2014 MLS Cup Playoffs

Last updated

2014 MLS Cup Playoffs
2014 MLS Cup Playoffs Logo.png
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Canada
Teams10
Defending champions Sporting Kansas City
Final positions
Champions LA Galaxy (5th title)
Runner-up New England Revolution
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Matches played15
Goals scored42 (2.8 per match)
Attendance354,455 (23,630 per match)
Scoring leader(s) Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Davies
Flag of England.svg Bradley Wright-Phillips
(4 goals each)
←  2013
2015  →

The 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs (branded as the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs presented by AT&T for sponsorship reasons) was the nineteenth post-season tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season. The tournament began in late October and culminated on December 7, 2014 with MLS Cup 2014, the nineteenth league championship for MLS.

Contents

The 2014 playoffs was the first time that the away goals rule was applied to the home-and-away, aggregate-goal series. [1] The first series impacted by the rule was a Western Conference semifinal that saw the Seattle Sounders advance past FC Dallas when the first match (held in Dallas) ended 1–1 and the second (held in Seattle) ended 0–0. [2]

LA Galaxy defeated New England Revolution 2–1 after extra time in the MLS Cup 2014, thus earning a spot in the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League.

Sporting Kansas City were the defending champions, but they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round by New York Red Bulls.

Format

The top five teams from both the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference qualified and are seeded in the MLS Playoffs to determine conference champions. The two conference champions will face off in the MLS Cup.

Knockout round

The fourth and fifth seeds in each conference play a single match hosted by the fourth seed, with the winner advancing to the conference semifinals. [3]

Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals

In the conference semifinals, the team with the best record in each conference plays the winner of their conference knockout round match while the second and third-seeded teams in each conference play one another. The teams winning the conference semifinal matches advance to their respective conference finals.

In these two rounds, all matches are played in a home-and-away aggregate-goal format, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. The first leg lasts the usual 90 minutes and can end in a tie. In the second leg, if the two teams are tied after 90 minutes (180 minutes total) then the team that scored more goals away from home advances to the next round.

If there is still a tie after the away goals rule is applied, a 30-minute overtime period (divided into two 15-minute periods) is played followed by a penalty kick shootout, if necessary. The away goals rule does not apply to goals scored in the overtime period. [3]

MLS Cup

The two conference champions face each other in the MLS Cup, a single match hosted by the team with the better regular season record. [3]

Qualification

Qualification for the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs was based on the results of the 2014 Regular Season. The five teams from each conference with the highest point totals were seeded into their conference playoff bracket.

The 2014 regular season ran from March 8, 2014 to October 26, 2014. Teams played 34 games total, 17 at home and 17 away and were awarded three points for a win, one point for a tie (draw), and zero points for a loss. When two or more teams have the same point totals, the following tiebreak rules were applied: [3] [4]

  1. Total number of wins
  2. Goal Differential
  3. Goals For
  4. Fewest Disciplinary Points in the official points table
  5. Road Goals Differential
  6. Road Goal For
  7. Home Goals Differential
  8. Home Goal For
  9. Coin Toss (2 clubs) or Drawing of Lots (3 or more)

Eastern Conference Table

PosTeam
PldWLTGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 D.C. United 3417985237+1559 Conference semifinals & 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League
2 New England Revolution 34171345137+1455 Conference semifinals
3 Columbus Crew SC 341410105242+1052
4 New York Red Bulls 341310115550+550 Knockout round
5 Sporting Kansas City 34141374841+749
6 Philadelphia Union 341012125151042
7 Toronto FC 34111584454−1041
8 Houston Dynamo 34111763958−1939
9 Chicago Fire 34610184151−1036
10 Montreal Impact 34618103858−2028
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) disciplinary points; 6) away goals scored; 7) away goal differential; 8) home goals scored; 9) home goal differential; 10) coin toss or drawing of lots.

Western Conference Table

PosTeam
PldWLTGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Seattle Sounders FC 34201046550+1564 Conference semifinals & 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League
2 LA Galaxy 34177106937+3261 Conference semifinals
3 Real Salt Lake 34158115439+1556
4 FC Dallas 34161265545+1054 Knockout round
5 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 34128144240+250
6 Portland Timbers 34129136152+949
7 Chivas USA 3491962961−3233
8 Colorado Rapids 3481884362−1932
9 San Jose Earthquakes 34616123550−1530
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) disciplinary points; 6) away goals scored; 7) away goal differential; 8) home goals scored; 9) home goal differential; 10) coin toss or drawing of lots.

Bracket

Knockout Conference Semifinals Conference Finals MLS Cup 2014
E1 D.C. United 0 2 2
E4 New York Red Bulls 2E4 New York Red Bulls 2 1 3
E5 Sporting Kansas City 1 Eastern Conference E4 New York Red Bulls 1 2 3
E2 New England Revolution 2 2 4
E2 New England Revolution 4 3 7
E3 Columbus Crew 2 1 3
E2 New England Revolution 1
W2 LA Galaxy (a.e.t.)2
W1 Seattle Sounders FC (a)1 0 1
W4 FC Dallas 2W4 FC Dallas 1 0 1
W5 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1 Western Conference W1 Seattle Sounders FC 0 2 2
W2 LA Galaxy (a)1 1 2
W2 LA Galaxy 0 5 5
W3 Real Salt Lake 0 0 0

