2001 Major League Soccer season
The 2001 Major League Soccer season was the sixth season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 89th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 23rd with a national first-division league.
The season was shortened due to the September 11 attacks, with the final weeks' regular season matches being canceled. Due to the different number of games played, playoff ordering was determined by points per game, instead of total points.
The regular season began on April 7, and concluded prematurely on September 9. The 2001 MLS Cup Playoffs began on September 20, and concluded with MLS Cup 2001 on October 21. The Miami Fusion won their first Supporters' Shield and the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final to win their first MLS Cup.
Overview
Season format
The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup on October 21. The 12 teams were split into three divisions. Each team was to play 28 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team would play every other team in their division four times, for a total of 12 games. The remaining schedule consisted of three games against four select opponents in one of the other divisions, and two games against the remaining four teams.The eight teams with the most points per game qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The quarterfinals and semifinals were played as a best-of-three series, and the winners advanced to MLS Cup. In all rounds, draws were broken by penalty shootout if necessary. The away goals rule was not used in any round.
The team with the most points in the regular season was awarded the MLS Supporters' Shield. The winner of MLS Cup, and the runner-up, qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
| Chicago Fire | Soldier Field | 66,944 |
| Colorado Rapids | Mile High Stadium | 76,273 |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew Stadium | 22,555 |
| D.C. United | RFK Stadium | 46,000 |
| Dallas Burn | Cotton Bowl | 92,100 |
| Kansas City Wizards | Arrowhead Stadium | 81,425 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Rose Bowl | 92,542 |
| Miami Fusion | Lockhart Stadium | 20,450 |
| New England Revolution | Foxboro Stadium | 60,292 |
| MetroStars | Giants Stadium | 80,200 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Spartan Stadium | 30,456 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | Raymond James Stadium | 69,218 |
MLS Cup Playoffs
Bracket
- Points system
Loss = 0 Pts.
Draw = 1 Pt.
- ASDET*=Added sudden death extra time
'''Teams will advance at 5 points.'''
Quarterfinals
Chicago Fire advance 7–1 on points.----
Miami Fusion advance 6–3 on points.
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Los Angeles Galaxy advance 1-0 in series overtime after 4-4 tie on points.
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'''San Jose Earthquakes advance 6–0 on points.'''
Semifinals
----Los Angeles Galaxy advance 7–1 on points.
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'''San Jose Earthquakes advance 6–3 on points.'''
Player statistics
Hat-tricks
| Player | Club | Against | Result | Date | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Attendance
International CompetitionCONCACAF Champions' Cup2001 edition canceled; Wizards advanced to CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2002. 2001 edition canceled; Fire advance to CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2002. Copa Merconorte Went 3-3-0 in group stage and did not advance. Defeated Deportivo Italchacao, 2-0 at home. Awarded two forfeit wins against Club Deportivo Guadalajara, after the club refused to travel. Lost Deportivo Italchacao, 2-1 away. Lost Millonarios, 2-1 away and 1-0 at home. Went 1-4-1 in group stage and did not advance. Defeated Barcelona, 3-2 away, Drew 1-1 at home. Lost Santos Laguna, 4-2 away and 1-0 at home. Lost Sporting Cristal, 2-1 at home and 2-1 away. CONCACAF Giants Cup Defeated Arnett Gardens, 5-1 on aggregate in quarterfinals. Defeated Comunicaciones, 2-1 in semifinals. Lost Club América, 2-0 in final. Lost Deportivo Saprissa, 3-1 on aggregate in quarterfinals. |