2010 MLS Cup playoffs

The 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs was the postseason tournament subsequent to Major League Soccer's 2010 season.

2010 MLS Cup Playoffs

Tournament details
Country	United States Canada
Teams	8
Defending champions	Real Salt Lake
Final positions
Champions	Colorado Rapids (1st title)
Runners-up	FC Dallas
Semifinalists	Los Angeles Galaxy San Jose Earthquakes
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)
← 2009 2011 →

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.

Format

Main article: MLS Cup Playoffs

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]

Standings

Conference standings

Pos	Team v t e	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

Source: MLS

Pos	Team v t e	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

Source: MLS

Overall standings

Pos	Team v t e	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

Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (S) Supporters' Shield

Bracket

	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

Conference semifinals

October 30, 2010

7:00PM PDT

New York Red Bulls	1–0	San Jose Earthquakes
Ballouchy  46' Lindpere 56' Miller  71' Coundoul  83'	Report	Wondolowski  65'

Buck Shaw Stadium
Santa Clara, California

Attendance: 10,525

Referee: Paul Ward

November 4, 2010

8:00PM EDT

San Jose Earthquakes	3–1	New York Red Bulls
Corrales  32' Convey 8', 76' Wondolowski 81' Busch  81'	Report	Ángel 78'

Red Bull Arena
Harrison, New Jersey

Attendance: 22,839

Referee: Mark Geiger

San Jose Earthquakes advance 3–2 on aggregate

---

October 28, 2010

7:00PM MDT

Columbus Crew	0–1	Colorado Rapids
Carroll  57'	Report	Mastroeni 23' Mastroeni  90+2'

Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Commerce City, Colorado

Attendance: 11,872

Referee: Jair Marrufo

November 6, 2010

4:00PM EDT

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

Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus, Ohio

Attendance: 10,322

Referee: Michael Kennedy

Colorado Rapids advance 5–4 on penalties

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October 30, 2010

4:00PM CDT

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'

Pizza Hut Park
Frisco, Texas

Attendance: 11,003

Referee: Kevin Stott

November 6, 2010

8:00PM MDT

FC Dallas	1–1	Real Salt Lake
McCarty 17' Chavez  27' Loyd  84'	Report	Olave  25' Grabavoy  29' Borchers  34' Findley 79'

Rio Tinto Stadium
Sandy, Utah

Attendance: 19,324

Referee: Jorge González

FC Dallas advance 3–2 on aggregate

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October 31, 2010

5:00PM PDT

Los Angeles Galaxy	1–0	Seattle Sounders FC
Buddle 38' Juninho  48' Kovalenko  65' Kirovski  82'	Report	Montero  49' Nkufo  90+4'

Qwest Field
Seattle, Washington

Attendance: 35,521

Referee: Alex Prus

November 7, 2010

6:00PM PST

Seattle Sounders FC	1–2	Los Angeles Galaxy
Ianni  65' Zakuani 86'	Report	Beckham  8' Buddle 19' Gonzalez 27'

Home Depot Center
Carson, California

Attendance: 27,000

Referee: Baldomero Toledo

Los Angeles Galaxy advance 3–1 on aggregate

Conference finals

November 13, 2010

7:30PM MST

San Jose Earthquakes	0–1	Colorado Rapids
	Report	Kimura 42'

Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Commerce City, Colorado

Attendance: 17,779

Referee: Jorge González

---

November 14, 2010

6:00PM PST

FC Dallas	3–0	Los Angeles Galaxy
Ferreira 26' John 54' Chavez 73' Loyd  85'	Report	Kovalenko  31' Beckham  73' Birchall  82' Cazumba  84'

Home Depot Center
Carson, California

Attendance: 27,000

Referee: Jair Marrufo

MLS Cup 2010

Main article: MLS Cup 2010

November 21, 2010

8:30PM EST

FC Dallas	1 – 2 (a.e.t.)	Colorado Rapids
Ferreira 35' Benitez  84'	Report	Wallace  41' Smith  51' Casey 57' Casey  84' John 106' (o.g.)

BMO Field
Toronto, Ontario

Attendance: 21,700

Referee: Baldomero Toledo

External links

• MLS Cup Playoffs at MLSsoccer.com