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| Season | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Teams | 12 |
| MLS Cup | Houston Dynamo (1st title) |
| Supporters' Shield | D.C. United (3rd shield) |
| 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup | Houston Dynamo D.C. United |
| Matches | 192 |
| Goals | 503 (2.62 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Jeff Cunningham Real Salt Lake Goals: 16 |
| Biggest home win | NY 6–0RSL |
| Biggest away win | NY 1–4DCU LA 0–3RSL DCU 2–5LA |
| Highest scoring | NY 5–4CHV |
| Longest winning run | D.C. United Wins: 6 (06/21 – 07/15) |
| Longest unbeaten run | D.C. United Wins: 14 (05/13 – 07/22) |
| Longest losing run | K.C. Wizards Loss: 7 (06/24 – 07/22) Los Angeles Galaxy Loss: 7 (05/06 -06/08) |
| Highest attendance | Los Angeles Galaxy Season: 333,016 Game avg.: 20,814 |
| Lowest attendance | Kansas City Wizards Season: 177,322 Game avg.: 11,083 |
| Total attendance | 2,976,787 |
| Average attendance | 15,504 |
←2005 2007 → | |
The2006 Major League Soccer season was the 11th season ofMajor League Soccer. It was also the 94th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in theUnited States, and the 28th with a national first-division league.
The MetroStars were bought by Austrian companyRed Bull and rebranded as theNew York Red Bulls.
Due to ownerAEG being unable to secure asoccer specific stadium inSan Jose, theEarthquakes ceased operations and had their personnel transferred to the expansionHouston Dynamo.
In June, theChicago Fire moved into their newsoccer-specific stadium,Toyota Park, inBridgeview, Illinois.
The regular season began on April 1, and concluded on October 15. The 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 21, and concluded withMLS Cup 2006 on November 12. Houston marked their inaugural season with a league championship by defeating theNew England Revolution on penalties in MLS Cup.
The season began on April 1 and concluded withMLS Cup on November 12. The 12 teams were split evenly into two conferences. Each team played 32 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their conference four times, and every team in the opposite conference twice.
The top four teams from each conference qualified for theMLS Cup Playoffs. In the first round, aggregate goals over two matches determined the winners. The conference finals were played as a single match, and the winners advanced toMLS Cup. In all rounds, draws were broken with two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. Theaway goals rule was not used in any round.
The team with the most points in the regular season was awarded theMLS Supporters' Shield and qualified for theCONCACAF Champions' Cup. Additionally, the winner ofMLS Cup also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. If a team qualified for multiple berths into the Champions' Cup, then additional berths were awarded to the highest overall finishing MLS team(s) not already qualified. Qualification for the inauguralSuperLiga was also awarded to the MLS Cup Champion and Supporters' Shield winner, as well two invited teams,FC Dallas andLA Galaxy.
Automatic qualification for theU.S. Open Cup was awarded to the top three finishers in each conference. The rest of the U.S.-based MLS teams had to qualify for the remaining two berths via a series of play-in games.
