| matches = 17 | goals = 50 | top goal scorer = Jozy Altidore | prevseason = 2015 | nextseason = 2017
The 2016 MLS Cup playoffs (branded as the Audi 2016 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 six 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 at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario 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.
Qualified teams The top six teams from each conference advanced to the MLS Cup playoffs.
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Bracket
Knockout round
Summary
|colspan="5" bgcolor=#87CEFA align=center|Eastern Conference
|colspan="5" bgcolor=#FFAEB9 align=center|Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Conference semifinals
Summary
|colspan="5" bgcolor=#87CEFA|Eastern Conference
|colspan="5" bgcolor=#FFAEB9|Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC won 7–0 on aggregate.
Montreal Impact won 3–1 on aggregate.
Western Conference
1–1 on aggregate. Colorado Rapids won 3–1 on penalties.
Seattle Sounders FC won 4–2 on aggregate.
Conference finals
Summary
|colspan="5" bgcolor=#87CEFA|Eastern Conference
|colspan="5" bgcolor=#FFAEB9|Western Conference
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC won 7–5 on aggregate.
Western Conference
Seattle Sounders FC won 3–1 on aggregate.
MLS Cup 2016
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Jozy AltidoreToronto FC52 Sebastian GiovincoToronto FC4 Nicolás LodeiroSeattle Sounders FC Matteo MancosuMontreal Impact Ignacio PiattiMontreal Impact6 Emmanuel BoatengLA Galaxy2 Jordan MorrisSeattle Sounders FC Dominic OduroMontreal Impact Jonathan OsorioToronto FC Tosaint RickettsToronto FC Nelson ValdezSeattle Sounders FC
References