Event | MLS Cup | ||||||
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| |||||||
After extra time | |||||||
Date | November 13, 2005 | ||||||
Venue | Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas, US | ||||||
Man of the Match | Guillermo Ramírez (Los Angeles Galaxy) | ||||||
Referee | Kevin Stott | ||||||
Attendance | 21,193 | ||||||
Weather | Sunny, 75 °F (24 °C) | ||||||
MLS Cup 2005 was the 10th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS). The soccer match took place on November 13, 2005, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, near Dallas, and was contested between the New England Revolution and the Los Angeles Galaxy. It was a rematch of MLS Cup 2002 and ended in a repeat victory for Los Angeles, who won 1–0 on a goal scored by Guillermo Ramírez in extra time.
New England qualified as the top seed in the Eastern Conference with several players named to the MLS Best XI, while Los Angeles was the lowest-seeded playoff team and had rebuilt its roster in the offseason. Ramírez, who was brought in on loan from CSD Municipal, had scored no goals from open play despite 62 shots but was substituted into the MLS Cup final and scored the winning goal.
The match was hosted at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, the newly built home of FC Dallas. The 21,000-seat stadium was announced as the host on November 12, 2004. [1] It opened on August 6, 2005, and was the third major soccer-specific stadium to be built for an MLS team. The stadium cost $80 million to construct. [2] [3] The stadium sits at the center of a 145-acre (59 ha) complex with 17 soccer fields located near downtown Frisco, approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Downtown Dallas. [4] [5] Prior to the match, the league hosted pre-game festivities at nearby venues and parking lots, including events with FC Dallas players. [6] Pizza Hut Park (later renamed Toyota Stadium) would go on to host MLS Cup 2006, and the 2007 and 2016 finals of the U.S. Open Cup, which all featured the New England Revolution. [7] [8]
The MLS Cup is the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), a professional club soccer league in the United States. The 2005 season was the tenth in league history, and was contested by twelve teams divided into two conferences. Each club played 32 matches during the regular season from April 2 to October 16, facing each team twice and in-conference teams two additional times. [9] The playoffs, running from October 21 to November 13, were contested by the top four clubs in each conference. [10] It was organized into three rounds: a home-and-away series in the Conference Semifinals, a single-match Conference Final, and the MLS Cup final. [11]
The tenth MLS Cup was contested between the New England Revolution and Los Angeles Galaxy in a rematch of the 2002 final, which the Galaxy won 1–0. [12] It was the second time that an MLS Cup final featured a previous matchup. New England finished the regular season atop the Eastern Conference, while Los Angeles was the lowest-ever seed to play in the MLS Cup final after finishing eighth overall. [13] [14] The Galaxy and Revolution played twice in the regular season and both matches ended in 1–1 draws. [15]
New England Revolution made it to two consecutive Eastern Conference finals in 2003 and 2004 under head coach Steve Nicol, who was promoted from his interim role during the run to the 2002 final. The club drafted several young midfielders and forwards during the two seasons, including Pat Noonan, Shalrie Joseph, and Clint Dempsey, who helped replace retiring players or injured starters. [16] Dempsey was named Rookie of the Year for his performance in the 2004 season, scoring seven goals and finishing third on the team in scoring behind Noonan and Taylor Twellman. [17] [18] The Revolution finished tied with the Chicago Fire for the worst record in the league in 2004 and qualified for the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. [19] The team then defeated the Supporters' Shield-winning Columbus Crew 2–1 on aggregate in the Conference Semifinals. [20] They advanced to the Conference Final, drawing 3–3 with D.C. United after extra time and losing 4–3 in the resulting penalty shootout in the sudden death sixth round. [21]
The Revolution opened the 2005 season with an eleven-match unbeaten streak, including six consecutive wins, that propelled them to first place in the Eastern Conference. [16] [22] The team, however, lost its place atop the conference to Chicago by July due to key players being released for national team callups. [23] New England then regained its first-place spot, but lost several players in early August to injuries after playing five league and U.S. Open Cup matches in 15 days. [24] The Revolution finished the regular season with only two losses in their last nine matches, completing their best-ever season record. New England finished second in Supporters' Shield standings behind San Jose, but set new team records for wins, with 17, and a conference record for points, with 59. [16] [25] [26] Twellman's 17 goals earned him the MLS Golden Boot and the league's MVP award—a first for the Revolution. [27] Defender Michael Parkhurst earned the Rookie of the Year Award, while Twellman, Dempsey, and Joseph were named to the MLS Best XI. [28] [29]
New England opened the playoffs in the Conference Semifinals against the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, who clinched the 4th-seed berth on the last day of the season, mirroring the Revolution's performance in 2004. [30] The Revolution lost 1–0 in the first leg at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, [30] but advanced on aggregate score after a 3–1 victory at home in Massachusetts with three second-half goals. [31] In their fourth consecutive Eastern Conference final, New England faced the Chicago Fire at home and won 1–0 on a goal in the fourth minute by Clint Dempsey and a disallowed offside goal. [32] [33]
