Bracket set for knockout stage of MLS is Back Tournament

The group portion of the MLS is Back Tournament came to a close Thursday night, setting the stage for the knockout round of the competition to begin this weekend.

Group F was front and center on the final day of group-stage action.

The Houston Dynamo blew a golden opportunity to march on, conceding a last-gasp penalty and settling for a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy. As a result, New York City FC, who were watching on intently, grabbed the last available spot in the next round as one of the tournament's best third-place teams.

The final match of the group stage saw the Portland Timbers and Los Angeles FC play out an entertaining 2-2 draw. The result was enough for the Timbers to secure top spot in Group F.

It also finalized the bracket for the remainder of the competition:

Here's the schedule for the round of 16, which begins Saturday (all times ET):

• July 25: Orlando City vs. Montreal Impact (8 p.m.)
• July 25: Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution (10:30 p.m.)
• July 26: Toronto FC vs. New York City FC (8:30 p.m.)
• July 26: Sporting Kansas City vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (11 p.m.)
• July 27: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake (8:30 p.m.)
• July 27: Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles FC (11 p.m.)
• July 28: Columbus Crew SC vs. Minnesota United (8 p.m.)
• July 28: Portland Timbers vs. FC Cincinnati (10:30 p.m.)

The tournament final is slated for Aug. 11 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.