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2008 MLS Cup playoffs

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The 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs were the postseason to Major League Soccer's 2008 season, and culminated with MLS Cup 2008 on November 23, 2008 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

2008 MLS Cup Playoffs
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Teams8
Defending championsHouston Dynamo
Final positions
ChampionsColumbus Crew (1st title)
Runner-upNew York Red Bulls
Semifinalists
Tournament statistics
Matches played11
Goals scored25 (2.27 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Colombia Juan Pablo Ángel
United States Chad Marshall
United States John Wolyniec
(2 goals each)
← 2007
2009 →

Format

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Main article: MLS Cup Playoffs

At the 2008 season's end, the top three teams of each conference made the playoffs; in addition the clubs with the next two highest point totals, regardless of conference, were added to the playoffs. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate goals over two matches determined the winners; the Conference Championships were one match each, with the winner of each conference advancing to MLS Cup. In all rounds, the tie-breaking method was two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. The away goals rule was not used.

Standings

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Conference standings

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Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Columbus Crew 30 17 7 6 50 36 +14 57 MLS Cup Playoffs
2 Chicago Fire 30 13 10 7 44 33 +11 46
3 New England Revolution 30 12 11 7 40 43 −3 43
4 Kansas City Wizards 30 11 10 9 37 39 −2 42
5 New York Red Bulls 30 10 11 9 42 48 −6 39
6 D.C. United 30 11 15 4 43 51 −8 37
7 Toronto FC 30 9 13 8 34 43 −9 35
Source: MLS

Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Houston Dynamo 30 13 5 12 45 32 +13 51 MLS Cup Playoffs
2 Chivas USA 30 12 11 7 40 41 −1 43
3 Real Salt Lake 30 10 10 10 40 39 +1 40
4 Colorado Rapids 30 11 14 5 44 45 −1 38
5 FC Dallas 30 8 10 12 45 41 +4 36
6 LA Galaxy 30 8 13 9 55 62 −7 33
7 San Jose Earthquakes 30 8 13 9 32 38 −6 33
Source: MLS

Overall standings

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Pos Team
 Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Columbus Crew (C, S) 30 17 7 6 50 36 +14 57 CONCACAF Champions League
2 Houston Dynamo 30 13 5 12 45 32 +13 51
3 Chicago Fire 30 13 10 7 44 33 +11 46 North American SuperLiga
4 Chivas USA 30 12 11 7 40 41 −1 43
5 New England Revolution 30 12 11 7 40 43 −3 43
6 Kansas City Wizards 30 11 10 9 37 39 −2 42
7 Real Salt Lake 30 10 10 10 40 39 +1 40
8 New York Red Bulls 30 10 11 9 42 48 −6 39 CONCACAF Champions League
9 Colorado Rapids 30 11 14 5 44 45 −1 38
10 D.C. United 30 11 15 4 43 51 −8 37 CONCACAF Champions League
11 FC Dallas 30 8 10 12 45 41 +4 36
12 Toronto FC 30 9 13 8 34 43 −9 35 CONCACAF Champions League[a]
13 LA Galaxy 30 8 13 9 55 62 −7 33
14 San Jose Earthquakes 30 8 13 9 32 38 −6 33
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
Notes:
  1. ^ As winners of the 2009 Canadian Championship

Bracket

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Conference semifinals Conference finals MLS Cup
          
E1 Columbus 1 2
E4 Kansas City 1 0
E1 Columbus 2
Eastern Conference
E2 Chicago 1
E3 New England 0 0
E2 Chicago 0 3
E1 Columbus 3
W4 New York 1
W1 Houston 1 0
W4 New York 1 3
W4 New York 1
Western Conference
W3 Salt Lake 0
W3 Salt Lake 1 2
W2 Chivas USA 0 2

1 The New York Red Bulls earned the eighth and final playoff berth, despite finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference. They represent the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff bracket, as only three teams in the Western Conference qualified for the playoffs.

Conference semifinals

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Columbus Crew1 – 1Kansas City Wizards
Padula   84'
Lenhart   90+2'
Carroll   90+3'		 [1] Jewsbury   40'
Arnaud   53'
Gomez   75'
Attendance: 10,385
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Kansas City Wizards0 – 2Columbus Crew
Arnaud   39'
Wahl   49'		 [2] Evans   7'   63'
Rogers   57'   66'
Hejduk   87'
Ekpo   90'
Attendance: 11,153
Chicago Fire0 – 0New England Revolution
Soumare   16'
Pause   59'
Blanco   69'		 [3] Mansally   42'
Castro   73'
Attendance: 5,221
Referee: Alex Prus
New England Revolution0 – 3Chicago Fire
Albright   7'   83'
Igwe   45+2'
Joseph   53'		 [4] Thorrington   36'
Rolfe   45+2'
Conde   47'
Busch   62'
Segares   74'
Attendance: 17,312
Referee: Jair Marrufo
Houston Dynamo1 – 1New York Red Bulls
Mullan   53'
Kamara   85'		 [5] Richards   29'
Angel   37'   48'
Attendance: 11,578
Referee: Kevin Stott
New York Red Bulls3 – 0Houston Dynamo
van den Bergh   5'
Richards   25'
Goldthwaite   28'
Angel   36' (pen.)
Sassano   45+2'
Wolyniec   81'		 [6] Robinson   62'
Onstad   69'
Mullan   73'
Attendance: 30,053
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Chivas USA0 – 1Real Salt Lake
Razov   66'
Thomas   75'		 [7] Williams   29'
Beckerman   42'
Movsisyan   90'
Attendance: 14,719
Real Salt Lake2 – 2Chivas USA
Mathis   10'
Borchers   30'
Kovalenko   39'   42'
Morales   77'		 [8] Nagamura   22'
Kljestan   30' (pen.)
Bornstein   60'
Braun   83'
Razov   86'
Thomas   90+1'
Attendance: 19,256
Referee: Michael Kennedy

Conference finals

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Chicago Fire1–2Columbus Crew
Soumare   22'
McBride   29'
Segares   48'
Prideaux   67'		 [9] Marshall   49'
Gaven   55'
O'Rourke   57'
Hesmer   90+2'
Attendance: 14,688
Referee: Terry Vaughn
New York Red Bulls1–0Real Salt Lake
van den Bergh   28'
Goldthwaite   45'
Rojas   64'
Leitch   90+4'		 [10]
Attendance: 20,008
Referee: Jair Marrufo

MLS Cup

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See also: MLS Cup 2008
New York Red Bulls1–3Columbus Crew
Leitch   4'
Wolyniec   51'		 Moreno   31'
Marshall   53'
Padula   68'
Hejduk   82'
Attendance: 27,000
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

Additional References

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