MLS Cup
Encyclopedia
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer
, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States
and Canada
. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs
, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues. The MLS Cup finalists are awarded CONCACAF Champions' League berths—the winner earning a spot in the group stage while the runner-up starts in the preliminary round.
On October 20, 1996, the league hosted its inaugural championship, MLS Cup '96. Today the MLS Cup is typically held in late November featuring the winners of the Eastern Conference Championship and Western Conference Championship. The cup champions have been awarded the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy since 2008 while the years prior saw two versions of the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy presented to winners.
has won the MLS Cup the most with four league titles followed by Los Angeles Galaxy
's three. New England Revolution
has been to the final the most times without winning with four appearances, three of which were consecutive.
For the first few MLS Cup finals, the championship was dominated by D.C. United
, who appeared in the first four MLS Cup finals, winning three of them. The inaugural MLS Cup, MLS Cup '96 was the first MLS Cup championship match, featuring United and Los Angeles Galaxy
. The inaugural match had the Galaxy take an early 1–0 lead, and double in early in the second half. However, their lead was relinquished towards the end of the match when Tony Sanneh
pulled one back in the 72nd minute. Nine minutes later, Shawn Medved
tied the match at two, resulting in extra time between the two sides. Four minutes into extra time, Eddie Pope
gave United the golden goal
victory.
In 1997, the second league cup final was contested at RFK Stadium
, where United won back-to-back titles, a feat that would not be accomplished for another decade (when Houston Dynamo
won the 2006 and 2007 finals). The game ended 2–1 in United's favor over Colorado Rapids
, who would not win a championship until 2010
. Jaime Moreno
was declared Man of the Match
for his goal in the 37th minute of play. This season was also the first time in league history any MLS team won the regular season (Supporters' Shield
) and postseason title in the same season.
D.C. United's run ended the third year, when they made an unprecedented third run to the MLS Cup finals, only to lose to the expansion-side Chicago Fire by a margin of two-nil. However the following year, United repeated their "double" of winning both the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup the same season. This time, it was a 2–0 win over the Galaxy in the 1999 MLS Cup final.
final saw a new club reach the finals along with the Fire. This time the Kansas City Wizards won their only MLS Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Fire.
From 2001 through 2004, the MLS Cup finals saw a rising of the California Clasico
when stateside rivals, L.A. Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes
clashed together in the 2001 final. The match also saw the rise of U.S. national Landon Donovan
who won a Newcomer of the Year award and tallied the equalizer in the Earthquakes 2-1 championship victory over the Galaxy. Additionally, the win prevented the Galaxy from a MLS title for the third time in their history.
With the largest crowd in MLS Cup history at hand, the New England Revolution took on the Galaxy in the 2002 finals. For the match, over 61,000 fans were in attendance at Gillette Stadium
to witness the final. In the second period of sudden-death extra time, the Galaxy nabbed their first MLS Cup title, and sparked the start of a string of MLS Cup losses for the Revolution.
The 2003 final saw the league leaders for that season go head-to-head. Two clubs that had MLS Cup experience, the Fire and Earthquakes, played for the final that year. The two clubs had successful regular season campaigns with the Fire winning their first ever Supporters' Shield, and the Earthquakes being the Western Conference regular season and post-season champions as well as having the second best overall regular season record. In a hotly contested match, the Earthquakes won with their second MLS Cup title with a 4–2 score making it the highest scoring MLS Cup final in league history (six goals).
After a four-year absence, United made their fifth trip to the MLS Cup final, playing against the Wizards for MLS Cup 2004
. The match had four goals scored in the first 25 minutes, with United rallying for a 3–1 lead. Midway through the second half, United had relinquished a penalty kick. Josh Wolff
scored for Kansas City, bringing the game within a goal. DC United was able to retain the lead, by winning their fourth MLS Cup title, by a score of 3–2.
championship, the match was won by the Los Angeles Galaxy
, who won the league title by having a 9th-place overall record. Consequently, the Wizards had a better record, but did not qualify for the playoffs because they finished 5th in the Eastern Conference, in spite of a 8th-place overall record. The result prompted MLS to create new wild-cards that were used starting in 2006, where only a certain number of clubs per conference could qualify, and the next best overall teams regardless of conference would also qualify. In itself, began prompted debates about the league switching to a single table and a balanced schedule. The single table has yet been instituted, but in 2010 the league instituted a balanced schedule.
At the start of the 2006 season, MLS created their version of the scudetto (Italian
: "small shield"), a symbol worn on the jersey by the team who won the previous season's Serie A
(the top Italian league). The idea was originally drawn up in 1996, but to be worn by the Supporters' Shield
champions.
The MLS scudetto was originally a curved, triangular badge featuring a backdrop of the American flag behind a replica of the Alan I. Rothenberg MLS Cup trophy. First worn by Los Angeles Galaxy
following their 2005 MLS Cup
title, the Houston Dynamo wore the same triangular scudettos in 2006 and 2007 during their duel-cup run. It was redesigned for the 2008 season after the change to the MLS Cup trophy. It is now an oval-shaped black badge with the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy in the middle. The MLS scudetto is worn by the winning team the season following the victory. It is only during the subsequent season (two years after winning the championship), that the team adds a star
— a common soccer signifier of titles won — above the team logo. The team can display the star on other items beside their jersey in the year after winning the Cup, but only if the scudetto is not shown. The Columbus Crew
was the first team to wear the redesigned scudetto.
Whilst the Galaxy earned their second MLS Cup trophy, and the Houston Dynamo earned consecutive cups, the New England Revolution went on an infamous run of making three consecutive MLS Cup finals, losing all of them in the process. Each of their three losses were in extra time, while the other was lost on penalty kickss. The infamy gave the club the title of being the Buffalo Bills
(an NFL American football team) of MLS. In the 2005 final, they lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy, a rematch of 2002, in the final. Held at Pizza Hut Park
in Frisco, Texas
, the Galaxy defeated the Revolution by a scoreline of 1–0 thanks to a 105th-minute extra time goal from Galaxy midfielder and Guatemalan
international, Guillermo Ramírez
. Ramírez's goal sealed the Galaxy's second MLS Cup title, and left the Revs searching once again.
In 2006, the championship was once again played in Frisco at Pizza Hut Park. This time the Revolution took on new expansion-club, Houston Dynamo
. Both were coming off a successful season, in which they fell short of winning the Supporters' Shield. A sellout crowd of 22,427 observed the match, which is to date the largest crowd in the stadium's history. Revolution midfielder Taylor Twellman
scored a dramatic extra time goal in the 113th minute to give the Revolution the 1–0 lead. However, Dynamo captain and forward Brian Ching
immediately tied the score following the Revolution's goal. Because of this, the match went to penalties, in which the Dynamo managed to win 4–3 on penalties. This left the Revolution for a second-consecutive year searching for league glory. It was also the first time in league history that a club made the MLS Cup final and lost consecutively.
