2006 Major League Soccer season#Western Conference

The season began on April 1 and concluded with MLS Cup on November 12. The 12 teams were split evenly into two conferences. Each team played 32 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their conference four times, and every team 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 and qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Additionally, the winner of MLS Cup also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. If a team qualified for multiple berths into the Champions' Cup, then additional berths were awarded to the highest overall finishing MLS team(s) not already qualified. Qualification for the inaugural SuperLiga was also awarded to the MLS Cup Champion and Supporters' Shield winner, as well two invited teams, FC Dallas and LA Galaxy.

Automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup was awarded to the top three finishers in each conference. The rest of the U.S.-based MLS teams had to qualify for the remaining two berths via a series of play-in games.

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

{{2006 Major League Soccer Eastern Conference table}}

{{2006 Major League Soccer Western Conference table}}

{{2006 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=170px| score-width=35px

| RD1-seed1=E1

| RD1-team1=D.C. United

| RD1-score1-1=1

| RD1-score1-2=1

| RD1-seed2=E4

| RD1-team2=New York

| RD1-score2-1=0

| RD1-score2-2=1

| RD1-seed3=E3

| RD1-team3=Chicago

| RD1-score3-1=1

| RD1-score3-2=1 (2)

| RD1-seed4=E2

| RD1-team4={{nowrap|New England (p)}}

| RD1-score4-1=0

| RD1-score4-2=2 (4)

| RD1-seed5=W1

| RD1-team5=Dallas

| RD1-score5-1=2

| RD1-score5-2=2 (4)

| RD1-seed6=W4

| RD1-team6=Colorado (p)

| RD1-score6-1=1

| RD1-score6-2=3 (5)

| RD1-seed7=W3

| RD1-team7=Chivas USA

| RD1-score7-1=2

| RD1-score7-2=0

| RD1-seed8=W2

| RD1-team8=Houston

| RD1-score8-1=1

| RD1-score8-2=2

| RD2-seed1=E1

| RD2-team1=D.C. United

| RD2-score1=0

| RD2-seed2=E2

| RD2-team2=New England

| RD2-score2=1

| RD2-seed3=W4

| RD2-team3=Colorado

| RD2-score3=1

| RD2-seed4=W2

| RD2-team4=Houston

| RD2-score4=3

| RD3-seed1=E2

| RD3-team1=New England

| RD3-score1=1 (3)

| RD3-seed2=W2

| RD3-team2=Houston (p)

| RD3-score2=1 (4)

}}

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{{football box

|date = October 21, 2006

|team1 = D.C. United

|score = 1–0

|team2 = New York Red Bulls |

|goals1=Gómez {{goal|77}}

|goals2=|stadium=Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey

|attendance=8,630

|referee=Michael Kennedy

|report=[http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061021&content_id=76531&vkey=mlscup2006&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 29, 2006

|team1 = New York Red Bulls

|score = 1–1

|team2 = D.C. United |

|goals1=Altidore {{goal|70}}

|goals2= Gómez {{goal|86}}

|stadium = RFK Stadium
Washington, D.C.

|attendance=21,455

|referee=Tim Weyland

|report=[http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20061029&content_id=77388&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

D.C. United advance 2–1 on aggregate.

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{{football box

|date = October 22, 2006

|team1 = New England Revolution

|score = 0–1

|team2 = Chicago Fire |

|goals1=

|goals2=Mapp {{goal|35}}

|stadium = Toyota Park
Bridgeview, Illinois

|attendance=10,217

|referee=Tim Weyland

|report=[http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20061022&content_id=76659&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 28, 2006

|team1 = Chicago Fire

|score = 1–2 (AET)

|team2 = New England Revolution

|goals1 = Jaqua {{goal|18}}

|goals2 = Twellman {{goal|41}}
Noonan {{goal|58}} |

|stadium = Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts

|attendance = 9,372

|referee = Jair Marrufo

|report = [https://archive.today/20070702090035/http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061028&content_id=77286&vkey=mlscup2006&fext=.jsp (Report)]

|penalties1 = Thiago {{penmiss}}
Gutiérrez {{pengoal}}
Herron {{pengoal}}
Guerrero {{penmiss}}

|penaltyscore = 2–4

|penalties2 ={{pengoal}} Cancela
{{pengoal}} Reis
{{pengoal}} Noonan
{{pengoal}} Twellman

}}

New England Revolution advance 4–2 on penalties (2–2 aggregate after extra time).

