2009 MLS Cup playoffs
|  | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States | 
| Teams | 8 | 
| Defending champions | Columbus Crew | 
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Real Salt Lake (1st title) | 
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Galaxy | 
| Semifinalists | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 11 | 
| Goals scored | 21 (1.91 per match) | 
| Attendance | 259,149 (23,559 per match) | 
| Top goal scorer(s) |  Landon Donovan  Robbie Findley (3 goals each) | 
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.
Format
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
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 31 | +10 | 49 | MLS Cup Playoffs | 
| 2 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 34 | +5 | 45 | |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 37 | −4 | 42 | |
| 4 | D.C. United | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 43 | 44 | −1 | 40 | |
| 5 | Toronto FC | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 37 | 46 | −9 | 39 | |
| 6 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 33 | |
| 7 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 5 | 19 | 6 | 27 | 47 | −20 | 21 | 
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 48 | MLS Cup Playoffs | 
| 2 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 48 | |
| 3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 47 | |
| 4 | Chivas USA | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 45 | |
| 5 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 40 | |
| 6 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 40 | |
| 7 | FC Dallas | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 39 | |
| 8 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 36 | 50 | −14 | 30 | 
Overall standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Crew (S) | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 31 | +10 | 49 | CONCACAF Champions League | 
| 2 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 48 | |
| 3 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 48 | North American SuperLiga | 
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 47 | CONCACAF Champions League | 
| 5 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 34 | +5 | 45 | North American SuperLiga | 
| 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 (C) | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 40 | CONCACAF Champions League | 
| 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 | CONCACAF Champions League | 
| 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 | 
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (S) Supporters' Shield
Bracket
| Conference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup | |||||||||||||
| 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 Crew | 0 – 1 | Real Salt Lake | 
|---|---|---|
| Carroll  19' | Report |  38' Beckerman  88' Findley | 
| Real Salt Lake | 3 – 2 | Columbus Crew | 
|---|---|---|
| Morales  37' Findley  45+2' (pen.) Olave  68' Williams  77' | Report |  17', 35' Barros Schelotto  48' O'Rourke  59' Moreno | 
Real Salt Lake advances 4–2 on aggregate.
| Chicago Fire | 1 – 2 | New England Revolution | 
|---|---|---|
| Rolfe  17' Husidic  90+3' | Report |  41' Alston  45+1' Osei  75' Joseph | 
| New England Revolution | 0 – 2 | Chicago Fire | 
|---|---|---|
| Mansally  17' Jankauskas  36' Larentowicz  85' | Report |  35' Thorrington  83' Blanco | 
Chicago Fire advances 3–2 on aggregate.
Western Conference
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 2 – 2 | Chivas USA | 
|---|---|---|
| Magee  14' Birchall  27' Donovan  41' | Report |  4' Santos  50' Galindo  81' Saragosa | 
| Chivas USA | 0 – 1 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 
|---|---|---|
| Talley  39' Thornton  72' Nagamura  79' Cuesta  79' Kljestan  90' | Report |  60' Franklin  73' (pen.) Donovan | 
Los Angeles Galaxy advances 3–2 on aggregate.
| Houston Dynamo | 0 – 0 | Seattle Sounders FC | 
|---|---|---|
| Onstad  16' Mullan  71' Chabala  75' | Report |  16' Montero  64' Alonso  68' Evans | 
| Seattle Sounders FC | 0 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Houston Dynamo | 
|---|---|---|
| Marshall  24' Riley  120' Ljungberg  120' | Report |  44' Chabala  93' Cameron  96' Ching | 
Houston Dynamo advances 1–0 on aggregate.
Conference finals
Eastern Conference
| Real Salt Lake | 0 – 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 | 
Real Salt Lake advances 5–4 on penalties.
Western Conference
| Houston Dynamo | 0 – 2 (a.e.t.) | Los Angeles Galaxy | 
|---|---|---|
| Mullan  26' Boswell  111' Landín  119' | Report |  77' Kovalenko  89' Donovan  103' Berhalter  109' (pen.) Donovan | 
Los Angeles Galaxy advances.
MLS Cup
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 1 – 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  | 
See also
References
- ^ "2009 MLS Playoff Guide" (PDF) (Press release). MLSNet.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2009. Retrieved October 29, 2009.