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MLS Cup 1999

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

MLS Cup 1999
MLS Cup 99 logo.gif
EventMLS Cup
Los Angeles Galaxy D.C. United
0 2
DateNovember 21, 1999
VenueFoxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, US
Man of the MatchBen Olsen
(D.C. United)[1]
Referee[1]
Attendance44,910[1]
WeatherSunny, 63 °F (17 °C)[1]
← 1998
2000 →

MLS Cup 1999 was the fourth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which decided the champion of the 1999 season. It took place on November 21, 1999, at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and was contested by D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy in a rematch of the inaugural final played at the same venue in 1996.

Both teams finished atop their respective conferences despite coaching changes and lackluster starts to their seasons. The Galaxy hired Sigi Schmid early in the season and had the league's best defensive record, conceding only 29 goals in 32 regular season matches. United regained momentum during the summer after a series of national team callups and injuries left them without their star players for several weeks. Both teams advanced from the Conference Semifinals in two matches, but required a third leg to defeat their Conference Finals opponents.

D.C. defeated Los Angeles 2–0 in the final with goals from Jaime Moreno and Ben Olsen during the first half for their third MLS Cup victory in four years. The match was played in front of 44,910 spectators, setting a new MLS Cup record. It was also the first MLS match to be played with a standard game clock and without a tiebreaker shootout, following a rule change approved by the league days earlier. The Galaxy blamed their performance on the quality of the pitch at Foxboro Stadium, which had been damaged by an earlier National Football League game and reduced in width, and decisions by referee .

Venue[]

Aerial view of Foxboro Stadium with a soccer field surrounded on two sides by three sets of yellow and blue stands, and on two sides by smaller stands.
Aerial view of Foxboro Stadium, the host venue of MLS Cup 1999

The 1999 final was played at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the inaugural final was contested in 1996. It was announced as the host venue by MLS on October 23, 1998, and the match was scheduled three weeks later than previous editions to avoid conflicting with baseball's World Series.[2] The scheduled date of November 14 was later moved back to November 21.[3] The match was originally planned to be hosted at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, but issues with the Tampa Bay Mutiny's lease at the stadium led to the venue being dropped by MLS.[4][5] Foxboro was selected ahead of bids from Washington, D.C., and San Jose, California, as well as an unsubmitted speculative bid from Chicago.[6][7]

The match was played six days after a home game for the New England Patriots, necessitating that the stadium's bleacher sections be kept in place. As a result, the field's width was narrowed from 72 yards (66 m) to 68 yards (62 m) and had visible dirt patches and yard lines.[8][9] Approximately 30,000 tickets were sold before the finalists were confirmed, with prices starting at $19.[10]

Road to the final[]

Main article: 1999 Major League Soccer season

The MLS Cup is the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), a professional club soccer league based in the United States that began play in 1996. The league's fourth season was contested by 12 teams organized into two conferences, each playing 32 matches during the regular season from March to September.[11] Teams faced opponents from the same conference four times during the regular season and from outside their conference two times.[12] Prior to the start of the season, MLS reduced the number of permitted international players from five to four as a cost-saving measure.[13]

The top four teams from each conference qualified for the playoffs, which were organized into three rounds and played primarily in October.[14] The first two rounds, named the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals, were home-and-away series organized into a best-of-three format with a hosting advantage for the higher seed. The winners of the Conference Finals advanced to the single-match MLS Cup final, which would be held at a predetermined neutral venue.[15]

MLS Cup 1999 was contested by two-time champions D.C. United and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The two teams were meeting in the MLS Cup final for a second time, having played in the inaugural final in 1996, which ended in a 3–2 overtime victory for D.C. The match was also played at the same venue, Foxboro Stadium, and marked the first of four consecutive MLS Cup appearances for United.[16] The 1999 final was the first to be contested by the regular season winners of both conferences.[17] During the regular season the Galaxy and United met twice, each winning on the road.[16]

Los Angeles Galaxy[]

Los Angeles's Kevin Hartman was named Goalkeeper of the Year and set a league record for goals against average.

