2009 MLS Cup Playoffs

The 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason to Major League Soccer's 2009 season. MLS Cup 2009 concluded the season on November 22, 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. Real Salt Lake won the Cup in penalties over the L.A. Galaxy.

2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
CountryUnited States
Teams8
Defending championsColumbus Crew
ChampionsReal Salt Lake (1st title)
Runners-upLos Angeles Galaxy
Semi-finalists
Matches played11
Goals scored21 (1.91 per match)
Top goal scorer(s) Landon Donovan
Robbie Findley
(3 goals each)
← 2008
2010 →

Format
Main article: MLS Cup Playoffs

At the 2009 season's end, the top two teams of each conference made the playoffs; in addition the clubs with the next four 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.[1]

Standings

Conference standings
Eastern Conference
Pos Club Pts GP W L T GF GA GD
1 Columbus Crew 49 30 13 7 10 41 31 +10
2 Chicago Fire 45 30 11 7 12 39 34 +5
3 New England Revolution 42 30 11 10 9 33 37 −4
4 D.C. United 40 30 9 8 13 43 44 −1
5 Toronto FC 39 30 10 11 9 37 46 −9
6 Kansas City Wizards 33 30 8 13 9 33 42 −9
7 New York Red Bulls 21 30 5 19 6 27 47 −20
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs (Wild Card)
Western Conference
Pos Club Pts GP W L T GF GA GD
1 Los Angeles Galaxy 48 30 12 6 12 36 31 +5
2 Houston Dynamo 48 30 13 8 9 39 29 +10
3 Seattle Sounders FC 47 30 12 7 11 38 29 +9
4 Chivas USA 45 30 13 11 6 34 31 +3
5 Real Salt Lake 40 30 11 12 7 43 35 +8
6 Colorado Rapids 40 30 10 10 10 42 38 +4
7 FC Dallas 39 30 11 13 6 50 47 +4
8 San Jose Earthquakes 30 30 7 14 9 36 50 −14
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs (Wild Card)

Overall standings
Pos Team Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts
1 Columbus Crew (SS, E1) 30 13 7 10 41 31 +10 49 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage 2
2 LA Galaxy (W1) 30 12 6 12 36 31 +5 48 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round 2
3 Houston Dynamo 30 13 8 9 39 29 +10 48 2010 North American SuperLiga 3
4 Seattle Sounders FC 30 12 7 11 38 29 +9 47 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round 2
5 Chicago Fire 30 11 7 12 39 34 +5 45 2010 North American SuperLiga 3
6 Chivas USA 30 13 11 6 34 31 +3 45
7 New England Revolution 30 11 10 9 33 37 −4 42
8 Real Salt Lake 30 11 12 7 43 35 +8 40 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage 2
9 Colorado Rapids 30 10 10 10 42 38 +4 40
10 D.C. United 30 9 8 13 43 44 −1 40
11 FC Dallas 30 11 13 6 50 47 +3 39
12 Toronto FC 30 10 11 9 37 46 −9 39 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round 1
13 Kansas City Wizards 30 8 13 9 33 42 −9 33
14 San Jose Earthquakes 30 7 14 9 36 50 −14 30
15 New York Red Bulls 30 5 19 6 27 47 −20 21
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 qualify for an automatic berth into the U.S. Open Cup, the next highest placed team not already qualified will be given a berth. Similarly, they cannot qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League through MLS. Rather, they can qualify through the Canadian Soccer Championship. If they qualify for the Champions League through MLS, then the highest placed team not already qualified will qualify.
  • ^Note 2 - The winner of the 2009 MLS Supporters' Shield (Columbus Crew) and the winner of MLS Cup 2009 (Real Salt Lake) qualified for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage. The runner-up of MLS Cup 2009 (Los Angeles Galaxy) and the winner of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup (Seattle Sounders) qualified for the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round.
  • ^Note 3 - SuperLiga 2010 berths are awarded to the top 4 finishing teams from MLS who do not qualify for Champions League (Houston, Chicago, Chivas USA and New England).

