2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Teams8
Defending championsColumbus Crew
Final positions
ChampionsReal Salt Lake (1st title)
Runner-upLos Angeles Galaxy
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Matches played11
Goals scored21 (1.91 per match)
Attendance259,149 (23,559 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)United States Landon Donovan
United States Robbie Findley
(3 goals each)
← 2008
2010 →

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.

Format

Main article: MLS Cup Playoffs

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 Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Columbus Crew 30 13 7 10 41 31 +10 49 MLS Cup Playoffs
2 Chicago Fire 30 11 7 12 39 34 +5 45
3 New England Revolution 30 11 10 9 33 37 −4 42
4 D.C. United 30 9 8 13 43 44 −1 40
5 Toronto FC 30 10 11 9 37 46 −9 39
6 Kansas City Wizards 30 8 13 9 33 42 −9 33
7 New York Red Bulls 30 5 19 6 27 47 −20 21
Source: MLS

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 LA Galaxy 30 12 6 12 36 31 +5 48 MLS Cup Playoffs
2 Houston Dynamo 30 13 8 9 39 29 +10 48
3 Seattle Sounders FC 30 12 7 11 38 29 +9 47
4 Chivas USA 30 13 11 6 34 31 +3 45
5 Real Salt Lake 30 11 12 7 43 35 +8 40
6 Colorado Rapids 30 10 10 10 42 38 +4 40
7 FC Dallas 30 11 13 6 50 47 +3 39
8 San Jose Earthquakes 30 7 14 9 36 50 −14 30
Source: MLS

Overall standings

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Columbus Crew (S) 30 13 7 10 41 31 +10 49 CONCACAF Champions League
2 LA Galaxy 30 12 6 12 36 31 +5 48
3 Houston Dynamo 30 13 8 9 39 29 +10 48 North American SuperLiga
4 Seattle Sounders FC 30 12 7 11 38 29 +9 47 CONCACAF Champions League
5 Chicago Fire 30 11 7 12 39 34 +5 45 North American SuperLiga
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 (C) 30 11 12 7 43 35 +8 40 CONCACAF Champions League
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 CONCACAF Champions League[a]
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
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (S) Supporters' Shield
Notes:
  1. ^ As winners of the 2010 Canadian Championship

Bracket

Conference semifinals Conference finals MLS Cup
          
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 Crew0 – 1Real Salt Lake
Carroll Yellow card 19' Report Yellow card 38' Beckerman
88' Findley
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 11,499
Referee: Mark Geiger
Real Salt Lake3 – 2Columbus Crew
Morales 37'
Findley 45+2' (pen.)
Olave Yellow card 68'
Williams 77'		 Report 17', 35' Barros Schelotto
Yellow card 48' O'Rourke
Yellow card 59' Moreno
Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 10,109
Referee: Silviu Petrescu

Real Salt Lake advances 4–2 on aggregate.

Chicago Fire1 – 2New England Revolution
Rolfe 17'
Husidic Yellow card 90+3'		 Report[permanent dead link] Yellow card 41' Alston
45+1' Osei
75' Joseph
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Attendance: 7,416
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
New England Revolution0 – 2Chicago Fire
Mansally Yellow card 17'
Jankauskas Yellow card 36'
Larentowicz Yellow card 85'		 Report[permanent dead link] 35' Thorrington
83' Blanco
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois
Attendance: 21,528
Referee: Alex Prus

Chicago Fire advances 3–2 on aggregate.

Western Conference

Los Angeles Galaxy2 – 2Chivas USA
Magee 14'
Birchall Yellow card 27'
Donovan 41'		 Report 4' Santos
50' Galindo
Yellow card 81' Saragosa
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 25,218
Referee: Kevin Stott
Chivas USA0 – 1Los Angeles Galaxy
Talley Yellow card 39'
Thornton Yellow card 72'
Nagamura Yellow card 79'
Cuesta Yellow card 79'
Kljestan Yellow card 90'		 Report Yellow card 60' Franklin
73' (pen.) Donovan
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Ricardo Salazar

Los Angeles Galaxy advances 3–2 on aggregate.

Houston Dynamo0 – 0Seattle Sounders FC
Onstad Yellow card 16'
Mullan Yellow card 71'
Chabala Yellow card 75'		 Report Yellow card 16' Montero
Yellow card 64' Alonso
Yellow card 68' Evans
Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 35,807
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Seattle Sounders FC0 – 1
(a.e.t.)		Houston Dynamo
Marshall Yellow card 24'
Riley Red card 120'
Ljungberg Yellow card 120'		 Report Yellow card 44' Chabala
Yellow card 93' Cameron
96' Ching
Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 27,465
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez

Houston Dynamo advances 1–0 on aggregate.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

Real Salt Lake0 – 0
(a.e.t.)		Chicago Fire
Morales Yellow card 39'
Wingert Yellow card 75'
Beckerman Yellow card 99'
Johnson Yellow card 110'		 Report Thorrington Yellow card 92'
Prideaux Yellow card 101'
Blanco Yellow card 116'
Penalties
Mathis soccer ball with check mark
Morales soccer ball with red X
Findley soccer ball with check mark
Beckerman soccer ball with check mark
Johnson soccer ball with check mark
Espíndola soccer ball with red X
Grabavoy soccer ball with check mark		 5 – 4 soccer ball with check mark Blanco
soccer ball with check mark McBride
soccer ball with check mark Conde
soccer ball with red X Thorrington
soccer ball with check mark Brown
soccer ball with red X Pause
soccer ball with red X Prideaux
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois
Attendance: 21,723
Referee: Ricardo Salazar

Real Salt Lake advances 5–4 on penalties.

Western Conference

Houston Dynamo0 – 2
(a.e.t.)		Los Angeles Galaxy
Mullan Yellow card 26'
Boswell Yellow card 111'
Landín Yellow card 119'		 Report Yellow card 77' Kovalenko
Yellow card 89' Donovan
103' Berhalter
109' (pen.) Donovan
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 25,373
Referee: Terry Vaughn

Los Angeles Galaxy advances.

MLS Cup

See also: MLS Cup 2009
Los Angeles Galaxy1 – 1 (a.e.t.)Real Salt Lake
Birchall Yellow card 39'
Magee 41'		 Report Johnson Yellow card 14'
Findley 64'
Penalties
Beckham soccer ball with check mark
Berhalter soccer ball with check mark
Kirovski soccer ball with red X
Donovan soccer ball with red X
Magee soccer ball with check mark
Klein soccer ball with check mark
Buddle soccer ball with red X		 4 – 5 Mathis soccer ball with check mark
Findley soccer ball with check mark
Beckerman soccer ball with red X
Grabavoy soccer ball with check mark
Williams soccer ball with red X
Wingert soccer ball with check mark
Russell soccer ball with check mark
Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 46,011
Referee: Kevin Stott

See also

References

  1. ^ "2009 MLS Playoff Guide" (PDF) (Press release). MLSNet.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
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