Week 26

MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day Playoff Scenarios

The first-ever MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day is upon us.

On Sunday, September 18, five Eastern Conference teams remain in the hunt for the final three playoff spots, while the Western Conference field is established but seeding remains to be settled. For a closer look at each of Week 26's matchups, a full preview is available here. All game streams will be available to watch on MLSNEXTPro.com

Here is a closer look at MLS NEXT Pro's Decision Day playoff scenarios:

Eastern Conference
RNY FC logo
RNY FC

Can clinch a playoff spot with:

  1. A win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  2. A loss in regulation AND an Inter Miami II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  3. A loss in regulation AND an Inter Miami II win in regulation AND any one of:
    a. A Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOL)
    b. A Philadelphia Union II tie (SOW) (and RNY FC wins goal differential tiebreaker
    c. A Toronto FC II loss in regulation

Clinch the division with:

  1. A win in regulation or
  2. A tie (SOW) AND a Toronto FC II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  3. A tie (SOL) AND a Toronto FC II loss in regulation or tie (SOL) AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  4. A loss in regulation AND a Toronto FC II loss in regulation AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOL) or tie (SOW, if RNY FC wins goal differential tiebreaker)

Is eliminated from playoff contention with:

  1. A loss in regulation AND all three of:
    a. A Toronto FC II win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)
    b. A Philadelphia Union II win in regulation or tie (SOW) (and win goal differential tiebreaker)
    c. An Inter Miami II win in regulation
TFC II logo
TFC II

Clinch a playoff spot with:

  1. A win in regulation or tie (SOW) or
  2. A tie (SOL) AND any one of the following:
    a. An Inter Miami II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)
    b. An Inter Miami II win in regulation (goal differential tiebreaker)
    c. A Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)
    d. A RNY FC loss in regulation or
  3. A loss in regulation AND an Inter Miami II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  4. A loss in regulation AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOL)

Clinch the division with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a RNY FC loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  2. A tie (SOW) AND a RNY FC loss in regulation or tie (SOL) AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or win (if TOR wins goal differential tiebreaker) or
  3. A tie (SOL) AND a RNY FC loss in regulation AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)

Is eliminated from playoff contention with:

  1. A loss in regulation AND both of the following:
    a. A Philadelphia Union II win in regulation or tie (SOW)
    b. An Inter Miami II win in regulation
Philadelphia Union II logo
Philadelphia Union II

Clinch a playoff spot with:

  1. A win in regulation or
  2. A tie (SOW) AND an Inter Miami II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  3. A tie (SOL) AND both of the following:
    a. An Inter Miami II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) (and PHI wins goal differential tiebreaker)
    b. A NYCFC II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  4. A loss in regulation AND both of:
    a. An Inter Miami II loss in regulation or tie (SOL) (and PHI wins goal differential tiebreaker)
    b. A NYCFC II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)

Clinch the division with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a RNY FC loss in regulation or tie (SOL) AND a Toronto FC II loss in regulation or tie (SOL) or
  2. A win in regulation AND a RNY FC loss in regulation or tie (SOL) AND a Toronto FC II tie (SOW) (tiebreakers) or
  3. A tie (SOW) AND a RNY FC loss in regulation (goal differential tiebreaker) AND a Toronto FC II loss in regulation

Is eliminated from playoff contention with:

  1. A loss in regulation AND either of the following:
    a. An Inter Miami II win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) (and MIA wins goal differential tiebreaker)
    b. A NYCFC II win in regulation or
  2. A tie (SOL) AND either one of the following:
    a. An Inter Miami II win in regulation
    b. A NYCFC II win in regulation (and NYCFC wins goal differential tiebreaker) or
  3. A tie (SOW) AND Inter Miami II win in regulation (and MIA wins goal differential tiebreaker) AND aToronto FC II win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)
Inter Miami CF II logo
Inter Miami CF II

Can clinch a playoff spot with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  2. A win in regulation AND a Toronto FC II loss in regulation or SOL (and goal differential tiebreaker) or
  3. A win in regulation AND a RNY FC loss in regulation or
  4. A tie (SOW) AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation AND a NYCFC II loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)

Is eliminated from playoff contention with:

  1. A loss in regulation or
  2. A tie (SOL) AND one of the following:
    a. A Philadelphia Union II win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or loss (win on goal differential tiebreaker)
    b. A NYCFC II win in regulation or
  3. A tie (SOW) AND a Philadelphia Union II win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) OR a NYCFC II win in regulation or
  4. A win in regulation AND a Philadelphia Union II win in regulation AND a Toronto FC II win or tie (SOW/SOL) (with goal differential tiebreaker) AND a RNY FC win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)
NYCFC II logo
NYCFC II

Can clinch a playoff spot with:

  1. A win in regulation AND an Inter Miami II loss in regulation or tie (SOL) or tie (SOW)(w/ NYCFC win goal differential tiebreaker) AND a Philadelphia Union II loss in regulation or tie (SOL) (w/ NYCFC II win goal differential tiebreaker

Is eliminated from playoff contention with:

  1. A loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)
  2. A win in regulation AND one of:
    a. Philadelphia Union II win in regulation or tie (SOW)
    b. Inter Miami II win in regulation
Columbus Crew 2 logo
Columbus Crew 2

Clinch home-field advantage throughout playoffs with:

1. A win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL)

Western Conference
Tacoma Defiance logo
Tacoma Defiance

Clinch the #1 seed in the Western Conference with:

  1. A win in regulation or
  2. A tie (SOW) AND a St Louis CITY2 loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  3. A tie (SOL) AND a St Louis CITY2 loss in regulation or tie (SOL) or
  4. A loss in regulation AND a St Louis CITY2 loss in regulation AND (Defiance win goal differential tiebreaker over Houston Dynamo 2/ North Texas SC)
St Louis CITY2 logo
St Louis CITY2

Clinch the #1 seed in the Western Conference with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a Tacoma Defiance loss in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  2. A tie (SOW) AND a Tacoma Defiance loss in regulation or tie (SOL) or
  3. A tie (SOL) AND a Tacoma Defiance loss in regulation

Clinch the division with:

  1. A win in regulation or tie (SOW/SOL) or
  2. A loss in regulation and a Houston Dynamo 2/North Texas SC tie (SOW/SOL)
Houston Dynamo 2 logo
Houston Dynamo 2

Clinch the #1 seed in the Western Conference with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a St Louis CITY2 loss in regulation AND a Tacoma Defiance loss in regulation AND (win goal differential tiebreaker over Tacoma Defiance)

Clinch the division with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a St Louis CITY2 loss in regulation
North Texas SC logo
North Texas SC

Clinch the #1 seed in the Western Conference with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a St Louis CITY2 loss in regulation AND a Tacoma Defiance loss in regulation AND (win goal differential tiebreaker over TAC)

Clinch the division with:

  1. A win in regulation AND a St Louis CITY2 loss in regulation
Week 26 Rochester New York FC Houston Dynamo 2 North Texas SC Tacoma Defiance St Louis CITY2 New York City Football Club II Philadelphia Union II Inter Miami CF II Toronto FC II MLS NEXT Pro News

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