The Los Angeles Galaxy fired head coach Sigi Schmid midway through the 2004 season, only two years after leading them to their first cup title in 2002, despite the team's place at the top of the league. [34] His replacement for the remaining eight matches, former national team head coach Steve Sampson, [35] led the team into a second-place finish in the Western Conference with only two wins and seven goals scored. [36] After defeating the Colorado Rapids in the Conference Semifinals, the Galaxy ended their season with a 2–0 loss to the first-place Kansas City Wizards in the Western Conference Final. [37] [38]
The Galaxy rebuilt their roster ahead of the 2005 season, retaining only 12 of 28 players from the playoff run, and traded away Carlos Ruiz to FC Dallas to sign returning American forward Landon Donovan. [39] [40] Los Angeles began the season with only two losses in their first eleven matches, but national team callups and injuries led to winless streaks in July and August. [41] The Galaxy also participated in the U.S. Open Cup, which it won in September against FC Dallas. [42] The team finished the regular season with a 13–13–6 record, clinching the fourth seed in the Western Conference. [43]
In the Conference Semifinals, Los Angeles faced their in-state rivals and Supporters' Shield-winning San Jose Earthquakes, who had won in the two team's last playoff meeting 5–4 on aggregate in 2003. [44] The Galaxy won the first leg 3–1 at their home, with two goals from Donovan against his former club, and drew the away leg 1–1 to advance 4–2 on aggregate. [45] [46] Donovan then scored twice in Los Angeles's 2–0 over the Colorado Rapids in the Western Conference Final, sending the Galaxy to their fifth MLS Cup appearance. [47]
New England Revolution | Round | Los Angeles Galaxy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1st place in Eastern Conference
Source: MLS Qualified for playoffs | Regular season | 4th place in Western Conference
Source: MLS Qualified for playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | MLS Cup Playoffs | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MetroStars | 3–2 | 0–1 (A) | 3–1 (H) | Conference Semifinals | San Jose Earthquakes | 4–2 | 1–3 (H) | 1–1 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chicago Fire | 1–0 (H) | Conference Final | Colorado Rapids | 2–0 (A) |
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 Eric Wynalda, reprising their roles at MLS Cup 2004. [48] Brandi Chastain provided sideline reporting, while Rob Stone anchored the pre-game and halftime shows. The Spanish language broadcast was provided by ESPN Deportes and included commentary from Randall Alvarez and Eduardo Biscayart. The match was also streamed via internet radio on MLSnet.com. [49]
The match, referred by Kevin Stott, kicked off on a sunny day with temperatures of 75 °F (24 °C), at 12:30 p.m. Central Time. [50] [51] New England were named as the favorites heading into the MLS Cup, fielding an offensive lineup that was countered by Los Angeles's attacking midfielders. [52] The Galaxy began the match with several attacks, including a lobbed shot into the goal in the sixth minute by forward Herculez Gomez that was ruled offside. Chris Albright and Landon Donovan combined for an attempt in the 19th minute that drifted across the box. [51] The Revolution could not produce many attacks during the first half, with a lone shot near goal coming in the 29th minute on a missed header by Shalrie Joseph off a corner kick. [53] [54] The Galaxy had two more chances to take the lead during the first half, with Gomez missing a shot from 12 yards (11 m) in the 41st minute and Donovan's shot in stoppage time being saved by Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis. [55]
The Revolution began the second half with offensive pressure down the flanks, but failed to connect on crosses into the penalty area. New England's lone shot on goal during regulation time came from defender Jay Heaps in the 62nd minute, shooting into the hands of Los Angeles goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. [51] The Revolution substituted Pat Noonan for midfielder José Cancela, moving into a 4–2–2 with Twellman and Dempsey as strikers; [53] the Galaxy responded by bringing on midfielder Guillermo Ramírez for Ned Grabavoy in the 66th minute. [51] [56] The Galaxy had several chances to take a late lead, with a shot by Donovan in the 79th minute that was saved by Michael Parkhurst and an attempt by Gomez a minute later that passed over the goal. [51] Cobi Jones took the final regulation-time shot on goal for the Galaxy in the 83rd minute, which hit the crossbar of the goal. [51]
Cancela nearly gave New England a lead in the ninth minute of extra time, hitting a half-volley from 22 yards (20 m) that was deflected away from goal by Hartman. [53] The Revolution pressed along the wings for another chance, including a cross by Albright that was headed wide by Donovan. [51] The winning goal for the Galaxy was scored in the 17th minute of extra time by Ramírez, who received a deflection from Reis and volleyed it from outside the penalty area. [56] After the overtime's short halftime, the Revolution missed several shots on goal while looking for an equalizing goal, but left themselves open to counterattacks by the Galaxy. Two shots from Donovan and Gomez were saved from close range by Reis in the 25th minute of extra time, [51] shortly before Cancela's shot was deflected away from goal by defender Ugo Ihemelu in stoppage time. [53] [57] Los Angeles won their second MLS Cup title, with the same scoreline and scoreless regulation as their previous victory over New England in 2002. [56]
New England Revolution | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | Los Angeles Galaxy |
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Report | Ramírez 107' |
New England Revolution | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|
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MLS Cup Most Valuable Player: |
Assistant referees: |
