As Sporting Kansas City prepares for its 26th season as a charter member of Major League Soccer, SportingKC.com is rolling out a 26-day countdown to the start of the 2021 campaign. A mouthwatering opening weekend of MLS action will see Sporting Kansas City visit the New York Red Bulls at 7 p.m. CT on April 17, giving supporters their first look at Manager Peter Vermes’ side since last December.
The 2021 Preseason Countdown, presented by Children’s Mercy, will serve as the comprehensive, go-to preview of everything that awaits Sporting Kansas City in the weeks and months to come. From key storylines and bold predictions to statistical breakdowns and players to watch, the 2021 Preseason Countdown will highlight the many reasons to be excited for what’s ahead. To visit the series homepage as it expands, visit SportingKC.com/2021countdown.
In the last 10 years, Manager Peter Vermes has led Sporting Kansas City to the MLS Cup Playoffs nine times and finished atop the conference regular season standings on four occasions. Throw in the 2013 MLS Cup title, and it becomes clear why the former U.S. international and MLS veteran is the longest tenured manager in MLS history.
As the script flips to 2021, Vermes and Sporting will look to build on that postseason success by making a long run in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs.
That brings us to today's topic in our countdown series. For the third straight year, the postseason will feature a single-elimination format from the opening rounds to the final. Seven teams from each conference will punch their tickets to the playoff party, with the field shrinking from 18 clubs last year to 14 this time around.
For those who need a refresher, here's how it will work.
Seven in each conference: The top seven Eastern Conference finishers and top seven Western Conference finishers, based on points accrued over 34 regular season matches, will comprise the 14-team playoff field. With the league now at 27 clubs, MLS has a similar percentage of playoff-qualifying teams as the other major men’s North American professional sports leagues.
Single-elimination format: The MLS Cup Playoffs will consist of 13 single-elimination matches, following a straight bracket format.
Home-field advantage for top clubs throughout the playoffs: Higher-seeded teams will enjoy home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, hosting every match in front of a home crowd. This provides a greater reward for regular season success.
Top seeds receive a bye: A legitimate emphasis is placed on earning the top seed, as only the No. 1 team in each conference will receive a first-round bye.
Recovery time between regular season and postseason: Following the regular season on Nov. 7, playoff teams will have the November FIFA break to prepare for the playoffs, providing clubs with time to promote the postseason and sell tickets. The playoffs are slated to begin on Nov. 7 and conclude Dec. 11 with MLS Cup, which will kick off at 2 p.m. CT on ABC and UniMas.
