MLS Announces Playoff Schedule
On Friday, Major League Soccer announced the playoff schedule and broadcast details for the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs, which will kick off on Friday, Nov. 20, and end with the 2020 MLS Cup on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. ET.
In an expansion of the playoff format, 18 clubs will qualify for the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. 17 postseason matches will be played following the November FIFA international window within a 22-day span from Nov. 20 through MLS Cup on Dec. 12.
All 17 games of the expanded postseason will be broadcasted nationally in the U.S. on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, FOX, FS1, FOX Deportes. FOX Sports will cover matches in every round of the playoffs, from the Eastern Conference Play-In Round to the 2020 MLS Cup.
Just like 2016 and 2018, FOX Sports will air MLS Cup on FOX which is the third consecutive time FOX Sports has aired MLS Cup on the network.
The Eastern Conference Play-In Round games are scheduled for Friday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m. on FS1, and at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2. For these games, the lower-seeded advancing team will face the Eastern Conference number 1 seed in Round 1, while the higher-seeded advancing team will face the Eastern Conference number 2 seed.
Photo: Wes Shepherd/Philadelphia Sports Nation
The Eastern and Western Round One games will be played on Saturday, Nov. 21, Sunday, Nov. 22, and Tuesday, Nov. 24. The two games on Saturday will be aired on UniMás/TUDN and played at 12 p.m. EST and 3 p.m. EST kickoff. The three games on Sunday will be played at 4 p.m. EST, 7:30 p.m. EST, and 10 p.m. EST kickoff as the later games will be televised on ESPN. On Tuesday the games are scheduled 6 p.m. EST, 8 p.m. EST, and 10:30 p.m. EST kick off with the two later matches to be aired on ESPN.
The four Eastern and Western Conference single-elimination Semifinal games will be played on Sunday, Nov. 29, Tuesday, Dec. 1, and Wednesday, Dec. 2. The two games on Sunday are set to be played at 3 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. EST kickoff aired on ABC and ESPN respectively. The game on Tuesday will be played at 6:30 p.m. or 9 p.m. EST kickoff on FS1.
The Eastern and Western Conference Final games will be played on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. EST and 6:30 p.m. EST kickoff on ABC and FS1 respectively. Lastly, the 2020 MLS Cup will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. EST kickoff on FOX and UniMás.
When all is said and done, the Philadelphia Union can very well earn their first piece of silverware this Sunday and have the Audi MLS Playoffs go through Chester with the hopes of lifting another trophy. Curtin needs to prove that he can win the big game this weekend and show the fans that he has what it takes to lead this team to a crucial victory in possibly the biggest game in franchise history.
After clinching a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League this week, Philadelphia should know that they have their sights set on much bigger things and their hard work is not over yet.
Featured Image: Wes Shepherd/Philadelphia Sports Nation
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