Sporting Kansas City won the right to host the match by besting Real Salt Lake in the regular season standings.

Sporting Kansas City then beat New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo to reach the final, while Real Salt Lake knocked out defending champions Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers.

[6] The tickets for the match were the highest price for the MLS Cup in the past five years, coming in at an average of $302 on the secondary market.

This made it the highest priced sports event in the Kansas City area in four years, with the exception of the 2012 MLB All-Star Game.

However, on December 13, 2013, CONCACAF accepted the US Soccer/MLS proposal to change the qualification rules, so that the spot reserved for the MLS Cup runner-up is instead awarded to the regular season conference winner that is not the Supporters' Shield champion, the Portland Timbers.