2007_MLS_season
2007 Major League Soccer season
12th season of Major League Soccer
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 95th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 29th with a national first-division league.
| Season | 2007 |
|---|---|
| MLS Cup | Houston Dynamo (2nd title) |
| Supporters' Shield | D.C. United (4th shield) |
| 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League | Houston Dynamo D.C. United N.E. Revolution Chivas USA |
| 2008 SuperLiga | D.C. United Chivas USA Houston Dynamo N.E. Revolution |
| 2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup | Houston Dynamo D.C. United |
| Matches played | 195 |
| Goals scored | 518 (2.66 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Luciano Emilio D.C. United Goals: 20 |
| Biggest home win | CHV 4–0 RSL NY 4–0 CLB TOR 4–0 FCD |
| Biggest away win | CHI 0–4 HOU FCD 0–4 DCU |
| Highest scoring | NY 5–4 LA |
| Longest winning run | D.C. United Games: 6 (08/05/ – 09/01) |
| Longest unbeaten run | D.C. United Games: 13 (08/05 – 10/13) |
| Longest losing run | Los Angeles Galaxy Games: 6 (08/09 – 09/01) |
| Highest attendance | Los Angeles Galaxy Season: 363,782 Game Avg.: 24,252 |
| Lowest attendance | K.C. Wizards Season:173,784 Game Avg.: 11,586 |
| Total attendance | 3,270,210 |
| Average attendance | 16,770 |
← 2006 2008 → | |
This year marked the inaugural season for expansion franchise, Toronto FC who began play in the Eastern Conference. Two new soccer-specific stadiums opened as well. The Colorado Rapids moved into Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the Denver-suburb of Commerce City and, before the season began, BMO Field opened for expansion side, Toronto FC.
This season is often cited as the first in the modern-era of Major League Soccer because of the introduction of the Designated Player Rule which permitted each team to sign one big-ticket player without it counting against the salary cap. Six such players were signed for the 2007 season: David Beckham, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Juan Pablo Ángel, Luciano Emilio, Denílson and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
The regular season began on April 7, and concluded on October 21. The 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 25, and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18. For the first time in league history, the same two clubs consecutively won the MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield. The Houston Dynamo repeated as MLS Cup Champions by defeating the New England Revolution in the final and D.C. United won the Supporters' Shield by edging Chivas USA by two points in the standings.
Season format
The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup on November 18. The 13 teams were split into two conferences with 7 playing the Eastern Conference and 6 playing in the Western Conference. Each team played 30 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team twice, home and away, for a total of 26 games. The remaining four games were played against four regional rivals, two at home and two away.
The top three teams from each conference automatically qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs. In addition, the two highest remaining point totals, regardless of conference, also qualified. 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 to MLS Cup. In all rounds, draws were broken with two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. The away goals rule was not used in any round.
The team with the most points in the regular season was awarded the MLS Supporters' Shield and qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Additionally, the winner of MLS 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. Also, Toronto FC, as a Canadian-based team, could not qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League through MLS, and had to instead qualify through the Canadian Championship.
Automatic qualification for the U.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.
Qualification for the SuperLiga was determined by the overall table with the top four overall finishers qualifying for the 2008 edition.
