MLS Cup 2003

Last updated

MLS Cup 2003
MLS Cup 2003 logo.gif
Event MLS Cup
Chicago Fire San Jose Earthquakes
24
DateNovember 23, 2003
Venue Home Depot Center, Carson, California, US
Man of the Match Landon Donovan
(San Jose Earthquakes)
Referee Brian Hall
Attendance27,000
WeatherSunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
← 2002
2004 →

MLS Cup 2003 was the eighth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which took place on November 23, 2003. It was hosted at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, and was contested by the Chicago Fire and the San Jose Earthquakes to decide the champion of the 2003 season. Both teams had previously won the MLS Cup and were looking for their second championship.

Contents

San Jose defeated Chicago 4–2, clinching their second championship in three years; Landon Donovan scored two goals and was named the match's most valuable player. The match included a sequence of three goals scored within a five-minute period early in the second half and had the earliest goal scored in MLS Cup history, the competition's first own goal, and the first penalty kick awarded in a final. It was also the highest-scoring final, with six goals in total.

Venue

The Home Depot Center, host of MLS Cup 2003 and home of the Los Angeles Galaxy DHSP29MAY2021.png
The Home Depot Center, host of MLS Cup 2003 and home of the Los Angeles Galaxy

The under construction Home Depot Center was announced as the venue of MLS Cup 2003 on February 27, 2002, a week after CMGI Field in Foxborough, Massachusetts, was awarded the 2002 final. [1] The 27,000-seat stadium opened on June 7, 2003, as the centerpiece of a $140 million multi-sport complex in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson. [2] The Home Depot Center is a soccer-specific stadium that was built to primarily serve as the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy. [3] It also hosted several matches during the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup in September and October, including the final match. [4]

The 2003 edition was the second MLS Cup to be hosted in the Los Angeles area, following the 1998 cup at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, attended by 51,530 spectators. [1] The 2003 cup was attended by a sellout crowd of 27,000, including 500 San Jose Earthquakes supporters in the designated away section. [5] [6] The Home Depot Center was selected to host later MLS Cups in 2004, 2008, and 2011 before neutral venues for the final were abolished. [7] [8] The stadium, later renamed the StubHub Center, would go on to host the MLS Cup in 2012 and 2014. [9]

Road to the final

The MLS Cup is the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), a professional club soccer league based in the United States. The 2003 season was the eighth in the league's history and was contested by ten teams in two conferences. Each team played a total of 30 matches in the regular season from April to October, facing teams within their conference four times, outside of their conference two times, and playing an additional set of games against a non-conference team. [10] The playoffs ran entirely within November and was contested by the top four teams in each conference, a change from the 2002 playoffs. [11] It was organized into three rounds: a home-and-away series in the Conference Semifinals with a winner determined by aggregate score, followed by an overtime period and a penalty shootout if necessary; a single-match Conference Final; and the MLS Cup final. [12] [13]

MLS Cup 2003 was contested by the Chicago Fire, who also won the regular season's Supporters' Shield and the U.S. Open Cup, and the San Jose Earthquakes. Both teams had previously won the MLS Cup and finished at the top of their respective conferences in regular season play, separated by a single point. [14] The two teams had not previously met in the playoffs. [15] Chicago and San Jose played three matches in the regular season, which ended in two scoreless draws and a 4–1 victory in May for the Fire at San Jose's Spartan Stadium. [15] [16]

Chicago Fire

The Chicago Fire entered as one of the league's first two expansion teams in 1998, winning the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in their inaugural season. [17] [18] The team returned to the MLS Cup in 2000, losing to the Kansas City Wizards, and won the 2000 U.S. Open Cup. [19] The team finished the 2002 season as the third-placed seed in the Eastern Conference, its worst-ever performance, [20] and were eliminated by the New England Revolution in the Conference Semifinals. [21] The Fire had moved to Cardinal Stadium, a college venue in Naperville, Illinois, for the 2002 and 2003 seasons while Soldier Field was renovated. [22]

