MLS Playoffs Begin Thursday
October 28, 2009 by Ole · Leave a Comment
The MLS playoffs will begin Thursday when the Seattle Sounders FC host the Houston Dynamo (TV: ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, live, 9 pm). According to Soccer America (I haven’t bothered counting) of the 11 games, 10 will be available on national television — five on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, three on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol, one on TeleFutura and MLS Cup 2009 on ESPN and Galavision.
Want all the details? Hit the MLS 2009 Cup homepage or your favorite teams website. As to the schedule, as always I’ve added it to my Soccer Calendar for your convenience. It’s OK to root for two teams, especially if one of them is playing the Galaxy!
Oh, and lest I forget, if you’re really serious about your MLS soccer, the league has made a 188 page media guide available to all, you can download it here.
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule
All times Central; schedule subject to change
Conference Semifinals – Game #1
Eastern Conference
(1) Columbus Crew at (4) Real Salt Lake, Saturday, Oct. 31 – 5 p.m. (Regional TV, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com)
(2) Chicago Fire at (3) New England Revolution, Sunday, Nov 1 – 1 p.m. (FSC, FSE)
Western Conference
(1) Los Angeles Galaxy at (4) Chivas USA, Sunday, Nov. 1 – 4 p.m. (ESPN2, Deportes)
(2) Houston Dynamo at (3) Seattle Sounders FC, Thursday, Oct. 29 – 9 p.m. (ESPN2, Deportes)
Conference Semifinals – Game #2
Eastern Conference
(4) Real Salt Lake at (1) Columbus Crew, Thursday, Nov. 5 – 7 p.m. (ESPN2, Deportes)
(3) New England Revolution at (2) Chicago Fire, Saturday, Nov. 7 – 7:30 p.m. (FSC, FSE)
Western Conference
(3) Seattle Sounders FC at (2) Houston Dynamo, Sunday, Nov. 8 – 2 p.m. (TeleFutura, Regional TV)
(4) Chivas USA at (1) Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday, Nov. 8 – 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2, Deportes)
Conference Championships (times TBD based on match-ups)
Thursday, Nov. 12 (ESPN2, Deportes)
Saturday, Nov. 14 (FSC, FSE)
MLS Cup 2009
Sunday, Nov. 22 – 7:30 p.m. (ESPN and Galavision)
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS FORMAT
Playoff Format: Conference Semifinal series are conducted in a home-and-home, aggregate-goal format. The lower seeded team in the Conference Semifinal hosts the first game. The winners of those four series advance to single-game Conference Championships that will determine the MLS Cup Finalists.
The team that scores the most goals in the home-and-home series advances to the single elimination Conference Championship. If the teams are tied after 180 minutes in the Conference Semifinal series, a 30-minute extra time period (divided into two 15-minute periods) will be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary. The team with the higher seed between the two Conference finalists will host the Conference Championship game.
In the case of ties after 90 minutes of regulation in the Eastern and Western Conference Championship games and MLS Cup, 30 minutes of extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) would be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary, to determine the winners.
