The2004 Major League Soccer season was the ninth season ofMajor League Soccer. It was also the 92nd season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in theUnited States, and the 26th with a national first-division league.
Season | 2004 |
---|---|
MLS Cup | D.C. United (4th title) |
Supporters' Shield | Columbus Crew (1st shield) |
2005 CONCACAF Champions' Cup | D.C. United Kansas City Wizards |
Matches played | 150 |
Goals scored | 392 (2.61 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Brian Ching San Jose Earthquakes Goals: 12 Eddie Johnson Dallas Burn Goals: 12 |
Biggest home win | NE 6–1COL |
Biggest away win | LA 0–3NY DAL 0–3NE CHI 0–3COL |
Highest scoring | SJ 5–5NY |
Longest winning run | Columbus Crew Games: 4 (05/15 – 06/06) Columbus Crew Games: 4 (09/04 – 09/25) |
Longest unbeaten run | Columbus Crew Games: 18 (07/03/2004) |
Longest losing run | Dallas Burn Games: 4 (05/08 – 05/29) |
Highest attendance | Los Angeles Galaxy Season: 357,137 Game Avg.: 23,809 |
Lowest attendance | Dallas Burn Season: 136,319 Game Avg.: 9,088 |
Total attendance | 2,333,797 |
Average attendance | 15,559 |
←2003 2005 → |
After playing one season in the suburb ofSouthlake, theDallas Burn returned to theCotton Bowl.
D.C. United signed 14-year-old prodigyFreddy Adu, who made his debut as a substitute in their season opener becoming the youngest player in North American sports history. TheColumbus Crew emerged as a dominant team in the second half of the regular season, running off an MLS-record 18-game unbeaten streak en route to winning theSupporters' Shield.
The regular season began on April 3, and concluded on October 17. The 2004 MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 22, and concluded withMLS Cup 2004 on November 14.D.C. United won their record 4th league title by defeating theKansas City Wizards in MLS Cup.
Overview
editSeason format
editThe season began on April 3 and concluded withMLS Cup on November 14. The 10 teams were split evenly into two conferences. Each team played 30 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their conference, and two designated opponents from the opposite conference, four times, and the remaining teams 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. Additionally, the winner ofMLS Cup and the runner-up qualified for theCONCACAF Champions' Cup.
Stadiums and locations
editTeam | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|
Chicago Fire | Soldier Field | 61,500 |
Colorado Rapids | Invesco Field at Mile High | 76,125 |
Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew Stadium | 22,555 |
D.C. United | RFK Stadium | 46,000 |
Dallas Burn | Cotton Bowl | 92,100 |
Kansas City Wizards | Arrowhead Stadium | 81,425 |
Los Angeles Galaxy | Home Depot Center | 27,000 |
MetroStars | Giants Stadium | 80,200 |
New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium | 68,756 |
San Jose Earthquakes | Spartan Stadium | 30,456 |
Personnel and sponsorships
editCoaching changes
editTeam | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Galaxy | Sigi Schmid | Fired | August 16, 2004 | Steve Sampson | August 18, 2004 |
Standings
editEastern Conference
editPos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 40 | 32 | +8 | 49 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
2 | D.C. United | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 43 | 42 | +1 | 42 | |
3 | MetroStars | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 47 | 49 | −2 | 40 | |
4 | New England Revolution | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 42 | 43 | −1 | 33 | |
5 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 36 | 44 | −8 | 33 |
Western Conference
editPos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 38 | 30 | +8 | 49 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
2 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 43 | |
3 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 29 | 32 | −3 | 41 | |
4 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 38 | |
5 | Dallas Burn | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 34 | 45 | −11 | 36 |
Overall standings
editPos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Columbus Crew(S) | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 40 | 32 | +8 | 49 | |
2 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 38 | 30 | +8 | 49 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
3 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 42 | 40 | +2 | 43 | |
4 | D.C. United(C) | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 43 | 42 | +1 | 42 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
5 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 29 | 32 | −3 | 41 | |
6 | MetroStars | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 47 | 49 | −2 | 40 | |
7 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 41 | 35 | +6 | 38 | |
8 | Dallas Burn | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 34 | 45 | −11 | 36 | |
9 | New England Revolution | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 42 | 43 | −1 | 33 | |
10 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 36 | 44 | −8 | 33 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions;(S) Supporters' Shield
MLS Cup Playoffs
editBracket
editConference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup | |||||||||||||
E1 | Columbus | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
E4 | New England (wins 2–1 agg.) | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
E4 | New England | 3 | |||||||||||||
Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||
E2 | D.C. United (wins 4–3 on PK's) | 3* | |||||||||||||
E2 | D.C. United (wins 4–0 agg.) | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||
E3 | MetroStars | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
E2 | D.C. United | 3 | |||||||||||||
W1 | Kansas City | 2 | |||||||||||||
W1 | Kansas City (wins 3–2 agg.) | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||||
W4 | San Jose | 2 | 0 | ||||||||||||
W1 | Kansas City | 2 | |||||||||||||
Western Conference | |||||||||||||||
W2 | Los Angeles | 0 | |||||||||||||
W2 | Los Angeles (wins 2–1 agg.) | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||
W3 | Colorado | 1 | 0 |
Conference semifinals
editNew England Revolution advance 2–1 on aggregate.