Dave Sarachan was hired to replace Bob Bradley as head coach and drafted several rookie players, including forwards Nate Jaqua and Damani Ralph, and new acquisitions to bolster the team's existing lineup while offloading expensive veteran players. [23] The Fire struggled with injuries to several starting players that led to several draws and losses early in the season, but scored key victories and won a Supporters' Shield title and the 2003 U.S. Open Cup. [20] [23] Sarachan was named MLS Coach of the Year prior to the MLS Cup final, where a win would clinch a treble for the first time in American soccer history. [20] [24]

Chicago entered the playoffs as top seed and faced D.C. United in the Conference Semifinals. The team won 4–0 on aggregate with back-to-back 2–0 wins and advanced to face New England in the Conference Finals. [25] The match, played at Soldier Field in Chicago, was scoreless after regulation time and advanced to overtime, where captain Chris Armas scored the golden goal in the 101st minute. [26] The Fire became the first team to reach an MLS Cup final without conceding a goal in the playoffs, earning three straight shutouts. [27]

San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes (originally the San Jose Clash) participated in the inaugural edition of the playoffs in 1996, but failed to qualify for four subsequent seasons. [28] [29] After finishing the 2000 season in last place, Frank Yallop was hired as the club's fifth head coach in 2001, taking the retiring Dominic Kinnear as his assistant. The team was bolstered by the acquisition of veteran defender Jeff Agoos, striker Dwayne De Rosario, and teenage forward Landon Donovan. [29] [30] The Earthquakes went on a 12-match unbeaten streak and won their first MLS Cup over the Los Angeles Galaxy, their in-state rivals. [28] [31] San Jose finished the 2002 season in second place, behind the Galaxy, but were eliminated by the Columbus Crew in the Conference Semifinals. [29] [32]

The Earthquakes acquired several rookie players in the 2003 SuperDraft, including midfielder Todd Dunivant, forward Jamil Walker, and goalkeeper Josh Saunders, capping a busy off-season that saw the departure of several veteran players. San Jose began the season with a six-match unbeaten streak and continued to stay atop the Western Conference standings despite injuries to several key players and absences due to national team call-ups. [33] The team held on to finish second overall behind the Chicago Fire with 51 points, with Landon Donovan leading the team's scoring with 12 goals and Pat Onstad setting new goalkeeping records for the club. [29] [34]

San Jose were paired with rivals Los Angeles in the Conference Semifinals and lost the away leg 2–0, conceding goals to Sasha Victorine and Carlos Ruiz after a half-time skirmish. [35] The Galaxy's extended their aggregate lead to 4–0 during the first 13 minutes of the second leg at Spartan Stadium on November 9, but the Earthquakes responded by scoring four unanswered goals to tie the match 4–4 on aggregate, including a last-minute header from defender Chris Roner. [36] San Jose clinched their series victory with a golden goal scored by substitute forward Rodrigo Faria in the 96th minute, [37] capping a comeback in what was called one of the greatest matches in MLS history. [38] [39] In the Conference Final against the Kansas City Wizards on November 15, San Jose conceded the first goal and rallied to equalize before trailing 2–1. Earthquakes midfielder Brian Mullan then equalized again and sent the match to overtime, where Landon Donovan scored a golden goal in the 117th minute. [40]

Summary of results

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
Chicago Fire Round San Jose Earthquakes
1st place in Eastern Conference
 
Pos.ClubPld.WLDPts.
1 Chicago Fire (SS)30157853
2 New England Revolution 30129945
3 MetroStars 301110942
4 D.C. United 301011939
5 Columbus Crew 301012838

Source: MLS

     Qualified for playoffs
      Supporters' Shield winner

 Regular season 1st place in Western Conference
 
Pos.ClubPld.WLDPts.
1 San Jose Earthquakes 30147951
2 Kansas City Wizards 301110942
3 Colorado Rapids 301112740
4 Los Angeles Galaxy 30912936
5 Dallas Burn 30619523

