Major League Soccer announced the schedule for the conference semifinal round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, which will feature a showdown between regional rivals Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United FC on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
The highly anticipated Western Conference Semifinal is scheduled for 8 p.m. with national coverage on FS1, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app. A very limited number of tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com with stadium capacity reduced to 18% and comprehensive health and safety protocols in place at Children’s Mercy Park.
Following the Round One elimination of No. 1 seed Philadelphia Union and No. 2 seed Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference, Sporting Kansas now holds homefield advantage in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs through the 2020 MLS Cup as the top seed in the West.
The winner between Sporting and Minnesota will advance to face No. 2 seed Seattle Sounders FC or No. 6 seed FC Dallas in the Western Conference final on Sunday, Dec. 6.
If Sporting reaches the conference final, Season ticket members will have access to an exclusive 24-hour ticket presale for the game beginning at 10 a.m. on Dec. 3. Remaining tickets will then go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Dec. 4 via SeatGeek.com.
Sporting Kansas City and No. 4 seed Minnesota United FC will enter their conference semifinal matchup on the heels of momentous victories in Round One.
Sporting prevailed 3-0 on penalties after battling the San Jose Earthquakes to a wild 3-3 draw on Sunday afternoon, while Minnesota collected their first-ever playoff win later that evening with a 3-0 home result against the Colorado Rapids.
Next Wednesday’s win-or-go-home encounter will mark the first time Sporting and Minnesota have met in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Midwestern rivals have squared off 13 times across all competitions since Minnesota joined MLS in 2017, with Sporting owning a 7-4-2 record overall and a perfect 6-0-0 mark at home. The Loons have been outscored 15-1 in their six previous visits to Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting ended the 2020 regular season by going 6-1-1 down the stretch, claiming their fourth first-place conference finish since 2011, before ousting San Jose in Round One.
Meanwhile, Minnesota boasts a league-best nine-game active unbeaten run after going 4-0-4 in their last eight regular season games and defeating Colorado in their Round One contest. The Loons haven’t lost since Sept. 23.
The MLS Cup Playoffs will conclude with the league’s 25th championship game on Saturday, Dec. 12, as the Eastern and Western Conference champions meet in the 2020 MLS Cup.
MLS Cup Playoffs: Conference Semifinal schedule
• Sunday, Nov. 29: (4) Orlando City SC vs. (8) New England Revolution
2 p.m. | ABC, ESPN Deportes, ESPN app
• Sunday, Nov. 29: (3) Columbus Crew SC vs. (7) Nashville SC
7 p.m. | ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN app
• Tuesday, Dec. 1: (2) Seattle Sounders FC vs. (6) FC Dallas
8:30 p.m. | FS1, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports App
• Wednesday, Dec. 2: (1) Sporting Kansas City vs. (4) Minnesota United FC
8 p.m. | FS1, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports App
- Story from Sporting KC