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Playoffs · 2009

The 2009playoffs.

Real Salt Lake beat LA Galaxy in MLS Cup 2009. Fifteen clubs; the top two in each conference qualified automatically and the next four by overall points entered as wild cards regardless of conference, so Real Salt Lake (5th in the West) played in the Eastern bracket and won the Cup from there.

Final

Western Conference

Conference semifinalsTwo legs, aggregate
Conference finalsSingle match
One matchNov 13
1LA Galaxy2
2Houston0
LA won 2–0 after extra time
Two legsNov 1 · Nov 8
1LA Galaxy213
4Chivas USA202
LA won 3–2 on aggregate
Two legsOct 29 · Nov 8
2Houston011
3Seattle000
HOU won 1–0 on aggregate

Eastern Conference

Conference semifinalsTwo legs, aggregate
Conference finalsSingle match
One matchNov 14
2Chicago0(4)
E4Salt Lake0(5)
RSL won 5–4 on penalties after 0–0
Two legsNov 1 · Nov 7
2Chicago123
3New England202
CHI won 3–2 on aggregate
Two legsOct 31 · Nov 5
1Columbus022
E4Salt Lake134
RSL won 4–2 on aggregate

MLS Cup

Nov 22

One matchNov 22
W1LA Galaxy1(4)
E4Salt Lake1(5)
RSL won 5–4 on penalties after 1–1
2009 championReal Salt Lake

MLS Cup 2009

Real Salt Lake over LA Galaxy.

1–1(4–5 neutral venue; los angeles was the designated home side (mls match id 11222009_rslla) and also held the better regular-season record.)

Venue
Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington
Attendance
46,011
MVP
Nick Rimando
Field
8 of 15 clubs

The format

How 2009 worked.

Fifteen clubs; the top two in each conference qualified automatically and the next four by overall points entered as wild cards regardless of conference, so Real Salt Lake (5th in the West) played in the Eastern bracket and won the Cup from there. 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 (Qwest Field, Seattle). Ties went to extra time then penalties; no away-goals rule.

  • Back to two automatic berths per conference plus four wild cards by overall points (from three plus two in 2008).
  • Seattle Sounders FC joined (15 clubs).
  1. 01Conference semifinalsTwo legs, aggregateOct 29 – Nov 8
  2. 02Conference finalsSingle matchNov 13 – Nov 14
  3. 03MLS CupSingle matchNov 22
Seeding
Top two per conference automatic; next four by overall points as wild cards. Only three Eastern clubs qualified, so Real Salt Lake (5th in the West, 8th overall) played as the East's No. 4.
Hosting
Higher seed hosted the second leg of the semifinal and the single-match conference final; MLS Cup at a predetermined venue (Qwest Field, Seattle).
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 2009 season · Wikipedia — 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs · Wikipedia — MLS Cup 2009