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Galaxy |  Steve Sampson | Fired | June 6, 2006 |  Frank Yallop | June 7, 2006 |
| New York Red Bulls |  Mo Johnston | Fired | June 27, 2006 | Richie Williams | June 28, 2006 |
| New York Red Bulls | Richie Williams | End of interim period | July 18, 2006 | Bruce Arena | July 18, 2006 |
| Kansas City Wizards | Bob Gansler | Resigned | July 19, 2006 | Brian Bliss | July 19, 2006 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United | 32 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 52 | 38 | +14 | 55 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | New England Revolution | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 39 | 35 | +4 | 48 | |
| 3 | Chicago Fire | 32 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 47 | |
| 4 | New York Red Bulls | 32 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 39 | |
| 5 | Kansas City Wizards | 32 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 38 | |
| 6 | Columbus Crew | 32 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 30 | 42 | −12 | 33 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Dallas | 32 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 52 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Houston Dynamo | 32 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 46 | |
| 3 | Chivas USA | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 43 | |
| 4 | Colorado Rapids | 32 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 36 | 49 | −13 | 41 | |
| 5 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 32 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 39 | |
| 6 | Real Salt Lake | 32 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 45 | 49 | −4 | 39 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United(S) | 32 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 52 | 38 | +14 | 55 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 2 | FC Dallas | 32 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 52 | North American SuperLiga |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 39 | 35 | +4 | 48 | |
| 4 | Chicago Fire | 32 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 47 | |
| 5 | Houston Dynamo(C) | 32 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 46 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 6 | Chivas USA | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 43 | |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids | 32 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 36 | 49 | −13 | 41 | |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls | 32 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 39 | |
| 9 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 32 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 39 | North American SuperLiga |
| 10 | Real Salt Lake | 32 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 45 | 49 | −4 | 39 | |
| 11 | Kansas City Wizards | 32 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 38 | |
| 12 | Columbus Crew | 32 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 30 | 42 | −12 | 33 |
| Conference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup | |||||||||||||
| E1 | D.C. United | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | New York | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | D.C. United | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||
| E2 | New England | 1 | |||||||||||||
| E3 | Chicago | 1 | 1 (2) | ||||||||||||
| E2 | New England (p) | 0 | 2 (4) | ||||||||||||
| E2 | New England | 1 (3) | |||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston (p) | 1 (4) | |||||||||||||
| W1 | Dallas | 2 | 2 (4) | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Colorado (p) | 1 | 3 (5) | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Colorado | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston | 3 | |||||||||||||
| W3 | Chivas USA | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
D.C. United advance 2–1 on aggregate.
| Chicago Fire | 1–2 (AET) | New England Revolution |
|---|---|---|
Jaqua 18' | (Report) | Twellman 41' Noonan 58' |
| Penalties | ||
Thiago Gutiérrez  Herron Guerrero | 2–4 | CancelaReisNoonanTwellman |
New England Revolution advance 4–2 on penalties (2–2 aggregate afterextra time).
Colorado Rapids advance 5–4 on penalties (4–4 aggregate afterextra time).
| Houston Dynamo | 1–2 | Chivas USA |
|---|---|---|
| Ching 75' | Report | Razov 45' Palencia 68' |
| Chivas USA | 0–2 | Houston Dynamo |
|---|---|---|
Palencia 57'  58' | Report | Davis 64' (pen.) Ching 90+3' |
Houston Dynamo advance 3–2 on aggregate.
New England Revolution advances 1–0 in single elimination.
| Colorado Rapids | 1–3 | Houston Dynamo |
|---|---|---|
| Kirovski 4' | Report | Dalglish 10',21' Mullan 71' |
Houston Dynamo advances 3–1 in single elimination.
| Houston Dynamo | 1–1 (AET) | New England Revolution |
|---|---|---|
| Ching 114' | (Report) | Twellman 113' |
| Penalties | ||
| Gray Holden De Rosario Davis Ching | 4–3 | JosephReisNoonanTwellmanHeaps |
| Player | Club | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Ching | Houston Dynamo | Colorado Rapids | 5–2 | April 2 |
 Peguero Jean Philippe | New York Red Bulls | Chivas USA | 5–4 | May 20 |
| Edson Buddle | New York Red Bulls | Real Salt Lake | 6–0 | August 26 |
 Amado Guevara | New York Red Bulls | Kansas City Wizards | 3–2 | October 14 |
| Club | Games | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 16 | 333,016 | 20,814 |
| Chivas USA | 16 | 317,432 | 19,840 |
| Houston Dynamo | 16 | 302,957 | 18,935 |
| D.C. United | 16 | 291,442 | 18,215 |
| Real Salt Lake | 16 | 261,855 | 16,366 |
| FC Dallas | 16 | 239,714 | 14,982 |
| New York Red Bulls | 16 | 233,112 | 14,570 |
| Chicago Fire | 16 | 225,775 | 14,111 |
| Columbus Crew | 16 | 212,699 | 13,294 |
| Colorado Rapids | 16 | 192,894 | 12,056 |
| New England Revolution | 16 | 188,569 | 11,786 |
| Kansas City Wizards | 16 | 177,322 | 11,083 |
| Totals | 192 | 2,976,787 | 15,504 |
| Eastern Conference | |
|---|---|
| Western Conference | |
| Former teams |
|
| Personnel | |
| Competition | |
| Associated competitions | |
| Other | |
