The Year in American Soccer: 2010 (Part 1 of 4)
- From: "David A. Litterer" <spectrum@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 19:33:08 -0500
The Year in American Soccer, 2010
Maintained and written by Dave Litterer spectrum@xxxxxxxxx
World Cup 2010 | MLS | WPS | USSF D2-Pro | USL-1st Division | USL-2nd Division |
USL-PDL | WPSL | NPSL | W-League | MISL | CONCACAF Champions League | Men's
National Team | Women's National Team | CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup | U-20 Women's
World Cup | U-17 Womens' World Cup | U.S. Open Cup | International friendlies |
The College Game | Awards & Tournaments
This article and many others can be reached at the American Soccer History
Archives (www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/2010.html)
This was a very hectic year - both fulfilling and frustrating. It was
highlighted by the World Cup, where the US saw new neights of fan interest, a
stunning upset draw against England and edge-of-your-seat suspense, and
ultimately a devastating defeat. Major League Soccer saw a major surge in
interest and attendance, some excellent performances in the CONCACAF Champions
League, numerous high-profile exhibition matches and an exciting US open Cup
Finale. Turmoil continued with rival 2nd division leagues combining for the year
while working out differences. Once again, the schedule in the summer was
challenging with MLS clubs dividing time between league play, the Champions
League, the Superliga and US Open Cup, and a long series of international
friendlies. The women's teams were busy as well with the Gold Cup/World Cup
qualifying tournament, in which the team suffered a devastating semi-final loss
while managing to qualify for WWC'11, and frustraing defeats in the U20 World
Cup and U17 World Cup qualifications. Finally, the North Carolina women's team
finally came down to earth, losing in the Round of 16 of the NCAA tournament and
finishing down at 6th place in the national polls.
One major area of contention was resolved with a great feeling of relief as a
labor strike was averted with the signing of a 5-year MLS collective bargaining
agreement. Another was delayed as the USSF bought time for the Division two
combatants, (the NASL and USL First Division) by having their clubs play in
USSF-run temporary league while they worked out their differences and secured
sanctioning. Meanwhile, concerns mounted at the 3rd division as USL D-2
continued to shrink and the NPSL and WPSL operated more as amateur leagues. The
top and amateur ranks were flourishing, but that critical area in between was
very much in question. Late in the year, USL and NASL worked out their
differences with the NASL receiving USSF Division 2 sanctioning, while USL
merged their ailing top two divisions to create the new sanctioned Division 3
circuit, USL-Pro, while MLS announced the revival of their reserve division and
progress continued in the development of team-run youth academies.
Although the men's World Cup early exit was devastating after so much promise
and suspense, Major League Soccer was looking stronger than ever, with a
successful expansion to Philadelphia and two teams (Portland and Vancouver) with
very strong fan bases and histories poised to join in 2011, and a critical
resolution of the turmoil at the Division 2 and 3 levels. The overall picture
looked good for the continued advancement of the game in the US.
World Cup 2010
The 2010 World Cup was the first to be held on the African continent, and its
staging in South Africa was a triumph for that nation which had been ostracized
from international competition until the demise of apartheid in 1994. The United
States was one of only a handful of nations who had qualified for every World
Cup since 1990, and the Nats were determined to improve on their lackluster 2006
performance. With the US roster finally settled, the US looked solid in goal,
reasonably matched up on defense, with several core players (Landon, Dempsey,
Bradley, Cherundolo) massed in midfield. There were still significant questions
regarding the solidity of the defensive line, with Oguchi Oneywu still
recovering from injury, and a massive overhaul of their midfield. Clearly,
playmaking from the midfield would be critical to set up scoring opportunities
for the potent if untested front line, led by the explosive youngster Jozy
Altidore, but whether the line would jell, and the defense would hold was yet to
be seen.
The group play draw had the US opening against England, a match that immediately
became one of the anticipated highlights of the tournament. With memories of the
legendary upset at the 1950 Cup, the game would be highly anticipated but the
Americans would have an uphill battle. England was a powerhouse and top
contender, stronger at all positions except possibly in goal. The rest of the
draw was a good break, pitting the Nats against the relatively weak Slovenia and
Algeria. This boded well for the Yanks, as victories against those two were
certainly within their reach, ensuring them a passage to the Round of 16. But
the opener against England would be a showcase event regardless of the outcome.
