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EspañolMAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER 2007 SEASON
The 12th 'Major League Soccer' season began on April 7, 2007 and will end with MLS Cup 2007, on November 18, 2007 at RFK Stadium.
Major events
★ The Los Angeles Galaxy signed David Beckham from Real Madrid under the new Designated Player Rule, while Club América's Cuauhtémoc Blanco signed for the Chicago Fire. Beckham's first appearance with the team occurred on July 21, in an exhibition against Chelsea F.C.. Blanco's first game with the Fire was on July 22 against Celtic F.C..
★ The New York Red Bulls signed two designated players, Juan Pablo Angel from Aston Villa F.C. and Claudio Reyna from Manchester City F.C.. The team had to acquire a second designated player slot from Chivas USA by trading away Amado Guevara. After four games with the team, under the guidance of new head coach Preki, Guevara rejected a trade to Toronto FC and has since been released from the team.
★ 2006 MLS Supporters' Shield winners DC United suffered one of their worst starts in team history, losing the season's first three league games after a disappointing elimination from the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in preseason. Conversely, their Atlantic Cup rivals, the Red Bulls, were the last undefeated team in MLS.
★ Ante Razov of Chivas USA became the third player in league history to score at least 100 goals, behind Real Salt Lake's Jason Kreis and DC United's Jaime Moreno. Razov scored his 100th goal against Real Salt Lake on April 21.
★ Jaime Moreno broke the all-time scoring record on August 22, 2007. Moreno scored his 109th league goal on a penalty kick against the New York Red Bulls. The previous holder of the record was Real Salt Lake's Jason Kreis.
★ As part of a front office reshuffle, Real Salt Lake fired its head coach, John Ellinger, and replaced him with Jason Kreis. The now-retired striker opened his coaching career with a draw at home against the Red Bulls, despite a two-goal deficit until very late in the game.
★ Latest expansion Toronto FC was the last team in MLS this season to score a goal or earn a point. They accomplished both with a 3-1 win over the Chicago Fire, five games into the season.
★ Eddie Johnson of the Kansas City Wizards scored back-to-back hat tricks against the New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls, the first time this has ever occurred in MLS.
★ Real Salt Lake was the last team in the league to win a game this season. They did not win a game until June when they defeated DC United 2-1, the 12th league game for Salt Lake. No other team in MLS history has gone as long without their first victory.
★ On July 15 2007, Houston Dynamo broke the league shutout record of 681 minutes, a record previously set by the Kansas City Wizards in 2000. Their streak ended on July 22 2007 after 726 minutes.
★ Toronto FC set the record for most consecutive minutes without scoring a goal. Currently, they have gone 642 minutes without scoring a goal in league competition, since a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire on July 7.
Changes from 2006 Season
★ Toronto FC began play as an expansion franchise in the Eastern Conference.
★ Teams will play a 30 game regular season schedule (down from 32 games) which will be scheduled as detailed below.
★ Eight teams will make the playoffs. The top two from each conference plus the next four best teams regardless of conference. Previously, the top four teams in each conference made the playoffs.
★ This is the first year that MLS teams will be allowed to have advertising on the front of their jerseys. Real Salt Lake became the first team to announce a jersey sponsor (XanGo). New York Red Bulls once again has the energy drink's logo on their shirt. Los Angeles Galaxy has signed a 5-year multimillion dollar deal with nutritional supplement manufacturer Herbalife, Toronto FC has partnered with Canadian financial institution BMO, and Houston Dynamo signed a 4 year deal with Amigo Energy. Chivas USA has a deal with Comex.
★ The Designated Player Rule was implemented this season.
★ Two new soccer-specific stadiums opened this season: Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado and BMO Field in Toronto.
Competition format
The format for the 2007 season is as follows:
★ Season runs from April 7, 2007 to a championship match played November 18, 2007.