The Galaxy finished the 1998 regular season atop the league standings with a 24–8 record, which included a nine-match winning streak and a league-high 85 goals.[18] The team were eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference Finals by the Chicago Fire, who went on to the win the MLS Cup.[19] Los Angeles lost captain Dan Calichman to the New England Revolution and midfielders Wellington Sánchez and Martín Machón to foreign clubs during the offseason.[20][21] To replace them, head coach Octavio Zambrano signed several young American players, including three defenders selected in the MLS College Draft, and had them immediately compete for spots in the starting lineup.[21][22]

Los Angeles earned two shootout wins to start the season, but went on a three-match losing streak and only scored three total goals. Zambrano was fired on April 21 by the club and replaced by Sigi Schmid, who had managed the UCLA Bruins for 19 years and the men's national under-20 team for two years.[19][23] Under Schmid, the Galaxy won three more matches but still struggled to score, with only seven goals in 11 matches. The team remained in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 5–6 record by the end of May, conceding few goals due to strong defensive performances and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who led the league in goals against average and shutouts.[24][25]

The return of striker Carlos Hermosillo in June from a loan with Club Necaxa helped the Galaxy begin a four-match winning streak, scoring in three matches and sitting out for a 4–2 comeback against the Tampa Bay Mutiny led by substitute Clint Mathis.[26][27] After a loss to the Miami Fusion that broke their winning streak,[28] the team won three of their next four matches to finish July with an improved 12–8 record to reach second in the West.[29] Hermosillo and Mathis both picked up injuries at the beginning of August as the Galaxy looked to secure a playoff berth while also playing in the U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions' Cup.[30][31] Los Angeles were eliminated from the Open Cup and Champions' Cup, but were able to move to second in the West with a four-match winning streak in league play.[32]

After briefly dipping to third with a loss to the Dallas Burn,[33] Los Angeles were able to tie Colorado Rapids atop the Western Conference with 45 points and clinch a playoff berth with victories against San Jose and Miami.[34][35] The Galaxy remained first in the West but lost two key matches that allowed the Rapids within one point of their lead before the two teams met on September 29.[36] Los Angeles won 4–0 and extended their lead atop the conference to four points with a 19–11 record, but lost Hermosillo to a knee injury.[37][38] The team finished the season with a 20–12 record and 54 points, and also became the first MLS team to allow an average of less than one goal per match during the regular season with 29 goals in 32 matches.[39][40] Schmid was named Coach of the Year, Hartman earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors, and Robin Fraser won Defender of the Year for their regular season performances.[40]

In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Galaxy faced the Rapids, who had finished fourth in the conference and failed to score in five consecutive matches.[41] Los Angeles hosted the first leg and won 3–0 despite losing midfielder Simon Elliott to a red card in the 18th minute. The team had been leading from an eighth-minute strike from defender Ezra Hendrickson and extended it to 2–0 from a penalty scored in the 52nd minute by Greg Vanney; Mathis scored the match's final goal five minutes later with a strike that was deflected into the net by Colorado goalkeeper Ian Feuer.[42][43] The Galaxy completed their sweep of the Rapids with a 2–0 victory at Mile High Stadium in Denver, scoring twice in the final 15 minutes through midfielders Danny Pena and Joe Franchino.[44]

Los Angeles advanced to play the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Burn, who had finished second in the conference and eliminated defending champions Chicago.[45] The first leg, played at the Rose Bowl, ended in a 2–1 victory for the Galaxy through a goal from Ezra Hendrickson scored with 40 seconds remaining in the match.[46] Los Angeles took the lead twice during the second leg at the Cotton Bowl against Dallas through a brace from Carlos Hermosillo, but the hosts equalized to force a tie-breaking shootout. Dallas won 4–3 in the shootout, forcing a deciding third leg at the Rose Bowl.[47] The Galaxy clinched their second MLS Cup berth with a 3–1 victory over the Burn, having taken advantage of the away side's weakened defense in their starting lineup. Greg Vanney scored from a penalty in the second minute, which was followed by goals from Hermosillo and Mauricio Cienfuegos to extend the lead; Jason Kreis scored a late consolation goal for Dallas.[48]

