The 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs was the post-season championship of Major League Soccer, the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. It was the 24th edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the tournament culminating at the end of the 2019 regular season. The playoffs began on October 19, 2019, and concluded with MLS Cup 2019 on November 10. The playoffs were contested by fourteen teams under a new format, with the top seven teams from both conferences qualifying based on their regular season performances. All rounds used single-elimination matches that were hosted by the higher remaining seed, and no rounds would be re-seeded unlike previous years. The first round featured the second through seventh-seeded teams in each conference playing each other, with the first-placed teams each receiving a bye. The winners of the first round advanced to the Conference Semifinals along with the first-placed team from each conference. The winners of the Conference Semifinals then advanced to the Conference Finals for an MLS Cup berth. Atlanta United FC were the defending MLS Cup champions, having won their first title in MLS Cup 2018, but they were eliminated by Toronto FC in the Conference Finals. The 2019 regular season Supporters' Shield champions were Los Angeles FC, but they were also eliminated in the Conference Finals, by Seattle Sounders FC. For the first time in league history, the four conference finalists were all expansion teams and did not feature any of the ten original teams from the inaugural season.
In the opening match of the playoffs, defending champions Atlanta United FC hosted the New England Revolution in a rematch of the final regular season match they played two weeks prior. Atlanta won 1–0 with a goal scored in the 70th minute by defender Franco Escobar, who finished a through ball from Ezequiel Barco with a one-time shot. Fourth-seeded Toronto FC hosted the fifth seed, D.C. United, at BMO Field in the second Eastern Conference playoffs match. Toronto took a lead in the first half through a goalkeeping error by Bill Hamid that resulted in a successful chance for Marky Delgado, but D.C. equalized in second half stoppage time with a sequence on a Wayne Rooneycorner kick that ended with a goal for Lucas Rodríguez. Toronto scored four unanswered goals in extra time, advancing with a 5–1 victory, with two goals from Jonathan Osorio and one apiece from Richie Laryea and Nick DeLeon. The Philadelphia Union hosted the New York Red Bulls on the following day and fell behind with a 3–1 halftime lead for the visitors, who took advantage of mistakes by goalkeeper Andre Blake. The Union responded with two unanswered goals in the second half to tie the match at full time. In first half stoppage time during extra time, substitute Marco Fabián scored from a chipped shot that gave the Union a 4–3 win, their first playoffs victory. ---- ---- ----
Western Conference
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Conference Semifinals
Eastern Conference
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Western Conference
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Conference Finals
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
MLS Cup 2019
Top goalscorers
There were 53 goals scored in 13 matches, with an average of 4.08 goals per match.
Raúl Ruidíaz
Jordan Morris
Adama Diomande
Julian Gressel
Nicolás Lodeiro
Jonathan Osorio
Alejandro Pozuelo
Carlos Vela