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Fire | Toyota Park | 20,000 |
| Chivas USA | Home Depot Center | 27,000 |
| Colorado Rapids | Dick's Sporting Goods Park | 18,061 |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew Stadium | 22,555 |
| D.C. United | RFK Stadium | 46,000 |
| FC Dallas | Pizza Hut Park | 21,193 |
| Houston Dynamo | Robertson Stadium | 32,000 |
| Kansas City Wizards | Arrowhead Stadium | 81,425 |
| LA Galaxy | Home Depot Center | 27,000 |
| New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium | 68,756 |
| New York Red Bulls | Giants Stadium | 80,200 |
| Real Salt Lake | Rice-Eccles Stadium | 45,017 |
| Toronto FC | BMO Field | 21,566 |
Personnel and sponsorships
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Fire |  Dave Sarachan |
Fired | June 20, 2007 |  Juan Carlos Osorio |
July 1, 2007 |
| Real Salt Lake | John Ellinger |
Fired | May 3, 2007 | Jason Kreis |
May 3, 2007 |
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 56 | 34 | +22 | 55 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | New England Revolution | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 51 | 43 | +8 | 50 | |
| 3 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 47 | 45 | +2 | 43 | |
| 4 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 31 | 36 | −5 | 40 | |
| 5 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 40 | |
| 6 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 39 | 44 | −5 | 37 | |
| 7 | Toronto FC | 30 | 6 | 17 | 7 | 25 | 49 | −24 | 25 |
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chivas USA | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 46 | 28 | +18 | 53 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 23 | +20 | 52 | |
| 3 | FC Dallas | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 37 | 44 | −7 | 44 | |
| 4 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 29 | 34 | −5 | 35 | |
| 5 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 38 | 48 | −10 | 34 | |
| 6 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 27 |
Overall standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United (S) | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 56 | 34 | +22 | 55 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 2 | Chivas USA | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 46 | 28 | +18 | 53 | North American SuperLiga |
| 3 | Houston Dynamo (C) | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 23 | +20 | 52 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 4 | New England Revolution | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 51 | 43 | +8 | 50 | North American SuperLiga |
| 5 | FC Dallas | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 37 | 44 | −7 | 44 | |
| 6 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 47 | 45 | +2 | 43 | |
| 7 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 31 | 36 | −5 | 40 | |
| 8 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 40 | |
| 9 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 39 | 44 | −5 | 37 | |
| 10 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 29 | 34 | −5 | 35 | |
| 11 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 38 | 48 | −10 | 34 | |
| 12 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 27 | |
| 13 | Toronto FC | 30 | 6 | 17 | 7 | 25 | 49 | −24 | 25 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (S) Supporters' Shield
| Conference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup | |||||||||||||
| E1 | D.C. United | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Chicago Fire | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | Chicago Fire | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||
| E2 | New England Revolution | 1 | |||||||||||||
| E3 | New York Red Bulls | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | New England Revolution | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E2 | New England Revolution | 1 | |||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston Dynamo | 2 | |||||||||||||
| W1 | Chivas USA | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Kansas City Wizards1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Kansas City Wizards | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston Dynamo | 2 | |||||||||||||
| W3 | FC Dallas | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W2 | Houston Dynamo (AET) | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||
1 The Kansas City Wizards earned the eighth and final playoff berth, despite finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference.
