1998 Major League Soccer season

1998 Major League Soccer season

Season	1998
MLS Cup	Chicago Fire (1st title)
Supporters' Shield	Los Angeles Galaxy (1st shield)
Matches played	192
Goals scored	701 (3.65 per match)
Top goalscorer	Stern John (26 goals)
Longest winning run	Chicago Fire Games: 11 (05/16 – 07/09)
Longest losing run	New England Revolution Games: 9 (05/13 – 07/04)
Highest attendance	Los Angeles Galaxy Season: 348,549 Game Avg.: 21,784
Lowest attendance	Kansas City Wizards Season: 129,163 Game Avg.: 8,073
Total attendance	2,747,897
Average attendance	14,312
← 1997 1999 →

The 1998 Major League Soccer season was the third season of Major League Soccer. Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion played their inaugural seasons as the first two MLS expansion teams. Chicago would become the first expansion team to win the MLS Cup and the first to win it in the inaugural year.

Final standings

• 3 points were awarded for a win.
• 1 point was awarded for a shootout win and considered a win in the standings.
• No points were awarded for a loss or a shootout loss, with the latter being considered a loss in the standings
• The top four teams in each conference advanced to the playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference	P	W	SW	SL	L	WIR	SO	LIR	GF	GA	GD	APts	Pts
D.C. United	32	24	7	3	8	17	10	5	74	48	26	61	58
Columbus Crew	32	15	0	5	17	15	5	12	67	56	11	50	45
MetroStars	32	15	3	4	17	12	7	13	54	63	-9	43	39
Miami Fusion	32	15	5	0	17	10	5	17	46	68	-22	35	35
Tampa Bay Mutiny	32	12	1	5	20	11	6	15	46	57	-11	39	34
New England Revolution	32	11	2	4	21	9	6	17	53	66	-13	33	29

Western Conference

Western Conference	P	W	SW	SL	L	WIR	SO	LIR	GF	GA	GD	APts	Pts
Los Angeles Galaxy (SS)	32	24	2	2	8	22	4	6	85	44	41	70	68
Chicago Fire	32	20	2	2	12	18	4	10	62	45	17	58	56
Colorado Rapids	32	16	2	2	16	14	4	14	62	69	-7	46	44
Dallas Burn	32	15	4	2	17	11	6	15	43	59	-16	39	37
San Jose Clash	32	13	3	5	19	10	8	14	48	60	-12	38	33
Kansas City Wizards	32	12	2	4	20	10	6	16	45	50	-5	36	32

• Los Angeles Galaxy awarded qualifying playoff spot for the 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

MLS Cup Playoffs

Bracket

• The ties were a best of three series.

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference

September 30, 1998
Game 1

Miami Fusion	1–2	D.C. United
Paulinho McLaren		Roy Lassiter, Jamie Moreno

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 15,187

October 4, 1998
Game 2

D.C. United	0–0 3–2 (S.O.)	Miami Fusion

Lockhart Stadium
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 13,128

• D.C. United advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

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September 30, 1998
Game 1

MetroStars	3–5	Columbus Crew
Eduardo Hurtado, Mike Sorber, Miles Joseph		Brian Mcbride, Brian Mcbride, Rob Smith, Jason Ferrell, Stern John

Ohio Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 10,996

October 3, 1998
Game 2

Columbus Crew	1–1 3–2 (S.O.)	MetroStars
Stern John		Tab Ramos

Giants Stadium
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Attendance: 11,686

• Columbus Crew advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

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Western Conference

October 1, 1998
Game 1

Dallas Burn	1–6	Los Angeles Galaxy
Dante Washington		Danny Pena, Carlos Hermosillo, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Carlos Hermosillo, Welton, Danny Pena

Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 10,047

October 4, 1998
Game 2

Los Angeles Galaxy	3–2	Dallas Burn
Ezra Hendrickson, Paul Caligiuri, Clint Mathis		Brian Haynes, Jason Kreis

Cotton Bowl
Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 8,130

• Los Angeles Galaxy advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

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October 1, 1998
Game 1

Colorado Rapids	1–1 3–2 (S.O.)	Chicago Fire
Lubos Kubik		Waldir Saenz

Soldier Field
Chicago
Attendance: 12,610

October 5, 1998
Game 2

Chicago Fire	1–0	Colorado Rapids
Lubos Kubik

Mile High Stadium
Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 6,582

• Chicago Fire advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

October 11, 1998
Game 1

Columbus Crew	0–2	D.C. United
		Sanneh 68' Etcheverry 78'

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 17,755

October 18, 1998
Game 2

D.C. United	2–4	Columbus Crew
Sanneh 65' Lassiter 77'		McBride 8', 47' Dooley 37' John 81'

Ohio Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 13,193

October 21, 1998
Game 3

Columbus Crew	0–3	D.C. United
		Agoos 12' Lassiter 44', 79'

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 21,453

• D.C. United advance 2–1, to MLS Cup '98

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Western Conference

October 10, 1998
Game 1

Chicago Fire	1–0	Los Angeles Galaxy
Marsch 86'

Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 25,107

October 16, 1998
Game 2

Los Angeles Galaxy	1–1 1–2 (SO)	Chicago Fire
Pena 37'		Nowak 31'

Soldier Field
Chicago
Attendance: 32,744

• Chicago Fire advance 2–0, to MLS Cup '98

MLS Cup '98

Main article: MLS Cup '98

October 25, 1998

Chicago Fire	2–0	D.C. United
Podbrozny 29' Gutiérrez 45'

Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California
Attendance: 51,350

Referee: Kevin Terry

• Chicago Fire and D.C. United earn MLS berths to 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

Player awards

Weekly award

Week	Player of the Week	Team
Week 1	Cobi Jones	Los Angeles Galaxy
Week 2	Cobi Jones	Los Angeles Galaxy
Week 3	Frank Klopas	Chicago Fire
Week 4	Jason Farrell	Columbus Crew
Week 5	Stern John	Columbus Crew
Week 6	Paul Bravo	Colorado Rapids
Week 7	Tony Meola	MetroStars
Week 8	Cobi Jones	Los Angeles Galaxy
Week 9	Vitalis Takawira	Kansas City Wizards
Week 10	Peter Nowak	Chicago Fire
Week 11	Stern John	Columbus Crew
Week 12	Jerzy Podbrożny	Chicago Fire
Week 13	Zach Thornton	Chicago Fire
Week 14	Roman Kosecki	Chicago Fire
Week 15	Luboš Kubík	Chicago Fire
Week 16	John Harkes	D.C. United
Week 17	Roy Lassiter	D.C. United
Week 18	Marco Etcheverry	D.C. United
Week 19	Cobi Jones	Los Angeles Galaxy
Week 20	Stern John	Columbus Crew
Week 21	Cobi Jones	Los Angeles Galaxy
Week 22	Diego Serna	Miami Fusion
Week 23	Carlos Hermosillo	Los Angeles Galaxy
Week 24	Josh Wolff	Chicago Fire
Week 25	Diego Serna	Miami Fusion

Monthly awards

Month	Player of the Month	Team
March	Cobi Jones	Los Angeles Galaxy
April	Juergen Sommer	Columbus Crew
May	Peter Nowak	Chicago Fire
June	Ross Paule	Colorado Rapids
July	Roy Lassiter	D.C. United
August	Stern John	Columbus Crew
September	Diego Serna	Miami Fusion

End of year awards

Award	Player	Team
Most Valuable Player	Marco Etcheverry	D.C. United
Scoring Champion	Stern John – (57 Pts.)	Columbus Crew
Defender of the Year	Lubos Kubik	Chicago Fire
Goalkeeper of the Year	Zach Thornton	Chicago Fire
Rookie of the Year	Ben Olsen	D.C. United
Coach of the Year	Bob Bradley	Chicago Fire
Goal of the Year	Brian McBride	Columbus Crew
Fair Play Award	Thomas Dooley	Columbus Crew

Player statistics

Top goal scorers

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Stern John	Columbus Crew	26
2	Cobi Jones	Los Angeles Galaxy	19
3	Roy Lassiter	D.C. United	18
	Raúl Díaz Arce	New England Revolution	18
5	Welton	Los Angeles Galaxy	17
6	Jaime Moreno	D.C. United	16
7	Giovanni Savarese	MetroStars	14
8	Wolde Harris	Colorado Rapids	13
	Mauricio Cienfuegos	Los Angeles Galaxy	13
	Ronald Cerritos	San Jose Clash	13

Attendance

Club	Games	Home Total	Home Average
Los Angeles Galaxy	16	348,549	21,784
New England Revolution	16	307,004	19,187
Chicago Fire	16	286,190	17,886
MetroStars	16	264,316	16,519
D.C. United	16	256,127	16,007
Colorado Rapids	16	236,995	14,812
San Jose Clash	16	218,450	13,653
Columbus Crew	16	196,394	12,274
Dallas Burn	16	175,162	10,947
Tampa Bay Mutiny	16	164,999	10,312
Miami Fusion	16	164,548	10,284
Kansas City Wizards	16	129,163	8,072
OVERALL	192	2,747,897	14,311

International Competition

CONCACAF Champions' Cup

• D.C. United
  Defeat Joe Public F.C. 8–0 in quarterfinals.
  Defeat Deportivo Saprissa 2-0 in semifinals.
  Defeat Toluca 1–0 in final.
• Colorado Rapids
  Lose Club León 4–3 on aggregate in qualifying round.

Interamerican Cup

• D.C. United
  Defeat Vasco da Gama 2–1 on aggregate.

First leg played at RFK Stadium
Second leg played at Lockhart Stadium.

Coaches

Eastern Conference

• D.C. United: Bruce Arena
• New York/New Jersey MetroStars: Carlos Alberto Parreira

Western Conference

• Dallas Burn: Dave Dir
• Kansas City Wiz: Ron Newman
• San Jose Clash: Brian Quinn

References

• MLS Site