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.

2016 MLS Cup Playoffs
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams12
Defending championsPortland Timbers
(did not qualify)
Final positions
ChampionsSeattle Sounders FC (1st title)
Runner-upToronto FC
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
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 regular season 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

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

Bracket

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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

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Summary

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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

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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

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Summary

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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

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Toronto FC2–0New York City FC
Report
Attendance: 28,220
New York City FC0–5Toronto FC
Report

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

Montreal Impact won 3–1 on aggregate.


LA Galaxy1–0Colorado Rapids
Report
Colorado Rapids1–0 (a.e.t.)LA Galaxy
Report
Penalties
3–1

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


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

Seattle Sounders FC won 4–2 on aggregate.

Conference finals

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Summary

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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

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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
Colorado Rapids0–1Seattle Sounders FC
Report

Seattle Sounders FC won 3–1 on aggregate.

MLS Cup

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

Top goalscorers

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

References

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  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.