2008 MLS Cup playoffs

Last updated

2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
2008 MLS Playoffs.png
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Teams8
Defending champions Houston Dynamo
Final positions
Champions Columbus Crew (1st title)
Runner-up New York Red Bulls
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Matches played11
Goals scored25 (2.27 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Flag of Colombia.svg Juan Pablo Ángel
Flag of the United States.svg Chad Marshall

Flag of the United States.svg John Wolyniec
(2 goals each)
  2007
2009  

The 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs were the postseason to Major League Soccer's 2008 season, and culminated with MLS Cup 2008 on November 23, 2008 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Contents

Format

At the 2008 season's end, the top three teams of each conference made the playoffs; in addition the clubs with the next two 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.

Standings

Conference standings

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Columbus Crew 3017765036+1457 MLS Cup Playoffs
2 Chicago Fire 30131074433+1146
3 New England Revolution 30121174043343
4 Kansas City Wizards 30111093739242
5 New York Red Bulls 30101194248639
6 D.C. United 30111544351837
7 Toronto FC 3091383443935
Source: MLS

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Houston Dynamo 30135124532+1351 MLS Cup Playoffs
2 Chivas USA 30121174041143
3 Real Salt Lake 301010104039+140
4 Colorado Rapids 30111454445138
5 FC Dallas 30810124541+436
6 LA Galaxy 3081395562733
7 San Jose Earthquakes 3081393238633
Source: MLS

Overall standings

PosTeamPldWLTGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Columbus Crew (C, S)3017765036+1457 CONCACAF Champions League
2 Houston Dynamo 30135124532+1351
3 Chicago Fire 30131074433+1146 North American SuperLiga
4 Chivas USA 30121174041143
5 New England Revolution 30121174043343
6 Kansas City Wizards 30111093739242
7 Real Salt Lake 301010104039+140
8 New York Red Bulls 30101194248639 CONCACAF Champions League
9 Colorado Rapids 30111454445138
10 D.C. United 30111544351837 CONCACAF Champions League
11 FC Dallas 30810124541+436
12 Toronto FC 3091383443935 CONCACAF Champions League [lower-alpha 1]
13 LA Galaxy 3081395562733
14 San Jose Earthquakes 3081393238633
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 2009 Canadian Championship

Bracket

Conference semifinals Conference finals MLS Cup
          
E1 Columbus 12
E4 Kansas City 1 0
E1 Columbus 2
Eastern Conference
E2 Chicago 1
E3 New England 0 0
E2 Chicago 03
E1 Columbus 3
W4 New York 1
W1 Houston 1 0
W4 New York 13
W4 New York 1
Western Conference
W3 Salt Lake 0
W3 Salt Lake 12
W2 Chivas USA 0 2

1 The New York Red Bulls earned the eighth and final playoff berth, despite finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference. They represent the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket, as only three teams in the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs.

Conference semifinals

Columbus Crew 1 – 1 Kansas City Wizards
Padula Yellow card.svg 84'
Lenhart Soccerball shade.svg90+2'
Carroll Yellow card.svg 90+3'
Jewsbury Yellow card.svg 40'
Arnaud Soccerball shade.svg53'
Gomez Red card.svg 75'
Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 10,385
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Kansas City Wizards 0 – 2 Columbus Crew
Arnaud Yellow card.svg 39'
Wahl Yellow card.svg 49'
Evans Soccerball shade.svg7'Yellow card.svg 63'
Rogers Soccerball shade.svg57'Yellow card.svg 66'
Hejduk Yellow card.svg 87'
Ekpo Yellow card.svg 90'

Chicago Fire 0 – 0 New England Revolution
Soumare Yellow card.svg 16'
Pause Yellow card.svg 59'
Blanco Yellow card.svg 69'
Mansally Yellow card.svg 42'
Castro Yellow card.svg 73'
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Attendance: 5,221
Referee: Alex Prus
New England Revolution 0 – 3 Chicago Fire
Albright Yellow card.svg 7' Yellow-red card.svg 83'
Igwe Yellow card.svg 45+2'
Joseph Yellow card.svg 53'
Thorrington Yellow card.svg 36'
Rolfe Soccerball shade.svg45+2'
Conde Soccerball shade.svg47'
Busch Yellow card.svg 62'
Segares Soccerball shade.svg74'
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois
Attendance: 17,312
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Houston Dynamo 1 – 1 New York Red Bulls
Mullan Yellow card.svg 53'
Kamara Soccerball shade.svg85'
Richards Yellow card.svg 29'
Angel Yellow card.svg 37'Soccerball shade.svg48'
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 11,578
Referee: Kevin Stott
New York Red Bulls 3 – 0 Houston Dynamo
van den Bergh Yellow card.svg 5'
Richards Soccerball shade.svg25'
Goldthwaite Yellow card.svg 28'
Angel Soccerball shade.svg36' (pen.)
Sassano Yellow card.svg 45+2'
Wolyniec Soccerball shade.svg81'
Robinson Yellow card.svg 62'
Onstad Yellow card.svg 69'
Mullan Yellow card.svg 73'
Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 30,053
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

Chivas USA 0 – 1 Real Salt Lake
Razov Yellow card.svg 66'
Thomas Yellow card.svg 75'
Williams Yellow card.svg 29'
Beckerman Yellow card.svg 42'
Movsisyan Soccerball shade.svg90'
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 14,719
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Real Salt Lake 2 – 2 Chivas USA
Mathis Yellow card.svg 10'
Borchers Yellow card.svg 30'
Kovalenko Soccerball shade.svg39'Yellow card.svg 42'
Morales Soccerball shade.svg77'
Nagamura Yellow card.svg 22'
Kljestan Soccerball shade.svg30' (pen.)
Bornstein Yellow card.svg 60'
Braun Soccerball shade.svg83'
Razov Yellow card.svg 86'
Thomas Yellow card.svg 90+1'
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 19,256
Referee: Michael Kennedy

Conference finals

Chicago Fire 1–2 Columbus Crew
Soumare Yellow card.svg 22'
McBride Soccerball shade.svg29'
Segares Yellow card.svg 48'
Prideaux Yellow card.svg 67'
Marshall Soccerball shade.svg49'
Gaven Soccerball shade.svg55'
O'Rourke Yellow card.svg 57'
Hesmer Yellow card.svg 90+2'
Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 14,688
Referee: Terry Vaughn

New York Red Bulls 1–0 Real Salt Lake
van den Bergh Soccerball shade.svg28'
Goldthwaite Yellow card.svg 45'
Rojas Yellow card.svg 64'
Leitch Yellow card.svg 90+4'
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 20,008
Referee: Jair Marrufo

MLS Cup

New York Red Bulls 1–3 Columbus Crew
Leitch Yellow card.svg 4'
Wolyniec Soccerball shade.svg51'
Moreno Soccerball shade.svg31'
Marshall Soccerball shade.svg53'
Padula Yellow card.svg 68'
Hejduk Soccerball shade.svg82'
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

Additional References

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