Bracket
  Conference Semifinals Conference Finals MLS Cup 2009
                             
E1 Columbus 0 2  
E4 Salt Lake 1 3  
  E4 Salt Lake (AET) (PEN) (0)5  
Eastern Conference
  E2 Chicago (0)4  
E3 New England 2 0
E2 Chicago 1 2  
  E4 Salt Lake (AET) (PEN) (1)5
  W1 Los Angeles (1)4
W1 Los Angeles 2 1  
W4 Chivas USA 2 0  
  W1 Los Angeles (AET) 2
Western Conference
  W2 Houston 0  
W3 Seattle 0 0
W2 Houston (AET) 0 1  

1 Real Salt Lake earned the eighth and final playoff berth, despite finishing fifth in the Western Conference. They represent the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, as only three teams in the Eastern Conference qualified for the playoffs.

Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference
Columbus Crew0 – 1Real Salt Lake
Carroll  19' Report  38' Beckerman
 88' Findley
Attendance: 11,499
Referee: Mark Geiger
Real Salt Lake3 – 2Columbus Crew
Morales  37'
Findley  45+2' (pen.)
Olave  68'
Williams  77'		 Report  17', 35' Barros Schelotto
 48' O'Rourke
 59' Moreno
Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 10,109
Referee: Silviu Petrescu

Real Salt Lake advances 4–2 on aggregate.

Chicago Fire1 – 2New England Revolution
Rolfe  17'
Husidic  90+3'		 Report  41' Alston
 45+1' Osei
 75' Joseph
Attendance: 7,416
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
New England Revolution0 – 2Chicago Fire
Mansally  17'
Jankauskas  36'
Larentowicz  85'		 Report  35' Thorrington
 83' Blanco
Attendance: 21,528
Referee: Alex Prus

Chicago Fire advances 3–2 on aggregate.

Western Conference
Los Angeles Galaxy2 – 2Chivas USA
Magee  14'
Birchall  27'
Donovan  41'		 Report  4' Santos
 50' Galindo
 81' Saragosa
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 25,218
Referee: Kevin Stott
Chivas USA0 – 1Los Angeles Galaxy
Talley  39'
Thornton  72'
Nagamura  79'
Cuesta  79'
Kljestan  90'		 Report  60' Franklin
 73' (pen.) Donovan
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Ricardo Salazar

Los Angeles Galaxy advances 3–2 on aggregate.

Houston Dynamo0 – 0Seattle Sounders FC
Onstad  16'
Mullan  71'
Chabala  75'		 Report  16' Montero
 64' Alonso
 68' Evans
Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 35,807
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Seattle Sounders FC0 – 1
(a.e.t.)		Houston Dynamo
Marshall  24'
Riley  120'
Ljungberg  120'		 Report  44' Chabala
 93' Cameron
 96' Ching
Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 27,465
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez

Houston Dynamo advances 1–0 on aggregate.

Conference Finals

Eastern Conference
Real Salt Lake0 – 0
(a.e.t.)		Chicago Fire
Morales  39'
Wingert  75'
Beckerman  99'
Johnson  110'		 Report Thorrington  92'
Prideaux  101'
Blanco  116'
Penalties
Mathis
Morales
Findley
Beckerman
Johnson
Espíndola
Grabavoy 		5 – 4 Blanco
McBride
Conde
Thorrington
Brown
Pause
Prideaux
Attendance: 21,723
Referee: Ricardo Salazar

Real Salt Lake advances 5–4 on penalties.

Western Conference
Houston Dynamo0 – 2
(a.e.t.)		Los Angeles Galaxy
Mullan  26'
Boswell  111'
Landín  119'		 Report  77' Kovalenko
 89' Donovan
 103' Berhalter
 109' (pen.) Donovan
Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 25,373
Referee: Terry Vaughn

Los Angeles Galaxy advances.

MLS Cup
See also: MLS Cup 2009
Los Angeles Galaxy1 – 1 (a.e.t.)Real Salt Lake
Birchall  39'
Magee  41'		 Report Johnson  14'
Findley  64'
Penalties
Beckham
Berhalter
Kirovski
Donovan
Magee
Klein
Buddle 		4 – 5 Mathis
Findley
Beckerman
Grabavoy
Williams
Wingert
Russell
Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 46,011
Referee: Kevin Stott

See also

References
  1. "2009 MLS Playoff Guide" (PDF) (Press release). MLSNet.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-23. Retrieved 2009-10-29.

{{2008–09 in North and Central America, and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF)}} {{2009–10 in North and Central America, and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF)}}

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