With a slew of new, unprecedented firsts appearing the MLS Cup final, another first arrived. In the 2007 final, the Revolution and Dynamo played each other once again for the 2007 cup. Played in Washington, D.C.
at RFK Stadium, a crowd just shy of 40,000 was on hand to witness the championship. The announced crowd of 39,859 made it the largest MLS Cup crowd since 2002. The Revolution had a successful season, earning their first U.S. Open Cup title. In spite of winning the cup, the Revolution wanted their first ever MLS Cup crown, and wanted to win their first ever "Double" in club history. Houston, finishing just shy once again to D.C. United
of winning the MLS Supporters' Shield
were determined to finish their second season with some hardware, and to defend their MLS Cup title. The match went in the Revolution's favor early on, as the Revolution's captain, Twellman, netted in the 20th minute to give New England a 1-0 lead. However, midway through the second half, the Dynamo retaliated. Dynamo striker Joseph Ngwenya
leveled things at one apiece in the 61st minute, and MLS Cup Man of the Match, Dwayne De Rosario
gave the Dynamo a 2-1 lead in the 74th. The goal also proved to be the winning goal, as the Dynamo earned the first back-to-back MLS Cup titles since D.C. United
did so in 1996 and 1997.
season, the league announced that the championship would be returning to The Home Depot Center
. Throughout the regular season, the league was dominated by Columbus Crew
, who finished the season with 57 points, and secured the Supporters' Shield title with three matches remaining before the 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
. Traditionally, the Shield winners only rarely made it to the league championship, in spite of usually being the heavy favorites going into the playoffs. However, for the first time in eight years, a regular season champion made it to the MLS Cup final. The Sigi Schmid
-led club made their first ever run to the championship, along with their opponents the New York Red Bulls. For the Crew, being the Shield winners, their run to the final was a bit expected. The Red Bulls making the final was seen as a large surprise, possibly even a fluke. The Red Bulls did not qualify for the playoffs until the last day of the season, where they were the weakest team, in terms of regular season record, to qualify for the playoffs. The match ended up being dominated by the Crew as Columbus defeated New York with ease, 3-1. The point gap between the two clubs was the largest in history, and the scoreline between the two clubs made it tied for the largest margin of victory in MLS Cup history. New York's run to the finals was further emphasized as a fluke when the club had the worst record in 2009.
The following championship saw two intra-conference clubs meet in the final for the second consecutive year. The Western Conference regular season and postseason champions, Los Angeles Galaxy
took on Real Salt Lake
, who finished fifth in the West. Held in Seattle's Qwest Field
, the Sounders FC management originally planned on capping the total available seat size to 35,700. In spite of surging demand, an addition 10,000 seats were opened expanding the total capacity to roughy 45,700, though the announced crowd was 46,011. The crowd size was the first championship crowd since 2002 to draw over 45,000 spectators. Televised on ESPN
, it was the first time that the MLS championship match was televised on the cable network after the first thirteen were carried on ABC
. In the 41st minute, Galaxy striker Mike Magee
scored, only for Salt Lake's Robbie Findley
to tie it in the 61st. The stalemate was not broken in regulation nor extra time, requiring penalties to decide the match. Thanks to a strike from Salt Lake's Robbie Russell
, Salt Lake won their first major trophy. Subsequent to the championship, they made it to the finals of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League
, only to lose to Monterrey of Mexico.
At the 2010 season's end, six teams from the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs, whereas only two clubs from the East qualified, making it the largest disparity between the two conferences in league history. Because of the league's seeding at the time, where the conference winners earn the top seeds, the two weakest Western Conference teams, San Jose Earthquakes
and Colorado Rapids
were seeded against the Eastern Conference champion, New York Red Bulls and runner-up Columbus Crew
, respectively. Some cited this as an unfair advantage for the Rapids and Earthquakes, as both teams made the semifinals. In the end, the Rapids played FC Dallas for MLS Cup 2010
at won 2–1 in extra time.
would be at Los Angeles' The Home Depot Center
making it the fourth time in MLS history the venue would host the championship. On November 19, the day before the 2011 final, MLS announced that future finals would be held at the home field of the top remaining seed.
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.
At the 2009 and 2010 season's end, the top two teams of each conference made the playoffs; in addition the clubs with the next 4 highest point totals, regardless of conference, were added to the playoffs. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate (total) 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.
The format for the 2011 playoffs was announced on February 23, 2011. The top three clubs in each of the league's two conferences earned the six automatic spots in the quarterfinals. The wild-card entrants, seeded seventh through tenth, entered based upon their overall position in a single table of the league standings. The new format was assembled so that the weakest seed to qualify out of the wild-card rounds had to play the Supporters' Shield
winner. The other entrant played the conference champion that did not win the Shield.
The play-ins proper were single matches, with the higher seeded club playing at their home field. The quarterfinals, or the "conference semifinals," were two-leg aggregate series.
The semifinal fixtures, or the "conference championships," were single matches at the field of the higher seed; the cup final
was at a predetermined venue.
Starting with the 2012 season, the playoff structure will be further tweaked. While the number of playoff teams will remain at 10, the "wild cards" will disappear. Instead, the top five teams in each conference will qualify. The #4 seed in each conference will host the #5 seed in a single match for a place in the conference semifinals against the top seed in its conference. The conference semifinals will remain two-legged, while the conference finals will change from a single match to a two-leg aggregate series. Finally, the MLS Cup final will be held at the home field of the finalist with the highest point total during the regular season.
. The next closest is the Washington, D.C. metro area
, which has hosted three finals, all of which have been played at RFK Stadium
.
Through the 2011 season
every MLS Cup had been played at a predetermined site (i.e., announced before the playoff participants were known). On the day before the 2011 Cup, MLS announced that starting in 2012, Cup finals will be hosted by the participant with the highest point total during the regular season.
Only three times in league history has a club played in the championship in their home stadium, all of which were a virtue of coincidence. In the 1997 MLS Cup final, D.C. United
won the match in their home stadium over Colorado Rapids
, RFK Stadium
. The same occurrence applied in the 2002 MLS Cup
final, where the Los Angeles Galaxy
defeated the New England Revolution
1-0, in the Revolution's home stadium Gillette Stadium
. As a result, the 1997 and 2002 MLS Cup finals have drawn the largest crowds in MLS Cup history.
And in 2011, the LA Galaxy won their 2011 MLS Cup
match in their home stadium (Home Depot Center), 1-0, over the Houston Dynamo
. The Galaxy became the 2nd team (and first since D.C. United
in 1997) to win the Cup at home.
Through the 2011 season, MLS typically announced the championship location either prior to the start of its respective season, or even a few weeks into the campaign. For the 2011 championship
, the league selected The Home Depot Center
in Carson, California
, making it an unprecedented fourth time, the league's championship has been hosted at the venue.
Unlike the NFL
, which traditionally disallows stadiums in climates cooler than 50°F (10°C) to host their championship, MLS has no such criterion for a host candidate. Some suggest that this is because the MLS Cup final is normally played in mid-November
, whereas the Super Bowl is played in late-January/early-February. In fact, the first two MLS Cup finals were played in temperatures less than 50°F (10°C).
To date, the coldest MLS Cup final was the most recent, the 2010 championship
. Played in Toronto
at Toronto FC
's BMO Field
, the temperature was 44°F (7°C). The warmest MLS Cup final was the 2005 MLS Cup
final, which was played in Frisco, Texas
at FC Dallas
's Pizza Hut Park
.
