MLS playoff field expands to top nine

Major League Soccer is expanding its playoffs to include the top nine finishers in each conference, up from the top seven.

An opening wild-card round will feature matches between the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams in the Eastern and Western conferences at the stadium of the higher seed. The first round will be a best-of-three series, with the top finisher in each conference facing the winner of the wild-card match. The second seed will play the seventh, No. 3 will play No. 6 and No. 4 will play No. 5. The higher seed will host first, with the series moving to the lower seed for the second game, and then back to the higher seed’s home, if necessary.

If the first-round matches are tied at the end of regulation, the game will go directly to a penalty shootout.

The conference semifinals, finals and MLS Cup final all will be single games, hosted by the higher seed. For the final three rounds, tied matches will go to extra time before penalties.

Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said with the new playoff format, as well as the expanded Leagues Cup competition that included all the MLS and Liga MX teams for the first time, clubs will have a heavier load this season.

“In any of the tournaments, whether it’s Open Cup, or Leagues Cup or you go relatively deep in the playoffs, you’re certainly going to be [at] 50-plus games and that type of scenario,” Vanney said. “And that’s significantly more than what teams, I think, have generally endured. You’ve seen more from teams that are in Champions League — and we have teams in Champions League as well — so it’s a heavy lift.“

Phil Regan sued the New York Mets and former general manager Brodie Van Wagenen, alleging age discrimination and wrongful termination when he was moved out as pitching coach after the 2019 season.

The Sparks signed forwards Reshanda Gray and Karlie Samuelson to training camp contracts. Gray has appeared in 141 games over six seasons, including 10 with the Sparks in 2020. Samuelson has played in 42 games in four seasons.

Malik Nabers, Louisiana State’s leading receiver last year, was arrested on one count of illegal carrying of a weapon, the Times-Picayune/the New Orleans Advocate reported.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is back in concussion protocol, one game after the reigning Norris Trophy winner and playoff most valuable player returned from a fourgame absence due to a hit to the head.

Top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Norrie carried over their momentum from last week’s tournament to the Rio Open. Finalists in Buenos Aires, Norrie advanced to round of 16 in Rio, while Alcaraz was a game away from moving on before rain suspended play.