Schedule

Knockout round

Eastern Conference

New York Red Bulls 2–1 Sporting Kansas City
Wright-Phillips Soccerball shade.svg77', 90' Report Dwyer Soccerball shade.svg53'
Attendance: 15,518
Referee: Armando Villarreal

Western Conference

FC Dallas 2–1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Akindele Soccerball shade.svg40'
Michel Soccerball shade.svg84' (pen.)		 Report Hurtado Soccerball shade.svg64'
Attendance: 10,279
Referee: Mark Geiger

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference

Columbus Crew 2–4 New England Revolution
Meram Soccerball shade.svg64'
Higuaín Soccerball shade.svg90+4' (pen.)		 Report Davies Soccerball shade.svg34', 78'
Tierney Soccerball shade.svg51'
Nguyen Soccerball shade.svg70'
Attendance: 9,040
Referee: Drew Fischer
New England Revolution 3–1 Columbus Crew
Nguyen Soccerball shade.svg43'
Gonçalves Soccerball shade.svg55'
Bunbury Soccerball shade.svg77'		 Report Tchani Soccerball shade.svg69'
Attendance: 20,184
Referee: Armando Villarreal

New England Revolution won 7–3 on aggregate

D.C. United 2–1 New York Red Bulls
DeLeon Soccerball shade.svg37'
Franklin Soccerball shade.svg90+1'		 Report Luyindula Soccerball shade.svg57'
Attendance: 20,187
Referee: Ismail Elfath

New York Red Bulls advanced 3–2 on aggregate

Western Conference

Real Salt Lake 0–0 LA Galaxy
Report
Attendance: 20,713
Referee: Silviu Petrescu
LA Galaxy 5–0 Real Salt Lake
Donovan Soccerball shade.svg10', 54', 72'
Keane Soccerball shade.svg20'
Sarvas Soccerball shade.svg63'		 Report
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Los Angeles Galaxy advanced 5–0 on aggregate

FC Dallas 1–1 Seattle Sounders FC
Michel Soccerball shade.svg34' (pen.) Report Alonso Soccerball shade.svg54'
Attendance: 16,112
Referee: Allen Chapman
Seattle Sounders FC 0–0 FC Dallas
Report
Attendance: 38,912
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

Seattle Sounders FC advanced on an away goal

Conference Finals

New England Revolution 2–2 New York Red Bulls
Davies Soccerball shade.svg41', 70' Report Cahill Soccerball shade.svg26'
Luyindula Soccerball shade.svg52'
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Attendance: 32,698
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

New England Revolution advanced 4–3 on aggregate

LA Galaxy 1–0 Seattle Sounders FC
Sarvas Soccerball shade.svg52' Report
StubHub Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Kevin Stott
Seattle Sounders FC 2–1 LA Galaxy
Evans Soccerball shade.svg26'
Dempsey Soccerball shade.svg32'		 Report Juninho Soccerball shade.svg54'
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 46,758
Referee: Jair Marrufo

Los Angeles Galaxy advanced on an away goal

MLS Cup

LA Galaxy 2–1 (a.e.t.) New England Revolution
Zardes Soccerball shade.svg52'
Keane Soccerball shade.svg111'		 Report Tierney Soccerball shade.svg79'
StubHub Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Mark Geiger

Goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals [6]
1 Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Davies New England Revolution4
Flag of England.svg Bradley Wright-Phillips New York Red Bulls
3 Flag of the United States.svg Landon Donovan LA Galaxy3
Flag of France.svg Péguy Luyindula New York Red Bulls
5 Flag of the United States.svg Teal Bunbury New England Revolution2
Flag of Ireland.svg Robbie Keane LA Galaxy
Flag of the United States.svg Lee Nguyen New England Revolution
Flag of Brazil.svg Michel FC Dallas
Flag of Brazil.svg Marcelo Sarvas LA Galaxy
Flag of the United States.svg Chris Tierney New England Revolution
11 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tesho Akindele FC Dallas1
Flag of Cuba.svg Osvaldo Alonso Seattle Sounders FC
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Cahill New York Red Bulls
Flag of the United States.svg Nick DeLeon D.C. United
Flag of the United States.svg Clint Dempsey Seattle Sounders FC
Flag of England.svg Dom Dwyer Sporting Kansas City
Flag of the United States.svg Brad Evans Seattle Sounders FC
Flag of the United States.svg Sean Franklin D.C. United
Flag of Portugal.svg José Gonçalves New England Revolution
Flag of Argentina.svg Federico Higuaín Columbus Crew
Flag of the United States.svg Erik Hurtado Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Flag of the United States.svg Jermaine Jones New England Revolution
Flag of Brazil.svg Juninho LA Galaxy
Flag of Iraq.svg Justin Meram Columbus Crew
Flag of Cameroon.svg Tony Tchani Columbus Crew
Flag of the United States.svg Gyasi Zardes LA Galaxy

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Major League Soccer to introduce away-goals rule for first time in 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs". Major League Soccer. March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  2. ↑ Itel, Dan (November 10, 2014). "Seattle Sounders 0, FC Dallas 0 - MLS Cup Playoffs Match Recap". Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Competition Rules and Regulations". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ Bonn, Kyle (March 7, 2014). "MLS releases new playoff tiebreakers and salary regulations". NBC Sports ProSoccerTalk. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "MLS 2014 Playoff Schedule". Major League Soccer. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Major League Soccer Stats: Top Goal Scorers – 2014". ESPN FC. ESPN. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
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