Source: MLS

     Qualified for playoffs

OpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg MLS Cup Playoffs OpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg
D.C. United 4–02–0 (A)2–0 (H)Conference Semifinals Los Angeles Galaxy 5–40–2 (A)5–2 ( a.e.t. ) (H)
New England Revolution 1–0 (H)Conference Final Kansas City Wizards 3–2 (H)

Broadcasting and entertainment

The MLS Cup final was televised in the United States on ABC in English and Spanish using secondary audio programming. English play-by-play commentary was provided by JP Dellacamera with color analysis by Ty Keough, reprising their roles at MLS Cup 2002. Play-by-play commentator Ernesto Motta returned from the previous cup's Spanish-language broadcast, working alongside color analyst Robert Sierra. ABC/ESPN provided a total of 20 cameras, including aerial coverage from a Goodyear Blimp. The match was also broadcast live on radio within the U.S. on Sports Byline USA in English and Radio Unica in Spanish, and on the American Forces Radio Network internationally. [41] The ABC broadcast earned a Nielsen rating of 0.6, the lowest figure recorded for an MLS Cup. [42]

The match's half-time show featured singer Michelle Branch, who performed her hit single "Breathe". [43] [44]

Match

Summary

San Jose forward Landon Donovan scored two goals and was named match MVP at MLS Cup 2003 LandonDonovan1.jpg
San Jose forward Landon Donovan scored two goals and was named match MVP at MLS Cup 2003

Referee of the Year Brian Hall was chosen to officiate the match and was previously the head referee at MLS Cup 1997. [27] At kickoff, set for 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time, the weather in Carson was sunny with a temperature of 71 °F (22 °C). [45] Both teams fielded their regular lineups arranged in a 4–4–2 formation. [46]

The Earthquakes kicked off the match and made a series of attacks that won them a free kick outside of the penalty box. After a faked shot by Jeff Agoos, Danish midfielder Ronnie Ekelund drove the ball past the defensive wall and scored the first goal of the final, tying the record for fastest MLS Cup goal. [47] Chicago had the majority of possession and chances in the first half, including two shots that were missed by striker Ante Razov and a poor touch by Damani Ralph, but eventually conceded a second goal to San Jose. [48] [49] An Earthquakes counter-attack in the 38th minute sprung Jamil Walker, who sent a through-pass to Landon Donovan, who sprinted pass several defenders and shot the ball past goalkeeper Zach Thornton. [50]

The second half opened with a sequence of three goals by both teams within five minutes, beginning with a short pass by Andy Williams to DaMarcus Beasley that was shot into the near side of the goal, cutting San Jose's lead to 2–1. [49] [51] Shortly after kickoff, a long overhead pass by Brian Mullan found Earthquakes midfielder Richard Mulrooney, who scored and restored the Earthquakes' two-goal lead. [52] The Fire continued to press for a second goal and earned a throw-in near San Jose's goal that led to a cross into the box by Evan Whitfield. The cross was deflected into the goal by Earthquakes defender Chris Roner, who had been substituted three minutes earlier, narrowing the team's lead to 3–2 in the 54th minute. [49] Roner then conceded a penalty kick to the Earthquakes two minutes later after a tackle from behind on Damani Ralph in the penalty area. [48] Ante Razov took the penalty kick, the first in MLS Cup history, [49] but it was saved by goalkeeper Pat Onstad with a dive to his right side to catch the ball. [52]

Razov attempted to score an equalizing goal in the 58th minute, taking a shot in front of Onstad that grazed the corner of the net. San Jose forward Jamil Walker suffered an injury and was replaced in the 60th minute by Dwayne DeRosario, who sized on a mis-cleared ball from Chicago ten minutes later and sent a cross into the box that was finished by Landon Donovan, giving the Earthquakes a 4–2 lead in the 71st minute. [49] With the goal, Donovan became the first player to score two goals in an MLS Cup. [52] A chance for Chicago to reduce San Jose's lead came from a cross by Ralph in the 82nd minute that rolled across the six-yard box, but the tap-in for Razov was missed and the ball continued out of bounds. [49] Ralph also had a chance to score a consolation goal in the third minute of stoppage time, a cross by Nate Jaqua that he headed wide in front of the goal. [48] Despite having fewer shots and corner kicks, the San Jose Earthquakes won the match 4–2 and earned their second championship in three years. [48]