The US began their final training and exhibitions in earnest, giving themselves
some reasonably good competition for final preparations. They got off to a flat
start on May 25 against #33 Czech Republic, falling 4-2 in a game that should
have been closer, but Mauricio Edu and Herculez Gomez availed themselves of good
setups to find the net. The team finally began to pull things together four days
later with a solid 2-1 victory over #29 Turkey, courtesy of goals by Altidore
and Dempsey. Things got even better after arrival in South Africa. After more
training regimens, players battled for starting spots in the final exhibition
against #20 Australia at Roodesport. The US got right on the scoreboard board
four minutes in when Edson Buddle found the net, and earned their second score
less than 30 minutes later. A late goal by Gomez late in final stoppage time
gave the Americans a 3-1 victory against a top-20 team, and they looked their
best in some time. Finally there was hope the team had a chance to make a decent
showing in the final tournament.
As the starting matches approached, the enormous growth of American soccer since
the USA hosted the 1994 World Cup became clear. The public was showing interest
and following events at a much higher level than in previous editions and the
media coverage was unprecedented. In a fitting illustration of growing fan
interest, more overseas ticket sales (150,000) went to American fans than those
of any other nation, and doubled sales to England, despite the greater traveling
distance. With the major growth of the internet, Twitter, Facebook, HD
telecasts, I-phone apps, etc. the Cup reached a new level of accessibility and
penetration into the public consciousness, and every game would be broadcast on
English and Spanish based major networks.
All of this preparation was rewarded as the US took to the field in the highly
anticipated opener against England, a rematch of the famous upset in Brazil in
1950. England, ranked #8 by FIFA, was clearly the better team, and rightly
expected to win, but memories of 1950 and uncertainty in goal, and the loss of
team captain Rio Ferdinand to injury, among other factors reminded people that
anything was possible, and it was not a match England took lightly. For the US,
ranked #14, the match provided an unequalled opportunity to play a match for the
ages, and fan interest was unprecedented, even among mainstream Americans not
part of the growing soccer culture.
The US got off to a disastrous start when acting English captain Stephen Gerard
blew past Ricardo Clark in front of the US net and slammed home a shot in the
4th minute. This boded ill for the Yanks - no US team had ever won after giving
up the 1st goal in World Cup competition, and it brought back terrifying
memories of early opponent scores in past matches. But the US equalized on the
"Play of the Match", one that would go down in infamy - at least in England. It
all happened in the 40th minute, with halftime quickly approaching, Clint
Dempsey launched a driving run, spinning around Gerrard, and launched a weak
bouncing shot towards goal. What should have been an easy save turned into the
debacle of the decade as the ball smacked into the outstretched hands of GK
Robert Green, then bounded past him towards goal. Green, out of position wheeled
around and lunged desperately just in time to see the ball roll over the line.
This stunning turn of events gave the US squad a desperately needed boost of
confidence and the team hunkered down. They still struggled to find their
scoring touch, with only one real good scoring opportunity in the rest of the
game, when Jozy Altidore made a great run down the left side, taking a hard shot
to Green who deflected the shot off the left post. But the defensive line came
together, frustrating many England scoring runs. The English did break through
three more times with excellent scoring shots, but Tim Howard saved the day each
time, and the US held England scoreless the rest of their match on their way to
an amazing 1-1 draw, with Tim Howard being named Man of the Match. The US had
been given their moment in the world spotlight and pulled through on a mix of a
major lucky break followed by tenacious defense. But the US would take points
any way they could, and this considerably improved their position for the
remaining matches.
In the end, the US pulled off another miracle - perhaps not as stunning as the
1950 upset, but still one that did their nation proud. It must be said that the
US was VERY lucky - they were given a huge gift when Robert Green's major
blunder in goal allowed a bouncing shot from Clint Dempsey to cross the line for
a score. But the US defense held on, denying England any scoring chances after
their shocking score 4 minutes into the 1st half. No victory this time, but a
1-1 draw was still enough to be considered a miracle, just when it counted, and
with the whole world watching.