The 2010 edition of the MLS Cup was the first final in league history to be played outside of the United States. The match was played in Canada
at Toronto
's BMO Field
, the home ground of MLS club Toronto FC
.
italics indicate a stadium that is now inactive.
Before the actual award presentation, the finalists are awarded with silver medals with the league's logo imprinted on the them. The champions are then presented with gold medals, before the trophy is handed to the winning team's captain.
In cup history, the MLS Cup champions have been awarded with three different trophies. For the first two MLS Cup finals, the winning team was awarded with the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy, named for Rothenberg's contributions to American soccer. The Rothenberg Trophy was a dark gold trophy that had two horns around a soccer ball, with the league's logo imprinted on the plaque. In 1998, the The Rothenberg Trophy was redesigned with a soccer ball placed on a beacon. In 2008, the trophy was redesigned again to its present state and renamed the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
}
|-
| style="background:#cedff2;"|†
|Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time
|-
|Bold
|Team won the Supporters' Shield
|-
|Italics
|Team won the U.S. Open Cup
|}
}
|-
|align=center|
|Chicago Fire
|align=center|2–0
|D.C. United
|Rose Bowl
|align=center|51,350
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|D.C. United
|align=center|2–0
|Los Angeles Galaxy
|Foxboro Stadium
|align=center|44,910
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Kansas City Wizards
|align=center|1–0
|Chicago Fire
|RFK Memorial Stadium
|align=center|39,159
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|San Jose Earthquakes
|align=center|2–1
*
|Los Angeles Galaxy
|Columbus Crew Stadium
|align=center|21,626
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Los Angeles Galaxy
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbceb1;"|1–0
*
|New England Revolution
|Gillette Stadium
|align=center|61,316
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|San Jose Earthquakes
|align=center|4–2
|Chicago Fire
|The Home Depot Center
|align=center|27,000
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|D.C. United
|align=center|3–2
|Kansas City Wizards
|The Home Depot Center
|align=center|25,797
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Los Angeles Galaxy
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbceb1;"|1–0
*
|New England Revolution
|Pizza Hut Park
|align=center|21,193
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Houston Dynamo
| style="text-align:center; background:#cedff2;"|1–1
†
|New England Revolution
|Pizza Hut Park
|align=center|22,427
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Houston Dynamo
|align=center |2–1
|New England Revolution
|RFK Memorial Stadium
|align=center|39,859
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Columbus Crew
|align=center|3–1
|New York Red Bulls
|The Home Depot Center
|align=center|27,000
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Real Salt Lake
| style="text-align:center; background:#cedff2;"|1–1
†
|Los Angeles Galaxy
|Qwest Field
|align=center|46,011
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Colorado Rapids
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbceb1;"|2–1
*
|FC Dallas
|BMO Field
|align=center|21,700
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Los Angeles Galaxy
|align=center|1–0
|Houston Dynamo
|The Home Depot Center
|align=center|30,281
|align=center|
|}
}||2004
|
|-
|
Real Salt Lake
||align=center|1||align=center|0||2009
||
|-
|
Columbus Crew
||align=center|1||align=center|0||2008
||
|-
|
New England Revolution
||align=center|0||align=center|4|| ||2002
, 2005
, 2006
, 2007
|-
|
FC Dallas
||align=center|0||align=center|1|| ||2010
|-
|
New York Red Bulls||align=center|0||align=center|1|| ||2008
|}
Key
At least 39 players have won 2 MLS Cups, mostly for teams with sequential or near-sequential titles (D.C. '96-'99, San Jose '01 and '03, L.A. '02 and '05, and Houston '06-'07). Players who have won 2 cups with 2 different teams include Joseph Ngwenya
, Brandon Prideaux
, Frankie Hejduk
, Brian Carroll
, Ned Grabavoy
, and Nick Rimando
. Josh Saunders
has a rather unique history with the MLS Cup as he won his first cup in 2011 after being on loan twice with the Portland Timbers while his original teams won an MLS Cup without him (San Jose in 2003 and L.A. in 2005).
and 2007
recipients, who all scored game winning goals, or assisted several goals for the winning side.
An exception to this is in the 2009
championship, where the Man of the Match went to Real Salt Lake
goalkeeper, Nick Rimando
, who made two saves in the penalty kick shootout to give Salt Lake the league title over Los Angeles Galaxy
. The only other goalkeeper in MLS Cup history to earn MVP honors was Tony Meola
of Kansas City Wizards, who earned a shutout over Chicago Fire in the 2000 championship
.
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues. The MLS Cup finalists are awarded CONCACAF Champions' League berths—the winner earning a spot in the group stage while the runner-up starts in the preliminary round.
On October 20, 1996, the league hosted its inaugural championship, MLS Cup '96. Today the MLS Cup is typically held in late November featuring the winners of the Eastern Conference Championship and Western Conference Championship. The cup champions have been awarded the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy since 2008 while the years prior saw two versions of the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy presented to winners.
History
D.C. UnitedD.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
has won the MLS Cup the most with four league titles followed by Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
's three. New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
has been to the final the most times without winning with four appearances, three of which were consecutive.
D.C. United's Early Domination
The MLS Cup's roots trace back to the foundation of Major League Soccer, when the structural format was being assembled. The league decided to have a similar setup to its contemporary North American sports leagues, by creating a postseason tournament to culminate the regular season, which would be the determining factor in crowning the league champion. The name of the cup was to allude to the other cup finals that use similar titles for their championship matches. At one point, the MLS Cup Playoffs was the only method of determining a soccer champion of any top-tier professional soccer league in the World through playoffs.For the first few MLS Cup finals, the championship was dominated by D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, who appeared in the first four MLS Cup finals, winning three of them. The inaugural MLS Cup, MLS Cup '96 was the first MLS Cup championship match, featuring United and Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. The inaugural match had the Galaxy take an early 1–0 lead, and double in early in the second half. However, their lead was relinquished towards the end of the match when Tony Sanneh
Tony Sanneh
Anthony "Tony" Sanneh is an American soccer player who most recently played for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
pulled one back in the 72nd minute. Nine minutes later, Shawn Medved
Shawn Medved
Shawn Medved is a retired American soccer forward and midfielder. He coaches youth soccer.-Youth:Medved was born and grew up in Issaquah, Washington. His father, Ron Medved, was a noted American football player for the University of Washington and Philadelphia Eagles. Despite his father's success...
tied the match at two, resulting in extra time between the two sides. Four minutes into extra time, Eddie Pope
Eddie Pope
George Edward Pope is a retired American soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Youth:Born in Greensboro, he attended Southwest Guilford...
gave United the golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
victory.
In 1997, the second league cup final was contested at RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
, where United won back-to-back titles, a feat that would not be accomplished for another decade (when Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
won the 2006 and 2007 finals). The game ended 2–1 in United's favor over Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, who would not win a championship until 2010
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
. Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side....
was declared Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
for his goal in the 37th minute of play. This season was also the first time in league history any MLS team won the regular season (Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
) and postseason title in the same season.
D.C. United's run ended the third year, when they made an unprecedented third run to the MLS Cup finals, only to lose to the expansion-side Chicago Fire by a margin of two-nil. However the following year, United repeated their "double" of winning both the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup the same season. This time, it was a 2–0 win over the Galaxy in the 1999 MLS Cup final.