They represent the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket, as only three teams in the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs.
Goals
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Luciano Emilio |
D.C. United | 20 |
| 2 | Juan Pablo Ángel |
New York Red Bulls | 19 |
| 3 | Taylor Twellman |
New England Revolution | 16 |
| 4 | Eddie Johnson |
Kansas City Wizards | 15 |
| 5 |  Maykel Galindo |
Chivas USA | 12 |
| 6 | Ante Razov |
Chivas USA | 11 |
| 7 |  Christian Gómez |
D.C. United | 10 |
| 8 | Jozy Altidore |
New York Red Bulls | 9 |
| 9 | Landon Donovan |
LA Galaxy | 8 |
| Robbie Findley |
Real Salt Lake |
Assists
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Guzan |
Chivas USA | 13 |
| 2 |  Pat Onstad |
Houston Dynamo | 11 |
| 3 | Matt Pickens |
Chicago Fire | 10 |
| Matt Reis |
New England Revolution | ||
| 5 |  Bouna Coundoul |
Colorado Rapids | 9 |
| 6 | Troy Perkins |
D.C. United | 8 |
| 7 | Nick Rimando |
Real Salt Lake | 7 |
| 8 | Joe Cannon |
LA Galaxy | 5 |
| Jon Conway |
New York Red Bulls | ||
| Kevin Hartman |
Kansas City Wizards | ||
| Will Hesmer |
Columbus Crew | ||
| Darío Sala |
FC Dallas | ||
 Ronald Waterreus |
New York Red Bulls | ||
Individual awards
Best XI
Weekly awards
Monthly awards
| Player of the Month | ||
|---|---|---|
| Week | Player | Club |
| April | Eddie Johnson | Kansas City Wizards |
| May | Juan Pablo Ángel | New York Red Bulls |
| June | Juan Pablo Ángel | New York Red Bulls |
| July | Guillermo Barros Schelotto | Columbus Crew |
| August | Troy Perkins | D.C. United |
| September | Luciano Emilio | D.C. United |
| October | Matt Pickens | Chicago Fire |
| Club | Games | Season | Game Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Galaxy | 15 | 363,782 | 24,252 |
| D.C. United | 15 | 314,506 | 20,967 |
| Toronto FC | 15 | 301,947 | 20,130 |
| New England Revolution | 15 | 251,132 | 16,742 |
| New York Red Bulls | 15 | 247,948 | 16,530 |
| Chicago Fire | 15 | 247,536 | 16,502 |
| Real Salt Lake | 15 | 239,395 | 15,960 |
| Houston Dynamo | 15 | 238,240 | 15,883 |
| Columbus Crew | 15 | 228,451 | 15,230 |
| FC Dallas | 15 | 227,182 | 15,145 |
| Colorado Rapids | 15 | 221,209 | 14,747 |
| Chivas USA | 15 | 214,578 | 14,305 |
| Kansas City Wizards | 15 | 173,784 | 11,586 |
| OVERALL | 195 | 3,269,690 | 16,768 |
CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2007
D.C. United
Defeated 
Club Deportivo Olimpia in the Quarterfinals
Lost 
Club Deportivo Guadalajara in the Semifinals.
Houston Dynamo
Defeated 
Puntarenas FC in the Quarterfinals.
Lost C.F. Pachuca in the Semifinals.
SuperLiga 2007
FC Dallas
Finished in fourth place and did not advance from
Group A after going 0-1-2 in group play.
D.C. United
Runner-up of Group B after going 1-1-1 in group play.
Lost to Los Angeles Galaxy in Semifinals.
Houston Dynamo
Winner of Group B after going 2-0-1 in group play.
Lost to C.F. Pachuca on penalty kicks in the Semifinals.
Los Angeles Galaxy
Winner of Group A after going 2-1-0 in group play.
Defeated D.C. United in the Semifinals
Lost to C.F. Pachuca on penalty kicks in the Final.
Copa Sudamericana 2007
D.C. United
Lost to Club Deportivo Guadalajara on away goals in the Round of 16.
2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Eight of the twelve U.S.-based MLS teams entered the tournament in the third round.
D.C. United
Lost to Harrisburg City Islanders in the third round.
Los Angeles Galaxy
Lost to Richmond Kickers in the third round.
Chicago Fire
Lost to Carolina RailHawks in the third round.
Houston Dynamo
Lost to Charleston Battery in the third round.
Chivas USA
Lost to Seattle Sounders (USL) in the third round
Colorado Rapids
Defeated California Victory in the third round.
Lost to Seattle Sounders (USL) in the Quarterfinals.
FC Dallas
Defeated Atlanta Silverbacks on penalty kicks in the third round,
Defeated Charleston Battery after extra time in the Quarterfinals,
Defeated Seattle Sounders (USL) after extra time in the Semifinals,
Lost to New England Revolution in the Final.
New England Revolution
Defeated Rochester Raging Rhinos in the third round.
Defeated Harrisburg City Islanders in the Quarterfinals.
Defeated Carolina RailHawks after extra time in the Semifinals.
Defeated FC Dallas in the Final.
All-Star game
The 2007 MLS All-Star Game was held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park
in Commerce City, Colorado, home of the Colorado Rapids on July 19.
The opponent was Celtic F.C. of the Scottish Premier League.
Final Score:
MLS All-Stars 2-0 Celtic F.C.