MLS Playoffs 2019 ultimate guide: Form, dates, injuries and everything you need to know

Dylan Butler

The Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs are upon us and there’s a lot to digest with the six Round One games set for next weekend.

Who heads into the postseason in the best form? What are the key injuries to keep an eye on? Who has the most storied playoff history?

We’ve got that all for you, and more, in this Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs: Ultimate Guide.

New England Revolution at Atlanta United
Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta
October 19 — 1:00 PM ET
TV: Univision, TUDN, TSN, TVAS

New England Revolution

Seed: 7 in East
Form (last 5 games): 1W-1L-3D
Road record: 3-6-8
Playoff history: 17-16-9. Reached MLS Cup five times (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014); Last year: Did not qualify
Injuries: OUT: D - Edgar Castillo (rib injury)
Key fact: In Bruce they trust? Bruce Arena has captured the MLS Cup five times as a coach, including with the LA Galaxy against the Revs in 2014.

Seed: 2 in East
Form (last 5 games): 3W-1L-1D
Home record: 12-2-3
Playoff history: 4-1-1. Won MLS Cup in 2018
Injuries: OUT: D - Brek Shea (right knee injury); M - Andrew Carleton (right leg injury)
Key fact: Including MLS Cup in December, the Five Stripes have won three major trophies (Campeones Cup and U.S. Open Cup) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the last 10 months.

New York Red Bulls at Philadelphia Union
Talen Energy Stadium — Chester
October 20 — 3:00 PM ET
TV: FS1, TSN, TVAS

Seed: 6 in East
Form (last 5 games): 2W-2L-1D
Road record: 5-9-3
Playoff history: 19-27-8. Reached MLS Cup once (2008); Last year: Lost to Atlanta United in Eastern Conference Final
Injuries: OUT: M - Florian Valot (torn ACL); D - Amro Tarek (ankle surgery)
Key fact: The last time the Red Bulls advanced on the road was in 2017 with a 4-0 victory over the Chicago Fire in the Knockout Round.

Seed: 3 in the East
Form (last 5 games): 1W-3L-1D
Home record: 10-3-4
Playoff history: 0-4-0. Last year: Lost to NYCFC in Knockout Round
Injuries: QUESTIONABLE: F - Sergio Santos (right hamstring strain); M - Alejandro Bedoya (quad injury); F - Kacper Przybyłko (ankle sprain)
Key fact: The Union lost their only other home playoff game — a 2-1 defeat to the Houston Dynamo in the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. MLSsoccer.com's own Calen Carr scored the winner.

D.C. United at Toronto FC
BMO Field — Toronto
October 19 — 6:00 PM ET
TV: TUDN, TSN, TVAS

Seed: 5 in the East
Form (Last 5 games): 3W-0L-2D
Road record: 6-6-5
Playoff history: 26-14-7. Won MLS Cup four times (1996, 1997, 1999, 2004). Last year: Lost to Columbus Crew SC on penalty kicks in the Knockout Round
Injuries: OUT: D - Oneil Fisher (knee surgery); D - Jalen Robinson (knee injury)
Key fact: The Black-and-Red enter the postseason on a 504-minute shutout streak dating back to a 3-1 loss to the Union August 24.

Seed: 4 in the East
Form (Last 5 games): 2W-0L-3D
Home record: 9-4-4
Playoff history: 7-3-2. Won MLS Cup once (2017). Last year: Did not qualify
Injuries: QUESTIONABLE: F - Jozy Altidore (sore quad)
Key fact: The Reds last playoff game at BMO Field was the 2017 MLS Cup victory over Seattle Sounders FC.

FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders FC
CenturyLink Field — Seattle
October 19 — 3:30 PM ET
TV: FOX Sports TBD, TSN, TVAS

Seed: 7 in the West
Form (Last 5 games): 1W-2L-2D
Road record: 3-11-3
Playoff history: 14-22-8. Reached MLS Cup once (2010). Last year: Lost to Portland Timbers in Knockout Round
Injuries: OUT: D - Bryan Reynolds (knee injury); F - Dominique Badji (quad strain)
Key fact: No teams in Round One have more of a playoff history than FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC. This is the fourth all-time meeting, the first since 2016. They’ve evenly split the previous six matchups (2-2-2).