D.C. United[]

See also: 1999 D.C. United season

D.C. United had played in the previous three MLS Cup finals, winning in 1996 and 1997 against Los Angeles and Colorado, respectively.[49] Following their loss in the 1998 final to Chicago, manager Bruce Arena left the team to join the U.S. men's national team and was replaced by New England head coach Thomas Rongen.[50] To comply with stricter salary cap requirements, D.C. also lost captain John Harkes, midfielder Tony Sanneh, defender Mario Gori, and goalkeeper Scott Garlick to various trades and offers.[51][52] The club acquired several replacements, including veteran defender Diego Soñora from Dallas and rookie midfielder Jason Moore with the first overall pick in the MLS College Draft, before the start of preseason camp in February.[53]

United won their first three matches, including a shootout against New England, while playing away from home to open the season by taking first place in the Eastern Conference.[54][55] The team then lost three consecutive matches—twice at home to San Jose and New England and once on the road to Chicago—as the starting lineup was shuffled due to injuries to four starting players and three reserves.[56] The third match, a 3–2 loss to Chicago, featured a league-record 11 cards issued to both teams and injuries to starting goalkeeper Mark Simpson before the match and playmaker Marco Etcheverry in the first half.[57][58]

D.C. halted its losing streak in early May with a 3–2 victory over the MetroStars that was credited to backup goalkeeper Tom Presthus, who started a play for the second goal and saved a late chance to preserve the lead.[59] The team went on a seven-match unbeaten streak that lasted into June as several injured players returned to the starting lineup, allowing United to re-take first in the Eastern Conference.[60][61] The streak ended with a pair of losses to Dallas and Los Angeles after several starters left to play in the Copa América for their national teams.[62][63] D.C. entered the All-Star break in July with a 12–7 record atop the Eastern Conference, but having lost four of the past six matches while relying on a mix of reserved players and starters recovering from injuries.[64][65]

Following the MLS All-Star Game, where six United players started for the East,[66] the team lost six starting players to national teams at the FIFA Confederations Cup.[67] Rongen turned to a lineup of reserves, including an inexperienced four-man defense, minor-league callups, and new acquisitions Chris Albright and John Maessner, to defeat New England and launch another unbeaten streak in August.[68][69] D.C. had clinched a playoff berth by the end of the month and was briefly able to field an improved starting lineup due to a lull in national team commitments and injuries.[70] The team also clinched first in the Eastern Conference in mid-September, having amassed a 15-point lead over second-place Columbus, but had their winning streak stopped at 11 matches by a loss to the Tampa Bay Mutiny shortly after D.C. was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.[71][72] During the regular season, United won 17 of their 20 matches against opponents in the Eastern Conference and finished atop the league with 57 points.[73]

D.C. faced the Miami Fusion, who had a 13–9 record in the regular season, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. United won 2–0 in the first leg they hosted at RFK Stadium with two goals scored by forward Jaime Moreno in the 34th and 88th minutes.[74] The second leg in Florida remained a scoreless tie after regulation time and was decided in a shootout that D.C. won 3–2. Goalkeeper Tom Presthus made four saves during the six-round shootout, adding to two shots he stopped during regulation time, to help the team advance.[75]

