MLS Cup 2008
Encyclopedia
The 2008 MLS Cup
was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season
. The final was played at The Home Depot Center
in Carson, California
on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew
and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after 13 years of existence. Columbus won the game 3–1 with goals from Alejandro Moreno
, Chad Marshall
, and Frankie Hejduk
-- all of which were assisted by Guillermo Barros Schelotto
. Schelotto was named MVP of the final, matching his MVP award for the regular season. The Crew became the fourth club in league history to win the MLS Cup and the MLS Supporters Shield in the same season, following D.C. United
(1997,1999), the Kansas City Wizards (2000), and the Los Angeles Galaxy
(2002).
It was the first (and to date only) MLS Cup to match two Eastern Conference teams against each other, and the first time since the inaugural title game that both teams made their debut.
Both the participants entered the CONCACAF Champions League, with winners Columbus Crew
being seeded directly into the group stage and runners-up New York Red Bulls entering at the preliminary round.
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
. The final was played at The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after 13 years of existence. Columbus won the game 3–1 with goals from Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno is a Venezuelan footballer. He played for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club before attending UNC Greensboro. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...
, Chad Marshall
Chad Marshall
Chad Marshall is an American soccer player who currently captains the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, and Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk
Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
-- all of which were assisted by Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
. Schelotto was named MVP of the final, matching his MVP award for the regular season. The Crew became the fourth club in league history to win the MLS Cup and the MLS Supporters Shield in the same season, following D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
(1997,1999), the Kansas City Wizards (2000), and the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
(2002).
It was the first (and to date only) MLS Cup to match two Eastern Conference teams against each other, and the first time since the inaugural title game that both teams made their debut.
Both the participants entered the CONCACAF Champions League, with winners Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
being seeded directly into the group stage and runners-up New York Red Bulls entering at the preliminary round.
Columbus Crew
For the Columbus Crew, their road to the final was expected after being widely considered the best team during the regular season. It also marked their debut in the final after thirteen years of existence in the league. The Crew was led by their coach, Sigi Schmid, an experienced veteran of the game who had achieved prior success as coach of the Los Angeles Galaxy. From 1999-2004, Schmid had made a dynasty out of the Galaxy by leading them to one championship and three trips to the final. In 2004, he was controversially sacked and after a year in charge of the under 20 U.S. National Team, Schmid was hired by the Crew in 2006. While they had gone through two fruitless years, the Crew had now signed a number of players like Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Alejandro Moreno and was ready to work as a team. In their first playoff match, they faced the Kansas City Wizards which ended in a 1-1 draw. The replay a week later saw the Crew beat the Wizards 2-0. Then in the Eastern Conference Final against the Chicago Fire, the Crew came back from a goal down to win 2-1 and made their berth into the final as the favorite to win.(2)New York Red Bulls
It was a tumultuous year for the New York Red Bulls who despite struggling for most of the year still achieved play-off berth. However, they then made a magical post-season run which saw them take care of the Houston Dynamo, the previous champion for the last two years 4-1 on aggregate. Then in the Western Conference final against Real Salt Lake, the Red Bulls got a goal form Dave van der Bergh in the 28th minute and then held out for the victory despite Real hitting the post three times. Even though they had lost some players to drug suspensions and were the last team to qualify, they had made their first final due to the remarkable play of key players like striker Juan Pablo Angel and backup goalie Danny Cepero. Their inspired play under the detailed tactics of Coach Juan Carlos Osorio had now led to their debut in the final.First Half
The first twenty minutes of the game was dominated by a barrage of chances from the Red Bulls, who truly put great pressure on the Crew’s defense. It wasn’t until after the first quarter of the game did the Crew start to gain control and in the 31st minute, a quick pass from Schelotto left Alejandro Moreno alone on the right wing with a single defender who he side-stepped and then ripped a shot across goal that went off the goalie’s hand into the net. The Crew held on to halftime with both the lead and the momentum of the game.(6)Second Half
After halftime, the score remained the same until the 51st minute when Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards passed in the penalty box to a sliding John Wolyniec who scored the equalizer. Just as the Red Bulls had got back in the game, the Crew got a corner in the 53rdminute in which Schelotto whipped it into the box and defender Chad Marshall charged in and headed it into the goal. The Crew had regained the lead and momentum which they carried throughout most of the second half. The Crew was eventually able to finish the game off in the 82nd minute when Schellotto chipped a sublime ball over the New York defenders to a charging Frankie Hedjuk who headed it over the goalie Danny Cepero into the net for the decisive blow. The Crew held on from there and won the final and was champions for the first time ever.Post-Match
The Crew was champions for the first time ever thanks in large part to the sterling play of starters like Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Frankie Hedjuk and others. Barros Schelotto won both the MVP of the final and of the 2008 MLS season because of the difference he made for the Crew. Chad Marshall also received the award for defender of the year in 2008.Match details
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