Details

Chicago Fire 2–4 San Jose Earthquakes
Report
(Archived)
Home Depot Center , Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Brian Hall
GK18 Flag of the United States.svg Zach Thornton
DF3 Flag of the United States.svg Evan Whitfield
DF5 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Curtin Sub off.svg 81'
DF4 Flag of the United States.svg Carlos Bocanegra
DF20 Flag of the United States.svg Orlando Perez Sub off.svg 45'
MF16 Flag of Jamaica.svg Andy Williams Sub off.svg 70'
MF15 Flag of the United States.svg Jesse Marsch
MF14 Flag of the United States.svg Chris Armas (c)
MF7 Flag of the United States.svg DaMarcus Beasley
FW8 Flag of Jamaica.svg Damani Ralph
FW9 Flag of the United States.svg Ante Razov
Substitutes:
GK1 Flag of the United States.svg Curtis Spiteri
DF2 Flag of the United States.svg C. J. Brown
DF6 Flag of the United States.svg Kelly Gray Sub on.svg 45'
DF12 Flag of the United States.svg Logan Pause
MF21 Flag of the United States.svg Justin Mapp Sub on.svg 70'
MF22 Flag of Costa Rica.svg Jonathan Bolaños
MF24 Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Futagaki
FW11 Flag of the United States.svg Nate Jaqua Sub on.svg 81'
FW17 Flag of Botswana.svg Dipsy Selolwane
Manager:
Flag of the United States.svg Dave Sarachan
GK18 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Pat Onstad
DF16 Flag of the United States.svg Craig Waibel Yellow card.svg 15'Sub off.svg 51'
DF19 Flag of the United States.svg Troy Dayak
DF2 Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Robinson Yellow card.svg 54'
DF12 Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Agoos (c)
MF9 Flag of the United States.svg Brian Mullan
MF8 Flag of the United States.svg Richard Mulrooney
MF6 Flag of Denmark.svg Ronnie Ekelund
MF11 Flag of the United States.svg Manny Lagos Sub off.svg 70'
FW10 Flag of the United States.svg Landon Donovan
FW13 Flag of the United States.svg Jamil Walker Sub off.svg 60'
Substitutes:
GK1 Flag of the United States.svg Jon Conway
GK30 Flag of the United States.svg Josh Saunders
DF5 Flag of the United States.svg Ramiro Corrales
DF17 Flag of the United States.svg Todd Dunivant
MF7 Flag of the United States.svg Ian Russell Sub on.svg 70'
MF4 Flag of the United States.svg Chris Roner Sub on.svg 51'
FW14 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Dwayne De Rosario Sub on.svg 60'
FW15 Flag of the United States.svg Roger Levesque
FW22 Flag of Brazil.svg Rodrigo Faria
Manager:
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Frank Yallop

MLS Cup Most Valuable Player:
Flag of the United States.svg Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes)

Assistant referees:
Flag of the United States.svg Craig Lowry
Flag of the United States.svg Darren Engers
Fourth official:
Flag of the United States.svg Noel Kenny

Match rules

Statistics

Statistics [49]
Chicago FireSan Jose
Earthquakes
Goals scored24
Total shots2211
Shots on target107
Saves48
Corner kicks133
Fouls committed1714
Offsides43
Yellow cards02
Red cards00

