The 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for sponsorship reasons) began on October 26, and ended on December 10 with MLS Cup 2016, the 21st league championship match for MLS. This was the 21st version of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season.

Twelve teams (the top 6 per conference) competed. The first round of each conference had the third-seeded team hosting the sixth seed while the fourth-seed hosted the fifth in a single match to determine who advanced to the Conference Semifinals. In the Conference Semifinals, the top seed played the lowest remaining seed while the second played the next-lowest. The winners advanced to the Conference Finals. Both the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals were played as two-legged aggregate series, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. The winners advanced to the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the participant with the better regular season record.

Seattle Sounders FC defeated Toronto FC 5–4 on penalties to win their first-ever MLS Cup. The game ended scoreless after extra time.

It was the first MLS Cup in league history that two expansion teams participated in the final. It was also the first time in the league's history that a Canadian MLS team competed in the MLS Cup.

Conference standings

The top 6 teams from each conference advance to the MLS Cup playoffs. Green background denotes also qualified for 2018 CONCACAF Champions League.

PosTeamvtePldPts
Eastern Conference Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 New York Red Bulls 34 57 2 New York City FC 34 54 3 Toronto FC 34 53 4 D.C. United 34 46 5 Montreal Impact 34 45 6 Philadelphia Union 34 42 7 New England Revolution 34 42 8 Orlando City SC 34 41 9 Columbus Crew SC 34 36 10 Chicago Fire 34 31Source:Western Conference Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 FC Dallas 34 60 2 Colorado Rapids 34 58 3 LA Galaxy 34 52 4 Seattle Sounders FC 34 48 5 Sporting Kansas City 34 47 6 Real Salt Lake 34 46 7 Portland Timbers 34 44 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 34 39 9 San Jose Earthquakes 34 38 10 Houston Dynamo 34 34Source:
1New York Red Bulls3457
2New York City FC3454
3Toronto FC3453
4D.C. United3446
5Montreal Impact3445
6Philadelphia Union3442
7New England Revolution3442
8Orlando City SC3441
9Columbus Crew SC3436
10Chicago Fire3431
PosTeamvtePldPts
1FC Dallas3460
2Colorado Rapids3458
3LA Galaxy3452
4Seattle Sounders FC3448
5Sporting Kansas City3447
6Real Salt Lake3446
7Portland Timbers3444
8Vancouver Whitecaps FC3439
9San Jose Earthquakes3438
10Houston Dynamo3434

Bracket

Knockout roundConference semifinalsConference finalsMLS Cup December 10 – Toronto, Ontario
E5Montreal Impact123
October 27 – Washington, D.C.
E1New York Red Bulls011
E4D.C. United2
E5Montreal Impact4
E5Montreal Impact325
Eastern Conference
E3Toronto FC (a.e.t.)257
E3Toronto FC257
October 26 – Toronto, Ontario
E2New York City FC000
E3Toronto FC3
E6Philadelphia Union1
E3Toronto FC0 (4)
W4Seattle Sounders FC (p)0 (5)
W4Seattle Sounders FC314
October 27 – Seattle, Washington
W1FC Dallas022
W4Seattle Sounders FC1
W5Sporting Kansas City0
W4Seattle Sounders FC213
Western Conference
W2Colorado Rapids101
W3LA Galaxy101 (1)
October 26 – Carson, California
W2Colorado Rapids (p)011 (3)
W3LA Galaxy3
W6Real Salt Lake1

Knockout round

Summary

Team 1ScoreTeam 2
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC3–1Philadelphia Union
D.C. United2–4Montreal Impact
Western Conference
LA Galaxy3–1Real Salt Lake
Seattle Sounders FC1–0Sporting Kansas City

Matches

Toronto FC3–1Philadelphia Union
Giovinco 15' Osorio 48' Altidore 85'Bedoya 73'
D.C. United2–4Montreal Impact
Neagle 90' Kemp 90+4'Ciman 4' Mancosu 43', 58' Piatti 83'
LA Galaxy3–1Real Salt Lake
Gordon 14' Boateng 26', 34'Plata 21'(pen.)
Seattle Sounders FC1–0Sporting Kansas City
Valdez 88'

Conference semifinals

Summary

Team 1Agg.Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC7–0New York City FC2–05–0
Montreal Impact3–1New York Red Bulls1–02–1
Western Conference
LA Galaxy1–1 (1–3 p)Colorado Rapids1–00–1 (a.e.t.)
Seattle Sounders FC4–2FC Dallas3–01–2

Matches

Toronto FC2–0New York City FC
Altidore 84' Ricketts 90+2'
New York City FC0–5Toronto FC
Giovinco 6', 20'(pen.), 90+1' Altidore 30' Osorio 50'

Toronto FC won 7–0 on aggregate.

Montreal Impact1–0New York Red Bulls
Mancosu 61'
New York Red Bulls1–2Montreal Impact
Wright-Phillips 77'Piatti 51', 85'

Montreal Impact won 3–1 on aggregate.

LA Galaxy1–0Colorado Rapids
Dos Santos 55'
Colorado Rapids1–0 (a.e.t.)LA Galaxy
Gashi 36'
Penalties
Doyle Le Toux Pappa3–1Gerrard Dos Santos Cole Larentowicz

1–1 on aggregate. Colorado Rapids won 3–1 on penalties.

Seattle Sounders FC3–0FC Dallas
Valdez 50' Lodeiro 55', 58'
FC Dallas2–1Seattle Sounders FC
Akindele 25' Urruti 56'Lodeiro 54'

Seattle Sounders FC won 4–2 on aggregate.

Conference finals

Summary

Team 1Agg.Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
Eastern Conference
Montreal Impact5–7Toronto FC3–22–5 (a.e.t.)
Western Conference
Seattle Sounders FC3–1Colorado Rapids2–11–0

Matches

Montreal Impact3–2Toronto FC
Oduro 10' Mancosu 12' Oyongo 53'Altidore 68' Bradley 73'
Toronto FC5–2 (a.e.t.)Montreal Impact
Cooper 37' Altidore 45' Hagglund 68' Cheyrou 98' Ricketts 100'Oduro 24' Piatti 53'

Toronto FC won 7–5 on aggregate.

Seattle Sounders FC2–1Colorado Rapids
Morris 19' Lodeiro 61'(pen.)Doyle 13'
Colorado Rapids0–1Seattle Sounders FC
Morris 56'

Seattle Sounders FC won 3–1 on aggregate.

MLS Cup

Toronto FC0–0 (a.e.t.)Seattle Sounders FC
Penalties
Altidore Bradley Cheyrou Johnson Moor Morrow4–5Evans Ivanschitz Fernández J. Jones Lodeiro Torres

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1United States Jozy AltidoreToronto FC5
2Italy Sebastian GiovincoToronto FC4
Uruguay Nicolás LodeiroSeattle Sounders FC
Italy Matteo MancosuMontreal Impact
Argentina Ignacio PiattiMontreal Impact
6Ghana Emmanuel BoatengLA Galaxy2
United States Jordan MorrisSeattle Sounders FC
Ghana Dominic OduroMontreal Impact
Canada Jonathan OsorioToronto FC
Canada Tosaint RickettsToronto FC
Paraguay Nelson ValdezSeattle Sounders FC