★ 13 teams split into two conferences: the Western Conference will have six teams, while the Eastern Conference will have seven, with Toronto FC as the newest addition. Each team plays 30 games, evenly divided among home and away matches. Each team will play every other team twice, home and away, for a total of 24 games. The remaining 6 games will all be intra-conference, with each team playing its fellow conference members an additional game. In the Western Conference, an additional game will be added to the above, highlighting a local rivalry (Los Angeles vs. Chivas USA Honda SuperClasico, Houston vs. Dallas Texas Derby, Salt Lake vs. Colorado Rocky Mountain Cup).
★ At season's end, the top two teams of each conference will make the playoffs; in addition, the next four highest point totals, regardless of conference, will also be in the playoffs. In the first round of this knockout tournament, aggregate goals over two matches determine the winners; the Conference Championships are one match each, with the winner of each conference advancing to MLS Cup. In all rounds, draws will be broken with 2 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. The away goals rule is not used.
★ The team with the best record in the 30 game regular season wins the MLS Supporters' Shield and qualifies for the next CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The MLS Champion also qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. If the Supporters' Shield winner wins the MLS Cup, the runner-up to the Supporters Shield is the second qualifier.
★ The two MLS teams that qualify for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup have the ability to qualify for Copa Sudamericana if they make the final, and the FIFA Club World Cup if they win the championship. If an MLS team were to win Copa Sudamericana, they would also play in Recopa Sudamericana.
★ During the season, MLS teams based in the U.S. may compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
★ All MLS teams may also compete in select international tournaments, and various exhibitions.
★ SuperLiga, a new MLS-Mexican League club competition, will also make up the 2007 season schedule, with most matches occurring midweek in July and August. FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, DC United and Houston Dynamo have been chosen to compete and will play at least three matches each.
★ The four MLS teams with the best regular season records in 2007 will qualify for 2008 SuperLiga
Schedule
MLS unveiled the 2007 season schedule on February 6th.
Standings
Conference standings
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||
| Team | Pts | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United | '43' | 23 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 42 | 25 | 17 |
| 2 | New England Revolution | '42' | 23 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 37 | 28 | 9 |
| 3 | New York Red Bulls | '36' | 23 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 37 | 32 | 5 |
| 4 | Kansas City Wizards | '33' | 24 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 0 |
| 5 | Chicago Fire | '29' | 23 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 30 | -7 |
| 6 | Columbus Crew | '28' | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 27 | 31 | -4 |
| 7 | Toronto FC | '20' | 23 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 37 | -19 |
| Western Conference | |||||||||
| Team | Pts | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Dynamo | '42' | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 20 | 15 |
| 2 | FC Dallas | '39' | 23 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 30 | 31 | -1 |
| 3 | Chivas USA | '37' | 21 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 32 | 21 | 11 |
| 4 | Colorado Rapids | '28' | 24 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 29 | -4 |
| 5 | Real Salt Lake | '18' | 22 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 22 | 35 | -13 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Galaxy | '17' | 20 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 25 | 34 | -9 |
Overall standings
| Overall standings1 as of September 8, 2007. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 'Pts' | G | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | ||
| 1 | 'D.C. United' (E1) | '43' | 23 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 40 | 23 | 17 | |
| 2 | 'New England Revolution' (E2) | '42' | 23 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 37 | 28 | 9 | |
| 3 | 'Houston Dynamo' (W1) | '42' | 25 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 20 | 15 | |
| 4 | 'FC Dallas' (W2) | '39' | 23 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 30 | 31 | -1 | |
| 5 | 'Chivas USA' | '37' | 21 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 30 | 19 | 11 | |
| 6 | 'New York Red Bulls' | '36' | 23 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 37 | 32 | 5 | |
| 7 | 'Kansas City Wizards' | '33' | 24 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 0 | |
| 8 | 'Chicago Fire' | '29' | 23 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 23 | 30 | -7 | |
| 9 | 'Colorado Rapids' | '28' | 24 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 29 | -4 | |
| 10 | 'Columbus Crew' | '28' | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 27 | 31 | -4 | |
| 11 | 'Toronto FC' | '20' | 23 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 32 | -20 | |
| 12 | 'Real Salt Lake' | '18' | 22 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 22 | 35 | -13 | |
| 13 | 'Los Angeles Galaxy' | '17' | 20 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 25 | 34 | -9 | |
| ''Pts – points earned; G – games played; W - wins; L - losses; T - ties; ''GF – goals for GA – goals against; GD – goal difference | ||||||||||
| MLS Supporters' Shield, 2008 Champions Cup, 2008 SuperLiga, MLS Cup Playoffs 2007 | |
| 2008 SuperLiga, MLS Cup Playoffs 2007 | |
| MLS Cup Playoffs 2007 |
★ 1 - MLS is not officially a single-table league. This table determines the awarding of the Supporters' Shield and the placement of teams in non-league competitions, as well as potential playoff berths.