The draw was as important symbolically as a win for the US given their underdog
status and it improved their outlook for the remainder of pool play; their draw
gave them two relatively easy opponents in #25 ranked Slovenia and #30 ranked
Algeria. No pushovers, to be sure, and this was no time to become complacent,
especially after Slovenia won their opening match against Algeria and took top
spot in Group C. A win against Slovenia in their 2nd match would be essential
for the Amerks, and a loss would seriously compromise their ability to advance.
The United States hoped for an easier time of it in their match against Slovenia
on June 18, but once again fell into the same old mistakes. As midfield lapses
made a shambles of the US attack plan, Valter Birsa scored on the counterattack
in the 13th, putting the Americans in the familiar hole. Rattled, the US became
erratic and rough, earning several fouls, but not pressing the attack. Things
got worse just seconds before stoppage time when Zaltan Ljubijankic slipped
behind the disjointed American defensive line and found the net to extend
Slovenia's lead to 2-0.
At this point the US appeared to be in serious jeopardy, and the ineffective
Francisco Torres and Robbie Findley were replaced. Rejuvenated, the team came to
life after halftime, and their greatest World Cup comeback was underway. In one
of the US's first attack runs of the 2nd half, Steve Cherundolo lined a pass
down the flank to Landon Donovan. Defender Bostjian Cesar slipped while
attempting to intercept, clearing the way between Donovan and the goal. With no
opportunity to cross, he shot high, right over the keeper to get the US on the
scoreboard.
From that point, the comeback was on, with the US offense dominating, making
run after run through the defenses. Several shots failed to connect (the US
ultimately outshot Slovenia 15-7), but in the 82nd minute, a long shot from
Donovan found its way to Jozy Altidore at the corner of the penalty area.
Altidore headed the ball in front of a charging Michael Bradley, who shot it
over the keeper to pull the US even. The Nats pressed the attack and three
minutes later, Donovan sent a free kick into the feisty scrum in front of the
goal, with Mauricio Edu breaking free and slammed it into the goal only to have
the referee disallow the goal on a questionable call. To add insult to injury
Edu was cited with a yellow card despite being practically held in a headlock
during the scrum. With the lead denied, Slovenia made a couple last desperate
attacking runs, but the US held on to earn a 2-2 draw in a critical game, the
best comeback in their history
Although US players were fuming about the disputed call (the referee in question
was dropped after the 2nd round of pool play matches) which denied them their
first victory and advancement, their cause was helped by Algeria's stunning 0-0
draw against England. This gave the US a goals earned advantage against England
which could be critical in any tiebreaking situation. The team, and the nation,
bided their time with baited breath as round 2 went through its courses.
The USA was in a good position heading into round 3. Slovenia led the table, the
US had a two goal advantage over England, and they played the easiest team in
their group, albeit one who had held mighty England scoreless. The audience
included former president Bill Clinton along with a massive contingent of Sam's
Army members and other US fans who had made the trip across the Atlantic. The
match was excruciating to say the least. The feisty Algerians made American
lives miserable in their match up (first ever between the nations), frustrating
the US attacks while mounting several of their own, with an early shot hitting
the post. The US launched many attacks for naught. Clint Dempsey found the net
in the 21st minute, tapping the ball by the final defender, but the goal was
called back on a questionable offside call. Several more shots hit the post or
went wide, but still no goal.
Things became dire after England pulled ahead of Slovenia late in the first
half; a tie would no longer do, the Americans had to win. Dempsey again got off
a great shot in the 57th minute, but it hit the post. He pounced in the rebound,
but sent it wide. The four teams continued in scoring stasis through the second
half, with US fans despairing as the clock wore down, regulation ended while
England continued to roll over a lifeless Slovenia. Coach Bradley changed the
positioning, sending three strikers up front, then withdrawing one, to no avail.
As time wound down, desperation engulfed the US supporters. After being
repeatedly chopped down by Algerian defenders, Dempsey was forced to the
sideline in the 82nd minute for stitches. Jamar Beasley was brought in at the
80th minute; but nothing connected as the game time wound down into the four
allotted minutes of stoppage time. Finally, at 90:33, the miracle happened. Tim
Howard stopped a shot by Algeria's Rafik Salfi, hurling the ball to Landon
Donovan on the right flank. Donovan dribbled down the side, passing ahead to
Jozy Altidore; Altidore crossed the ball to Dempsey in the penalty area; Dempsey
shot it to goal. Rais M'Bolhi blocked the shot as Dempsey charged in, got a foot
on it before tumbling over M'Bolhi, just as Landon Donovan charged in to slam
the ball into the open net. Celebrations ensued, and the energized US held the
defensive line until the final whistle to take the 1-0 victory.