The Los Angeles Galaxy became the third team in MLS history to win both an MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in the same season, following D.C. United in 1996 and the Chicago Fire in 1998. [58] Guillermo Ramírez was named the MLS Cup MVP for his performance, which contrasted with his struggles to score during the regular season. He attempted 62 shots from open play and was unable to convert. [59] The Galaxy declined to continue his loan and Ramírez returned the following season to CSD Municipal in Guatemala. [60] The match featured 10 yellow cards, doubling the previous MLS Cup record set in 2001, was the third to be decided by a single goal, and the second to be scoreless before overtime after the 2002 final. [50] [61] The match's attendance of 21,193 was a sellout crowd, and included hundreds of traveling supporters from New England and 100 employees brought by Revolution owner Robert Kraft, but remains the lowest for an MLS Cup final. [62] [63]
Both finalists qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2006 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, played during the following preseason against Costa Rican teams. The Galaxy lost 3–2 to Deportivo Saprissa, while the Revolution fell 1–0 to Alajuelense. [64] [65] The Revolution were also finalists in the next two MLS Cups, losing both to the Houston Dynamo (formed from the San Jose Earthquakes) on penalty kicks at Pizza Hut Park in 2006 and in regulation time at RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. in 2007. [66] [67] Los Angeles and New England would meet again in the 2014 final, which marked the Galaxy's fifth title and the Revolution's fifth loss. [68]
The Los Angeles Galaxy, more commonly known as the LA Galaxy, are an American professional men's soccer club based in Los Angeles. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began play in 1996 as one of the league's 10 charter members.
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inaugural season.
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference Final. The MLS Cup winner is awarded the title of league champion.
Taylor Timothy Twellman is an American former soccer player who played professionally from 1999 to 2010. He now works in the media as a soccer television commentator for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
MLS Cup 1996 was the inaugural edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-level soccer league of the United States. Hosted at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on October 20, 1996, it was contested by D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy to decide the champion of the 1996 season.
MLS Cup 1999 was the fourth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship soccer match of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-level soccer league of the United States. It took place on November 21, 1999, at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and was contested by D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy in a rematch of the inaugural 1996 final that had been played at the same venue. Both teams finished atop their respective conferences during the regular season under new head coaches and advanced through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
MLS Cup 2001 was the sixth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which took place on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It was contested by the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy, a pair of in-state rivals from California, to decide the champion of the 2001 season. San Jose won their first title, defeating Los Angeles 2–1 in overtime with a golden goal scored by Dwayne De Rosario in the 96th minute.
MLS Cup 2002 was the seventh edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which took place on October 20, 2002. It was hosted at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and contested by the New England Revolution and the Los Angeles Galaxy to decide the champion of the 2002 season. The Revolution, who were named hosts before the season, were playing in their first MLS Cup; Los Angeles had lost in all three of their previous cup appearances.
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.
MLS Cup 2004 was the ninth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which took place on November 14, 2004, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. It was contested between D.C. United and the Kansas City Wizards to decide the champion of the 2004 season. The two teams had qualified for the playoffs after seasons with mixed results that ended in top-two finishes in their respective conferences.
MLS Cup 2006 was the 11th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), and took place on November 12, 2006. It was contested between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo to decide the champion of the 2006 season. The match was played at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, which had hosted the previous cup.
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MLS Cup 2014 was the 19th edition of the MLS Cup, the match that determined the champion of Major League Soccer's 2014 season. The LA Galaxy of the Western Conference hosted the New England Revolution of the Eastern Conference. The soccer match was held at StubHub Center in Carson, California, as the Galaxy were awarded home advantage by finishing the regular season with more points than the Revolution. The Galaxy won 2–1 after extra time, winning their fifth MLS Cup title and also sending all-time U.S. national team goal scoring leader Landon Donovan into retirement with his sixth MLS Cup crown.
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The 2007 New England Revolution season was the twelfth season of the team's existence, and the third straight season to end in the MLS Cup Final. It began on April 7 with a 1–0 road loss against the Chicago Fire and ended on November 19 with a 2–1 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the finals of the MLS Cup, a repeat of the previous year's MLS Cup Final. It was the first season where the Revs won any domestic competition, as they were the 2007 US Open Cup champions.
The 2005 New England Revolution season was the tenth season for the New England Revolution both as a club and in Major League Soccer (MLS). The club reached the playoffs after finishing first in the Eastern Conference (MLS). The club also reached the MLS Cup final, where they lost to the LA Galaxy. Additionally, they club participated in the U.S. Open Cup, where they were eliminated in the round of 16.