The 2002 Major League Soccer season was the seventh season of competition for
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
.
On January 8, 2002, MLS folded two of its teams. The
Miami Fusion F.C.
The Miami Fusion was a professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for four seasons, from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one of the league's first two expansion teams, their best seas ...
ceased operations after only four years in existence due to low attendance and an unfavorable stadium deal. The
Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. They were a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and played from 1996 to 2001. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium.
The ...
also ceased operations due to the lack of local ownership. MLS eliminated the
Central Division and returned to its original two-conference alignment.
According to
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise be ...
president Dan Hunt, the entire league nearly folded during the 2001 offseason.
The owners agreed to shut down the league on a conference call in November 2001, but within two days Lamar Hunt convinced the other owners to give the league another year.
Standings
Conference
*Top eight teams with the highest points clinch play-off berth, regardless of conference.
x = Playoff berth
y = Conference Winner (Season)
s = Supporters Shield/Conference winner (Season)
*
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compet ...
wins first tiebreaker vs.
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...
(head-to-head: 2-1-1)
Dallas Burn
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...
wins first tiebreaker vs.
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...
(head-to-head: 2-1-1)
Overall
Source
MLSSoccer.com
br>Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head record; 3rd goal difference; 4th number of goals scored.
(SS) = MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 1 ...
; (E1) = Eastern Conference champion; (W1) = Western Conference champion
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs, but not yet to the particular round indicated; (E) = Eliminated from playoff-contention.
*
– Since Los Angeles Galaxy won MLS Cup 2002 and the Supporters' Shield, San Jose Earthquakes qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup
The CONCACAF Champions League, known officially as the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF. The tournament is contested by clubs from North Americ ...
by finishing as Supporters' Shield runners-up.
*
– Since MetroStars and D.C. United finished outside of the top eight in the league standings, they enter the U.S. Open Cup in the third round proper rather than fourth.
MLS Cup Playoffs
Bracket
*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
*Los Angeles Galaxy advance 6-3 on points.
----
*New England Revolution advance 6–3 on points.
----
*Columbus Crew advance 6–0 on points.
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*Colorado Rapids advance in series (sudden death) overtime, after 4–4 tie on points.
Semifinals
*Los Angeles Galaxy advance 6–0 on points.
----
*New England Revolution advance 5–2 on points.
MLS Cup
Attendance
Player statistics
Goals
Played for more than one team – Most Recent Team Listed*
Awards
References
External links
MLS Site
{{Major League Soccer seasons
Major League Soccer seasons
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