Budweiser Golden Boot
The Budweiser MLS Golden Boot is the award given to the player with the most goals throughout the MLS season. Similar to team standings, MLS documents player standings in the race of the top goal scorers of the league.
''Through games of September 2'' [1]
| Player | GP | G | A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Pablo Angel, NY | 17 | 14 | 4 |
| Eddie Johnson, KC | 18 | 14 | 4 |
| Luciano Emilio, DC | 21 | 14 | 1 |
| Taylor Twellman, NE | 20 | 11 | 3 |
| Maykel Galindo, CHV | 19 | 10 | 5 |
| Jozy Altidore, NY | 17 | 8 | 4 |
| Ben Olsen, DC | 17 | 7 | 4 |
| Joseph Ngwenya, HOU | 24 | 7 | 3 |
| Andy Dorman, NE | 23 | 7 | 2 |
| Brian Ching, HOU | 17 | 7 | 0 |
Goalkeeping Leaders
Sorted by GAA (goals allowed on average).
''Through games of August 26''
| Player | GP | MIN | SHTS | SVS | GA | GAA | W-L-T | SHO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Onstad, HOU | 20 | 1788 | 79 | 64 | 15 | 0.76 | 9-7-4 | 8 |
| Brad Guzan, CHV | 17 | 1530 | 77 | 57 | 16 | 0.94 | 10-5-2 | 9 |
| Troy Perkins, DC | 20 | 1800 | 100 | 75 | 21 | 1.05 | 12-5-3 | 6 |
| Jon Conway, NY | 12 | 963 | 66 | 47 | 12 | 1.12 | 5-5-1 | 4 |
| Bouna Coundoul, COL | 22 | 1980 | 112 | 84 | 25 | 1.14 | 7-9-6 | 8 |
Player of the Week
★ Week 1: Jeff Cunningham, Toronto FC
★ Week 2: Eddie Johnson, Kansas City Wizards
★ Week 3: Maykel Galindo, Chivas USA
★ Week 4: Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
★ Week 5: Dwayne De Rosario, Houston Dynamo
★ Week 6: Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution
★ Week 7: Juan Pablo Angel [1], New York Red Bulls
★ Week 8: Eddie Johnson, Kansas City Wizards
★ Week 9: Eddie Johnson, Kansas City Wizards
★ Week 10: Ben Olsen, D.C. United
★ Week 11: Luciano Emilio, D.C. United
★ Week 12: Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo
★ Week 13: Nicholas Addlery, D.C. United
★ Week 14: Stuart Holden, Houston Dynamo
★ Week 15: Juan Toja, FC Dallas
★ Week 16: Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew
★ Week 17: Ante Razov, Chivas USA
★ Week 18: Luciano Emilio, D.C. United
★ Week 19: Juan Pablo Angel, New York Red Bulls
★ Week 20: Jozy Altidore, New York Red Bulls
★ Week 21: Maykel Galindo, Chivas USA
★ Week 22: Ben Olsen, D.C. United
Player of the Month
★ April: Eddie Johnson, Kansas City Wizards
★ May: Juan Pablo Angel, New York Red Bulls
★ June: Juan Pablo Angel, New York Red Bulls
★ July: Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew
★ August: Troy Perkins, D.C. United
Sierra Mist Goal Of The Week
★ Week 1: Sacha Kljestan, Chivas USA
★ Week 2: Herculez Gomez, Colorado Rapids
★ Week 3: Jozy Altidore, New York Red Bulls
★ Week 4: Taylor Twellman, New England Revolution
★ Week 5: Chris Brown, Real Salt Lake
★ Week 6: Danny Dichio, Toronto FC
★ Week 7: Chris Gbandi, FC Dallas
★ Week 9: Jim Brennan, Toronto FC
★ Week 10: Ben Olsen, D.C. United
★ Week 11: Juan Pablo Angel, New York Red Bulls
★ Week 12: Brad Davis, Houston Dynamo
★ Week 13: Maykel Galindo, Chivas USA
★ Week 14: Stuart Holden, Houston Dynamo
★ Week 15: Joseph Ngwenya, Houston Dynamo
★ Week 16: Dwayne De Rosario, Houston Dynamo
