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The 2001 Major League Soccer season was the sixth season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 89th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 23rd with a national first-division league.
| Season | 2001 |
|---|---|
| MLS Cup | San Jose Earthquakes (1st title) |
| Supporters' Shield | Miami Fusion (1st shield) |
| 2002 CONCACAF Champions' Cup | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Matches played | 158 |
| Goals scored | 519 (3.28 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Alex Pineda Chacon Miami Fusion F.C. Goals: 19 |
| Highest attendance | D.C. United Season: 258,213 Game Avg.: 21,518 |
| Lowest attendance | San Jose Earthquakes Season: 125,250 Game Avg.: 9,635 |
| Total attendance | 2,363,859 |
| Average attendance | 14,961 |
← 2000 2002 → | |
Locations of teams for the 2001 Major League Soccer season
Western Division 
Central Division 
Eastern Division
Western Division 
Central Division 
Eastern DivisionThe season was shortened due to the September 11 attacks, with the final weeks' regular season matches being canceled. Due to the different number of games played, playoff ordering was determined by points per game, instead of total points.[1]
The regular season began on April 7, and concluded prematurely on September 9. The 2001 MLS Cup Playoffs began on September 20, and concluded with MLS Cup 2001 on October 21. The Miami Fusion won their first Supporters' Shield and the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy in the final to win their first MLS Cup.
Season format
The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup on October 21. The 12 teams were split into three divisions. Each team played 32 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their division four times, for a total of 12 games. The remaining schedule consisted of three games against four select opponents in one of the other divisions, and two games against the remaining four teams.
The eight teams with the most points per game qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The quarterfinals and semifinals were played as a best-of-three series, and the winners advanced to MLS Cup. In all rounds, draws were broken by penalty shootout 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. The winner of MLS Cup, and the runner-up, qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Fire | Soldier Field | 66,944 |
| Colorado Rapids | Mile High Stadium | 76,273 |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew Stadium | 22,555 |
| D.C. United | RFK Stadium | 46,000 |
| Dallas Burn | Cotton Bowl | 92,100 |
| Kansas City Wizards | Arrowhead Stadium | 81,425 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Rose Bowl | 92,542 |
| Miami Fusion | Lockhart Stadium | 20,450 |
| New England Revolution | Foxboro Stadium | 60,292 |
| MetroStars | Giants Stadium | 80,200 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Spartan Stadium | 30,456 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | Raymond James Stadium | 69,218 |
Personnel and sponsorships
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Crew |  Tom Fitzgerald |
Fired | May 17, 2001 | Greg Andrulis |
May 17, 2001 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny |  Alfonso Mondelo |
Resigned | July 5, 2001 | Perry Van der Beck |
Jul 5, 2001 |
Eastern Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami Fusion | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 57 | 36 | +21 | 53 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | MetroStars | 26 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 38 | 35 | +3 | 42 | |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 27 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 35 | 52 | −17 | 27 | |
| 4 | D.C. United | 26 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 42 | 50 | −8 | 26 |
Source: MLS
Central Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Fire | 27 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 30 | +20 | 53 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Columbus Crew | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 49 | 36 | +13 | 45 | |
| 3 | Dallas Burn | 26 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 48 | 47 | +1 | 35 | |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 27 | 4 | 21 | 2 | 32 | 68 | −36 | 14 |
Source: MLS
Western Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 52 | 36 | +16 | 47 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | San Jose Earthquakes | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 45 | |
| 3 | Kansas City Wizards | 27 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 33 | 53 | −20 | 36 | |
| 4 | Colorado Rapids | 26 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 23 |
Source: MLS
Overall standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami Fusion (S) | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 57 | 36 | +21 | 53 | 2.04 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 2 | Chicago Fire | 27 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 30 | +20 | 53 | 1.96 | |
| 3 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 52 | 36 | +16 | 47 | 1.81 | |
| 4 | Columbus Crew | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 49 | 36 | +13 | 45 | 1.73 | |
| 5 | San Jose Earthquakes (C) | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 45 | 1.73 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 6 | MetroStars | 26 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 38 | 35 | +3 | 42 | 1.62 | |
| 7 | Dallas Burn | 26 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 48 | 47 | +1 | 35 | 1.35 | |
| 8 | Kansas City Wizards | 27 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 33 | 53 | −20 | 36 | 1.33 | |
| 9 | New England Revolution | 27 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 35 | 52 | −17 | 27 | 1.00 | |
| 10 | D.C. United | 26 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 42 | 50 | −8 | 26 | 1.00 | |
| 11 | Colorado Rapids | 26 | 5 | 13 | 8 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 23 | 0.88 | |
| 12 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 27 | 4 | 21 | 2 | 32 | 68 | −36 | 14 | 0.52 |
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points per game; 2) total goal differential per match played; 3) total goals scored per match played; 4) away record; 5) away goal differential; 6) total goals scored in away matches; 7) home record; 8) home goal differential; 9) total goals scored in home matches; 10) fewest disciplinary points per match played; 6) away goal differential per away match played; 11) coin toss or drawing of lots.