----

{{football box

|date = October 21, 2006

|team1 = FC Dallas

|score = 2–1

|team2 = Colorado Rapids |

|goals1 = Ruíz {{goal|15}}
Thompson {{goal|55}}

|goals2 = Cooke {{goal|23}}
Martins {{sent off|0|88}}

|stadium = INVESCO Field at Mile High
Denver, Colorado

|attendance=4,176

|referee=Hilario Grajeda

|report=[http://www.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20061021&content_id=76586&vkey=news_fcd&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 28, 2006

|team1 = Colorado Rapids

|score = 3–2 (AET)

|team2 = FC Dallas

|goals1 = Hernández {{goal|57||83}}
Mathis {{goal|114}}

|goals2 = Gbandi {{sent off|0|29}}
Ruíz {{goal|48}}
Goodson {{goal|92}}

|stadium = Pizza Hut Park
Frisco, Texas

|attendance = 15,486

|referee = Abiodun Okulaja

|report=[http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061029&content_id=77312&vkey=mlscup2006&fext=.jsp Report]{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

|penalties1 = Mathis {{pengoal}}
Hernández {{pengoal}}
Kirovski {{pengoal}}
Beckerman {{pengoal}}
Karanka {{penmiss}}
Mastroeni {{pengoal}}

|penaltyscore = 5–4

|penalties2 ={{pengoal}} Ruíz
{{pengoal}} O'Brien
{{pengoal}} Mulrooney
{{penmiss}} Vanney
{{pengoal}} Valakari
{{penmiss}} Sala

}}

Colorado Rapids advance 5–4 on penalties (4–4 aggregate after extra time).

----

{{football box

|date = October 22, 2006

|team1 = Houston Dynamo

|score = 1–2

|team2 = Chivas USA

|goals1 = Ching {{goal|75}}

|goals2 = Razov {{goal|45}}
Palencia {{goal|68}}

|stadium = Home Depot Center
Carson, California

|attendance= 15,110

|referee= Jorge Gonzalez

|report= [http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061022&content_id=76697&vkey=mlscup2006&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

{{football box

|date = October 29, 2006

|team1 = Chivas USA

|score = 0–2

|team2 = Houston Dynamo

|goals1 = Palencia {{sent off|2|57|58}}

|goals2 = Davis {{goal|64|pen.}}
Ching {{goal|90+3}}|

|stadium = Robertson Stadium
Houston, Texas

|attendance = 17,440

|referee = Michael Kennedy

|report = [http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20061029&content_id=77429&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Report]|

}}

Houston Dynamo advance 3–2 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date = November 5, 2006

|team1 = New England Revolution

|score = 1–0

|team2 = D.C. United

|goals1 = Twellman {{goal|4}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = RFK Stadium
Washington, D.C.

|attendance = 19,552

|referee= Kevin Stott

|report= [http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20061105&content_id=77820&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

New England Revolution advances 1–0 in single elimination.

----

{{football box

|date = November 5, 2006

|team1 = Colorado Rapids

|score = 1–3

|team2 = Houston Dynamo

|goals1 = Kirovski {{goal|4}}

|goals2 = Dalglish {{goal|10||21}}
Mullan {{goal|71}} |

|stadium = Robertson Stadium
Houston, Texas

|attendance = 23,107

|referee=Brian Hall

|report= [http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20061105&content_id=77871&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Report]

}}

Houston Dynamo advances 3–1 in single elimination.

----

{{Main article|MLS Cup 2006}}

{{football box

|date = November 12, 2006

|team1 = Houston Dynamo

|score = 1–1 (AET)

|report= [http://www.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20061112&content_id=78553&vkey=news_hou&fext=.jsp (Report)]

|team2 = New England Revolution

|goals1 = Ching {{goal|114}}

|goals2 = Twellman {{goal|113}}

|stadium = Pizza Hut Park
Frisco, Texas

|attendance = 22,427

|referee = Jair Marrufo

|penalties1 =Gray {{pengoal}}
Holden {{pengoal}}
De Rosario {{pengoal}}
Davis {{penmiss}}
Ching {{pengoal}}

|penaltyscore = 4–3

|penalties2 ={{pengoal}} Joseph
{{pengoal}} Reis
{{penmiss}} Noonan
{{pengoal}} Twellman
{{penmiss}} Heaps|

}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060721115452/http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/stats/index.jsp?club=mls&year=2006 MLS 2006 Season Stats]

{{Major League Soccer}}

{{2006 MLS season by team}}

{{Major League Soccer seasons}}

{{2006–07 in North and Central America, and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2006 Major League Soccer Season}}

Category:Major League Soccer seasons

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