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.
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Tournament details | |
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Land | Vereinigte Staaten |
Teams | 8 |
Defending champions | Houston Dynamo |
Final positions | |
Champions | Columbus Crew (1st title) |
Runner-up | New York Red Bulls |
Semifinalists | |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 11 |
Goals scored | 25 (2.27 per match) |
Top goal scorer(s) | ![]() ![]() ![]() (2 goals each) |
Format
editAt 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
editConference standings
edit
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 50 | 36 | +14 | 57 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
2 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 44 | 33 | +11 | 46 | |
3 | New England Revolution | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 40 | 43 | −3 | 43 | |
4 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 42 | |
5 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 39 | |
6 | D.C. United | 30 | 11 | 15 | 4 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 37 | |
7 | Toronto FC | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 34 | 43 | −9 | 35 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 45 | 32 | +13 | 51 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
2 | Chivas USA | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 40 | 41 | −1 | 43 | |
3 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | 39 | +1 | 40 | |
4 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 11 | 14 | 5 | 44 | 45 | −1 | 38 | |
5 | FC Dallas | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 45 | 41 | +4 | 36 | |
6 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 55 | 62 | −7 | 33 | |
7 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 32 | 38 | −6 | 33 |
Overall standings
editPos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Columbus Crew (C, S) | 30 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 50 | 36 | +14 | 57 | CONCACAF Champions League |
2 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 45 | 32 | +13 | 51 | |
3 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 44 | 33 | +11 | 46 | North American SuperLiga |
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 | |
8 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 39 | CONCACAF Champions League |
9 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 11 | 14 | 5 | 44 | 45 | −1 | 38 | |
10 | D.C. United | 30 | 11 | 15 | 4 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 37 | CONCACAF Champions League |
11 | FC Dallas | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 45 | 41 | +4 | 36 | |
12 | Toronto FC | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 34 | 43 | −9 | 35 | CONCACAF Champions League[a] |
13 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 55 | 62 | −7 | 33 | |
14 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 32 | 38 | −6 | 33 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (S) Supporters' Shield
Notes:
- ^ As winners of the 2009 Canadian Championship
Bracket
editConference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup | |||||||||||||
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
editColumbus Crew | 1 – 1 | Kansas City Wizards |
---|---|---|
Padula 84' Lenhart 90+2' Carroll 90+3' |
[1] | Jewsbury 40' Arnaud 53' Gomez 75' |
Kansas City Wizards | 0 – 2 | Columbus Crew |
---|---|---|
Arnaud 39' Wahl 49' |
[2] | Evans 7' 63' Rogers 57' 66' Hejduk 87' Ekpo 90' |
Chicago Fire | 0 – 0 | New England Revolution |
---|---|---|
Soumare 16' Pause 59' Blanco 69' |
[3] | Mansally 42' Castro 73' |
New England Revolution | 0 – 3 | Chicago Fire |
---|---|---|
Albright 7' 83' Igwe 45+2' Joseph 53' |
[4] | Thorrington 36' Rolfe 45+2' Conde 47' Busch 62' Segares 74' |
Houston Dynamo | 1 – 1 | New York Red Bulls |
---|---|---|
Mullan 53' Kamara 85' |
[5] | Richards 29' Angel 37' 48' |
New York Red Bulls | 3 – 0 | Houston Dynamo |
---|---|---|
van den Bergh 5' Richards 25' Goldthwaite 28' Angel 36' (pen.) Sassano 45+2' Wolyniec 81' |
[6] | Robinson 62' Onstad 69' Mullan 73' |
Chivas USA | 0 – 1 | Real Salt Lake |
---|---|---|
Razov 66' Thomas 75' |
[7] | Williams 29' Beckerman 42' Movsisyan 90' |
Conference finals
editChicago Fire | 1–2 | Columbus Crew |
---|---|---|
Soumare 22' McBride 29' Segares 48' Prideaux 67' |
[9] | Marshall 49' Gaven 55' O'Rourke 57' Hesmer 90+2' |
New York Red Bulls | 1–0 | Real Salt Lake |
---|---|---|
van den Bergh 28' Goldthwaite 45' Rojas 64' Leitch 90+4' |
[10] |
MLS Cup
editNew York Red Bulls | 1–3 | Columbus Crew |
---|---|---|
Leitch 4' Wolyniec 51' |
Moreno 31' Marshall 53' Padula 68' Hejduk 82' |