MLS Decision Day results set 2026 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs matchups across the East and West

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

The 2026 MLS regular season ended Saturday with playoff spots decided deep into the final minutes, confirming the postseason schedule for the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs that begins with the Wild Card round less than two weeks after the FIFA international window. MLS states that the 2026 MLS Cup presented by Audi will be played Dec. 18.

In the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake clinched a playoff berth in Sandy, Utah, by holding off the LA Galaxy 2-1 in a match described as a critical “six-pointer” for both sides. The Galaxy fell behind 2-0 within the first 15 minutes, and while an own goal from Luc de Fougerolles kept the scoreline tense late, RSL ultimately secured the win for a fifth consecutive postseason appearance, the longest current streak in the West.

Real Salt Lake will face the Seattle Sounders in the Wild Card round on Thursday, Nov. 19 (10 pm ET | Apple TV). The league recap places the game in the context of Seattle’s late-season resilience, noting the Sounders have reached the playoffs in all but one season since their MLS debut in 2009.

The same Saturday slate also featured Seattle’s standing in the bracket at season’s end, with the recap describing the Sounders as having edged LAFC 2-1 earlier in the run, including an early breakthrough after Albert Rusnák exploited an LAFC playing-out-of-the-back error in the opening minute. If Seattle advances past RSL in the Wild Card match, MLS states Seattle would meet Cascadia rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the next round, following Vancouver’s Concacaf Champions Cup victory over Seattle earlier in the spring.

Elsewhere in the West, the Portland Timbers clinched their place in the postseason by defeating Austin FC 2-0 in Texas. MLS’ playoff preview portion highlights a decisive goal by Kristoffer Velde, setting Portland up for a Round One series against FC Dallas. That Round One opponent is described in the league recap as having overcome a 1-0 deficit to crush the playoff hopes of the Colorado Rapids, underscoring the unpredictability MLS expects from Dallas in its first-round match.

Eastern Conference drama centered on seeding and late-season swings, including a finish that reshuffled the lower places and determined who plays an extra playoff match. The Columbus Crew’s late-game victory was positioned as pivotal, especially given simultaneous results involving Orlando City, New England, FC Cincinnati, Nashville SC, and Chicago Fire FC that set up a Wild Card rematch atmosphere for Cincinnati and Columbus.

The Crew ultimately avoided the additional Wild Card game by defeating FC Cincinnati 4-3 at SeatGeek Stadium in a match the league recap notes Columbus trailed three times before Brais Méndez’s winner at the far post. With that outcome, MLS states Columbus vaulted from ninth to seventh in the Eastern Conference, earning a Round One matchup against Inter Miami CF with Lionel Messi.

The Wild Card round in the East sends FC Cincinnati to face Orlando City on Nov. 19 (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV). MLS records that Cincinnati and Orlando City finished level on 46 points, and that Orlando advanced on the wins tiebreaker after beating the New England Revolution 1-0 earlier, posting a clean sheet with goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau highlighted in the league summary.

The league recap also frames Antoine Griezmann’s role in Orlando’s playoff positioning, noting that Griezmann did not score in the deciding match while still being described as central to the Lions’ playoff hopes since his midsummer arrival. In the same context, Crépeau is quoted in a postgame interview with Apple TV’s Michele Giannone, saying Orlando could “control what we could today, and it was getting the win,” and adding that being home for a knockout match is a major advantage.

Inter Miami CF’s final day results also shaped the Eastern bracket. MLS says Miami played Charlotte FC at Nu Stadium, and after a 3-0 halftime lead that included corner-kick goals by Ian Fray and Luis Suárez and a long-distance strike from Rodrigo De Paul, the match turned dramatically after halftime. Charlotte responded with a quick Liel Abada brace and a 90th-minute equalizer by Rodolfo Aloko, producing a 3-3 draw while Miami maintained second place in the East due to New England’s loss in Orlando.

MLS further includes comments attributed to Inter Miami head coach Kily González in Spanish after the match, where he referenced emotions such as “sadness, rage, pain” and said the team recognized it “messed up” at a crucial moment, describing the remainder as a matter of working through the situation as it heads into the playoffs.

Beyond the seeding shuffle, the league recap points to Nashville SC as the dominant storyline from Decision Day, saying the Supporters’ Shield winners set a new MLS points record with 77 and finished the season with a 2-0 victory at FC Cincinnati. MLS credits Sam Surridge with a second-half brace in the win, while also describing Nashville as having posted the most wins, fewest losses, fewest goals conceded, and most home wins in league history.

The playoffs also bring a Round One matchup involving the Philadelphia Union. MLS says Philadelphia defeated Toronto FC 4-1 at Subaru Park on Decision Day, with brothers Quinn and Cavan Sullivan contributing heavily to the scoring after Video Review decisions affected two goals. MLS’ recap adds that the club is expected to carry momentum into its Round One series versus the New England Revolution, while also noting monitoring was ongoing for the impact of a knock that ended Cavan Sullivan’s day early.

In the West, MLS says the San Jose Earthquakes finished in the top four and will host postseason action at PayPal Park for the first time in over a decade, setting up a Round One clash with Houston Dynamo FC. The league’s recap highlights Timo Werner as a marquee name, while emphasizing that homegrown No. 10 Niko Tsakiris created a goal on Saturday through an extended solo sequence.

With the final whistle on the regular season completed, the league’s next decisive month begins with the Wild Card round, followed by Round One and continuing toward the MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 18.