MLS Cup 2000
MLS Cup 2000 was the fifth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship soccer match of Major League Soccer, the top-level soccer league of the United States. It took place on October 15, 2000, at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., and was contested by the Kansas City Wizards and Chicago Fire to decide the champion of the 2000 MLS season.
Both teams finished atop their respective divisions, with the Wizards winning the Supporters' Shield for best overall record. The 2000 final was the first edition to not feature a team from the Eastern Division due to the three-division system used from 2000 to 2001. Kansas City had finished the 1999 season with the second-worst record in MLS, but used key acquisitions to improve under second-year coach Bob Gansler. Chicago were attempting to win their second MLS Cup title in three years.
The Wizards won 1–0 and became the first Western Division team to win the MLS Cup. The lone goal of the match was scored by Miklos Molnar in the first half; goalkeeper Tony Meola was named the match's most valuable player for his ten saves to earn a shutout. The final was played in front of 39,159 spectators and broadcast nationally on ABC.
Venue
in Washington, D.C., the home of D.C. United, was announced as the host venue of MLS Cup 2000 on February 23, 2000. At the time of the match in October 2000, seating capacity of the stadium was 56,454 spectators. The other bidder, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, had been favored by the league and was unable to resolve a scheduling conflict with a college football team until too late in the selection process.The stadium previously hosted MLS Cup 1997, during which United won their second league championship; it was also part of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1996 Olympics men's soccer tournament. The 2000 final was the first MLS Cup to not feature D.C. United, as the team failed to qualify for the playoffs. United sold over 38,000 tickets prior to the match, with prices ranging from $25 to $80. A pre-match gala was held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. to present the 2000 season awards for MLS players and coaches.
Road to the final
The MLS Cup is the post-season championship of Major League Soccer, a professional club soccer league based in the United States. The 2000 season was the fifth in the league's history and was contested by twelve teams organized into three divisions, each with four teams. The 32-match regular season, which ran for 26 weeks from March to September, was arranged to have each team play opponents within their division four times and six teams outside of their division twice; the regular season also had a set of four home-and-away matches for two out-of-division teams, determined by standings from the opposite conference in the 1999 season. Prior to the season, MLS eliminated the previously used countdown clock and shootout tiebreakers in favor of international rules. Referees would manage time on a count-up clock with stoppage time and tied matches would be allowed following two periods of five-minute golden goal overtime.The MLS Cup Playoffs ran from mid-September to October and was contested by the winners of the three divisions and five wild card teams with the most points regardless of division, who were then seeded based on overall standings. The playoffs were organized into three rounds, the first two being a home-and-away series organized into a best-of-three format. Teams were awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw, and the first team to earn five points would advance. The MLS Cup final remained a single match at a predetermined venue.
MLS Cup 2000 was contested by the Kansas City Wizards of the Western Division and the Chicago Fire of the Central Division. Both teams finished atop their respective divisions with 57 points, but the Wizards clinched the Supporters' Shield on the goal difference tiebreaker by two goals. The Fire, who won the MLS Cup in 1998, were the top-scoring team during the 2000 season, while the Wizards conceded the fewest goals. Kansas City and Chicago met twice during the regular season, trading wins at home; the Wizards won 4–3 on March 25 and the Fire won 3–2 on June 4. MLS Cup 2000 was the first edition of the league's championship to not feature D.C. United, whose stadium was used for the match.
Kansas City Wizards
The Kansas City Wizards qualified for the playoffs in their first two seasons, finishing atop the Western Conference in 1997, but had never appeared in the MLS Cup final. The Wizards then finished with a 12–20 record in 1998 and failed to qualify for the playoffs under head coach Ron Newman, who was fired after a 0–7 start the following year. Newman was replaced by Bob Gansler, who finished the 1999 season with a 8–24 record, the second-worst in the league, while rebuilding the team's roster. Several members of the inaugural season's team, including forward Vitalis Takawira and defenders Sean Bowers and Scott Uderitz, were waived by the Wizards at the end of the 1999 season, while Alexi Lalas announced his retirement.Gansler and new general manager Curt Johnson made several key signing in the offseason, beginning with the acquisition of Danish forward Miklos Molnar from Sevilla F.C. in January 2000. The Wizards traded defender Scott Vermillion to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for defenders Peter Vermes and Matt McKeon, who had previously played for the Wiz. The team signed two players they selected in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft: defender Nick Garcia, the second-overall pick, and Kerry Zavagnin, a third-round pick from the A-League. Kansas City finished their preseason with a 3–2–2 record, including two weeks in Bolivia, and saw the return of goalkeeper Tony Meola from an injury that kept him from playing for most of the 1999 season.
