2008 MLS Cup Playoffs

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.

2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
CountryUnited States
Teams8
Defending championsHouston Dynamo
ChampionsColumbus Crew (1st title)
Runners-upNew York Red Bulls
Semi-finalists
Matches played11
Goals scored25 (2.27 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Juan Pablo Ángel
Chad Marshall
John Wolyniec
(2 goals each)
← 2007
2009 →

Format
Main article: MLS Cup Playoffs

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
Eastern Conference
Pos Club Pts GP W L T GF GA GD
1 Columbus Crew 57 30 17 7 6 50 36 +14
2 Chicago Fire 46 30 13 10 7 44 33 +11
3 New England Revolution 43 30 12 11 7 40 43 –3
4 Kansas City Wizards 42 30 11 10 9 37 39 –2
5 New York Red Bulls 39 30 10 11 9 42 48 –6
6 D.C. United 37 30 11 15 4 43 51 –8
7 Toronto FC 35 30 9 13 8 34 43 –9
2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
2008 MLS Cup Playoffs (Wild Card)
Western Conference
Pos Club Pts GP W L T GF GA GD
1 Houston Dynamo 51 30 13 5 12 45 32 +13
2 Chivas USA 43 30 12 11 7 40 41 –1
3 Real Salt Lake 40 30 10 10 10 40 39 +1
4 Colorado Rapids 38 30 11 14 5 44 45 –1
5 FC Dallas 36 30 8 10 12 45 41 +4
6 LA Galaxy 33 30 8 13 9 55 62 –7
7 San Jose Earthquakes 33 30 8 13 9 32 38 –6
2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
2008 MLS Cup Playoffs (Wild Card)

Overall standings
Pos Team Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
1 Columbus Crew (SS, E1) 30 17 7 6 50 36 +14 57 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage 2
2 Houston Dynamo (W1) 30 13 5 12 45 32 +13 51
3 Chicago Fire 30 13 10 7 44 33 +11 46 2009 North American SuperLiga 4
4 Chivas USA 30 12 11 7 40 41 −1 43
5 New England Revolution 30 12 11 7 40 43 −3 43
6 Kansas City Wizards 30 11 10 9 37 39 −2 42
7 Real Salt Lake 30 10 10 10 40 39 +1 40 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
8 New York Red Bulls 30 10 11 9 42 48 −6 39 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round 3
9 Colorado Rapids 30 11 14 5 44 45 −1 38
10 D.C. United 30 11 15 4 43 51 −8 37 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round 3
11 FC Dallas 30 8 10 12 45 41 +4 36
12 Toronto FC 30 9 13 8 34 43 −9 35
13 LA Galaxy 30 8 13 9 55 62 −7 33
14 San Jose Earthquakes 30 8 13 9 32 38 −6 33
Source:

(SS) = Supporters Shield winner; (E1) = Eastern Conference champion; (W1) = Western Conference champion

  • ^Note 1 - Toronto FC cannot qualify for the U.S. Open Cup, as it is a Canadian-based team.
    If they had qualified for an automatic berth into the U.S. Open Cup, the next highest placed team not already qualified would have qualified.
  • ^Note 2 - Toronto FC cannot qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League through MLS. Rather, they can qualify through the Canadian Soccer Championship.
    If they had qualified for the Champions League through MLS, then the highest placed team not already qualified would have qualified.
  • ^Note 3 - The winner of the 2008 MLS Supporters' Shield (Columbus Crew) qualified for the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage. As they also won MLS 2008, the 2008 MLS Supporters' Shield runner-up (Houston Dynamo) also entered the Group Stage. The runner-up of MLS Cup 2008 (New York Red Bulls) and the winner of the 2008 U.S. Open Cup (D.C. United) qualified for the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round.
  • ^Note 4 - SuperLiga 2009 berths are awarded to the top 4 finishing teams from MLS who do not qualify for Champions League (Chicago, New England, Chivas USA and Kansas City).

Bracket
  Conference Semifinals Conference Finals MLS Cup 2008
                             
E1 Columbus 1 2  
E4 Kansas City 1 0  
  E1 Columbus 2  
Eastern Conference
  E2 Chicago 1  
E3 New England 0 0
E2 Chicago 0 3  
  E1 Columbus 3
  W4 New York 1
W1 Houston 1 0  
W4 New York 1 3  
  W4 New York 1
Western Conference
  W3 Salt Lake 0  
W3 Salt Lake 1 2
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 Crew1 – 1Kansas City Wizards
Padula  84'
Lenhart  90+2'
Carroll  90+3'		 Jewsbury  40'
Arnaud  53'
Gomez  75'
Community America Ballpark, Kansas City, Kansas
Attendance: 10,385
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Kansas City Wizards0 – 2Columbus Crew
Arnaud  39'
Wahl  49'		 Evans  7'  63'
Rogers  57'  66'
Hejduk  87'
Ekpo  90'
Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 11,153
Chicago Fire0 – 0New England Revolution
Soumare  16'
Pause  59'
Blanco  69'		 Mansally  42'
Castro  73'
Attendance: 5,221
Referee: Alex Prus
New England Revolution0 – 3Chicago Fire
Albright  7'  83' 
Igwe  45+2'
Joseph  53'		 Thorrington  36'
Rolfe  45+2'
Conde  47'
Busch  62'
Segares  74'
Attendance: 17,312
Referee: Jair Marrufo
Houston Dynamo1 – 1New York Red Bulls
Mullan  53'
Kamara  85'		 Richards  29'
Angel  37'  48'
Attendance: 11,578
Referee: Kevin Stott
New York Red Bulls3 – 0Houston Dynamo
van den Bergh  5'
Richards  25'
Goldthwaite  28'
Angel  36' (pen.)
Sassano  45+2'
Wolyniec  81'		 Robinson  62'
Onstad  69'
Mullan  73'
Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 30,053
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Chivas USA0 – 1Real Salt Lake
Razov  66'
Thomas  75'		 Williams  29'
Beckerman  42'
Movsisyan  90'
Attendance: 14,719
Real Salt Lake2 – 2Chivas USA
Mathis  10'
Borchers  30'
Kovalenko  39'  42'
Morales  77'		 Nagamura  22'
Kljestan  30' (pen.)
Bornstein  60'
Braun  83'
Razov  86'
Thomas  90+1'
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 19,256

Conference finals
Chicago Fire1–2Columbus Crew
Soumare  22'
McBride  29'
Segares  48'
Prideaux  67'		 Marshall  49'
Gaven  55'
O'Rourke  57'
Hesmer  90+2'
Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 14,688
Referee: Terry Vaughn
New York Red Bulls1–0Real Salt Lake
van den Bergh  28'
Goldthwaite  45'
Rojas  64'
Leitch  90+4'
Attendance: 20,008
Referee: Jair Marrufo

MLS Cup
See also: MLS Cup 2008
New York Red Bulls1–3Columbus Crew
Leitch  4'
Wolyniec  51'		 Moreno  31'
Marshall  53'
Padula  68'
Hejduk  82'
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

Additional References
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