Rise of the California Clasico
For the first time since 1997, the 2000 MLS CupMLS Cup 2000
The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal...
final saw a new club reach the finals along with the Fire. This time the Kansas City Wizards won their only MLS Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Fire.
From 2001 through 2004, the MLS Cup finals saw a rising of the California Clasico
California Clasico
The California Clasico is a soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. This rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs...
when stateside rivals, L.A. Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
clashed together in the 2001 final. The match also saw the rise of U.S. national Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
who won a Newcomer of the Year award and tallied the equalizer in the Earthquakes 2-1 championship victory over the Galaxy. Additionally, the win prevented the Galaxy from a MLS title for the third time in their history.
With the largest crowd in MLS Cup history at hand, the New England Revolution took on the Galaxy in the 2002 finals. For the match, over 61,000 fans were in attendance at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
to witness the final. In the second period of sudden-death extra time, the Galaxy nabbed their first MLS Cup title, and sparked the start of a string of MLS Cup losses for the Revolution.
The 2003 final saw the league leaders for that season go head-to-head. Two clubs that had MLS Cup experience, the Fire and Earthquakes, played for the final that year. The two clubs had successful regular season campaigns with the Fire winning their first ever Supporters' Shield, and the Earthquakes being the Western Conference regular season and post-season champions as well as having the second best overall regular season record. In a hotly contested match, the Earthquakes won with their second MLS Cup title with a 4–2 score making it the highest scoring MLS Cup final in league history (six goals).
After a four-year absence, United made their fifth trip to the MLS Cup final, playing against the Wizards for MLS Cup 2004
MLS Cup 2004
The 2004 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 12:30 EST on November 14, 2004 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. The winning goal for United came from an own goal...
. The match had four goals scored in the first 25 minutes, with United rallying for a 3–1 lead. Midway through the second half, United had relinquished a penalty kick. Josh Wolff
Josh Wolff
Joshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...
scored for Kansas City, bringing the game within a goal. DC United was able to retain the lead, by winning their fourth MLS Cup title, by a score of 3–2.
Format Changes, Scudetto
Until 2005, the MLS Cup championship games had been dominated by clubs that had either won or had come close to winning the Supporters Shield. In the 2005 MLS CupMLS Cup 2005
The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,...
championship, the match was won by the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, who won the league title by having a 9th-place overall record. Consequently, the Wizards had a better record, but did not qualify for the playoffs because they finished 5th in the Eastern Conference, in spite of a 8th-place overall record. The result prompted MLS to create new wild-cards that were used starting in 2006, where only a certain number of clubs per conference could qualify, and the next best overall teams regardless of conference would also qualify. In itself, began prompted debates about the league switching to a single table and a balanced schedule. The single table has yet been instituted, but in 2010 the league instituted a balanced schedule.
At the start of the 2006 season, MLS created their version of the scudetto (Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
: "small shield"), a symbol worn on the jersey by the team who won the previous season's Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
(the top Italian league). The idea was originally drawn up in 1996, but to be worn by the Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
champions.
The MLS scudetto was originally a curved, triangular badge featuring a backdrop of the American flag behind a replica of the Alan I. Rothenberg MLS Cup trophy. First worn by Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
following their 2005 MLS Cup
MLS Cup 2005
The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,...
title, the Houston Dynamo wore the same triangular scudettos in 2006 and 2007 during their duel-cup run. It was redesigned for the 2008 season after the change to the MLS Cup trophy. It is now an oval-shaped black badge with the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy in the middle. The MLS scudetto is worn by the winning team the season following the victory. It is only during the subsequent season (two years after winning the championship), that the team adds a star
Star (football crest)
In association football, some national and club sides include one or more stars as part of the crest appearing on their shirt, to represent important trophies the team has previously won. Sometimes this is a unilateral decision by the team concerned rather than a privilege earned and sanctioned...
— a common soccer signifier of titles won — above the team logo. The team can display the star on other items beside their jersey in the year after winning the Cup, but only if the scudetto is not shown. The Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
was the first team to wear the redesigned scudetto.
Whilst the Galaxy earned their second MLS Cup trophy, and the Houston Dynamo earned consecutive cups, the New England Revolution went on an infamous run of making three consecutive MLS Cup finals, losing all of them in the process. Each of their three losses were in extra time, while the other was lost on penalty kickss. The infamy gave the club the title of being the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(an NFL American football team) of MLS. In the 2005 final, they lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy, a rematch of 2002, in the final. Held at Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
in Frisco, Texas
Frisco, Texas
Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also...
, the Galaxy defeated the Revolution by a scoreline of 1–0 thanks to a 105th-minute extra time goal from Galaxy midfielder and Guatemalan
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
international, Guillermo Ramírez
Guillermo Ramírez
Guillermo "El Pando" Ramírez Ortega is a Guatemalan football midfielder. He most recently played for C.D...
. Ramírez's goal sealed the Galaxy's second MLS Cup title, and left the Revs searching once again.
In 2006, the championship was once again played in Frisco at Pizza Hut Park. This time the Revolution took on new expansion-club, Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
. Both were coming off a successful season, in which they fell short of winning the Supporters' Shield. A sellout crowd of 22,427 observed the match, which is to date the largest crowd in the stadium's history. Revolution midfielder Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman is a retired American soccer player who currently works as a television analyst for the Philadelphia Union and ESPN soccer.-Youth and College:Taylor was raised in St...
scored a dramatic extra time goal in the 113th minute to give the Revolution the 1–0 lead. However, Dynamo captain and forward Brian Ching
Brian Ching
Brian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
immediately tied the score following the Revolution's goal. Because of this, the match went to penalties, in which the Dynamo managed to win 4–3 on penalties. This left the Revolution for a second-consecutive year searching for league glory. It was also the first time in league history that a club made the MLS Cup final and lost consecutively.
With a slew of new, unprecedented firsts appearing the MLS Cup final, another first arrived. In the 2007 final, the Revolution and Dynamo played each other once again for the 2007 cup. Played in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at RFK Stadium, a crowd just shy of 40,000 was on hand to witness the championship. The announced crowd of 39,859 made it the largest MLS Cup crowd since 2002. The Revolution had a successful season, earning their first U.S. Open Cup title. In spite of winning the cup, the Revolution wanted their first ever MLS Cup crown, and wanted to win their first ever "Double" in club history. Houston, finishing just shy once again to D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
of winning the MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
were determined to finish their second season with some hardware, and to defend their MLS Cup title. The match went in the Revolution's favor early on, as the Revolution's captain, Twellman, netted in the 20th minute to give New England a 1-0 lead. However, midway through the second half, the Dynamo retaliated. Dynamo striker Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya is a Zimbabwean footballer currently without a club.-College:Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before coming to the United States in 2000 to attend and play college soccer at Coastal Carolina...
leveled things at one apiece in the 61st minute, and MLS Cup Man of the Match, Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
gave the Dynamo a 2-1 lead in the 74th. The goal also proved to be the winning goal, as the Dynamo earned the first back-to-back MLS Cup titles since D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
did so in 1996 and 1997.
Underdogs earning the cup
Early in the 2008 Major League Soccer2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
season, the league announced that the championship would be returning to The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
. Throughout the regular season, the league was dominated by Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, who finished the season with 57 points, and secured the Supporters' Shield title with three matches remaining before the 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
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.-Format:...
