Playoffs · 2008

The 2008playoffs.

Columbus Crew beat New York Red Bulls in MLS Cup 2008. Fourteen clubs; the top three in each conference qualified automatically and the two next-best by overall points entered as wild cards regardless of conference, so New York (5th in the East) filled the West's fourth slot.

Final

Western Conference

Conference semifinalsTwo legs, aggregate

Conference finalsSingle match

One matchNov 15

3Salt Lake0

W4Red Bulls1

RBNY won 1–0

Two legsNov 1 · Nov 8

2Chivas USA022

3Salt Lake123

RSL won 3–2 on aggregate

Two legsNov 1 · Nov 9

1Houston101

W4Red Bulls134

RBNY won 4–1 on aggregate

Eastern Conference

Conference semifinalsTwo legs, aggregate

Conference finalsSingle match

One matchNov 13

1Columbus2

2Chicago1

CLB won 2–1

Two legsNov 1 · Nov 8

1Columbus123

4Kansas City101

CLB won 3–1 on aggregate

Two legsOct 30 · Nov 6

2Chicago033

3New England000

CHI won 3–0 on aggregate

MLS Cup

Nov 23

One matchNov 23

E1Columbus3

W4Red Bulls1

CLB won 3–1

2008 championColumbus Crew

MLS Cup 2008

Columbus Crew over New York Red Bulls.

3–1

Venue: Home Depot Center, Carson, California
Attendance: 27,000
MVP: Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Field: 8 of 14 clubs

The format

How 2008 worked.

Fourteen clubs; the top three in each conference qualified automatically and the two next-best by overall points entered as wild cards regardless of conference, so New York (5th in the East) filled the West's fourth slot. Conference semifinals were two-legged aggregate series, conference finals single matches at the higher seed, and MLS Cup a single match at a predetermined venue (Home Depot Center). Ties went to extra time then penalties; no away-goals rule.

Automatic berths raised from two to three per conference, with only two wild cards by points (down from four).
San Jose Earthquakes returned (14 clubs).

01Conference semifinalsTwo legs, aggregateOct 30 – Nov 9
02Conference finalsSingle matchNov 13 – Nov 15
03MLS CupSingle matchNov 23

Seeding: Top three per conference automatic; next two by overall points as wild cards. Kansas City (4th in the East) took one; New York (5th in the East, 8th overall) took the other and played as the West's No. 4 because only three Western clubs qualified.
Hosting: Higher seed hosted the second leg of the semifinal and the single-match conference final; MLS Cup at a predetermined venue (Home Depot Center, Carson, California).
Ties: Aggregate goals over two legs with no away-goals rule; if level after the second leg, two 15-minute extra-time periods then penalty kicks. Single matches likewise went to extra time then penalties.

Open the 2008 season · Wikipedia — 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs · Wikipedia — MLS Cup 2008