthquakes are hoping to pen a different story, however, and will look to their Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidate midfielder Cristian Espinoza to help lead the club to the postseason winner’s circle for the first time since 2012. Espinoza has been the driver of the Earthquakes’ success in 2023, contributing to 26 of the club’s 39 goals (66.7 percent) in 2023.
- What's Next:Â The Western Conference Wild Card match winner would face No. 1 seed St. Louis CITY SC in the Round One Best-of-3 series. Game 1 will be hosted at CITYPARK in St. Louis on Sunday, Oct. 29 (10 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass/FS1/FOX Deportes/TSN, RDS).
The Magic of Momentum
For the four teams that advanced to the Wild Card matches in each conference, sustaining momentum will be key in their quest to move on in the postseason.
In the East, the New York Red Bulls, winners of three consecutive matches to clinch a postseason berth, will look to slow a Charlotte FC squad that is unbeaten across their last four matches, going 3-0-1 over the span. Both clubs rode a torrid month of October to reach the postseason and will look to keep their hot streaks going, as they’ll need all the help they can get ahead of a potential meeting with the No. 1 overall seed in the Eastern Conference, FC Cincinnati.
The Western Conference’s best team since the month of May has been Sporting Kansas City, who leads the conference in points (41), wins (12), and goals scored (45) over the span after starting the season on a 10-game winless streak. The club continued their strong play in the season’s final month, winning three of their final four matches, and look to carry that momentum into their Wild Card match against the San Jose Earthquakes, who found their way into the postseason picture with four consecutive draws to close the season.