. Traditionally, the Shield winners only rarely made it to the league championship, in spite of usually being the heavy favorites going into the playoffs. However, for the first time in eight years, a regular season champion made it to the MLS Cup final. The Sigi Schmid
Sigi Schmid
Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid is a German-American soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he was a starting midfielder in each...
-led club made their first ever run to the championship, along with their opponents the New York Red Bulls. For the Crew, being the Shield winners, their run to the final was a bit expected. The Red Bulls making the final was seen as a large surprise, possibly even a fluke. The Red Bulls did not qualify for the playoffs until the last day of the season, where they were the weakest team, in terms of regular season record, to qualify for the playoffs. The match ended up being dominated by the Crew as Columbus defeated New York with ease, 3-1. The point gap between the two clubs was the largest in history, and the scoreline between the two clubs made it tied for the largest margin of victory in MLS Cup history. New York's run to the finals was further emphasized as a fluke when the club had the worst record in 2009.
The following championship saw two intra-conference clubs meet in the final for the second consecutive year. The Western Conference regular season and postseason champions, Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
took on Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
, who finished fifth in the West. Held in Seattle's Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
, the Sounders FC management originally planned on capping the total available seat size to 35,700. In spite of surging demand, an addition 10,000 seats were opened expanding the total capacity to roughy 45,700, though the announced crowd was 46,011. The crowd size was the first championship crowd since 2002 to draw over 45,000 spectators. Televised on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, it was the first time that the MLS championship match was televised on the cable network after the first thirteen were carried on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. In the 41st minute, Galaxy striker Mike Magee
Mike Magee (soccer)
Mike Magee is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
scored, only for Salt Lake's Robbie Findley
Robbie Findley
Robert "Robbie" Findley is an American international soccer player who plays professionally for English club Nottingham Forest...
to tie it in the 61st. The stalemate was not broken in regulation nor extra time, requiring penalties to decide the match. Thanks to a strike from Salt Lake's Robbie Russell
Robbie Russell (soccer)
Robbie Russell is a Ghanaian-born American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-College:...
, Salt Lake won their first major trophy. Subsequent to the championship, they made it to the finals of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League
2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League
The 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League was the 3rd edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 27, 2010 and ended on April 27, 2011. Monterrey of Mexico won their first title, defeating Real Salt Lake of the United States 3-2 on aggregate in the...
, only to lose to Monterrey of Mexico.
At the 2010 season's end, six teams from the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs, whereas only two clubs from the East qualified, making it the largest disparity between the two conferences in league history. Because of the league's seeding at the time, where the conference winners earn the top seeds, the two weakest Western Conference teams, San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
and Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
were seeded against the Eastern Conference champion, New York Red Bulls and runner-up Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, respectively. Some cited this as an unfair advantage for the Rapids and Earthquakes, as both teams made the semifinals. In the end, the Rapids played FC Dallas for MLS Cup 2010
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
at won 2–1 in extra time.
Higher seeds hosting the cup
On May 10, 2011 the league announced that MLS Cup 2011MLS Cup 2011
The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California...
would be at Los Angeles' The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
making it the fourth time in MLS history the venue would host the championship. On November 19, the day before the 2011 final, MLS announced that future finals would be held at the home field of the top remaining seed.
Format
Over the history of the MLS Cup Playoffs, numerous formats have been used.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
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
was not used.
At the 2009 and 2010 season's end, the top two teams of each conference made the playoffs; in addition the clubs with the next 4 highest point totals, regardless of conference, were added to the playoffs. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate (total) 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
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
was not used.
The format for the 2011 playoffs was announced on February 23, 2011. The top three clubs in each of the league's two conferences earned the six automatic spots in the quarterfinals. The wild-card entrants, seeded seventh through tenth, entered based upon their overall position in a single table of the league standings. The new format was assembled so that the weakest seed to qualify out of the wild-card rounds had to play the Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
winner. The other entrant played the conference champion that did not win the Shield.
The play-ins proper were single matches, with the higher seeded club playing at their home field. The quarterfinals, or the "conference semifinals," were two-leg aggregate series.
The semifinal fixtures, or the "conference championships," were single matches at the field of the higher seed; the cup final
MLS Cup 2011
The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California...
was at a predetermined venue.
Starting with the 2012 season, the playoff structure will be further tweaked. While the number of playoff teams will remain at 10, the "wild cards" will disappear. Instead, the top five teams in each conference will qualify. The #4 seed in each conference will host the #5 seed in a single match for a place in the conference semifinals against the top seed in its conference. The conference semifinals will remain two-legged, while the conference finals will change from a single match to a two-leg aggregate series. Finally, the MLS Cup final will be held at the home field of the finalist with the highest point total during the regular season.
Venues
In MLS Cup history, four matches have been played in the Greater Los Angeles areaGreater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
. The next closest is the Washington, D.C. metro area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
, which has hosted three finals, all of which have been played at RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
.
Through the 2011 season
2011 Major League Soccer season
The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
every MLS Cup had been played at a predetermined site (i.e., announced before the playoff participants were known). On the day before the 2011 Cup, MLS announced that starting in 2012, Cup finals will be hosted by the participant with the highest point total during the regular season.
Only three times in league history has a club played in the championship in their home stadium, all of which were a virtue of coincidence. In the 1997 MLS Cup final, D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
won the match in their home stadium over Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
. The same occurrence applied in the 2002 MLS Cup
MLS Cup 2002
The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular...
final, where the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
defeated the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
1-0, in the Revolution's home stadium Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
. As a result, the 1997 and 2002 MLS Cup finals have drawn the largest crowds in MLS Cup history.
And in 2011, the LA Galaxy won their 2011 MLS Cup
MLS Cup 2011
The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California...
match in their home stadium (Home Depot Center), 1-0, over the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
. The Galaxy became the 2nd team (and first since D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
in 1997) to win the Cup at home.
Through the 2011 season, MLS typically announced the championship location either prior to the start of its respective season, or even a few weeks into the campaign. For the 2011 championship
MLS Cup 2011
The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California...
, the league selected The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, making it an unprecedented fourth time, the league's championship has been hosted at the venue.
Unlike the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, which traditionally disallows stadiums in climates cooler than 50°F (10°C) to host their championship, MLS has no such criterion for a host candidate. Some suggest that this is because the MLS Cup final is normally played in mid-November
November
November is the 11th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with the length of 30 days. November was the ninth month of the ancient Roman calendar...
, whereas the Super Bowl is played in late-January/early-February. In fact, the first two MLS Cup finals were played in temperatures less than 50°F (10°C).
To date, the coldest MLS Cup final was the most recent, the 2010 championship
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
. Played in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
at Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
's BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
, the temperature was 44°F (7°C). The warmest MLS Cup final was the 2005 MLS Cup
MLS Cup 2005
The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,...
final, which was played in Frisco, Texas
Frisco, Texas
Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also...
at FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
's Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
.
The 2010 edition of the MLS Cup was the first final in league history to be played outside of the United States. The match was played in Canada
Soccer in Canada
Association football, more commonly known in Canada as soccer, is the most popular sport in terms of participation rate. According to FIFA's Big Count, 2,695,712 people played in Canada in 2006.-Terminology:...
at Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
, the home ground of MLS club Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
.