Post-match

The San Jose Earthquakes became the second team in league history to win multiple MLS Cups, following D.C. United's three titles in the 1990s. [5] The six-goal 2003 final was the highest-scoring in MLS Cup history, beating the five-goal inaugural edition, and featured its earliest goal, its first own goal, and its first awarded penalty kick. [49] [51] The own goal and penalty kick were both caused by Earthquakes defender Chris Roner, who would undergo ankle surgery at the end of the season that ultimately led to the end of his playing career. [53] Landon Donovan became the first player to score multiple goals in an MLS Cup final and was named the match's most valuable player. [54] San Jose captain Jeff Agoos won his fifth MLS Cup, having played in six previous finals for the Earthquakes and D.C. United. [51]

San Jose qualified for the 2004 CONCACAF Champions' Cup as MLS Cup champions, while Chicago also qualified as Supporters' Shield champion. [55] The Earthquakes were eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champions Alajuelense, while the Fire were defeated by Deportivo Saprissa in the semifinals. [56] Both teams have yet to make an appearance at the MLS Cup final since 2003; [57] two years after the cup, the Earthquakes were placed on hiatus and replaced by the Houston Dynamo, who would win back-to-back MLS Cups in their first two seasons before San Jose was reinstated in 2008. [58] [59] The first domestic treble in MLS history was ultimately won in 2017 by Toronto FC. [60]

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  40. ↑ Killion, Ann (November 16, 2003). "Donovan's OT goal puts cup in reach". The Mercury News. p. C1.
  41. ↑ "MLS Cup 2003 Broadcast Set" (Press release). Major League Soccer. November 19, 2003. Archived from the original on November 22, 2003. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  42. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (December 4, 2012). "MLS Cup television ratings dip" . Soccer America. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Michelle Branch to Perform at 2003 MLS Cup Halftime Show" (Press release). Major League Soccer. November 12, 2003. Archived from the original on November 19, 2003. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  44. ↑ Castillo, Arielle (December 5, 2013). "MLS Cup 2015: a #TBT look at musical performers of Cups past". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  45. ↑ Stejskal, Sam (December 10, 2016). "Will Toronto FC vs. Seattle Sounders be the coldest MLS Cup on record?". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  46. ↑ Hernandez, Dylan (November 23, 2003). "After a baffling journey, Quakes at the doorstep". The Mercury News. p. C1.
  47. ↑ McCarthy, Jack (November 24, 2003). "Quakes steal Fire's thunder". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  48. 1 2 3 4 Goff, Steven (November 24, 2003). "Donovan Fills Up San Jose's Cup". The Washington Post . p. D4. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  49. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "San Jose Earns MLS Cup 2003 Title". Major League Soccer. November 23, 2003. Archived from the original on December 8, 2003. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  50. ↑ Padilla, Doug (November 24, 2003). "Leaky Fire falls in MLS Cup". Chicago Sun-Times.
  51. 1 2 3 Jones, Grahame L. (November 24, 2003). "Earthquakes Win MLS Cup". Los Angeles Times. p. D1. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  52. 1 2 3 Chapin, Dwight (November 24, 2003). "MLS Cup: Earthquakes rumble; Donovan, Onstad secure S.J.'s 2nd title". San Francisco Chronicle . p. C1. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  53. ↑ Freedman, Jonah (February 13, 2012). "What Ever Happened To ... Chris Roner". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  54. ↑ Peters, Ken (November 24, 2003). "Earthquakes win MLS Cup". Deseret News . Associated Press. p. D6. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  55. ↑ "Champions Cup". Los Angeles Times. December 30, 2003. p. D8.
  56. ↑ "Costa Rica impone su ley en la Concacaf" [Costa Rica imposes its law in CONCACAF] (in Spanish). FIFA.com. April 19, 2004. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  57. ↑ Reineking, Jim (December 7, 2017). "MLS Cup: Ranking every championship game". USA Today. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  58. ↑ Dell'Apa, Frank (November 17, 2007). "Garber paints a bright picture". The Boston Globe. p. E7. Retrieved November 16, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
  59. ↑ White, Joseph (November 19, 2007). "Houston parties after second MLS title". Santa Maria Times . p. B1.
  60. ↑ Boisvert, Nick (February 16, 2018). "After a record-setting season, TFC sets its sights on a Champions League title". CBC News. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
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