(C) Champion; (S) Supporters' Shield
Rules for classification: 1) points per game; 2) total goal differential per match played; 3) total goals scored per match played; 4) away record; 5) away goal differential; 6) total goals scored in away matches; 7) home record; 8) home goal differential; 9) total goals scored in home matches; 10) fewest disciplinary points per match played; 6) away goal differential per away match played; 11) coin toss or drawing of lots.
(C) Champion; (S) Supporters' Shield
Bracket
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | MLS Cup | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Chicago Fire (7 Points) | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 7 | Dallas Burn (1 Points) | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | Chicago Fire (1 Points) | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Los Angeles Galaxy (ASDET)* (7 Points) | 1 | 1* | 2* | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Los Angeles Galaxy (SDET)* (4 Points) | 1 | 1 | 3* | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | MetroStars (4 Points) | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | San Jose Earthquakes (ASDET)* | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Miami Fusion (6 Points) | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| 8 | Kansas City Wizards (3 Points) | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Miami Fusion (3 Points) | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | San Jose Earthquakes (SDET)* (6 Points) | 0 | 4 | 1* | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Columbus Crew (0 Points) | 1 | 0 | x | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | San Jose Earthquakes (6 Points) | 3 | 3 | x | ||||||||||||||
- Points system
Win = 3 Pts.
Loss = 0 Pts.
Draw = 1 Pt. - ASDET*=Added Sudden Death Extra Time (Game tie breaker)
SDET**=Sudden Death Extra Time (Series tie breaker)
Teams will advance at 5 points.
Quarterfinals
| Dallas Burn | 0–2 | Chicago Fire |
|---|---|---|
Bocanegra  40' Whitfield 90'+ |
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 8,314
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 8,314
| Chicago Fire | 1–1 | Dallas Burn |
|---|---|---|
| J. Beasley 84' |
Deering 27' |
Cotton Bowl
Dallas, Texas
Attendance:: 17,149
Dallas, Texas
Attendance:: 17,149
| Dallas Burn | 0–2 | Chicago Fire |
|---|---|---|
| Kovalenko 17' Armas 55' |
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 12,811
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 12,811
Chicago Fire advance 7–1 on points.
| Kansas City Wizards | 0–2 | Miami Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Serna 28' Pineda Chacón 53' |
Lockhart Stadium
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 6,281
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 6,281
| Miami Fusion | 0–3 | Kansas City Wizards |
|---|---|---|
| Lowe 24' McKeon 31' (pen.) Gomez 45'+ |
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
Attendance: 5,803
Kansas City, Missouri
Attendance: 5,803
| Kansas City Wizards | 1–2 | Miami Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Lowe 13' |
Preki 14' Henderson 71' |
Lockhart Stadium
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 8,119
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 8,119
Miami Fusion advance 6–3 on points.
| MetroStars | 1–1 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Faria 29' |
Caligiuri 63' |
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 11,580
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 11,580
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–4 | MetroStars |
|---|---|---|
| Victorine 4' |
Faria 72', 80' Chung 75' Valencia 83' |
Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 12,817
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 12,817
| MetroStars | 2–3 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Villegas 49', 60' |
Victorine 21', 33' Frye 56' |
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 6,154
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 6,154
| 0–1 series (SDET) | ||
|---|---|---|
Cienfuegos  8' |
Los Angeles Galaxy advance 1-0 in series overtime (SDET) after 4-4 tie on points.
| San Jose Earthquakes | 3–1 | Columbus Crew |
|---|---|---|
| Donovan 5' 45'+ Lagos 31' |
Warzycha 54' (pen.) |
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 20,883
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 20,883
| Columbus Crew | 0–3 | San Jose Earthquakes |
|---|---|---|
| Lagos 9' Cerritos 68' Donovan 76' |
Spartan Stadium
San Jose, California
Attendance: 10,419
San Jose, California
Attendance: 10,419
San Jose Earthquakes advance 6–0 on points.
