Editorial: Looking Back On MLS Cup 2000 (VIDEO)
Here on the FanSided Network, your MLS Multiplex continues its ongoing series of reflections of the past 19 MLS Cup finals with a look back at the 2000 MLS Cup Final. The 2000 Major League Soccer season was the first season in which ties were allowed to stand, the first since 1974. The ten-minute sudden death extra period still took place, but the penalty shootout was phased out.
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The playoffs went to a points system in 2000. The breakdown: three points for a win, zero points for a loss, one point for a draw, and it was a first to five points system. Added Sudden Death Extra Time and Sudden Death Extra Time were used a game and series tie breakers, respectively. Finally, the league broke into three separate divisions: East, Central and West. This would be how the divisions would break up until 2002.
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A former U.S. Men’s National Team gaffer, Bob Gansler was the manager of the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) from 1999 through 2006 and would be the most accomplished manager at the club to date. The Wizards were stacked with talent, including goalkeeper Tony Meola, winger Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic (now the manager of Sacramento Republic), defender Peter Vermes (now the current manager at Kansas City), and Danish striker Miklos Molnar, whose swan song came with the Wizards in his last year playing football until 2011, when he cameoed for B1908. Kansas City finished 16-7-9 (57 points), winning their first Supporters’ Shield by way of head-to-head record and goal difference over the Chicago Fire.
The Wizards won their quarterfinal match with the Colorado Rapids 7-1 on points after a 1-0 win, a scoreless draw and a 3-2 victory. In the semifinals, the WIzards would defeat the Los Angeles Galaxy in sudden death extra time after being tied 4-4 on points. The first match ended in a scoreless draw and the Galaxy prevailed in the second match 2-1 in added sudden death extra time. Kansas City won the third match 1-0 on a 22nd minute penalty from Molnar before scoring a golden goal in the sixth minute of sudden death extra time.
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As for Bob Bradley’s Fire, they finished the regular season 17-9-6 (57 points), good enough for first in the MLS Central Division. Ante Razov was Chicago’s top goalscorer with 18 gioals on the season. In addition to Hristo Stoitchkov headlining the team with Razov, the Fire also featured a promising rookie in Carlos Bocanegra, who would go on to have a long and storied career as one of the most decorated defenders for club and country.
Chicago opened their postseason with a 6-3 points victory over the New England Revolution in the quarterfinals. The Fire defeated the Revs 2-1 and 6-0 while falling 2-1 in the second game. In the semifinals, the Fire also advanced 6-3 on points, this time over the NY/’NJ MetroStars (now the New York Red Bulls). The Fire defeated the MetroStars 3-0 and 3-2 while falling in the second game 2-0.
MLS Cup 2000 took place at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. in Oct. 15, 2000. Molnar was the hero for the Wizards, scoring the final goal of his long career in the 11th minute. Meola secured the personal double of league and MLS Cup MVP honors with 10 saves, denying the red-hot Chicago attack in front of a crowd of 39,159. Kansas City also earned its first-ever MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield double with the victory. The Fire did earn a consolation in securing the U.S. Open Cup earlier in the season.