MetroStars | 0–2 | D.C. United |
---|---|---|
Report | Moreno 85' Namoff 89' |
D.C. United advance 4–0 on aggregate.
San Jose Earthquakes | 0–3 | Kansas City Wizards |
---|---|---|
Report | Stephenson 26' Ching 48' (o.g.) Jewsbury 90+2' |
Kansas City Wizards advance 3–2 on aggregate.
Colorado Rapids | 0–2 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
---|---|---|
Report | Ruiz 30' Marshall 45+3' |
Los Angeles Galaxy advance 2–1 on aggregate.
Conference finals
editNew England Revolution | 3–3(AET) | D.C. United |
---|---|---|
Twellman 17' Ralston 44' (pen.) Noonan 85' | Report | Eskandarian 11' Moreno 21' Gomez 67' |
Penalties | ||
Ralston Reis Twellman Heaps Joseph Dempsey | 3–4 | Olsen Quaranta Adu Eskandarian Moreno Carroll |
D.C. United advance 4–3 on penalties (3–3 afterfull time).
MLS Cup
editKansas City Wizards | 2–3 | D.C. United |
---|---|---|
Burciaga Jr. 6' Wolff 58' (pen.) | Report | Eskandarian 19' 23' Zotinca 26' (o.g.) Kovalenko 57' |
Player statistics
editGoals
editHat-tricks
editPlayer | Club | Against | Result | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alejandro Moreno | Los Angeles Galaxy | D.C. United | 4–2 | May 19 |
Pat Noonan | New England Revolution | Kansas City Wizards | 3–2 | June 2 |
Damani Ralph | Chicago Fire | Los Angeles Galaxy | 3–0 | June 5 |
Davy Arnaud | Kansas City Wizards | Dallas Burn | 5–1 | July 3 |
Ross Paule | Columbus Crew | Los Angeles Galaxy | 3–1 | September 4 |
Edson Buddle4 | Columbus Crew | MetroStars | 4–2 | September 18 |
Assists
editClean sheets
editAwards
editIndividual awards
editBest XI
editGoalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
---|---|---|---|
Joe Cannon,Colorado | Jimmy Conrad,Kansas City Robin Fraser,Columbus Ryan Nelsen,D.C. United Eddie Pope,MetroStars | Eddie Gaven,MetroStars Amado Guevara,MetroStars Ronnie O'Brien,Dallas Kerry Zavagnin,Kansas City | Brian Ching,San Jose Jaime Moreno,D.C. United |
Attendance
editClub | Games | Total | Average |
---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Galaxy | 15 | 357,137 | 23,809 |
D.C. United | 15 | 258,484 | 17,232 |
MetroStars | 15 | 257,923 | 17,195 |
Chicago Fire | 15 | 257,295 | 17,153 |
Columbus Crew | 15 | 253,079 | 16,872 |
Kansas City Wizards | 15 | 222,235 | 14,816 |
Colorado Rapids | 15 | 212,925 | 14,195 |
San Jose Earthquakes | 15 | 195,015 | 13,001 |
New England Revolution | 15 | 183,385 | 12,226 |
Dallas Burn | 15 | 136,319 | 9,088 |
Totals | 150 | 2,333,797 | 15,559 |