The US was through! Better than that, with their goal, they beat England for top
spot in Group C, winning their first finish at the top since 1930. Later action
settled Group D, leading to a US match up with Ghana (the only remaining African
team) in the Final 16, and a possible quarterfinal match against Uruguay who
went on to defeat South Korea in their Round of 16 match. By this time,
unprecedented attention was being paid to the USA team by domestic audiences and
major celebrities were proudly wearing the colors and cheering the team on.
In the Round of 16, the US was pitted against a familiar foe, Ghana, who had
eliminated the Americans in the 2006 Cup. Ghana was the last remaining African
team in the tournament and with the hopes of an entire continent resting on
their shoulders, the Ghanaians had the crowd solidly on their side.
Unfortunately, the Nats got off to a familiar bad start, conceding the first
goal. Five minutes into the match, a hesitant Ricardo Clark allowed Kevin-Prince
Boateng to strip the ball from him and launched a furious counterattack towards
the US goal with Clark chasing hopelessly behind, and scored on a long, hard
shot just outside the penalty area. By the start of the 2nd period, the US began
to fight with some urgency and began to launch some good scoring runs. Landon
Donovan evened the score in the 62nd minute on a penalty kick. Then it was back
to the familiar grind right into extra time, with Ghana gradually gaining the
upper hand. Their perseverance paid off as they found the net in the 93rd
minute. The US tried desperately to equalize, but to no avail. Ghana won the
game 2-1, sending the US home.
The US performance as a whole was considered a success; they had met their
objective of getting out of pool play, but there was much disappointment, as
their potential opponents created a relatively easy road to the semi-finals, had
the US not derailed themselves. Ghana would go on to lose to Uruguay in the
quarterfinals. The Cup final featured a first time World Cup match up between
the Netherlands and Spain, each gunning for their first Cup title. In a rough
and penalty filled game, Spain finally found the net late in extra time for a
1-0 victory.
Major League Soccer (Division 1)
MLS launched a new team in Philadelphia, opened new stadiums in New Jersey and
Philadelphia, signed a bevy of untested foreign players, and for the first time
scheduled a two-week summer break for the first half of the World Cup. A greater
sense of parity gave many teams the opportunity to advance into post-season
play. Toronto replaced their artificial turf with grass. Teams missing the
playoffs received $400,000 in allocation money to assist the rebuilding process,
and expansion Philadelphia received $1,200,000. Allocation money could be used
in trades as long as at least $75,000 is involved. ESPN moved the bulk of the
televised matches back to Thursday nights to maintain consistency, while Fox
maintained its weekend three-hour weekend telecasts. Seattle looked good to
equal their impressive debut season performance, but questions remained whether
New York would ever enjoy the sweet taste of success, despite opening their new
stadium. In an appropriate honor, the Seattle Sounders were named Professional
Sports Team of the Year by Sports Business Journal.
Perhaps the most important development was the signing of a new five-year
collective bargaining agreement whose completion was uncertain until the last
minute, raising fears of a strike or lockout that could have been devastating.
The new contract, running through 2014, raised the team salary cap to $2,550,000
with a 5% increase per year through 2014, and raised the minimum salary for
senior players from $34,000 to $40,000 with 5% annual increases thereafter. It
also guaranteed the contracts for all players 24 and older with 3 years of MLS
service (The majority of active players). The league also established a re-entry
draft for out-of-contract players with different procedures for those with
expired contracts, terminated contracts and with options not exercised. Options
were limited to two or three, depending on age and length of service; incentives
included guaranteed salary raises for players making less than $125,000
depending on % games played, as well as bonuses for wins and exhibitions. They
also renewed the Group License through 2015, and expanded their benefits package
including appearance fees, per diem for travel, relocation expense
reimbursement, full family health care coverage, and increases in 401K
contributions.