In a rematch of the previous two Eastern Conference Finals, United once again played the Columbus Crew, who had swept the Tampa Bay Fusion.[76] D.C. took a lead in the series at RFK Stadium in the first leg, winning 2–1 with a strike from Jaime Moreno in the 15th minute and a volley from Ben Olsen in the 72nd minute.[77] The second leg in Columbus ended in a 5–1 comeback victory for the hosts, handing United their worst playoff defeat and forcing a third match in the series. Roy Lassiter scored early for the visitors in sixth minute, but the Crew responded with strikes from Ansil Elcock and Jeff Cunningham before halftime and a hat-trick from Stern John in the second half.[78] D.C. recovered in the third leg to win 4–0 and extend their home unbeaten streak in the playoffs to 12 matches while clinching the Eastern Conference title. Jaime Moreno opened the scoring in the 17th minute and was joined by a brace from Roy Lassiter on both sides of halftime, the latter coming from a bicycle kick in the penalty area. Marco Etcheverry, who had provided three assists on the earlier goals, then scored a free kick from 23 yards (21 m) with four minutes remaining to seal an MLS Cup berth for United.[16][79]

Summary of results[]

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away). Playoffs were in best-of-three format with penalty shootout if scores were tied.
Los Angeles Galaxy Round D.C. United
1st place in Western Conference
 
Pos. Club Pld. W SW L Pts.
1 Los Angeles Galaxy 32 20 3 12 54
2 Dallas Burn 32 19 3 13 51
3 Chicago Fire 32 18 3 14 48
4 Colorado Rapids 32 20 6 12 48
5 San Jose Clash 32 19 10 13 37

Source: MLS

Regular season 1st place in Eastern Conference
 
Pos. Club Pld. W SW L Pts.
1 D.C. United (SS) 32 23 6 9 57
2 Columbus Crew 32 19 6 13 45
3 Tampa Bay Mutiny 32 14 5 18 32
4 Miami Fusion 32 13 5 19 29
5 New England Revolution 32 12 5 20 26

Source: MLS

Opponent 1st leg 2nd leg 3rd leg MLS Cup Playoffs Opponent 1st leg 2nd leg 3rd leg
Colorado Rapids (2–0) 3–0 (H) 2–0 (A) — Conference Semifinals Miami Fusion (2–0) 2–0 (H) 0–0 (3–2 SO) (A) —
Dallas Burn (2–1) 2–1 (H) 2–2 (3–4 SO) (A) 3–1 (H) Conference Finals Columbus Crew (2–1) 2–1 (H) 1–5 (A) 4–0 (H)

Broadcasting and entertainment[]

The MLS Cup final was broadcast in the United States on ABC with English commentary and Spanish via secondary audio programming. The ABC broadcast was led by play-by-play announcer and color commentator Ty Keough, who were joined by studio host Rob Stone. MLS players John Harkes and Alexi Lalas joined the pre-game and halftime broadcasts as co-hosts.[80] ABC deployed 18 cameras for the match and added additional field microphones to capture crowd noise.[81][82] The television broadcast on ABC drew a 1.0 national rating, a 17 percent decline from 1998, partially due to competition from National Football League games.[83] Pop singer Christina Aguilera sang the national anthem before the match and performed in the halftime show.[84][85]

Match[]

Match rules[]

The MLS Board of Governors, composed of team owners and their representatives, met in Boston prior to the MLS Cup to revise the league's match rules. In an effort to match international standards set by the International Football Association Board in the Laws of the Game and appeal to hardcore fans, several of the league's experimental rules were eliminated.[86] The countdown clock, tracked via the stadium scoreboard, was replaced with a normal match clock kept by the referee on the field with injury time added at the end of each half, as displayed by the fourth official.[39] The tiebreaker shootouts were replaced with two periods of sudden-death golden goal overtime that would be followed by a standard penalty shootout if the score remained tied.[86][87] While the shootout change was planned to take effect at the start of the 2000 season,[88] league commissioner Don Garber announced that the revised clock and tiebreaker would be used at MLS Cup 1999 after consulting with coaches Schmid and Rongen.[39][89]

Summary[]

D.C. forward Ben Olsen (left) was named MLS Cup MVP for his goal in the first half.

