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Major League Soccer's playoffs begin with knockout games in each conference between the clubs that finished in fourth and fifth place in the regular season.

In the Western Conference, FC Dallas plays host to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday. The winner faces the first-place Seattle Sounders in one of the two-game conference semifinals Sunday and Nov. 10.

The second-place Galaxy plays third-place Real Salt Lake in the other Western Conference semifinal. The first game is in Utah on Saturday and the second at StubHub Center on Nov. 9.

The winners of the conference semifinals are determined by the aggregate number of goals scored over both games.

Last year, Real Salt Lake ousted the Galaxy from the playoffs by winning a Western Conference semifinal, 2-1, on aggregate goals. The Galaxy is trying to win a record fifth championship.

In the Eastern Conference, the New York Red Bulls play host to reigning champion Sporting Kansas City in a knockout game Thursday. The winner plays first-place D.C. United in one of the conference semifinals Sunday and Nov. 8.

The New England Revolution plays the Columbus Crew in the other Eastern Conference semifinal Saturday and Nov. 9.

Winners in the semifinal rounds advance to the two-game conference championships, also decided by aggregate goals, on Nov. 23 and Nov. 29-30.

The conference winners meet in the MLS Cup championship game Dec. 7, which will be hosted by whichever of the two teams had the best regular-season record.

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Galaxy to play Saturday in first leg of two-game conference semifinal