2010_MLS_Cup_Playoffs
2010 MLS Cup Playoffs
2010 edition of the MLS playoffs
The 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs was the postseason tournament subsequent to Major League Soccer's 2010 season.
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| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States Canada |
| Teams | 8 |
| Defending champions | Real Salt Lake |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Colorado Rapids (1st title) |
| Runner-up | FC Dallas |
| Semifinalists | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 11 |
| Goals scored | 25 (2.27 per match) |
| Attendance | 214,885 (19,535 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) |  Edson Buddle Conor Casey Bobby Convey David Ferreira(2 goals each) |
The playoffs began on October 30, with the Los Angeles Galaxy defeating the Seattle Sounders FC in the quarterfinal-round. Three weeks later, the Colorado Rapids defeated FC Dallas 2-1 in the Cup final at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario. It was Colorado's first title and second MLS Cup final appearance, and it was FC Dallas's first appearance in an MLS Cup final.
Of the eight MLS clubs to earn qualification into the tournament, only four of them qualified the season before; Columbus Crew, Los Angeles Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC, and the defending-champions, Real Salt Lake. The San Jose Earthquakes were making their first playoff appearance since 2005, Dallas' since 2007. It was Colorado's and New York Red Bulls's first time since 2008.
At the 2010 season's end, the top two teams of each conference advanced to the playoffs; in addition the clubs with the next four highest point totals, regardless of conference, were also added to the playoffs for a total of eight clubs. In the first round of the knockout tournament, aggregate (total) goals over two matches would determine the winners; the Conference Championships was one match each, with the winner of each conference advancing to MLS Cup. In all rounds, the tie-breaking method would be two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. The away goals rule was not used.[1]
Conference standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 51 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 50 | |
| 3 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 36 | 35 | +1 | 39 | |
| 4 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 37 | 38 | −1 | 36 | |
| 5 | Toronto FC | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 33 | 41 | −8 | 35 | |
| 6 | New England Revolution | 30 | 9 | 16 | 5 | 32 | 50 | −18 | 32 | |
| 7 | Philadelphia Union | 30 | 8 | 15 | 7 | 35 | 49 | −14 | 31 | |
| 8 | D.C. United | 30 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 21 | 47 | −26 | 22 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA Galaxy | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 44 | 26 | +18 | 59 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 45 | 20 | +25 | 56 | |
| 3 | FC Dallas | 30 | 12 | 4 | 14 | 42 | 28 | +14 | 50 | |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 39 | 35 | +4 | 48 | |
| 5 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 44 | 32 | +12 | 46 | |
| 6 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 34 | 33 | +1 | 46 | |
| 7 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 40 | 49 | −9 | 33 | |
| 8 | Chivas USA | 30 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 28 |
Overall standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LA Galaxy (S) | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 44 | 26 | +18 | 59 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 2 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 15 | 4 | 11 | 45 | 20 | +25 | 56 | |
| 3 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 38 | 29 | +9 | 51 | |
| 4 | FC Dallas | 30 | 12 | 4 | 14 | 42 | 28 | +14 | 50 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 5 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 50 | |
| 6 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 39 | 35 | +4 | 48 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids (C) | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 44 | 32 | +12 | 46 | |
| 8 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 34 | 33 | +1 | 46 | |
| 9 | Kansas City Wizards | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 36 | 35 | +1 | 39 | |
| 10 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 37 | 38 | −1 | 36 | |
| 11 | Toronto FC | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 33 | 41 | −8 | 35 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 12 | Houston Dynamo | 30 | 9 | 15 | 6 | 40 | 49 | −9 | 33 | |
| 13 | New England Revolution | 30 | 9 | 16 | 5 | 32 | 50 | −18 | 32 | |
| 14 | Philadelphia Union | 30 | 8 | 15 | 7 | 35 | 49 | −14 | 31 | |
| 15 | Chivas USA | 30 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 28 | |
| 16 | D.C. United | 30 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 21 | 47 | −26 | 22 |
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 | New York | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | San Jose | 0 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| E4 | San Jose | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||
| E3 | Colorado | 1 | |||||||||||||
| E2 | Columbus | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| E3 | Colorado (5–4, PSO) | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| E3 | Colorado | 2 | |||||||||||||
| W3 | Dallas | 1 | |||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| W4 | Seattle | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W1 | Los Angeles | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||
| W3 | Dallas | 3 | |||||||||||||
| W2 | Salt Lake | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| W3 | Dallas | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| New York Red Bulls | 1–0 | San Jose Earthquakes |
|---|---|---|
Ballouchy  46'Lindpere  56'Miller 71'Coundoul 83' |
Report | Wondolowski 65' |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 3–1 | New York Red Bulls |
|---|---|---|
| Corrales 32' Convey 8', 76'Wondolowski 81'Busch 81' |
Report | Ángel 78' |
San Jose Earthquakes advance 3–2 on aggregate
| Columbus Crew | 0–1 | Colorado Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Carroll 57' |
Report | Mastroeni 23' Mastroeni 90+2' |
| Colorado Rapids | 1–2 | Columbus Crew |
|---|---|---|
| Mullan 38' Casey 48'Casey 84' |
Report | Gaven 22' Schelotto 31'Ekpo 52'Carroll 56' Francis 64'Rogers 70'Rogers 70' |
| Penalties | ||
Casey  Kandji Larentowicz Lopez Baudet |
5–4 | Schelotto Garey Gaven Brunner Carroll |
Colorado Rapids advance 5–4 on penalties
| Real Salt Lake | 1–2 | FC Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Espindola 5' Williams 46'Morales 49'  69' |
Report | Benitez 25' Cunningham 44'Hernandez 49'Harris  75'Avila 88' |
| FC Dallas | 1–1 | Real Salt Lake |
|---|---|---|
| McCarty 17' Chavez 27'Loyd 84' |
Report | Olave 25' Grabavoy 29'Borchers 34'Findley 79' |
FC Dallas advance 3–2 on aggregate
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–0 | Seattle Sounders FC |
|---|---|---|
| Buddle 38' Juninho 48'Kovalenko 65'Kirovski 82' |
Report | Montero 49' Nkufo 90+4' |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 1–2 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Ianni 65' Zakuani 86' |
Report | Beckham 8' Buddle 19'Gonzalez 27' |
Los Angeles Galaxy advance 3–1 on aggregate
| FC Dallas | 3–0 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Ferreira 26' John 54'Chavez 73'Loyd 85' |
Report | Kovalenko 31' Beckham 73'Birchall 82'Cazumba 84' |
- "Playoff Format & Tiebreakers | Major League Soccer". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved October 29, 2010.