After four days of not knowing its opponent in the Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs, top-seeded Sporting Kansas City can finally prepare to face a long-time rival.
No. 6 seed Real Salt Lake claimed a stunning 3-2 victory at No. 3 seed LAFC in Thursday's Knockout Round, setting up a mouthwatering conference semifinal series and a rematch of the epic 2013 MLS Cup.
Sporting KC will visit Real Salt Lake in Sunday's first leg, set to kick off at 9 p.m. CT on FS1 and FOX Deportes, before hosting RSL in the decisive second leg next Sunday, Nov. 11, at Children's Mercy Park. Tickets for that game—Sporting KC's first home playoff tilt since the 2013 MLS Cup—are now available via SeatGeek.com.
The conference semifinals and conference finals of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs will unfold in a home-and-away, aggregate-goal format. For those unfamiliar with how a two-legged series is decided in the MLS postseason, here's a step-by-step primer.
Most goals over two legs wins.
In each two-game, aggregate-goal series, the lower seed hosts the first leg and the higher seed hosts the second leg. The team with the most total goals over two legs advances.
What if the teams are tied after two legs?
If the opponents score an equal number of goals over the course of both 90-minute matches, the team with the most road goals in the series advances to the next round.
What if the teams are still tied after the away goals tiebreaker?
If at the end of 180 minutes the teams are tied on both total goals and away goals, the teams will play two 15-minute extra time periods in which away goals DO NOT count as a tiebreaker. If a winner is decided in extra time, that team advances.
And if the teams remain tied after extra time?
A penalty kick shootout will determine a winner. In the event of a shootout, both teams select five players to take a penalty and alternate the order in doing so. The team with the most penalties scored after the first five takes wins the shootout.
However, if one side has scored more successful penalties than the other could possibly reach with all of its remaining kicks, the shootout ends, regardless of the number of kicks remaining. If the score is still tied after five rounds, penalties continue with one back-and-forth round at a time, and the first team to have a lead after a round between both teams wins.