New England waived longtime stalwarts Steve Ralston and Jay Heaps, and Taylor
Twellman was off on extended recovery from spinal and neck injuries and Chris
Albright left for the New York Red Bulls. Among the newcomers were Preston Burpo
and Cory Gills from Colorado, and Senegalese Niouky Desire, and prospects looked
good for at least a playoff appearance. The New York Red Bulls went through
another major renovation to rebuild after their worst season in history, hoping
that the new stadium would stabilize the financial situation, with no more
massive rental payments to the Meadowlands complex. Hans Backe was hired as the
new coach. Among the newcomers were Joel Lindpere and Roy Miller from the
Norwegian League and Chris Albright from New England. Many players were dropped,
and few of the remaining players were highly ranked, leaving the 2010 prospects
rather dim.
Carlos de los Cobos was hired by Chicago as the first Mexican coach in MLS. The
Fire made up for the loss of Chris Rolfe, Segares (to Europe) and Brandon
Pridoux (retired) with Krzysztof Krol (on loan from Poland), Julio Martinez (on
loan from Leon), Corban Bone (Wake Forest) and Sean Johnson (UCF); they expected
to do well in 2010. The Columbus Crew looked to recover from last year's playoff
collapse after winning the Supporter's Shield, still boasting one of the best
attackers (Warzycha) and strongest defensive lines in the league; hence few
changes for 2010, only major loss being Alejandro Moreno, to Philadelphia in the
expansion draft.
After barely missing the playoffs, DC United tabbed Curt Onalfo as their 6th
head coach. Jaime Moreno returned, but gone were Emilio Luciano, Fred, Ben
Olsen, Christian Gomez, and many others. Troy Perkins arrived from Norway, Adam
Christman was signed from the Wizards, and Christian Castilo from Leon, Mexico,
but even then, making the playoffs would be a major accomplishment. Kansas City
saw extensive roster turnover during the off-season, leaving their prospects for
2010 uncertain, but it was hoped that the fresh blood would improve the Wizards'
2nd-worst-in the-league offense, and improve their dismal home won/loss record.
On a positive note, ground was broken for their soccer-specific stadium.
Philadelphia Union was founded by Keystone Sports Entertainment, headed by Jay
Sugarman, CEO of iStar Financial, who hired former MetroStar Nick Sakiewicz as
general manager, and former Chicago Fire helmsman Peter Nowak as head coach.
Major players drafted and allocated included Danny Cailiff, Michael Orozco (on
loan from San Luis), left back Jordan Harvey (Colorado), Fred (DCU), Alejandro
Moreno (Galaxy), Sebastian Le Toux, former Olympian Chris Reitz and Brad
Knighton from the Revs. In contrast to other recent expansions, the Union roster
was not filled with well known individual players but rather people who were
expected to work well together as a group.
Toronto made few changes despite their 4th year sans postseason, and some
significant holes to fill at midfield, hoping for continued improvement from
their young roster. Chivas USA hired their first coach of Mexican heritage, yet
only had two Mexican players on their roster. Again expecting to be a top
defensive team, Chivas's prospects depended largely on getting some life into
its scoring attack. In a major trade, Colorado got Jeff Laurentowicz and Wells
Thompson from the Revolution, giving some needed support to aging Pablo
Mastroeni on the midfield line. FC Dallas suffered a major blow when striker
Kenny Cooper left for Europe after 4 productive seasons. They acquired veteran
goalkeeper Kevin Hartman from K.C, but the team was depending heavily on 34-year
old Jeff Cunningham to keep the goals coming, and had attendance problems to
worry about as well. Houston Dynamo lost Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, but
still boasted one of the stronger rosters in the league with depth at all
positions.
Once again, David Beckham would be on loan until August, leaving him only half a
season with the Galaxy. Tony Sanneh was let go, and Clint Mathis was brought in
from Real Salt Lake, and they signed three young Brazilians - Alex, Juninho and
Leonardo. With Landon Donovan secure in his spot, the midfield was the major
question, as well as prospects for making a good playoff run. Real Salt Lake had
challenges in their quest to repeat as Cup champion, getting a late start to
preseason and having several holes to fill after losing the likes of Clint
Mathis, Yura Movsisyan and Chris Seitz, but Robbie Findley scored a career high
12 goals in 2009 to give the team some scoring punch and it was hoped his
prowess would continue. San Jose was coming off two frustrating last-place
finishes, but made relatively few rosters changes outside of Eduardo, Joey
Gjertson and Javier Robles adding a little depth. Seattle Sounders kept their
roster largely intact from their successful debut season and had to cut off
season ticket sales at an amazing 32,000, and prospects looked good for their
sophomore season.