Stadiums
| Name | Location | # hosted | Years hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was... |
Carson, California Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city.... |
4 | 2003 MLS Cup 2003 The 2003 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place on November 23, 2003 at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2003 Major League Soccer season. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4 - 2 with a goal from Richard Mulrooney in the 50th... , 2004 MLS Cup 2004 The 2004 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 12:30 EST on November 14, 2004 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. The winning goal for United came from an own goal... , 2008 MLS Cup 2008 The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after... , 2011 |
| RFK Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United.... |
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
3 | 1997, 2000 MLS Cup 2000 The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal... , 2007 MLS Cup 2007 The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1... |
| Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts... |
Foxborough, Massachusetts Foxborough, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile... |
2 | 1996, 1999 |
| Pizza Hut Park Pizza Hut Park Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb... |
Frisco, Texas Frisco, Texas Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also... |
2 | 2005 MLS Cup 2005 The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,... , 2006 MLS Cup 2006 The 2006 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2006 Major League Soccer season, played on November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw following extra time... |
| Rose Bowl Rose Bowl (stadium) The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12... |
Pasadena, California Pasadena, California Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet... |
1 | 1998 |
| Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer... |
Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... |
1 | 2001 MLS Cup 2001 The 2001 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The San Jose Earthquakes won their first title, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in overtime... |
| Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
Foxborough, Massachusetts Foxborough, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile... |
1 | 2002 MLS Cup 2002 The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular... |
| Qwest Field | Seattle, Washington | 1 | 2009 MLS Cup 2009 The 2009 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2009 Major League Soccer season, the 14th season of the league. The final was played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington on November 22, 2009. The match was contested by Eastern Conference champion Real Salt Lake and Western Conference champion... |
| BMO Field BMO Field BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd... |
Toronto, Ontario Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... |
1 | 2010 MLS Cup 2010 The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010... |
italics indicate a stadium that is now inactive.
Trophies
Culminating the championship, the winning team is presented with a trophy, known as the Phillip F. Anschutz Trophy, named for his contributions and investment to American soccer and MLS. Typically, the award presentation is held on a podium in the center of the field, where the league commissioner will award the team with the cup.Before the actual award presentation, the finalists are awarded with silver medals with the league's logo imprinted on the them. The champions are then presented with gold medals, before the trophy is handed to the winning team's captain.
In cup history, the MLS Cup champions have been awarded with three different trophies. For the first two MLS Cup finals, the winning team was awarded with the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy, named for Rothenberg's contributions to American soccer. The Rothenberg Trophy was a dark gold trophy that had two horns around a soccer ball, with the league's logo imprinted on the plaque. In 1998, the The Rothenberg Trophy was redesigned with a soccer ball placed on a beacon. In 2008, the trophy was redesigned again to its present state and renamed the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
Key
| * |
|-
| style="background:#cedff2;"|†
|Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time
|-
|Bold
|Team won the Supporters' Shield
|-
|Italics
|Team won the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
|}
Results
| Season | Champions | Score | Runners–up | Venue | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
3–2 * | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts... |
34,643 | ||
| D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
2–1 | Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
RFK Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United.... |
57,431 |
|-
|align=center|
|Chicago Fire
|align=center|2–0
|D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
|Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
|align=center|51,350
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
|align=center|2–0
|Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
|Foxboro Stadium
Foxboro Stadium
Foxboro Stadium was an outdoor stadium, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts...
|align=center|44,910
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Kansas City Wizards
|align=center|1–0
MLS Cup 2000
The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal...
|Chicago Fire
|RFK Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
|align=center|39,159
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
|align=center|2–1
MLS Cup 2001
The 2001 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The San Jose Earthquakes won their first title, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in overtime...
*
|Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
|Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
|align=center|21,626
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbceb1;"|1–0
MLS Cup 2002
The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular...
*
|New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
|Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
|align=center|61,316
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
|align=center|4–2
MLS Cup 2003
The 2003 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place on November 23, 2003 at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2003 Major League Soccer season. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4 - 2 with a goal from Richard Mulrooney in the 50th...
|Chicago Fire
|The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
|align=center|27,000
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
|align=center|3–2
MLS Cup 2004
The 2004 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 12:30 EST on November 14, 2004 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. The winning goal for United came from an own goal...
|Kansas City Wizards
|The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
|align=center|25,797
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbceb1;"|1–0
MLS Cup 2005
The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,...
*
|New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
|Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
|align=center|21,193
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
| style="text-align:center; background:#cedff2;"|1–1
MLS Cup 2006
The 2006 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2006 Major League Soccer season, played on November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw following extra time...
†
|New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
|Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
|align=center|22,427
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
|align=center |2–1
MLS Cup 2007
The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1...
|New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
|RFK Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
|align=center|39,859
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
|align=center|3–1
MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
|New York Red Bulls
|The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
|align=center|27,000
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
| style="text-align:center; background:#cedff2;"|1–1
MLS Cup 2009
The 2009 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2009 Major League Soccer season, the 14th season of the league. The final was played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington on November 22, 2009. The match was contested by Eastern Conference champion Real Salt Lake and Western Conference champion...
†
|Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
|Qwest Field
|align=center|46,011
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
| style="text-align:center; background:#fbceb1;"|2–1
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
*
|FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
|BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
|align=center|21,700
|align=center|
|-
|align=center|
|Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
|align=center|1–0
MLS Cup 2011
The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California...
|Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
|The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
|align=center|30,281
|align=center|
|}
MLS Cup titles
| Club | Won | Runner-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 D.C. UnitedD.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
4 | 1 | 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 MLS Cup 2004 The 2004 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 12:30 EST on November 14, 2004 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. The winning goal for United came from an own goal... |
1998 |
 Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
3 | 4 | 2002 MLS Cup 2002 The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular... , 2005 MLS Cup 2005 The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,... , 2011 MLS Cup 2011 The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California... |
1996, 1999, 2001 MLS Cup 2001 The 2001 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The San Jose Earthquakes won their first title, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in overtime... , 2009 MLS Cup 2009 The 2009 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2009 Major League Soccer season, the 14th season of the league. The final was played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington on November 22, 2009. The match was contested by Eastern Conference champion Real Salt Lake and Western Conference champion... |
| Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
2 | 1 | 2006 MLS Cup 2006 The 2006 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2006 Major League Soccer season, played on November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw following extra time... , 2007 MLS Cup 2007 The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1... |
2011 MLS Cup 2011 The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California... |
| San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
2 | 0 | 2001 MLS Cup 2001 The 2001 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The San Jose Earthquakes won their first title, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in overtime... , 2003 MLS Cup 2003 The 2003 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place on November 23, 2003 at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2003 Major League Soccer season. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4 - 2 with a goal from Richard Mulrooney in the 50th... |
|
 Chicago Fire |
1 | 2 | 1998 | 2000 MLS Cup 2000 The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal... , 2003 MLS Cup 2003 The 2003 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place on November 23, 2003 at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2003 Major League Soccer season. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4 - 2 with a goal from Richard Mulrooney in the 50th... |
 Colorado RapidsColorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
1 | 1 | 2010 MLS Cup 2010 The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010... |
1997 |
 Sporting Kansas City |
1 | 1 |
MLS Cup 2004
The 2004 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 12:30 EST on November 14, 2004 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. The winning goal for United came from an own goal...