The match was played on November 21 in front of 44,910 spectators at Foxboro Stadium, setting a new attendance record for the MLS Cup and any soccer match played in Massachusetts.[85][90] Approximately 5,000 D.C. United fans traveled to attend the match, including the club's two largest supporters groups—the Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles.[85][91] The match began at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time under sunny skies with a temperature of 63 °F (17 °C), unlike the cold and rainy conditions of the 1996 final.[91][92] The field was described as "badly scarred" due to a National Football League game played earlier in the week at Foxboro Stadium, which also caused the pitch to be narrowed to 68 yards (62 m).[85][93]

United took early control of the match and challenged the Galaxy defense on several plays. In the seventh minute, Los Angeles defender Robin Fraser fell after being pushed from behind by Roy Lassiter on a play while challenging for the ball.[39][85] Fraser left the match with a broken left collarbone and was replaced by Steve Jolley as Schmid reworked the Galaxy's defense into a three-man formation with Paul Caligiuri positioned as sweeper.[94] Fraser later revealed that he had been wearing a shoulder brace for most of the season that restricted movement of his arm, which then prevented him from breaking the fall.[95] Referee did not award a foul for the play, for which he was later criticized by Schmid and Galaxy players.[96]

D.C. then attempted to take advantage of the weakened Los Angeles defense as both teams pushed aggressively for an opening goal, trading several chances.[1] United took the lead in the 19th minute on a long throw-in from Marco Etcheverry that was misplayed by Jolley and fell to Lassiter, whose shot was saved by Kevin Hartman. Caligiuri failed to clear the ball, which was then converted by Jaime Moreno from point-blank range.[39][97] The Galaxy responded with a promising scoring opportunity off a corner kick taken by Greg Vanney in the 32nd minute. Danny Pena's header hit the post and was deflected by John Maessner toward the goal, but was cleared away by Richie Williams; the Galaxy protested to Weyland that the ball had crossed the line and struck Williams' hand, but no foul was given.[98][99]

The Galaxy and United traded more scoring chances as the first half came to a close, with play stopped in the 43rd minute after Harman was kneed in the head by Maessner as he cleared the ball.[100][101] Hartman returned to the match and stopped a 22-yard (20 m) volley from D.C. defender Jeff Agoos at the beginning of stoppage time, which was set at four minutes by Weyland.[8][97] Los Angeles responded immediately with a counterattack led by Jones, who was clipped in the penalty area by Maessner but was not awarded a penalty by Weyland.[99] In the third minute of stoppage time, Hartman misplayed a backpass from Jolley while under pressure from Lassiter and Moreno.[89] His pass to Caligiuri was intercepted by Ben Olsen, who scored from just outside the six-yard box to give D.C. a 2–0 lead at halftime.[97][101]

United looked to extend their lead in the second half but were unable to convert an early chance in the 47th minute as a cross from Agoos into the box was headed wide by Lassiter. A breakaway chance for Jones to score for the Galaxy in the 58th minute was thwarted by Carlos Llamosa, who tackled away a loose ball in the D.C. penalty area.[1] Los Angeles attackers Mauricio Cienfuegos and Carlos Hermosillo were kept in check by the United defense, particularly defensive midfielder Richie Williams,[39] while Jones was left to attack on his own.[85][102] Pena gave the Galaxy a pair of chances to score, but had his first shot blocked by Agoos and directed his second wide of the goal.[1]

With 20 minutes left to play, the two sides traded back-to-back chances that weren't able to be finished.[85] In the 71st minute, Olsen received a chipped pass from Etcheverry and shot towards the goal, but hit the side netting. A minute later, a volley by Clint Mathis in the penalty area was struck wide of the goal. Williams then attempted a 23-yard (21 m) volley in the 76th minute that struck the post after beating Hartman's outstretched arm.[1] With the last major action of the match, Caligiuri attempted a drive from inside the box, but his shot went wide of the goal.[1] Olsen had been named the MLS Cup most valuable player (MVP) with six minutes remaining in the match.[100] D.C. goalkeeper Tom Presthus made one save during the match, on one of two shots on goal attempted by Los Angeles.[39][99]

Details[]