The Wizards opened the 2000 season with a 4–3 defeat of the Chicago Fire and went on an eleven-match unbeaten streak, amassing a 10–0–2 record through the end of May. The team's turnaround was credited to an improved defense, conceding only five goals and allowing Meola to earn a league-record shutout streak of 681 minutes, and consistent production from Molnar, who scored nine goals. The streak was broken by Chicago, who won 3–2 at Soldier Field on June 4, but Kansas City remained atop the league standings with an eight-point lead over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Division.
Kansas City went winless in four league matches for most of June, in part due to the absence of Molnar while playing for the Danish national team, but maintained their home shutout streak. The team were also eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup in a penalty shootout by the Chicago Sockers of the USL Premier Development League in the third tier. After a 2–0 defeat of the Galaxy and a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, the Wizards were shutout in three consecutive losses and ended July with a 3–1 victory against the Columbus Crew. Kansas City was represented in the 2000 MLS All-Star Game with five players, including West captain Preki, and manager Bob Gansler.
The Wizards' lead in the Western Division standings narrowed to four points by early August as the team lost 5–1 and drew 1–1 with the Galaxy in back-to-back matches. Kansas City then lost Meola to a national team call-up and forwards Molnar and Mo Johnston to injuries, but were able to win 3–0 in San Jose with a starting lineup of reserve players. Following a 2–1 loss to the Miami Fusion at home, the Wizards began a five-match stretch to close out the season, including four matches played on the road. The team earned draws against the MetroStars and Colorado Rapids, clinching a playoff spot, while four of its forwards were sidelined with injuries. Kansas City clinched the Western Division title with a 1–0 road victory against the New England Revolution, which was followed by the Supporters' Shield through a draw against the Tampa Bay Mutiny with several reserve players. Gansler was named Coach of the Year for his team's improved record, while Tony Meola earned the MLS MVP Award, Goalkeeper of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year for his league-record 16 shutouts. Peter Vermes was also named Defender of the Year for his role in the Wizards' league-best 29 goals conceded.
In the quarterfinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs, Kansas City faced the eighth-seed Colorado Rapids, who had eliminated them in the first round of the 1997 playoffs. The Wizards opened their playoff run with a 1–0 victory at home through a Molnar goal in the 18th minute, but were held to a scoreless draw at Mile High Stadium in Denver to force a third match in the series. The Rapids had the majority of scoring chances in both matches, but were denied by Meola's goalkeeping and a strong defensive performance from the Wizards. Kansas City advanced to the semifinals with a 3–2 victory at home in the third leg of the series, clinching a 7–1 lead on points. The Wizards took the lead in the 11th minute through a goal from Chris Henderson and followed up with two goals early in the second half from Molnar in the 65th minute and Francisco Gomez in the 69th minute; Paul Bravo scored for the Rapids a minute after Gomez's goal, but the team failed to mount a comeback after Junior Agogo was sent off with a red card.
The Wizards played the semifinals against the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Galaxy, who had eliminated them in the 1996 playoffs and had finished as MLS Cup runners-up in 1999. The first leg at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City ended in a scoreless draw as six yellow cards were given to players, including three in overtime. The Wizards lost the second leg at the Rose Bowl in overtime by a 2–1 scoreline, having earned a 1–1 draw in regulation time. Kansas City fell behind in the 16th minute from a shot by Cobi Jones, but midfielder Matt McKeon equalized in the 29th minute; substitute defender Danny Califf, who had returned from the Summer Olympics team, scored a header in the third minute of golden goal overtime to clinch a Galaxy victory. In the deciding third leg at Arrowhead Stadium, the Wizards went ahead in the 22nd minute through a Molnar penalty kick and won 1–0 in regulation time, tying the series at four points apiece. During the sixth minute of the ensuing sudden-death overtime, Molnar scored the team's first golden goal of the season by collecting an errant ball from Danny Califf, who had also conceded the penalty kick in regulation time.