For the MLS business managers, the early 2010 season was a delightful
occurrence. Both the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls got off to
rousing starts, helping to grow attendance in the two largest TV markets.
Seattle Sounders struggled in their sophomore season, but continued to draw in
excess of 35,000 per game, and Philadelphia Union, while playing like an
expansion club, proved popular with their fans. In fact, they set a new
precedent in the annals of US soccer history. Their new soccer-specific stadium,
scheduled to open in late June held 18,000 fans. Their first few games, held at
Lincoln Financial field averaged 25,000 fans per game. Never before had a U.S.
stadium been rendered obsolete due to size before holding its first match!
For the first time, MLS suspended its season for the World Cup, returning to
action after the group stage. Teams got right back into the thick of it, with
the New York Red Bulls staging a coup by signing Thierry Henry, the biggest
player signing since Beckham. New York continued to hold on to 2nd place in the
standings while fighting Columbus for top spot. Late July saw a busy schedule
for teams with league matches interspersed by SuperLiga matches, US Open Cup
games, the CONCACAF Champions League, the Barclay's New York Challenge, the
All-Star Game and numerous friendlies against touring teams. With the signing of
Thierry Henry, MLS boasted two of the top 20 top earning soccer players
worldwide. Beckham came in 3rd at $40.5 million (including bonuses, endorsements
and appearance fees), and Henry at 5th with $24 million.
Thierry Henry made an immediate impact, assisting on two goals in his debut on
July 31. Buoyed by his success, the Red Bulls continued to fight a tooth and
nail battle with the Columbus Crew for primacy in the Eastern Division, winning
the divisional title by one point, with Kansas City finishing a distant third,
out of the playoffs. In the much stronger Western division, Los Angeles had an
easier time winning the division title although it was still a close race, with
the Galaxy earning 59 points to win over Real Salt Lake by 3 points, also taking
the Supporter's Shield. With most eastern teams out of playoff contention, the
Western division had a free-for-all for bragging rights in a four-way battle for
third place that meant little by the fact that all four teams easily clinched a
playoff berth. Second year Seattle had the best record for the second half of
the season and finished a respectable 14-10-6 for 4th, and expansion
Philadelphia Union finished 8-15-7 for 7th; not bad for an expansion club.
The conference semifinals saw a quick exit for the two eastern teams with San
Jose coming back from a tough opening 1-0 shutout to thrash the Red Bulls 3-1,
and Colorado beating Columbus 1-0 and 2-1. Los Angeles dispatched Seattle 1-0
and 2-1, and in a close series, FC Dallas beat Real Salt Lake 2-1 in the opener
and held on for a 1-1 draw in the second leg to pass through. The Rapids
continued their winning ways in the semifinals, winning a 1-0 shutout over the
Earthquakes in a match that was not as close as the scoreboard would indicate;
the score could have been much higher if not for some fantastic saves by GK Jon
Busch. Meanwhile, FC Dallas caught fire against the slumping Los Angeles Galaxy
with a steady drumbeat of attacking runs. Ferreira opened the scoring for Dallas
in the 26th minute, followed by George John in the 54th and Marvin Chavez in the
73rd. The Galaxy never could find the net and were beaten soundly.
MLS Cup 2010 featured two original MLS teams: FC Dallas, making their first ever
cup appearance, and the Colorado Rapids, making their first appearance since
1997. Whichever team won would be bringing the first cup title to their city.
This was also the first cup to be held outside of the United States, taking
place at MBO Field in Toronto on November 21. This would be no blowout. The
teams were closely matched, and the game began as a tough battle. David Ferreira
opened scoring in the 35th minute, giving Dallas a 1-0 lead. The Rapids battled
back after halftime, and Conor Casey equalized in the 64th minute. The stalemate
then ensued, with Conor nearly scoring again in the 84th minute, but to no
avail. The teams battled well into added extra time, but the match was finally
decided in the 108th minute when George John botched a deflection attempt
against Macoumba Kandji's chip shot from within the penalty box. The deflected
ball landed in the net for an own goal, giving the Colorado Rapids their first
MLS Cup title. The MLS Cup victory gave Colorado a direct Group Stage berth in
the 2011-2012 CONCACAF Champions League as MLS Cup Champion, while Dallas earned
a berth in the qualifying round as runner-up. MLS Supporters' Shield winner Los
Angeles won a berth as well, as did Seattle, the US Open Cup champion.
