Season format The season began on March 20 and concluded with
MLS Cup on November 21. The 12 teams were split evenly into two conferences. Each team played 32 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their conference four times, for a total of 20 games. The remaining schedule consisted of two games against each team from the opposite conference. The top four teams from each conference qualified for the
MLS Cup Playoffs. The conference semifinals and finals were played as a best-of-three series, and the winners advanced to
MLS Cup. In all rounds, draws were broken by penalty shootout if necessary. The
away goals rule was not used in any round. The team with the most points in the regular season was awarded the
MLS Supporters' Shield. The winner of
MLS Cup, and the runner-up, qualified for the
CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
Stadiums and locations Personnel and sponsorships Coaching changes ==Standings==