2004 Major League Soccer season

The season began on April 3 and concluded with MLS Cup on November 14. The 10 teams were split evenly into two conferences. Each team played 30 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their conference, and two designated opponents from the opposite conference, four times, and the remaining teams in the opposite conference twice.

The top four teams from each conference qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs. In the first round, aggregate goals over two matches determined the winners. The conference finals were played as a single match, and the winners advanced to MLS Cup. In all rounds, draws were broken with two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks 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. Additionally, the winner of MLS Cup and the runner-up qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

{{main|List of Major League Soccer stadiums}}

{{2004 Major League Soccer Eastern Conference table}}

{{2004 Major League Soccer Western Conference table}}

{{2004 Major League Soccer season table}}

{{8TeamBracket|legs=2/1/1

| RD1=Conference semifinals

| RD2=Conference finals

| RD3=MLS Cup

| RD1-group1=Eastern Conference

| RD1-group2=Western Conference

| team-width=185px

| RD1-seed1=E1

| RD1-team1=Columbus

| RD1-score1-1=0

| RD1-score1-2=1

| RD1-seed2=E4

| RD1-team2=New England (wins 2–1 agg.)

| RD1-score2-1=1

| RD1-score2-2=1

| RD1-seed3=E2

| RD1-team3=D.C. United (wins 4–0 agg.)

| RD1-score3-1=2

| RD1-score3-2=2

| RD1-seed4=E3

| RD1-team4=MetroStars

| RD1-score4-1=0

| RD1-score4-2=0

| RD1-seed5=W1

| RD1-team5=Kansas City (wins 3–2 agg.)

| RD1-score5-1=0

| RD1-score5-2=3

| RD1-seed6=W4

| RD1-team6=San Jose

| RD1-score6-1=2

| RD1-score6-2=0

| RD1-seed7=W2

| RD1-team7=Los Angeles (wins 2–1 agg.)

| RD1-score7-1=0

| RD1-score7-2=2

| RD1-seed8=W3

| RD1-team8=Colorado

| RD1-score8-1=1

| RD1-score8-2=0

| RD2-seed1=E4

| RD2-team1=New England

| RD2-score1=3

| RD2-seed2=E2

| RD2-team2=D.C. United (wins 4–3 on PK's)

| RD2-score2=3*

| RD2-seed3=W1

| RD2-team3=Kansas City

| RD2-score3=2

| RD2-seed4=W2

| RD2-team4=Los Angeles

| RD2-score4=0

| RD3-seed1=E2

| RD3-team1=D.C. United

| RD3-score1=3

| RD3-seed2=W1

| RD3-team2=Kansas City

| RD3-score2=2

}}

{{football box

|date = October 23, 2004

|team1 = Columbus Crew

|score = 0–1

|team2 = New England Revolution

|goals1 =

|goals2 = John {{goal|25}}

|stadium = Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts

|attendance = 5,679

|referee = N/A

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20050102211118/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=167852&cc=5901 Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 31, 2004

|team1 = New England Revolution

|score = 1–1

|team2 = Columbus Crew

|goals1 = Twellman {{goal|81}}

|goals2 = Buddle {{goal|90+2}}

|stadium = Crew Stadium
Columbus, Ohio

|attendance = 15,224

|referee = Alex Prus

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041031&content_id=18135&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

New England Revolution advance 2–1 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date = October 23, 2004

|team1 = D.C. United

|score = 2–0

|team2 = MetroStars

|goals1 = Stewart {{goal|67}}
Eskandarian {{goal|88}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey

|attendance = 11,161

|referee = Kevin Stott

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041023&content_id=17555&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 30, 2004

|team1 = MetroStars

|score = 0–2

|team2 = D.C. United

|goals1 =

|goals2 = Moreno {{goal|85}}
Namoff {{goal|89}}

|stadium = RFK Stadium
Washington, D.C.

|attendance = 15,763

|referee = Ricardo Valenzuela

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041030&content_id=18050&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