Television ratings were down significantly to a 0.5 rating for 1.1 million
viewers, but the game had everything going against it audience-wise. Colorado
and Dallas were two of the least-supported teams in the league, the game was in
prime-time, on a Sunday night pitted against a major NFL match up and the
American Music Awards, and was on ESPN rather than ABC.
David Ferreira of FC Dallas was the league MVP, and Chris Wondolowski was the
top goals corer with 18 goals. MLS attendance for 2010 topped the 4 million mark
for the first time, totaling 4,002,053, for an average of 16,675 per game.
Although this was helped by the successful expansion Philadelphia Union (who
averaged 19,254 per game), many teams showed strong gains, led by Seattle at
36,173 per game, and the overall average was substantially better than 2009's
figure of 16,037. The gate was expected to benefit further in 2011 with the
addition of Portland and Vancouver, two teams with a long history of popularity
in the USL. Teams did well outside of league play, with Seattle winning the U.
S. Open Cup, and Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC advancing to the knockout round
of the CONCACAF Champions League. MLS also aquitted itself in friendly
competition against touring world teams, highlighted by Kansas City's 2-1 win
over Manchester United, expansion Philadelphia's wins over Reading and Celtic,
and San Jose's draw with Tottenham Hotspur. Overall, it was a very successful
year for MLS with the substantial increase in attendance and the addition of
several major international stars to team rosters. The league announced that it
would re-establish the Reserve Division in 2011, and add a 19th team (Montreal
Impact) in 2012, with a 20th team to be announced at a later date.
Official 2010 MLS Season Stats
Official MLS History Archives
Final 2010 Major League Soccer Standings
Before the season, Philadelphia was added.
GP W L D GF GA Pts Att
Eastern Division
New York Red Bulls 30 15 9 6 38 29 51 18,441
Columbus Crew 30 14 8 8 40 34 50 14,642
Kansas City Wizards 30 11 13 6 36 35 39 10,287
Chicago Fire 30 9 12 9 37 38 36 15,814
Toronto FC 30 9 13 8 33 41 35 20,453
New England Revolution 30 9 16 5 32 50 32 12,987
Philadelphia Union 30 8 15 7 35 49 31 19,254
D. C. United 30 6 20 4 21 47 22 14,532
Western Division
Los Angeles Galaxy 30 18 7 5 44 26 59 21,437
Real Salt Lake 30 15 4 11 45 20 56 17,095
FC Dallas 30 12 4 14 42 28 50 10,815
Seattle Sounders FC 30 14 10 6 39 35 48 36,173
Colorado Rapids 30 12 8 10 44 32 46 13,329
San Jose Earthquakes 30 13 10 7 34 33 46 9,659
Houston Dynamo 30 9 15 6 40 49 33 17,310
Chivas USA 30 8 18 4 31 45 28 14,576
Conference Semi-Finals: San Jose defeated New York 0-1, 3-1
Colorado defeated Columbus 1-0, 2-1
Los Angeles defeated Seattle 1-0, 2-1
FC Dallas defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1, 1-1
Conference Finals: Colorado defeated San Jose 1-0
FC Dallas defeated Los Angeles 3-0
MLS CUP 2010: Colorado defeated Dallas 2-1
Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps will join the league in 2011.
