| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Teams | 8 |
| Defending champions | Columbus Crew |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Real Salt Lake (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Semifinalists | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 11 |
| Goals scored | 21 (1.91 per match) |
| Attendance | 259,149 (23,559 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | (3 goals each) |
The2009 MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason toMajor League Soccer's2009 season.MLS Cup 2009 concluded the season on November 22, 2009, atQwest Field inSeattle, Washington.Real Salt Lake won the Cup in penalties over theL.A. Galaxy.
At the 2009 season's end, the top two teams of each conference made the playoffs; in addition, the clubs with the next four highest point totals, regardless of conference, were added to the playoffs. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate goals over two matches determined the winners; the Conference Championships were one match each, with the winner of each conference advancing toMLS Cup. In all rounds, the tie-breaking method was two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. Theaway goals rule was not used.[1]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 31 | +10 | 49 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 34 | +5 | 45 | |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 37 | −4 | 42 | |
| 4 | D.C. United | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 43 | 44 | −1 | 40 | |
| 5 | Toronto FC | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 37 | 46 | −9 | 39 | |
| 6 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 33 | |
| 7 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 5 | 19 | 6 | 27 | 47 | −20 | 21 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 48 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 48 | |
| 3 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 47 | |
| 4 | Chivas USA | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 45 | |
| 5 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 40 | |
| 6 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 40 | |
| 7 | FC Dallas | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 39 | |
| 8 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 36 | 50 | −14 | 30 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Crew(S) | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 31 | +10 | 49 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 2 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 31 | +5 | 48 | |
| 3 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 29 | +10 | 48 | North American SuperLiga |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 47 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 5 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 34 | +5 | 45 | North American SuperLiga |
| 6 | Chivas USA | 30 | 13 | 11 | 6 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 45 | |
| 7 | New England Revolution | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 33 | 37 | −4 | 42 | |
| 8 | Real Salt Lake(C) | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 40 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 9 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 40 | |
| 10 | D.C. United | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 43 | 44 | −1 | 40 | |
| 11 | FC Dallas | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 39 | |
| 12 | Toronto FC | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 37 | 46 | −9 | 39 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 13 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 33 | 42 | −9 | 33 | |
| 14 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 36 | 50 | −14 | 30 | |
| 15 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 5 | 19 | 6 | 27 | 47 | −20 | 21 |
| Conference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup | |||||||||||||
| E1 | Columbus | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Salt Lake | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Salt Lake (AET) (PEN) | (0)5 | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||
| E2 | Chicago | (0)4 | |||||||||||||
| E3 | New England | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | Chicago | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Salt Lake (AET) (PEN) | (1)5 | |||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles | (1)4 | |||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Chivas USA | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles (AET) | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston | 0 | |||||||||||||
| W3 | Seattle | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston (AET) | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
1 Real Salt Lake earned the eighth and final playoff berth, despite finishing fifth in the Western Conference. They represent the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, as only three teams in the Eastern Conference qualified for the playoffs.
| Columbus Crew | 0 – 1 | Real Salt Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Carroll | Report |
| Real Salt Lake | 3 – 2 | Columbus Crew |
|---|---|---|
| Morales Findley Olave Williams | Report |
Real Salt Lake advances 4–2 on aggregate.
| Chicago Fire | 1 – 2 | New England Revolution |
|---|---|---|
| Rolfe Husidic | Report[permanent dead link] |
| New England Revolution | 0 – 2 | Chicago Fire |
|---|---|---|
| Mansally Jankauskas Larentowicz | Report[permanent dead link] |
Chicago Fire advances 3–2 on aggregate.
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 2 – 2 | Chivas USA |
|---|---|---|
| Magee Birchall Donovan | Report |
| Chivas USA | 0 – 1 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Talley Thornton Nagamura Cuesta Kljestan | Report |
Los Angeles Galaxy advances 3–2 on aggregate.
| Houston Dynamo | 0 – 0 | Seattle Sounders FC |
|---|---|---|
| Onstad Mullan Chabala | Report |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 0 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Houston Dynamo |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall Riley Ljungberg | Report |
Houston Dynamo advances 1–0 on aggregate.
Real Salt Lake advances 5–4 on penalties.
| Houston Dynamo | 0 – 2 (a.e.t.) | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Mullan Boswell Landín | Report |
Los Angeles Galaxy advances.