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Real Salt LakeReal Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
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MLS Cup 2009
The 2009 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2009 Major League Soccer season, the 14th season of the league. The final was played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington on November 22, 2009. The match was contested by Eastern Conference champion Real Salt Lake and Western Conference champion...
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Columbus CrewColumbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
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MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
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New England RevolutionNew England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
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MLS Cup 2002
The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular...
, 2005
MLS Cup 2005
The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,...
, 2006
MLS Cup 2006
The 2006 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2006 Major League Soccer season, played on November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw following extra time...
, 2007
MLS Cup 2007
The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1...
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FC DallasFC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
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MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
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New York Red Bulls||align=center|0||align=center|1|| ||2008MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
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MLS Cup finalists records in CONCACAF competition
Since the league's inception, the MLS Cup champions and runners-up have earned berths into the CCL.Key
| Champions | Runners-up | Third place |
- QR1 = Qualification First Round
- PR = Preliminary round
- GS = Group Stage
- R16 = Round of 16
- QF = Quarterfinals
- SF = Semifinals or Consolation match
- F = Final
| Year | MLS Cup winner | Result | MLS Cup runner-up | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
SF | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
F |
| 1998 | D.C. United | F | Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
QR1 |
| 1999 | Chicago Fire | SF | D.C. United | SF |
| 2000 | D.C. United | SF | Los Angeles Galaxy | F |
| 2002 | Kansas City Wizards | SF | Chicago Fire | QF |
| 2003 | Los Angeles Galaxy | QF | New England Revolution New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
R16 |
| 2004 | San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
QF | Chicago Fire | SF |
| 2005 | D.C. United | SF | Kansas City Wizards | QF |
| 2006 | Los Angeles Galaxy | QF | New England Revolution | QF |
| 2007 | Houston Dynamo | SF | Did not qualify | |
| 2008 | Houston Dynamo | SF | ||
| 2008–09 | Houston Dynamo | QF | New England Revolution | PR |
| 2009–10 | Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
QF | New York Red Bulls | PR |
| 2010–11 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League The 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League was the 3rd edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 27, 2010 and ended on April 27, 2011. Monterrey of Mexico won their first title, defeating Real Salt Lake of the United States 3-2 on aggregate in the... |
Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
F | Los Angeles Galaxy | PR |
| 2011–12 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League The 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League is the 4th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 26, 2011 and will finish with the second leg of the final April 24–26, 2012. Monterrey is the defending champion... |
Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
GS | FC Dallas FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
GS |
| 2012–13 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League The 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League will be the 5th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament is expected to begin in July 2012 and finish in April 2013... |
Los Angeles Galaxy | TBD | Houston Dynamo | TBD |
Players with Multiple MLS Cup Titles
| MLS Cups | Players (Years Won) |
|---|---|
| 5 | Jeff Agoos Jeff Agoos Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Agoos is a retired American soccer defender, and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team.... ('96, '97, '99, '01, '03) |
| 4 | Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side.... ('96, '97, '99, '04), Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... ('01, '03, '06, 07), Eddie Robinson ('01, '03, '06, '07), Landon Donovan Landon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.... ('01, '03, '05, '11), Todd Dunivant Todd Dunivant Todd Dunivant is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... ('02, '03, '05, '11) and Brian Mullan Brian Mullan Brian Mullan is an American soccer player who plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer. He has previously played for Wisconsin Rebels, Colorado Comets, Los Angeles Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo. He is one of only two players to have won MLS Cup five times, the other being... ('02, '06, '07, '09) |
| 3 | Richard Mulrooney Richard Mulrooney Richard Mulrooney is a former American soccer player.-College:Mulrooney played four years of college soccer at Creighton University, where he recorded 51 assists from 1995 to 1998... ('01, '03, '07), Marco Etcheverry Marco Etcheverry Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas is a retired Bolivian footballer, considered one of the greatest Bolivian players of all time.-Career:... ('96, '97, '99), Brian Kamler Brian Kamler Brian Kamler is a retired American soccer midfielder, who played two seasons in the USISL, winning the 1995 U.S. Open Cup and league titles with the Richmond Kickers, and ten seasons in Major League Soccer.... ('96, '97, '99), John Maessner John Maessner John Maessner who spent six seasons in Major League Soccer, two in France, two in USISL, two in the National Professional Soccer League and one in Germany. He is currently the Director of Youth Development for D.C. United.-Youth:Maessner was a 1987 Parade Magazine High School All American soccer... (96, 97, 99), Clint Peay Clint Peay Clint Peay is a retired U.S. soccer defender who is currently the head coach with the University of Richmond men's soccer team. He was a regular on the U.S. junior national teams and U.S. Olympic team in the mid-1990s. He also spent several years with D.C... ('96, '97, 99), Eddie Pope Eddie Pope George Edward Pope is a retired American soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Youth:Born in Greensboro, he attended Southwest Guilford... (96, 97, 99), Richie Williams Richie Williams Richie Williams is an American former professional soccer player and coach.Known for his diminutive height and his dogged tackling, Williams spent the vast majority of his playing career in the United States, playing one season in the National Professional Soccer League, two in USISL, two in the... ('96, '97, '99), Craig Waibel Craig Waibel Craig Waibel is a former American soccer player.-College:Waibel played college soccer at University of Washington, and with Spokane Shadow in the USL Premier Development League prior to turning professional.... ('02, '06, '07), Chris Albright Chris Albright Christopher John Albright is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Albright attended William Penn Charter School... ('99, '02, '05), Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:... ('98, '02, '05), Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch is a retired American soccer midfielder who will be the head coach of the Montreal Impact for their entrance in MLS in 2012, having previously been an assistant for the U.S. national team. He spent fourteen seasons in Major League Soccer, winning three league and four U.S. Open Cup... ('96, '97, '98), Alejandro Moreno Alejandro Moreno Alejandro Moreno is a Venezuelan footballer. He played for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club before attending UNC Greensboro. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:... ('02, '06, '08), Ezra Hendrickson Ezra Hendrickson Ezra Hendrickson is a retired Vincentian footballer. He played professionally in the United States' Major League Soccer with New York MetroStars, Los Angeles Galaxy, Dallas Burn, and Chivas USA, and was also a member of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team... ('02, '04, '08) |
At least 39 players have won 2 MLS Cups, mostly for teams with sequential or near-sequential titles (D.C. '96-'99, San Jose '01 and '03, L.A. '02 and '05, and Houston '06-'07). Players who have won 2 cups with 2 different teams include Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya is a Zimbabwean footballer currently without a club.-College:Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before coming to the United States in 2000 to attend and play college soccer at Coastal Carolina...
, Brandon Prideaux
Brandon Prideaux
Brandon Prideaux is a former American professional soccer player, currently an assistant coach for the men's soccer team at the University of Washington....
, Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk
Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
, Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll is an American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, Ned Grabavoy
Ned Grabavoy
Ned Grabavoy is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Grabavoy played his youth soccer with the Chicago Magic Soccer Club under coach Mike Matkovich....
, and Nick Rimando
Nick Rimando
Nicholas Paul "Nick" Rimando is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the United States national team-College:...
