2016 MLS Cup Playoffs

The 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) began on October 26, and ended on December 10 with MLS Cup 2016, the 21st league championship match for MLS.[1] This was the 21st version of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season.

Main article: 2016 Major League Soccer season

2016 MLS Cup Playoffs
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams12
Defending championsPortland Timbers
(did not qualify)
ChampionsSeattle Sounders FC (1st title)
Runners-upToronto FC
Semi-finalists
Matches played17
Goals scored50 (2.94 per match)
Attendance472,461 (27,792 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)United States Jozy Altidore
(5 goals)
← 2015
2017 →

Twelve teams (the top 6 per conference) competed. The first round of each conference had the third-seeded team hosting the sixth seed while the fourth-seed hosted the fifth in a single match to determine who advanced to the Conference Semifinals. In the Conference Semifinals, the top seed played the lowest remaining seed while the second played the next-lowest. The winners advanced to the Conference Finals. Both the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals were played as two-legged aggregate series. The winners advanced to the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the participant with the better record.

Seattle Sounders FC defeated Toronto FC 5–4 on penalties to win their first ever MLS Cup. The game ended scoreless after extra time.

It was the first MLS Cup in league history that two expansion teams participated in the final.[2] It was also the first time in the league's history that a Canadian MLS team competed in the MLS Cup.

Conference standings

The top 6 teams from each conference advance to the MLS Cup playoffs. Green background denotes also qualified for 2018 CONCACAF Champions League.

Bracket
Knockout Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals MLS Cup
December 10 – Toronto, Ontario
                
E5 Montreal Impact 1 2 3
October 27 – Washington, D.C.
E1 New York Red Bulls 0 1 1
E4 D.C. United 2
E5 Montreal Impact 4
E5 Montreal Impact 3 2 5
Eastern Conference
E3 Toronto FC (a.e.t.) 2 5 7
E3 Toronto FC 2 5 7
October 26 – Toronto, Ontario
E2 New York City FC 0 0 0
E3 Toronto FC 3
E6 Philadelphia Union 1
E3 Toronto FC 0 (4)
W4 Seattle Sounders FC (p) 0 (5)
W4 Seattle Sounders FC 3 1 4
October 27 – Seattle, Washington
W1 FC Dallas 0 2 2
W4 Seattle Sounders FC 1
W5 Sporting Kansas City 0
W4 Seattle Sounders FC 2 1 3
Western Conference
W2 Colorado Rapids 1 0 1
W3 LA Galaxy 1 0 1 (1)
October 26 – Carson, California
W2 Colorado Rapids (p) 0 1 1 (3)
W3 LA Galaxy 3
W6 Real Salt Lake 1

Knockout round

Summary

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC 3–1 Philadelphia Union
D.C. United 2–4 Montreal Impact
Western Conference
LA Galaxy 3–1 Real Salt Lake
Seattle Sounders FC 1–0 Sporting Kansas City

Matches
Toronto FC3–1Philadelphia Union
 Report
Attendance: 21,759
D.C. United2–4Montreal Impact
 Report
Attendance: 12,773
Referee: Jair Marrufo
LA Galaxy3–1Real Salt Lake
 Report
Attendance: 18,124
Referee: Alan Kelly
Seattle Sounders FC1–0Sporting Kansas City
 Report
Attendance: 36,151
Referee: Ismail Elfath

Conference semifinals

Summary

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC 7–0 New York City FC 2–0 5–0
Montreal Impact 3–1 New York Red Bulls 1–0 2–1
Western Conference
LA Galaxy 1–1 (1–3 p) Colorado Rapids 1–0 0–1 (a.e.t.)
Seattle Sounders FC 4–2 FC Dallas 3–0 1–2

Matches
Toronto FC2–0New York City FC
 Report
Attendance: 28,220
New York City FC0–5Toronto FC
Report
Attendance: 28,355
Referee: Kevin Stott

Toronto FC won 7–0 on aggregate.

Montreal Impact1–0New York Red Bulls
 Report
Attendance: 15,027
Referee: Robert Sibiga
New York Red Bulls1–2Montreal Impact
 Report
Attendance: 24,314

Montreal Impact won 3–1 on aggregate.

LA Galaxy1–0Colorado Rapids
 Report
Attendance: 24,487
Referee: Drew Fischer

1–1 on aggregate. Colorado Rapids won 3–1 on penalties.

Seattle Sounders FC3–0FC Dallas
 Report
Attendance: 37,073
FC Dallas2–1Seattle Sounders FC
 Report
Attendance: 14,878

Seattle Sounders FC won 4–2 on aggregate.

Conference Finals

Summary

Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Montreal Impact 5–7 Toronto FC 3–2 2–5 (a.e.t.)
Western Conference
Seattle Sounders FC 3–1 Colorado Rapids 2–1 1–0

Matches
Montreal Impact3–2Toronto FC
 Report
Attendance: 61,004
Referee: Juan Guzman
Toronto FC5–2 (a.e.t.)Montreal Impact
 Report
Attendance: 36,000
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Toronto FC won 7–5 on aggregate.

Seattle Sounders FC2–1Colorado Rapids
 Report
Attendance: 42,774
Referee: Chris Penso
Colorado Rapids0–1Seattle Sounders FC
Report
Attendance: 17,695

Seattle Sounders FC won 3–1 on aggregate.

MLS Cup
Main article: MLS Cup 2016
Toronto FC0–0 (a.e.t.)Seattle Sounders FC
Report
Penalties
 4–5
Attendance: 36,045
Referee: Alan Kelly

Top goalscorers
Rank Player Club Goals[3]
1 United States Jozy Altidore Toronto FC 5
2 Italy Sebastian Giovinco Toronto FC 4
Uruguay Nicolás Lodeiro Seattle Sounders FC
Italy Matteo Mancosu Montreal Impact
Argentina Ignacio Piatti Montreal Impact
6 Ghana Emmanuel Boateng LA Galaxy 2
United States Jordan Morris Seattle Sounders FC
Ghana Dominic Oduro Montreal Impact
Canada Jonathan Osorio Toronto FC
Canada Tosaint Ricketts Toronto FC
Paraguay Nelson Valdez Seattle Sounders FC

References
  1. "MLS announces broadcast schedule, format for Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs". Major League Soccer. September 6, 2016. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  2. "Toronto FC vs Seattle Sounders is the best MLS Cup matchup you could ask for". foxsports.com.
  3. "Playoffs". MLSsoccer.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.