Los Angeles Galaxy0–2D.C. United
Report
Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Attendance: 44,910
Referee: Tim Weyland
Los Angeles Galaxy[102]
D.C. United[102]
GK 1 United States Kevin Hartman
RB 17 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ezra Hendrickson
CB 20 United States Paul Caligiuri
CB 4 United States Robin Fraser (c) Substituted off 9'
LB 3 United States Greg Vanney
DM 2 United States Danny Pena Substituted off 73'
DM 14 United States Clint Mathis
RW 10 El Salvador Mauricio Cienfuegos
AM 21 Costa Rica Roy Myers Yellow card 90'
LW 13 United States Cobi Jones Yellow card 24'
CF 27 Mexico Carlos Hermosillo
Substitutions:
MF 5 United States Steve Jolley Substituted in 9' Substituted off 80'
MF 7 United States Zak Ibsen Substituted in 80'
MF 12 New Zealand Simon Elliott Substituted in 73'
Manager:
United States Sigi Schmid
GK 22 United States Tom Presthus
RB 3 United States Carey Talley Yellow card 69'
CB 23 United States Eddie Pope
CB 18 United States Carlos Llamosa Substituted off 74'
LB 12 United States Jeff Agoos
RM 14 United States Ben Olsen Yellow card 53'
DM 16 United States Richie Williams
AM 10 Bolivia Marco Etcheverry (c)
LM 20 United States John Maessner
FW 9 Bolivia Jaime Moreno
FW 15 United States Roy Lassiter Substituted off 87'
Substitutions:
MF 4 Argentina Diego Soñora Substituted in 74' Yellow card 76'
MF 5 Canada Geoff Aunger Substituted in 87'
 
Manager:
Netherlands Thomas Rongen

MLS Cup Most Valuable Player:
Ben Olsen (D.C. United)[1]

Assistant referees:[1]
Nathan Clement
Craig Lowry
Fourth official:[1]
Brian Hall

Match rules[103]

  • 90 minutes of regulation time.
  • Two 5-minute periods of extra time with golden goals to decide a winner.
  • Penalty shootout from 35 yards if scores still tied.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

Post-match[]

With three titles in four seasons, D.C. United were dubbed the first MLS dynasty despite the league's attempt to encourage parity among teams.[100] Commissioner Don Garber stated that he thought it was "terrific to have a dominant team" when asked whether United's performance would hurt the league, but added he would "love some balance".[39][100] D.C.'s players celebrated with cigars and champagne in the locker room following the near-collapse of the stage setup for the trophy ceremony.[104] Olsen became the first MLS Cup MVP to have been developed as part of the Project-40 program.[105] D.C. United were honored with a ten-block parade along Pennsylvania Avenue through Downtown Washington, D.C., on November 23 that was attended by thousands of fans.[106][107] The team went on to miss the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, but would win another MLS Cup in 2004 by defeating Kansas City.[108][109]

After the match, Hartman attributed his miscue on the second goal on the poor condition of the pitch, which was also criticized by D.C. defender Jeff Agoos.[110] Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid, along with Jones and Hermosillo, were fined for criticizing the calls of referee Tim Weyland; Schmid was also suspended for the 2000 season opener.[111][112] Schmid highlighted the lack of calls after Fraser's injury and two potential penalties in the first half, along with fouls throughout the match.[105][113] The Galaxy reached the MLS Cup final in 2001, losing to the San Jose Earthquakes, and won their first title in 2002 against New England at Gillette Stadium, which had replaced Foxboro Stadium.[114] Los Angeles now holds the record for most MLS Cup titles, winning their fifth in 2014 and overtaking D.C.'s record.[115]

As MLS Cup finalists, D.C. and Los Angeles qualified as the U.S. representatives for the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, which was hosted in Southern California in January 2001.[116] The two teams met in the semifinals, where the Galaxy defeated United in a penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw.[117] Los Angeles went on to win the tournament, becoming the second and latest American club to win a CONCACAF competition as of 2020.[118][119] They earned a berth in the 2001 FIFA Club World Championship, which was set to be played in Spain until it was later cancelled amid a financing scandal.[120][121]

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