LEADING GOALSCORERS GP G
Chris Wondolowski, San Jose 28 18
Edson Buddle, Los Angeles 25 17
Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto 27 15
Omar Cummings, Columbus 29 14
Sebastian Le Toux, Philadelphia 28 14
Juan Pablo Angel, New York 30 13
Conor Casey, Columbus 27 13
Alvaro Saborio, Real Salt Lake 27 12
Jeff Cunningham, Dallas 27 11
Kei Kamara, Kansas City 29 10
Fredy Montero, Seattle 29 10
Steve Zakuani, Seattle 29 10
GOALKEEPING LEADERS (Minimum 1000 minutes)
GP MIN SHTS SVS GA GAA SO
Kevin Hartman, Dallas 20 1755 68 56 12 0.62 9
Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake 27 2430 96 78 18 0.67 14
Donovan Ricketts, Los Angeles 29 2610 105 79 26 0.90 11
Bouna Coundoul, New York 27 2430 133 105 28 1.04 11
Jon Busch, San Jose 18 1620 100 81 19 1.06 7
William Hesmer, Columbus 30 2695 117 84 33 1.18 11
Matt Pickens, Columbus 29 2610 120 88 32 1.10 7
Kasey Keller, Seattle 30 2655 116 82 34 1.15 11
Joe Cannon, San Jose 12 1080 52 38 14 1.17 6
Jimmy Nielsen, Kansas City 29 2610 114 80 34 1.17 10
Andrew Dykstra, Chicago 17 1530 76 55 21 1.24 5
Sean Johnson, Chicago 13 1170 69 52 17 1.31 3
Stefan Frei, Toronto 28 2520 145 108 37 1.32 8
Zach Thornton, Chivas USA 23 2015 96 63 33 1.47 6
Troy Perkins, DC United 22 1980 109 72 37 1.68 5
Pat Onstead, Houston 23 2070 89 49 40 1.74 4
Matt Reis, New England 14 1260 76 51 25 1.79 3
Chris Seitz, Philadelphia 23 2047 109 68 41 1.80 0
All-Star Game: Manchester United defeated the MLS All-Stars 5-2 at Reliant
Stadium, Houston,. TX on July 28, 2010. Goal scorers Machedo (ManU 1', 13'),
Ching (MLS 64'), Gibson (ManU 70'), Cleverley (ManU 73'), Hernandez (ManU 84'),
De Rosario (90'). Attendance was 70,728). Frederico Machedo (ManU) was Match MVP.
MLS Award Winners:
Most Valuable Player: David Ferreira, FC Dallas
Coach of the Year: Schellas Hyndman, FC Dallas
Goalkeeper of the Year: Donovan Ricketts, Los Angeles Galaxy
Defender of the Year: Jamison Olave, Real Salt Lake
Rookie of the Year: Andy Najar, Rookie of the Year
Golden Boot Award (Top goal scorer) : Chris Wondolowski, San Jose Earthquakes
Referee of the Year: Kevin Stott
Supporters' Shield Award: Los Angeles Galaxy
Fair Play Award: Sebastian Le Toux, Philadelphia Union
MLS Best 11 (TBA):
G - Donovan Ricketts, Los Angeles Galaxy
D - Jamison Olave, Real Salt Lake
D - Nat Borchers, Real Salt Lake
D - Omar Gonzalez, Los Angeles Galaxy
M - Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
M - David Ferreira, FC Dallas
M - Sebastien Le Toux, Philadelphia Union
M - Javier Morales, Real Salt lake
M - Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto FC
F - Chris Wondolowski, San Jose Earthquakes
F - Edson Buddle, Los Angeles Galaxy
SuperLiga 2010
The 4th annual SuperLiga consisted of the four top MLS clubs that had not
qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, and the top four overall (combining
Apertura and Clausera) Mexican Football League teams not qualified for the
Champions League. MLS was represented by the Houston Dynamo, Chicago Fire, New
England Revolution and Chivas USA.
Final Pool Play Standings, 2010 SuperLiga
G W D L GF GA Pt
Group A
Houston Dynamo 3 2 1 0 2 1 7
Puebla 3 2 0 1 5 3 6
Chivas USA 3 1 1 1 3 3 4
Pachuca 3 0 0 3 2 6 0
Group B
New England Revolution 3 3 0 0 3 0 9
Morelia 3 1 1 1 7 4 4
Chicago Fire 3 1 0 2 2 6 3
UNAM 3 0 1 2 2 4 1
Semi-finals: New England defeated Puebla 1-1 (5-3-PK)
Morelia defeated Houston 1-0
FINAL: Morelia defeated New England 2-1
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