Every 1998 MLS playoff matchup, three ways: the season race carried on into the postseason, who beat their seeding, and the bracket.
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The same race these clubs ran all season, carried on through the postseason on one scale and on real dates.
Where each club finished the season against how far it went, ranked on record rather than seed.
Who played whom, round by round, which no line chart can say.
Chicago Fire FC won the 1998 title from a regular season record of 20-12-0. 8 teams reached the playoffs and the bracket ran 3 rounds. Every matchup below is taken from the MLS stats API; nothing on this page is estimated.
| Round | Won by | Result | Opponent | Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference Semifinals | LA Galaxy | 2-0 in games | Dallas Burn | October 1 to October 4, 1998 |
| Conference Semifinals | D.C. United | 2-0 in games | Miami Fusion FC | September 30 to October 4, 1998 |
| Conference Semifinals | Chicago Fire FC | 2-0 in games | Colorado Rapids | October 1 to October 5, 1998 |
| Conference Semifinals | Columbus Crew | 2-0 in games | New York/New Jersey MetroStars | September 30 to October 3, 1998 |
| Conference Finals | Chicago Fire FC | 2-0 in games | LA Galaxy | October 10 to October 16, 1998 |
| Conference Finals | D.C. United | 2-1 in games | Columbus Crew | October 11 to October 21, 1998 |
| MLS Cup | Chicago Fire FC | 2-0 | D.C. United | October 25, 1998 |
The left column ranks this field by regular season record, not by seed number: seeding rules differ by era, so this site uses records everywhere instead. The right column groups clubs by the round they went out in, which is not the same as the number of rounds they won, because a bye carries a club further without it winning anything. The figure beside a name is places moved between the two columns, and part of it is only where a club sat inside its band. Nothing here is a prediction. The data notes carry the whole method.