Seed: 2 in the West
Form (Last 5 games): 3W-1L-1D
Home record: 11-2-4
Playoff history: 15-12-6. Won MLS Cup once (2016). Last year: Lost to Portland Timbers on penalty kicks in Western Conference Semifinals
Injuries: OUT: F - Will Bruin (torn ACL); QUESTIONABLE: M - Victor Rodriguez (internal oblique injury)
Key fact: In the last playoff meeting against FC Dallas, Nico Lodeiro scored three of the Sounders’ four goals in a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Portland Timbers at Real Salt Lake
Rio Tinto Stadium — Sandy
October 19 — 10:00 PM ET
TV: ESPNnews, TSN, TVAS

Seed: 6 in the West
Form (Last 5 games): 1W-1L-3D
Road record: 6-8-3
Playoff history: 8-5-5. Won MLS Cup once (2015). Last year: Lost in MLS Cup to Atlanta United
Injuries: OUT: GK - Jeff Attinella (right shoulder surgery), D - Modou Jadama (left foot injury); QUESTIONABLE: D - Julio Cascante (left thigh injury), M - Andres Flores (facial injury), GK - Kendall McIntosh (right knee injury), M - Tomas Conechny (right knee injury), M - Diego Valeri (right lower leg injury)
Key fact: One of the Timbers’ six road wins this season was at Rio Tinto Stadium, a 2-1 victory May 4 with Diego Valeri scoring the second-half winner.

Seed: 3 in the West
Form (Last 5 games): 2W-2L-1D
Home record: 12-4-1
Playoff history: 8-9-8. Won MLS Cup once (2009). Last year: Lost in Western Conference Semifinals to Sporting Kansas City
Injuries: OUT: M - Jordan Allen (knee injury, out for season), M - Nick Besler (foot injury); QUESTIONABLE: M - Luke Mulholland (hamstring injury); PROBABLE: F - Douglas Martinez (hamstring injury)
Key fact: RSL last won a home playoff game in 2013, defeating the Portland Timbers, 4-2, to reach MLS Cup. Their last two postseason games at RioT were draws.

LA Galaxy at Minnesota United
Allianz Field — St. Paul
October 20 — 8:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN, TSN, TVAS

Seed: 5 in the West
Form (Last 5 games): 3W-2L-0D
Road record: 5-10-2
Playoff history: 44-22-7. Won MLS Cup five times (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014)
Injuries: QUESTIONABLE: M - Romain Alessandrini (knee surgery), M - Perry Kitchen (groin injury)
Key fact: The last time the Galaxy won a road playoff game was in 2012, a 3-1 victory over the rival San Jose Earthquakes in the Western Conference Semifinals. Robbie Keane struck for a brace.

Seed: 4 in the West
Form (Last 5 games): 2W-1L-2D
Home record: 10-1-6
Playoff history: This is Minnesota United’s first playoff appearance
Injuries: None
Key fact: While this is the Loons first playoff game, they are 3-0-0 in knockout games at Allianz Field, including a 2-1 victory over Portland in the US Open Cup semifinals as Minnesota United booked a spot in its first final.

Seed: 1 in East
Form (Last 5 games): 3W-1L-1D
Home record: 11-1-5
Playoff history: 2-3-0. Reached Conference Semifinals in 2017, 2018
Injuries: QUESTIONABLE: F - Heber (calf injury), M - Islamel Tajouri-Shradi (ankle injury), M - Keaton Parks (hamstring injury)
Key fact: NYCFC set a club record for points, wins and goal differential in 2019.

Seed: 1 in West
Form (Last 5 games): 2-0-3
Home record: 13-1-3
Playoff history: 0-1-0. Lost in Round One in club’s inaugural season in 2018.
Injuries: OUT: M - Javi Perez (left ACL tear, out for season), F - Josh Perez (left MCL sprain), D - Danilo Silva (lumbar disc surgery 9/25, out for season)
Key fact: Carlos Vela broke Josef Martinez’s single-season goals record, scoring a hat trick on Decision Day presented by AT&T, to take his total to 34.

Dylan Butler -