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Playoffs · 2000

The 2000playoffs.

Kansas City Wizards beat Chicago Fire in MLS Cup 2000. With the league split into three divisions, eight clubs qualified league-wide: the three division winners plus the five best remaining records, seeded 1–8 by overall standing.

Final

Top half (seeds 1, 8, 4, 5)

QuarterfinalsBest of three, on points
SemifinalsBest of three, on points
On pointsSep 29 · Oct 3 · Oct 6
1Kansas City0114
5LA Galaxy0204
KC won in sudden-death series overtime after 4–4 on points
On pointsSep 16 · Sep 20 · Sep 24
1Kansas City1037
8Colorado0021
KC won 7–1 on points
On pointsSep 14 · Sep 20
4Tampa Bay020
5LA Galaxy156
LA won 6–0 on points

Bottom half (seeds 2, 7, 3, 6)

QuarterfinalsBest of three, on points
SemifinalsBest of three, on points
On pointsSep 26 · Sep 30 · Oct 6
2Chicago3036
3MetroStars0223
CHI won 6–3 on points
On pointsSep 15 · Sep 19 · Sep 22
2Chicago2166
7New England1203
CHI won 6–3 on points
On pointsSep 15 · Sep 20
3MetroStars226
6Dallas110
MET won 6–0 on points

MLS Cup

Oct 15

One matchOct 15
1Kansas City1
2Chicago0
KC won 1–0
2000 championKansas City Wizards

MLS Cup 2000

Kansas City Wizards over Chicago Fire.

1–0

Venue
RFK Stadium
Attendance
39,159
MVP
Tony Meola (Kansas City Wizards)
Field
8 of 12 clubs

The format

How 2000 worked.

With the league split into three divisions, eight clubs qualified league-wide: the three division winners plus the five best remaining records, seeded 1–8 by overall standing. Quarterfinals and semifinals were three-game series decided on points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw), the first to five points advancing; MLS Cup was a single match at a predetermined venue. The shootout was gone: games level after 90 minutes went to sudden-death overtime and could end drawn.

  • Shootout abolished; draws (1 point) now possible after sudden-death overtime.
  • League-wide seeding 1–8 across three divisions replaced conference brackets.
  • Series decided on points (first to five) rather than game wins, with a sudden-death series overtime if level after three games.
  1. 01QuarterfinalsBest of three, decided on points · First to five points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw). Games level after 90 minutes went to sudden-death overtime; if still level, a draw. A series level on points after three games was settled by a sudden-death series overtime played immediately after Game 3.Sep 14 – 24
  2. 02SemifinalsBest of three, decided on pointsSep 26 – Oct 6
  3. 03MLS CupSingle matchOct 15
Seeding
Seeded 1–8 by overall regular-season points (Kansas City took the No. 1 seed over Chicago on goal difference at 57 points). Pairings 1 v 8 and 4 v 5 (top half), 2 v 7 and 3 v 6 (bottom half); the half winners met in MLS Cup. Sides here are 'top' and 'bottom' halves of that league-wide bracket, not conferences.
Hosting
The higher seed hosted Games 1 and 3 and the lower seed Game 2; a series could end after two games at 6–0. MLS Cup at RFK Stadium as the predetermined venue.
Ties
A game level after 90 minutes went to sudden-death overtime (recorded as decidedBy 'golden-goal'); if still level it was a draw worth one point each. A series level on points after three games (4–4) was settled by a sudden-death series overtime played immediately after Game 3 — Kansas City beat Los Angeles that way in the semifinals. MLS Cup: golden-goal overtime, then penalties.

Open the 2000 season · Wikipedia — 2000 Major League Soccer season (MLS Cup Playoffs section; 2000 MLS Cup Playoffs redirects here) · Wikipedia — MLS Cup 2000 · Wikipedia — Template:2000 Major League Soccer season table (regular-season standings used for seeds)