2012 Major League Soccer playoffs schedule announced

Clip and save this for the next few weeks. Home teams are listed first, and all times are Eastern:

Eastern Conference

E4. Chicago Fire vs. E5. Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill.: Wednesday, October 31, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes/TSN2/RDS2)

Western Conference

W4. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. W5. Vancouver Whitecaps at The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.: Thursday, November 1, 10:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network/Univision Deportes/TSN/RDS2)

E1. Sporting Kansas City vs. E5. Houston Dynamo

First leg at BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas: Sunday, November 4, 3:30 p.m. (NBC)
Second leg at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan.: Wednesday, November 7 (9:00 p.m., NBC Sports Network)

By beating the Fire, the Dynamo have earned the right to play... at the same time as the Texans across town. Had Chicago advanced, at least the Bears would have been on the road.

E2. D.C. United vs. E3. New York Red Bulls

First leg at RFK Stadium: Saturday, November 3, 8:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Second leg at Red Bull Arena: Thursday, November 7, 7:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network/TSN2/RDS2)

Because of the damage wrought by Sandy, Red Bull Arena has no power and all of the trains that serve the stadium are out of service. So D.C. agreed to a venue swap, and hosts the first leg of the series instead of the second. The second leg was further delayed by a day by a blizzard that hit the New York area and left too much snow on the field for it to be playable.

W1. San Jose Earthquakes vs. W4. Los Angeles Galaxy 

First leg at The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.: Sunday, November 4, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/TSN2/RDS2)
Second leg at Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.: Wednesday, November 7, 11:00 p.m (ESPN2/ESPN Deportes, TSN2, RDS2)

W2. Real Salt Lake vs. W3. Seattle Sounders

First leg at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.: Friday, November 2, 10:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Network simulcast of local Seattle broadcast)
Second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium: Thursday, November 8, 10:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Network simulcast of local Seattle broadcast/Univision Deportes/TSN2/RDS2)

E2. D.C. United vs. E5. Houston Dynamo

First leg at BBVA Compass Stadium: Sunday, November 11, 4:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)
Second Leg at RFK Stadium: Sunday, September 18, 4:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Network)

When the second leg of the D.C.-New York series was postponed a day, MLS lost its Saturday afternoon slot on NBC over the air.

W3. Seattle Sounders vs. W4. Los Angeles Galaxy

First leg at the Home Depot Center: Sunday, November 11, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/TSN2/RDS2) 
Second leg at CenturyLink Field: Sunday, November 18, 9:00 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN Deportes/TSN2/RDS2)

W4. Los Angeles Galaxy vs. E5. Houston Dynamo

At the Home Depot Center: Saturday, December 1, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN/Telefutura/TSN/RDS)