D.C. United advance 4–0 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date = October 24, 2004

|team1 = Kansas City Wizards

|score = 0–2

|team2 = San Jose Earthquakes

|goals1 =

|goals2 = De Rosario {{goal|40}}
Waibel {{goal|52}}

|stadium = Spartan Stadium
San Jose, California

|attendance = 8,659

|referee = Kevin Terry

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041024&content_id=17633&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 30, 2004

|team1 = San Jose Earthquakes

|score = 0–3

|team2 = Kansas City Wizards

|goals1 =

|goals2 = Stephenson {{goal|26}}
Ching {{goal|48|o.g.}}
Jewsbury {{goal|90+2}}

|stadium = Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri

|attendance = 10,022

|referee = Terry Vaughn

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041030&content_id=18064&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

Kansas City Wizards advance 3–2 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date = October 22, 2004

|team1 = Los Angeles Galaxy

|score = 0–1

|team2 = Colorado Rapids

|goals1 =

|goals2 = Peguero {{goal|30}}

|stadium = INVESCO Field at Mile High
Denver, Colorado

|attendance = 8,028

|referee = Terry Vaughn

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041023&content_id=17480&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 30, 2004

|team1 = Colorado Rapids

|score = 0–2

|team2 = Los Angeles Galaxy

|goals1 =

|goals2 = Ruiz {{goal|30}}
Marshall {{goal|45+3}}

|stadium = Home Depot Center
Carson, California

|attendance = 20,026

|referee = Michael Kennedy

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041031&content_id=18097&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

Los Angeles Galaxy advance 2–1 on aggregate.

----

{{football box |

|date = November 5, 2004

|team1 = Los Angeles Galaxy

|score = 0–2

|team2 = Kansas City Wizards

|goals1 =

|goals2 = Arnaud {{goal|24||68}}

|stadium = Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri

|attendance = 11,931

|referee = Abiodun Okulaja

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041105&content_id=18432&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

----

{{football box |

|date = November 6, 2004

|team1 = New England Revolution

|score = 3–3 (AET)

|team2 = D.C. United

|goals1 = Twellman {{goal|17}}
Ralston {{goal|44|pen.}}
Noonan {{goal|85}}

|goals2 = Eskandarian {{goal|11}}
Moreno {{goal|21}}
Gomez {{goal|67}}

|stadium = RFK Stadium
Washington, D.C.

|attendance = 21,201

|referee = Terry Vaughn

|report = [https://web.archive.org/web/20070111222236/http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041106&content_id=18484&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

|penalties1 = Ralston {{penmiss}}
Reis {{pengoal}}
Twellman {{pengoal}}
Heaps {{penmiss}}
Joseph {{pengoal}}
Dempsey {{penmiss}}

|penaltyscore = 3–4

|penalties2 = {{penmiss}} Olsen
{{pengoal}} Quaranta
{{pengoal}} Adu
{{pengoal}} Eskandarian
{{penmiss}} Moreno
{{pengoal}} Carroll

|}}

D.C. United advance 4–3 on penalties (3–3 after full time).

----

{{Main article|MLS Cup 2004}}

{{football box |

|date = November 14, 2004

|team1 = Kansas City Wizards

|score = 2–3

|team2 = D.C. United

|goals1 = Burciaga Jr. {{goal|6}}
Wolff {{goal|58|pen.}}

|goals2 = Eskandarian {{goal|19}} {{goal|23}}
Zotinca {{goal|26|o.g.}}
Kovalenko {{sent off|0|57}}

|stadium = Home Depot Center
Carson, California

|attendance = 25,797

|referee = Michael Kennedy

|report = [http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20041114&content_id=19055&vkey=mlscup2004&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{reflist}}

{{Major League Soccer}}

{{2004 MLS season by team}}

{{Major League Soccer seasons}}

{{2004 in American soccer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2004 Major League Soccer Season}}

Category:Major League Soccer seasons

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