. Josh Saunders
Josh Saunders
Josh Saunders is an American-born Puerto Rican footballer who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-College:...
has a rather unique history with the MLS Cup as he won his first cup in 2011 after being on loan twice with the Portland Timbers while his original teams won an MLS Cup without him (San Jose in 2003 and L.A. in 2005).
Man of the Match/MVP Award
Following each championship, a player on the winning club is awarded with the title of being the Man of the Match, or the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Usually, but not necessarily, the winner of the award is usually the player who scores the game-winning goal, or sets up the game winning goal. This is the case of the 2010, 2008MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
and 2007
MLS Cup 2007
The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1...
recipients, who all scored game winning goals, or assisted several goals for the winning side.
An exception to this is in the 2009
MLS Cup 2009
The 2009 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2009 Major League Soccer season, the 14th season of the league. The final was played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington on November 22, 2009. The match was contested by Eastern Conference champion Real Salt Lake and Western Conference champion...
championship, where the Man of the Match went to Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
goalkeeper, Nick Rimando
Nick Rimando
Nicholas Paul "Nick" Rimando is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the United States national team-College:...
, who made two saves in the penalty kick shootout to give Salt Lake the league title over Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. The only other goalkeeper in MLS Cup history to earn MVP honors was Tony Meola
Tony Meola
Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors...
of Kansas City Wizards, who earned a shutout over Chicago Fire in the 2000 championship
MLS Cup 2000
The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal...
.
List of MVP award recipients
| Year | Winner | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 MLS Cup 1996 The 1996 MLS Cup was the first championship match in Major League Soccer history. The game was played in very heavy rain on October 20, 1996, at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. D.C. United beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 in extra-time, after trailing 2-0, with 17 minutes remaining.D.C... |
 Marco EtcheverryMarco Etcheverry Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas is a retired Bolivian footballer, considered one of the greatest Bolivian players of all time.-Career:... |
Midfielder | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 1997 MLS Cup 1997 Lineups:'COLORADO RAPIDSMarcus Hahnemann, Chris Martinez , Steve Trittschuh, Peter Vermes, Matt Kmosko, Marcelo Balboa,Sean Henderson , Chris Henderson, Paul Bravo , David Patino, Steve Rammel... |
Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side.... |
Forward | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 1998 MLS Cup 1998 The 1998 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 1998 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 25, 1998, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. The Chicago Fire beat D.C. United 2-0, bringing to an end United's reign as two-time defending MLS champions. The Fire great Peter Nowak was... |
 Peter NowakPiotr Nowak Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,... |
Midfielder | Chicago Fire |
| 1999 MLS Cup 1999 The 1999 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 1:30pm EST on 21 November 1999 at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to determine the champion of the 1999 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 0 with goals from Ben Olsen and Jaime Moreno during... |
 Ben OlsenBen Olsen Benjamin Robert "Ben" Olsen is a former American professional soccer player and the current manager of D.C. United. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Olsen grew up playing for FC Delco, an elite club program near Philadelphia... |
Midfielder | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 2000 MLS Cup 2000 The 2000 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 15, 2000, at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. between the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire. Kansas City took advantage of an early breakdown by Chicago to net the game's only goal... |
Tony Meola Tony Meola Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played for the United States national team at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, and from 1996 to 2006 played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. top soccer division, where he obtained multiple honors... |
Goalkeeper | Kansas City Wizards |
| 2001 MLS Cup 2001 The 2001 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2001 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The San Jose Earthquakes won their first title, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 in overtime... |
 Dwayne De RosarioDwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... |
Forward | San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
| 2002 MLS Cup 2002 The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular... |
 Carlos Ruiz |
Forward | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
| 2003 MLS Cup 2003 The 2003 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place on November 23, 2003 at the The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2003 Major League Soccer season. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Chicago Fire 4 - 2 with a goal from Richard Mulrooney in the 50th... |
Landon Donovan Landon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.... |
Forward | San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
| 2004 MLS Cup 2004 The 2004 MLS Cup was a soccer match that took place at 12:30 EST on November 14, 2004 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California to determine the champion of the 2004 Major League Soccer season. D.C. United defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-2. The winning goal for United came from an own goal... |
Alecko Eskandarian Alecko Eskandarian Alecko Eskandarian is a former American soccer player who last played for Los Angeles Galaxy. He currently is the youth technical director for Philadelphia Union.-High School and College:... |
Forward | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 2005 MLS Cup 2005 The 2005 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2005 Major League Soccer season. It was played on November 13, 2005 at the new soccer-specific stadium, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. In a rematch of the 2002 final, the Los Angeles Galaxy again beat the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime,... |
Guillermo Ramírez Guillermo Ramírez Guillermo "El Pando" Ramírez Ortega is a Guatemalan football midfielder. He most recently played for C.D... |
Midfielder | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
| 2006 MLS Cup 2006 The 2006 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2006 Major League Soccer season, played on November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw following extra time... |
Brian Ching Brian Ching Brian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:... |
Forward | Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
| 2007 MLS Cup 2007 The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1... |
Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... |
Midfielder | Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
| 2008 MLS Cup 2008 The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after... |
 Guillermo Barros SchelottoGuillermo Barros Schelotto Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División... |
Midfielder | Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
| 2009 MLS Cup 2009 The 2009 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2009 Major League Soccer season, the 14th season of the league. The final was played at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington on November 22, 2009. The match was contested by Eastern Conference champion Real Salt Lake and Western Conference champion... |
Nick Rimando Nick Rimando Nicholas Paul "Nick" Rimando is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the United States national team-College:... |
Goalkeeper | Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
| 2010 MLS Cup 2010 The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010... |
Conor Casey Conor Casey Conor Casey is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:... |
Forward | Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
| 2011 MLS Cup 2011 The 2011 MLS Cup Final was the sixteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship match held in the United States and Canada. The match was played on Sunday, November 20, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California... |
Landon Donovan Landon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.... |
Forward | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
See also
- MLS Cup PlayoffsMLS Cup PlayoffsThe MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
- Supporters' Shield, the club with the best regular season record
- MLS rivalry cups
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
, the oldest ongoing soccer tournament in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, dating back to 1914. - Canadian ChampionshipCanadian ChampionshipThe Canadian Championship—known as the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams...
- CONCACAF Champions LeagueCONCACAF Champions LeagueThe CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
- List of MLS Cup broadcasters
- List of MLS Cup champions
- List of MLS club post-season droughts
- List of MLS Cup referees
- List of MLS Cup winning head coaches
- Soccer BowlSoccer BowlThe Soccer Bowl was the championship game of the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1983. The event was created by NASL Commissioner Phil Woosnam who was trying to build a neutral-site championship event in the mold of the NFL's Super Bowl....
, the championship match of the North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
Footnotes
- A. Until 2003, MLS Cup utilized "sudden death" or "golden goal" overtime, i.e. the match ended if a goal were scored at any point in overtime. Beginning in 2004, a 30:00 overtime is played in full; if the match is still tied, it is decided by a Penalty Kick shootout.
- B. Sellout crowd
- C. Although Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids are Western Conference clubs, they qualified to the MLS Cup final through the Eastern Conference bracket, and vice versa for the New York Red Bulls
- D. Sporting Kansas City was branded as the "Kansas City Wizards" from 1997 until 2010, and played its home games in
Missouri