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Playoffs · 2001

The 2001playoffs.

San Jose Earthquakes beat LA Galaxy in MLS Cup 2001. The regular season was cut short after the September 11 attacks, so the eight qualifiers (three division winners plus five wild cards) were seeded 1–8 on points per game and the playoffs began a week late.

Final

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

QuarterfinalsBest of three, on points
SemifinalsBest of three, on points
On pointsOct 10 · Oct 14 · Oct 17
1Miami1003
5San Jose0416
SJ won 6–3 on points
On pointsSep 22 · Sep 26 · Sep 29
1Miami2026
8Kansas City0313
MIA won 6–3 on points
On pointsSep 22 · Sep 26
4Columbus100
5San Jose336
SJ won 6–0 on points

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

QuarterfinalsBest of three, on points
SemifinalsBest of three, on points
On pointsOct 10 · Oct 13 · Oct 17
2Chicago1011
3LA Galaxy1127
LA won 7–1 on points
On pointsSep 20 · Sep 23 · Sep 29
2Chicago2127
7Dallas0101
CHI won 7–1 on points
On pointsSep 23 · Sep 26 · Sep 29
3LA Galaxy1134
6MetroStars1424
LA won in sudden-death series overtime after 4–4 on points

MLS Cup

Oct 21

One matchOct 21
3LA Galaxy1
5San Jose2
SJ won 2–1 after golden-goal extra time
2001 championSan Jose Earthquakes

MLS Cup 2001

San Jose Earthquakes over LA Galaxy.

1–2

Venue
Columbus Crew Stadium
Attendance
21,626
MVP
Dwayne De Rosario (San Jose Earthquakes)
Field
8 of 12 clubs

The format

How 2001 worked.

The regular season was cut short after the September 11 attacks, so the eight qualifiers (three division winners plus five wild cards) were seeded 1–8 on points per game and the playoffs began a week late. Quarterfinals and semifinals were three-game series decided on points, first to five advancing; MLS Cup was a single match at a predetermined venue. Games level after 90 minutes went to sudden-death overtime and could end drawn.

  • Season shortened by the September 11 attacks; seeding by points per game.
  • Playoffs began a week later than scheduled (September 20).
  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 20 – 29
  2. 02SemifinalsBest of three, decided on pointsOct 10 – 17
  3. 03MLS CupSingle matchOct 21
Seeding
Seeded 1–8 by points per game because clubs had played uneven schedules: 1 Miami, 2 Chicago, 3 Los Angeles, 4 Columbus, 5 San Jose (level with Columbus; Columbus won the head-to-head tiebreak), 6 MetroStars, 7 Dallas, 8 Kansas City. Pairings 1 v 8 and 4 v 5 (top half), 2 v 7 and 3 v 6 (bottom half). Wikipedia's bracket template draws the 2/7–3/6 half on top; this file puts 1 v 8 on top per the project convention.
Hosting
The higher seed hosted Games 1 and 3 and the lower seed Game 2. MLS Cup at Columbus Crew Stadium as the predetermined venue.
Ties
A game level after 90 minutes went to sudden-death overtime (decidedBy 'golden-goal'); if still level it was a draw worth one point each. A series level 4–4 on points after three games was settled by a sudden-death series overtime straight after Game 3 — Los Angeles beat the MetroStars that way. MLS Cup: golden-goal overtime, then penalties.

Open the 2001 season · Wikipedia — 2001 Major League Soccer season (MLS Cup Playoffs section; 2001 MLS Cup Playoffs redirects here) · Wikipedia — MLS Cup 2001 · Wikipedia — Template:2001 Major League Soccer season table (regular-season standings used for seeds)