Semifinals
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–1 | Chicago Fire |
|---|---|---|
| Hernández 44' |
Wynalda 32' |
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 10,388
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 10,388
| Chicago Fire | 0–1 (AET) | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Vagenas 94' |
Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 10,100
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 10,100
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 2–1 (AET) | Chicago Fire |
|---|---|---|
| Califf 44' Cienfuegos 98' |
D. Beasley 30' |
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 13,444
Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 13,444
Los Angeles Galaxy advance 7–1 on points.
Lockhart Stadium
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 9,236
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 9,236
| Miami Fusion | 0–4 | San Jose Earthquakes |
|---|---|---|
| Donovan 16' Russell 57' Lagos 69' De Rosario 89' |
Spartan Stadium
San Jose, California
Attendance: 16,119
San Jose, California
Attendance: 16,119
| San Jose Earthquakes | 1–0 (AET) | Miami Fusion |
|---|---|---|
| Dayak 94' |
Lockhart Stadium
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 11,242
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 11,242
San Jose Earthquakes advance 6–3 on points.
MLS Cup
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–2 (AET) | San Jose Earthquakes |
|---|---|---|
| Hernández 21' |
Donovan 43' De Rosario 96' |
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 21,626
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 21,626
Goals
Assists
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Jordan |
Dallas Burn | 9 |
| Zach Thornton |
Chicago Fire | ||
| 3 | Joe Cannon |
San Jose Earthquakes | 7 |
| 4 | Matt Reis |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 6 |
| 5 | Tom Presthus |
Columbus Crew | 5 |
| Nick Rimando |
Miami Fusion | ||
| 7 | Kevin Hartman |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 4 |
| Tim Howard |
MetroStars | ||
| Tony Meola |
Kansas City Wizards | ||
| 10 | Bo Oshoniyi |
Kansas City Wizards | 3 |
Individual awards
Best XI
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Howard, MetroStars |
Jeff Agoos, San Jose Carlos Llamosa, Miami Pablo Mastroeni, Miami Greg Vanney, LA Galaxy |
Chris Armas, Chicago  Piotr Nowak, Chicago Preki, Miami |
 Alex Pineda Chacón, Miami Diego Serna, Miami John Spencer, Colorado |
Player of the Month
| Week | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| April |  Alex Pineda Chacón | Miami Fusion |
| May | Clint Mathis | MetroStars |
| June | Diego Serna | Miami Fusion |
| July |  Hristo Stoitchkov | Chicago Fire |
| August | Brian Maisonneuve | Columbus Crew |
| Team | Games | Total | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. United | 12 | 258,213 | 21,518 |
| MetroStars | 13 | 270,477 | 20,806 |
| Columbus Crew | 13 | 227,644 | 17,511 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 13 | 226,035 | 17,387 |
| Colorado Rapids | 13 | 214,249 | 16,481 |
| Chicago Fire | 14 | 229,438 | 16,388 |
| New England Revolution | 13 | 203,501 | 15,654 |
| Dallas Burn | 13 | 163,465 | 12,574 |
| Miami Fusion | 14 | 156,481 | 11,177 |
| Kansas City Wizards | 13 | 142,402 | 10,954 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | 14 | 146,704 | 10,479 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 13 | 125,250 | 9,635 |
| Totals | 158 | 2,363,859 | 14,961 |
- Kansas City Wizards
2001 edition canceled; Wizards advanced to CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2002. - Chicago Fire
2001 edition canceled; Fire advance to CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2002.
- MetroStars
Went 3-3-0 in group stage and did not advance.
Defeated
Deportivo Italchacao, 2-0 at home.
Awarded two forfeit wins against
Club Deportivo Guadalajara, after the club refused to travel.
Lost Deportivo Italchacao, 2-1 away.
Lost
Millonarios, 2-1 away and 1-0 at home. - Kansas City Wizards
Went 1-4-1 in group stage and did not advance.
Defeated
Barcelona, 3-2 away, Drew 1-1 at home.
Lost Santos Laguna, 4-2 away and 1-0 at home.
Lost
Sporting Cristal, 2-1 at home and 2-1 away.
- D.C. United
Defeated
Arnett Gardens, 5-1 on aggregate in quarterfinals.
Defeated
Comunicaciones, 2-1 in semifinals.
Lost Club América, 2-0 in final. - Columbus Crew
Lost
Deportivo Saprissa, 3-1 on aggregate in quarterfinals.
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