The 2000 MLS Cup

MLS Cup

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...

was the championship game of the 2000 Major League Soccer season

Major League Soccer 2000 season

-Final standings:*Top eight teams with the highest points clinch play-off berth, regardless of conference.s = Supporters Shieldx = Clinched Playoff berth.- Overall :Source:...

. The game was played on October 15, 2000, 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....

 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....

 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. Wizards midfielder

Midfielder

A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 Chris Klein

Chris Klein (soccer)

Chris Klein is a former American soccer player.Klein spent the entirety of his 12-year professional career playing in Major League Soccer, for the Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield with Kansas in 2000, and the Supporters' Shield...

 stole the ball from Chicago's Diego Gutierrez

Diego Gutierrez (soccer)

Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently Head of Scouting and Player Development for Philadelphia Union.Born in Colombia, Gutiérrez was part of that country's youth...

 near midfield and stormed down the right flank toward the box. Klein sent a cross into the box that eluded several defenders

Defender (football)

Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

. Fire midfielder 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...

 failed to clear the ball, allowing Miklos Molnar

Miklos Molnar

Miklos Jon Molnar , nicknamed "Danish Dynamite", is a Danish former professional football player who played as a striker for a number of Danish and foreign clubs. He was the top goalscorer of the 1989 and 1997 Danish championships, and won the 2000 MLS Cup with American team Kansas City Wizards...

 to pounce on it and roll the opening goal past Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...

 in the 11th minute. The 39,159 fans at RFK Stadium were treated to exciting soccer after Molnar's goal, with MLS' best offense hunting for an equalizer against the league's best defense. However Wizards goalkeeper 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...

 capped off a remarkable season by making 10 saves as Kansas City downed Chicago 1-0 and claimed their first title.

Box score

Chicago Fire

Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...

, C.J. Brown, Carlos Bocanegra

Carlos Bocanegra

Carlos Manuel Bocanegra is an American soccer player who plays for Scottish Premier League club Rangers and is the captain of the United States national team.-Chicago Fire:...

, Tenywa Bonseu

Tenywa Bonseu

Tenywa "T-Bone" Bonseu is a Ugandan footballer, currently without a club.-Amateur and college:Bonseu began his career playing for Horizon FC in his native Uganda, before coming to the United States in 1997 to attend and play college soccer for Martin Methodist College in rural...

, Peter Nowak (Lubos Kubik

Luboš Kubík

Luboš Kubík is a Czech former professional footballer and former manager of Torquay United, who played sweeper for the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams, winning 56 caps in total, and a number of notable clubs...

), Diego Gutierrez

Diego Gutierrez (soccer)

Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently Head of Scouting and Player Development for Philadelphia Union.Born in Colombia, Gutiérrez was part of that country's youth...

 (DaMarcus Beasley

DaMarcus Beasley

DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...

), Chris Armas

Chris Armas

Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...

, 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...

 (Josh Wolff

Josh Wolff

Joshua David "Josh" Wolff is an American soccer player currently playing for D.C. United of Major League Soccer.-College:...

), Dema Kovalenko, Hristo Stoitchkov, Ante Razov

Ante Razov

Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...

 

Kansas City Wizards

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...

, Chris Klein

Chris Klein (soccer)

Chris Klein is a former American soccer player.Klein spent the entirety of his 12-year professional career playing in Major League Soccer, for the Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield with Kansas in 2000, and the Supporters' Shield...

 (Francisco Gomez

Francisco Gomez

Francisco Gomez is a retired American soccer player.-Club career:Gomez joined the Kansas City Wizards in 1999, after playing briefly with the California Jaguars of the A-League...

), Nick Garcia

Nick Garcia

Nick Garcia is an American soccer player who grew up playing for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club and most recently played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

, Peter Vermes

Peter Vermes

Peter Joseph Vermes is an American former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer....

, 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....

, Preki

Preki

Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...

 (Uche Okafor

Uche Okafor

Uchenna Kizito Okafor, often shortened to Uche Okafor was a football defender who played 34 international matches for Nigeria.- Club career :Okafor's club career took him to many countries before he settled in the USA...

), Matt McKeon

Matt McKeon

Matthew John McKeon is a retired American soccer midfielder who played seven seasons in Major League Soccer. He earned two caps with the United States men's national soccer team and was a member of the 1996 U.S...

, Kerry Zavagnin

Kerry Zavagnin

Kerry Zavagnin is a former American soccer midfielder, who last played defensive midfielder for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer, and sparingly for the US national team. Kerry Zavaginin also went to and played soccer for Detroit Catholic Central High School...

, Chris Henderson

Chris Henderson

Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S...

, Mo Johnston

Mo Johnston

Maurice John Giblin "Mo" Johnston is a former football striker.Johnston began his football career with Partick Thistle in 1981 before moving to Watford in 1983. With Watford Johnston scored 23 league goals, made his international debut, and helped the team reach the 1984 FA Cup Final...

, Miklos Molnar

Miklos Molnar

Miklos Jon Molnar , nicknamed "Danish Dynamite", is a Danish former professional football player who played as a striker for a number of Danish and foreign clubs. He was the top goalscorer of the 1989 and 1997 Danish championships, and won the 2000 MLS Cup with American team Kansas City Wizards...

Honors

Most Valuable Player: 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...

(Kansas City)