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Three Spots Remain in MLS Cup Playoff Race

October 2, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK (Oct. 2, 2006) - The stage has been set for a rare, elimination regular season game: When the Kansas City Wizards travel to face the New York Red Bulls in Giants Stadium on Oct. 14, the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference will be at stake. Neither team can be more than three points ahead when their regular season finale kicks off. One team will advance to the MLS Cup Playoffs; the other team will be done for the season. This Saturday, Kansas City hosts Chivas USA and the Red Bulls travel to Colorado. The results of those two games will determine which team advances in the case of a tie on Oct. 14.

The New England Revolution secured a playoff spot on Saturday, defeating Colorado, 3-0. The Revolution will face the Chicago Fire in a two-game Eastern Conference Semifinal series. The first leg will be Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. ET (live on ABC), but the final two regular season games for each team will determine who hosts the opening game and who hosts the decisive second leg.

In the Western Conference, Brian Ching's breathtaking bicycle kick goal in the 86th minute propelled Houston into the MLS Cup Playoffs in the Dynamo's 1-0 victory over D.C. United. Two spots remain up for grabs in the Western Conference, with four teams in the running: Chivas USA, Colorado, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles. Chivas USA can clinch with a win in Kansas City and a win for Colorado will all but assure the Rapids a spot.

A team-by-team look at the implications of the final two weeks of the regular season follows:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

D.C. United - hosts New England Saturday, Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

D.C. United has clinched the 2006 Supporters' Shield, which goes to the MLS team with the best regular season record. United will share the trophy with its fans this Saturday when it hosts New England. With the Supporters' Shield, United has earned a berth in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the region's top club competition. D.C. United will host either Kansas City or New York in the second leg of its first-round playoff series on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. ET, live on ESPN2. If United advances to the Eastern Conference Championship, it will host the game on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Chicago Fire - host Columbus Saturday, Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET (Fox Soccer Channel)

Chicago will clinch home field advantage for its two-game playoff series with New England IF:

Chicago defeats Columbus AND New England ties or loses against D.C. United OR IF: Chicago ties Columbus AND New England loses to D.C. United New England - at D.C. United Saturday, Oct. 7, 7:30 ET

This Saturday, New England cannot clinch home field advantage for its two-game playoff series with Chicago.

Kansas City - hosts Chivas USA, Saturday, Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET

Kansas City cannot clinch a playoff spot this Saturday.

IF Kansas City defeats Chivas USA. AND New York loses to Colorado, then the Wizards will need just a tie against New York on Oct. 14 to advance to the playoffs. IF Kansas City loses to Chivas USA AND New York defeats Colorado, then the Wizards must win against New York on Oct. 14 to have a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

New York - hosts Chicago Saturday, Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. ET

New York cannot clinch a playoff spot this Saturday.

IF New York defeats Colorado AND Kansas City loses to Chivas USA OR IF both Kansas City and New York tie this weekend, then the Red Bulls will need just a tie against Kansas City on Oct. 14 to advance to the playoffs. IF New York loses to Colorado AND Kansas City defeats Chivas USA, then the Red Bulls will need to win against Kansas City on Oct. 14 to advance to the playoffs (New York would have the better head-to-head record between the teams). Columbus - hosts at Chicago Saturday, Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET (Fox Soccer Channel)

Columbus cannot make the 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs because:

The Crew can finish with a maximum of 36 points. Either New York or Kansas City will finish with at least 36 points after they play each other on Oct. 14. Columbus loses the head-to-head tiebreaker with both New York and Kansas City. WESTERN CONFERENCE

FC Dallas - hosts Los Angeles Saturday, Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET (HDNet)

FC Dallas will host the second leg of its first-round playoff series on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

FC Dallas will clinch home-field advantage for the Western Conference Championship IF:

FC Dallas defeats Los Angeles OR Houston fails to win against Real Salt Lake OR FC Dallas earns two points in its last two games. Note: Houston wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with FC Dallas if the teams end up tied in points.

Chivas USA - at Kansas City, Saturday, Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET

Chivas USA will clinch a playoff spot IF:

Chivas USA defeats Kansas City OR IF any two of the following occur: Real Salt Lake fails to win against Houston Los Angeles fails to win against FC Dallas Colorado loses to New York Houston Dynamo - at Real Salt Lake, Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 p.m. ET

Houston will clinch a home-field advantage for its first-round playoff series IF:

Houston defeats Real Salt Lake AND Chivas USA fails to win against Kansas City. Note: Houston wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with FC Dallas if the teams end up tied in points.

Colorado Rapids - host New York Red Bulls, Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 p.m. ET

Colorado will clinch a playoff spot IF:

Colorado defeats New York AND Real Salt Lake fails to win against Houston OR IF: Colorado ties New York AND Real Salt Lake loses to Houston AND Los Angeles fails to win against FC Dallas Real Salt Lake - hosts Houston, Saturday, Oct. 7, 9 p.m. ET

Real Salt Lake cannot clinch a playoff spot on Saturday.

Real Salt Lake will be eliminated if it loses to Houston AND Colorado ties or defeats New York.

Los Angeles Galaxy - at FC Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 7, 8:30 p.m. ET (HDNet)

Los Angeles can qualify for the playoff under the following scenarios:

LA wins its two remaining games AND any two of the following occur: Chivas loses its two remaining games Colorado earns no more than two points in its two remaining games Real Salt Lake earns no more than four points in its two remaining games LA gets a win and a tie in its two remaining games and both of the following occur: Colorado loses its two remaining games AND Real Salt Lake earns less than three points in its two remaining games Note: Los Angeles wins the head-to-head tiebreaker with Chivas USA, loses the head-to-head tiebreaker with Colorado, and is tied in head-to-head record with Real Salt Lake.

The regular season ends on Sunday, Oct. 15, and the MLS Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, Oct. 21. The third and fourth place teams from each conference host Conference Semifinal games on Oct. 21 or 22 against the second and first seeds, respectively. The return-leg games of those Conference Semifinal series will be played on Oct. 28 or 29, hosted by the higher-seeded team. For the Conference Championships, the highest remaining seeds will host a single match on Nov. 4 or 5.

MLS Cup 2006 will take place live on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 12 from Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The remaining MLS schedule follows and is available at www.MLSnet.com. Playoff schedule is tentative and subject to change.

All Times Eastern:

Saturday, October 7, 2006

New England Revolution at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.

Chivas USA at Kansas City Wizards, 8:30 p.m.

Columbus Crew at Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m. (Fox Soccer Channel)

Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. (HDNet)

Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake, 9 p.m.

New York Red Bulls at Colorado Rapids, 9 p.m.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Columbus Crew at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.

Kansas City Wizards at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.

Colorado Rapids at Houston Dynamo, 8:30 p.m. (HDNet)

FC Dallas at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. (Fox Soccer Channel)

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Chicago Fire at D.C. United, 5 p.m., ESPN2

Real Salt Lake at Chivas USA, 7 p.m.

END OF 2005 REGULAR SEASON

Saturday, October 21, 2006

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 1 - TBD

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 1 - TBD

Sunday, October 22, 2006

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 1 - TBD (ESPN2)

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 1 - Chicago vs. New England - site TBD (1 p.m. ABC)

Saturday, October 28, 2006

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 2 - TBD

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 2 - TBD

Sunday, October 29, 2006

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 2 - TBD at D.C. United (6 p.m. ESPN2)

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinal Game 2 - TBD

Saturday, November 4, 2006

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Championship - TBD

Sunday, November 5, 2006

MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Championship, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)

Sunday, November 12, 2006

MLS Cup at Pizza Hut Park, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

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