2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
The 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason to Major League Soccer's 2009 season. MLS Cup 2009 concluded the season on November 22, 2009, at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. Real Salt Lake won the Cup in penalties over the L.A. Galaxy.
|  | |
| Country | United States | 
|---|---|
| Teams | 8 | 
| Defending champions | Columbus Crew | 
| Champions | Real Salt Lake (1st title) | 
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Galaxy | 
| Semi-finalists | |
| Matches played | 11 | 
| Goals scored | 21 (1.91 per match) | 
| Top goal scorer(s) |  Landon Donovan  Robbie Findley (3 goals each) | 
| ← 2008  2010 →  | |
Format
    
At the 2009 season's end, the top two teams of each conference made the playoffs; in addition the clubs with the next four highest point totals, regardless of conference, were added to the playoffs. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate goals over two matches determined the winners; the Conference Championships were one match each, with the winner of each conference advancing to MLS Cup. In all rounds, the tie-breaking method was two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. The away goals rule was not used.[1]
Standings
    
    Conference standings
    
| Pos | Club | Pts | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Crew | 49 | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 31 | +10 | |
| 2 | Chicago Fire | 45 | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 34 | +5 | |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 42 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 37 | −4 | |
| 4 | D.C. United | 40 | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 43 | 44 | −1 | |
| 5 | Toronto FC | 39 | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 37 | 46 | −9 | |
| 6 | Kansas City Wizards | 33 | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 33 | 42 | −9 | |
| 7 | New York Red Bulls | 21 | 30 | 5 | 19 | 6 | 27 | 47 | −20 | |
| 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs | |
| 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs (Wild Card) | 
| Pos | Club | Pts | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 48 | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 31 | +5 | |
| 2 | Houston Dynamo | 48 | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 29 | +10 | |
| 3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 47 | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 29 | +9 | |
| 4 | Chivas USA | 45 | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 34 | 31 | +3 | |
| 5 | Real Salt Lake | 40 | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 35 | +8 | |
| 6 | Colorado Rapids | 40 | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 38 | +4 | |
| 7 | FC Dallas | 39 | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 50 | 47 | +4 | |
| 8 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 30 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 36 | 50 | −14 | |
| 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs | |
| 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs (Wild Card) | 
Overall standings
    
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Crew (SS, E1) | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 31 | +10 | 49 | 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League group stage 2 | 
| 2 | LA Galaxy (W1) | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 48 | 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round 2 | 
| 3 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 48 | 2010 North American SuperLiga 3 | 
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 47 | 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round 2 | 
| 5 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 34 | +5 | 45 | 2010 North American SuperLiga 3 | 
| 6 | Chivas USA | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 45 | |
| 7 | New England Revolution | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 37 | −4 | 42 | |
| 8 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 40 | 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League group stage 2 | 
| 9 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 40 | |
| 10 | D.C. United | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 43 | 44 | −1 | 40 | |
| 11 | FC Dallas | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 39 | |
| 12 | Toronto FC | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 37 | 46 | −9 | 39 | 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round 1 | 
| 13 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 33 | |
| 14 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 36 | 50 | −14 | 30 | |
| 15 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 5 | 19 | 6 | 27 | 47 | −20 | 21 | 
(SS) = Supporters Shield winner; (E1) = Eastern Conference champion; (W1) = Western Conference champion
- ^Note 1 - Toronto FC cannot qualify for the U.S. Open Cup, as it is a Canadian-based team. If they qualify for an automatic berth into the U.S. Open Cup, the next highest placed team not already qualified will be given a berth. Similarly, they cannot qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League through MLS. Rather, they can qualify through the Canadian Soccer Championship. If they qualify for the Champions League through MLS, then the highest placed team not already qualified will qualify.
- ^Note 2 - The winner of the 2009 MLS Supporters' Shield (Columbus Crew) and the winner of MLS Cup 2009 (Real Salt Lake) qualified for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League group stage. The runner-up of MLS Cup 2009 (Los Angeles Galaxy) and the winner of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup (Seattle Sounders) qualified for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round.
- ^Note 3 - SuperLiga 2010 berths are awarded to the top 4 finishing teams from MLS who do not qualify for Champions League (Houston, Chicago, Chivas USA and New England).
Bracket
    
| Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | MLS Cup 2009 | |||||||||||||
| E1 | Columbus | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Salt Lake | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Salt Lake (AET) (PEN) | (0)5 | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||
| E2 | Chicago | (0)4 | |||||||||||||
| E3 | New England | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | Chicago | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Salt Lake (AET) (PEN) | (1)5 | |||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles | (1)4 | |||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Chivas USA | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles (AET) | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston | 0 | |||||||||||||
| W3 | Seattle | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston (AET) | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
1 Real Salt Lake earned the eighth and final playoff berth, despite finishing fifth in the Western Conference. They represent the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, as only three teams in the Eastern Conference qualified for the playoffs.
Conference Semifinals
    
    Eastern Conference
    
| Columbus Crew | 0 – 1 | Real Salt Lake | 
|---|---|---|
| Carroll  19' | Report |  38' Beckerman  88' Findley | 
| Real Salt Lake | 3 – 2 | Columbus Crew | 
|---|---|---|
| Morales  37' Findley  45+2' (pen.) Olave  68' Williams  77' | Report |  17', 35' Barros Schelotto  48' O'Rourke  59' Moreno | 
Real Salt Lake advances 4–2 on aggregate.
| Chicago Fire | 1 – 2 | New England Revolution | 
|---|---|---|
| Rolfe  17' Husidic  90+3' | Report |  41' Alston  45+1' Osei  75' Joseph | 
| New England Revolution | 0 – 2 | Chicago Fire | 
|---|---|---|
| Mansally  17' Jankauskas  36' Larentowicz  85' | Report |  35' Thorrington  83' Blanco | 
Chicago Fire advances 3–2 on aggregate.
Western Conference
    
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 2 – 2 | Chivas USA | 
|---|---|---|
| Magee  14' Birchall  27' Donovan  41' | Report |  4' Santos  50' Galindo  81' Saragosa | 
| Chivas USA | 0 – 1 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 
|---|---|---|
| Talley  39' Thornton  72' Nagamura  79' Cuesta  79' Kljestan  90' | Report |  60' Franklin  73' (pen.) Donovan | 
Los Angeles Galaxy advances 3–2 on aggregate.
| Houston Dynamo | 0 – 0 | Seattle Sounders FC | 
|---|---|---|
| Onstad  16' Mullan  71' Chabala  75' | Report |  16' Montero  64' Alonso  68' Evans | 
| Seattle Sounders FC | 0 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Houston Dynamo | 
|---|---|---|
| Marshall  24' Riley  120' Ljungberg  120' | Report |  44' Chabala  93' Cameron  96' Ching | 
Houston Dynamo advances 1–0 on aggregate.
Conference Finals
    
    Eastern Conference
    
| Real Salt Lake | 0 – 0 (a.e.t.) | Chicago Fire | 
|---|---|---|
| Morales  39' Wingert  75' Beckerman  99' Johnson  110' | Report | Thorrington  92' Prideaux  101' Blanco  116' | 
| Penalties | ||
| Mathis  Morales  Findley  Beckerman  Johnson  Espíndola  Grabavoy  | 5 – 4 |  Blanco  McBride  Conde  Thorrington  Brown  Pause  Prideaux | 
Real Salt Lake advances 5–4 on penalties.
MLS Cup
    
    
See also
    
    
References
    
- "2009 MLS Playoff Guide" (PDF) (Press release). MLSNet.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
{{2008–09 in North and Central America, and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF)}} {{2009–10 in North and Central America, and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF)}}