# 2022 MLS Cup playoffs

The 2022 MLS Cup playoffs (branded as the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) was the 27th edition of the MLS Cup playoffs, the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The tournament culminated the 2022 MLS regular season. The tournament began on October 15 and concluded with MLS Cup 2022 on November 5, 16 days before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
New York City FC entered the playoffs as the defending MLS champions, but were eliminated in the conference finals by the Philadelphia Union. Los Angeles FC entered as Supporters' Shield winners and won their first MLS Cup, defeating the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shoot-out. The 2022 playoffs marked the first since 2008 where no teams from the Pacific Northwest region (including 2021 finalist Portland Timbers) qualified; Seattle Sounders FC failed to qualify for the first time in their MLS history, snapping a league-record thirteen-year playoff streak. Austin FC and FC Cincinnati reached the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in 2022.

## Conference standings

The top seven teams in the Eastern and Western Conference qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs, with the conference champions receiving first round byes. A green background denotes teams that qualified for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | Pts |
| 1 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 67 |
| 2 | CF Montréal | 34 | 65 |
| 3 | New York City FC | 34 | 55 |
| 4 | New York Red Bulls | 34 | 53 |
| 5 | FC Cincinnati | 34 | 49 |
| 6 | Inter Miami CF | 34 | 48 |
| 7 | Orlando City SC | 34 | 48 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | Pts |
| 1 | Los Angeles FC | 34 | 67 |
| 2 | Austin FC | 34 | 56 |
| 3 | FC Dallas | 34 | 53 |
| 4 | LA Galaxy | 34 | 50 |
| 5 | Nashville SC | 34 | 50 |
| 6 | Minnesota United FC | 34 | 48 |
| 7 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 47 |

## Bracket

| First round October 15–17 | First round October 15–17 | First round October 15–17 | | | Conference semifinals October 20, 23 | Conference semifinals October 20, 23 | Conference semifinals October 20, 23 | Conference finals October 30 | Conference finals October 30 | Conference finals October 30 | | MLS Cup November 5 | MLS Cup November 5 | MLS Cup November 5 |
| | | | | | E1 | Philadelphia Union | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E5 | FC Cincinnati | 0 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | New York Red Bulls | 1 | | | E5 | FC Cincinnati | 0 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | FC Cincinnati | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | FC Cincinnati | 2 | | | | | | E1 | Philadelphia Union | 3 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Philadelphia Union | 3 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | New York City FC | 1 | | | | |
| E3 | New York City FC | 3 | | | | | | | | | E3 | New York City FC | 1 | |
| E6 | Inter Miami CF | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Inter Miami CF | 0 | | | E3 | New York City FC | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | CF Montréal | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | CF Montréal | 2 | | | E2 | CF Montréal | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Orlando City SC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Orlando City SC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Philadelphia Union | 3 (0) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | Los Angeles FC (p) | 3 (3) |
| | | | | | W1 | Los Angeles FC | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W4 | LA Galaxy | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | LA Galaxy | 1 | | | W4 | LA Galaxy | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Nashville SC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Nashville SC | 0 | | | | | | W1 | Los Angeles FC | 3 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Los Angeles FC | 3 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W2 | Austin FC | 0 | | | | |
| W3 | FC Dallas (p) | 1 (5) | | | | | | | | | W2 | Austin FC | 0 | |
| W6 | Minnesota United FC | 1 (4) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Minnesota United FC | 1 (4) | | | W3 | FC Dallas | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Austin FC | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Austin FC (p) | 2 (3) | | | W2 | Austin FC | 2 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Real Salt Lake | 2 (1) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Note: The higher seeded teams hosted matches, with the MLS Cup host determined by overall points.

## First round

The second through fourth-seeded teams in each conference hosted the first-round matches. The team with the best record in each conference received a bye to the Conference semifinals.

### Western Conference
## Conference semifinals

The higher-seeded teams in each match-up as determined by regular season ranking hosted the matches.

### Western Conference
## Conference finals

The higher-seeded teams in each conference as determined by regular season ranking hosted the matches.

### Western Conference
## MLS Cup 2022

The highest-ranked team remaining in the overall table (Los Angeles FC) hosted the match.

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Sebastián Driussi | Austin FC | 3 |
| 1 | Maximiliano Moralez | New York City FC | 3 |
| 3 | Cristian Arango | Los Angeles FC | 2 |
| 3 | Denis Bouanga | Los Angeles FC | 2 |
| 3 | Sergio Córdova | Real Salt Lake | 2 |
| 3 | Jack Elliott | Philadelphia Union | 2 |
| 3 | Héber | New York City FC | 2 |
| 3 | Dániel Gazdag | Philadelphia Union | 2 |
| 3 | Djordje Mihailovic | CF Montréal | 2 |