★ Week 17: Kerry Zavagnin, Kansas City Wizards
★ Week 18: Robbie Findley, Real Salt Lake
★ Week 19: Jozy Altidore, New York Red Bulls
★ Week 20: Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chicago Fire
★ Week 21: Jaime Moreno, D.C. United
★ Week 22: Eddie Johnson, Kansas City Wizards
All-Star Game
Main articles: MLS All-Star 2007
The '2007 Major League Soccer All-Star Game' was the 12th annual MLS All-Star Game. The 2007 MLS All-Star Game took place on July 19, 2007 between the 2007 MLS All-Stars and Celtic F.C.[2] Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls and Juan Carlos Toja of FC Dallas scored for the All-Stars in a 2-0 win over Celtic.
National Competition
★ 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
:Eight of the twelve U.S.-based MLS teams (six qualified based on 2006 regular season record; two earned berths through qualifying matches) entered the tournament in the third round.
::D.C. United - lost to the Harrisburg City Islanders in the third round
::Los Angeles Galaxy - lost to the Richmond Kickers in the third round
::Chicago Fire - lost to the Carolina RailHawks in the third round
::Houston Dynamo - lost to the Charleston Battery in the third round
::Chivas USA - lost to the Seattle Sounders in the third round
::Colorado Rapids - beat the California Victory in the third round; lost to the Seattle Sounders in the quarterfinals
::New England Revolution - beat the Rochester Raging Rhinos in the third round; beat the Harrisburg City Islanders in the quarterfinals; beat the Carolina RailHawks in the semifinals; will face FC Dallas in the final.
::FC Dallas - beat the Atlanta Silverbacks on penalty kicks in the third round; beat the Charleston Battery after extra time in the quarterfinals; beat the Seattle Sounders in the semifinals; will face the New England Revolution in the final.
International Competition
★ CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2007:
:D.C. United - beat Olimpia of Honduras in quarterfinals; lost to Guadalajara of Mexico in semifinals
:Houston Dynamo - beat Puntarenas of Costa Rica in quarterfinals; lost to Pachuca of Mexico in semifinals
★ 2007 SuperLiga:
:FC Dallas - fourth place in Group A (0-1-2); eliminated in the first round
:D.C. United - runner-up of Group B (1-1-1); lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy in second semifinal
:Houston Dynamo - winner of Group B (2-0-1); lost to CF Pachuca on penalty kicks in the first semifinal
:Los Angeles Galaxy - winner of Group A (2-1-0); beat D.C. United in the second semifinal; lost to CF Pachuca on penalty kicks in the final
★ Copa Sudamericana 2007:
:D.C. United to face Guadalajara of Mexico in the round of 16
Pre-Season Competition
★ 2007 Carolina Challenge Cup
:Champion: Houston Dynamo
★ 2007 Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup
:Winner: Columbus Crew
External links
★ MLS 2007 Season Stats
References
1. New York Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel wins MLS Player of the Week honors for Week 7
2. All-Stars to face Celtic in Colorado Jonathan Nierman
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