MLS Cup 2007 was the 12th edition of the
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conferen ...
, the post-season championship match of
Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. It was played on November 18, 2007, at
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. It is located about due east of the U.S. Capitol building, near the ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, between the
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 compe ...
and
Houston Dynamo in a rematch of the
previous edition. The match determined the championship of the
2007 season and was attended by 39,859 spectators.
Houston won the match 2–1 after falling behind on a Revolution goal scored by
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Timothy Twellman (born February 29, 1980) is an American former soccer player who played professionally from 1999 to 2010. He now works in the media as a soccer television commentator.
Twellman is best known for his play with the New Eng ...
in the 20th minute. The Dynamo made a tactical change in the second half that yielded two goals from
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya (born March 30, 1981 in Plumtree) is a Zimbabwean footballer.
Career
College
Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before moving to the Unit ...
and
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario OOnt (born May 15, 1978) is a Canadian former professional soccer player, who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. De Rosario last played for the Mississauga MetroStars of the Major Arena Soccer League. ...
, the latter of whom was named the match's
most valuable player. The Dynamo became the second team to win consecutive MLS Cups, while New England lost their third consecutive and fourth overall cup.
Venue
![Rfkstadium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Rfkstadium.png)
MLS Cup 2007 was hosted at
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. It is located about due east of the U.S. Capitol building, near the ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, the home of four-time champions
D.C. United
D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...
. The stadium had previously hosted the MLS Cup in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
and
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
, and was announced as the host of a third cup on December 14, 2006. The decision to use RFK Stadium came after several editions at smaller
soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi- ...
s that had recently opened for MLS teams. D.C. United shared the stadium with the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
baseball team, requiring turf and seat reconfiguration between games; the league announced plans to re-sod the field and add temporary seating if necessary during the weeks before the cup. RFK Stadium was opened in 1961 for baseball and football, but grew to host major national and international soccer events, including the
United States men's national team. The
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to:
*North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league
*North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
's
Soccer Bowl was staged there in 1980, as well as group stage matches during the
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States ...
, the
1996 Olympics men's soccer tournament, and the
2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. It was also the host venue of the
1996 U.S. Open Cup Final and the
MLS All-Star Game
The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club or selected players from Liga MX. MLS initially adopted a traditional all-star ...
in 2002 and 2004.
Road to the final
The
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conferen ...
is the post-season championship of
Major League Soccer (MLS), a professional club soccer league based in the United States and Canada. The
2007 season was the twelfth in the league's history and was contested by 13 teams in two conferences, divided into the
east
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
and
west
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
. Each team played a total of 30 matches in the regular season from April to October,
facing other teams twice and playing an additional six matches against teams within their conference—with teams in the Western Conference playing an additional intra-conference match. The post-season playoffs ran from late October to November and was contested by the top two teams in each conference and four
wild card teams in the next positions regardless of conference.
It was organized into three rounds: a
home-and-away series in the Conference Semifinals, a single-match Conference Final, and the MLS Cup final.
The 2007 edition of the MLS Cup was contested by the
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 compe ...
and the
Houston Dynamo in a rematch of the
2006 final—the first MLS Cup rematch featuring the same teams in consecutive years.
The finalists both finished second in their respective conferences and met twice in the regular season, with the Revolution winning 1–0 in May on the road in Houston and drawing 3–3 at home with the Dynamo in July. Under the new playoff qualification format, five teams from the Eastern Conference participated in the playoffs while the Western Conference had three. As the eighth seed overall, the
Kansas City Wizards were placed in the Western Conference bracket. The 2007 season also marked the introduction of the
Designated Player Rule
The Designated Player Rule, nicknamed the Beckham Rule, allows Major League Soccer franchises to sign up to three players that would be considered outside their salary cap (either by offering the player higher wages or by paying a transfer fee ...
, which allowed clubs to bypass
salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...
requirements for up to three marquee players. Unlike other clubs, the Revolution and Dynamo did not immediately take advantage of the new rule to sign a marquee player.
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution had won the Eastern Conference Championship for the fourth time in their history, following three defeats at the MLS Cup in 2002, 2005, and 2006. The team was managed by
Steve Nicol
''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen
Notable people with the name include:
steve jops
* Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people
* Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people
* Steve ...
and remained mostly unchanged from their previous seasons, losing
Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew Dempsey (; born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder. During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer ...
to a transfer and
José Cancela in the
expansion draft
An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansio ...
, but found replacements in
Amaechi Igwe
Amaechi Dominic Igwe (born May 20, 1988) is an American retired professional soccer player who played as a defender.
Career
College
Born in Belmont, California, Igwe played college soccer at Santa Clara University before signing a generat ...
and
Wells Thompson
Thomas Wells Thompson (born November 25, 1983 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) is a retired American soccer player who last played as a midfielder for Carolina RailHawks in the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Career
High school and Coll ...
from the
SuperDraft. The Revolution began the season with injuries to
Shalrie Joseph
Shalrie Jamal Joseph (born May 24, 1978) is a Grenadian former professional footballer who is currently a coach with the New England Revolution organization.
Youth and College
Joseph moved to Brooklyn, New York with his family as a teenager. He ...
,
Pat Noonan
Pat Noonan (born August 2, 1980) is an American soccer coach and former soccer player. He is the head coach of FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer.
Playing career
College and amateur
Noonan attended De Smet Jesuit High School, and played c ...
,
Michael Parkhurst
Michael Finlay Parkhurst (born January 24, 1984) is an American former soccer player who played as a defender. The 2005 MLS Rookie of the Year and 2007 MLS Defender of the Year Award, Parkhurst was capable of playing both as a center back and ...
, and
Joe Franchino
Joe Franchino (born August 9, 1976, in Fontana, California) is an American former soccer player.
Youth and college
Franchino played youth club soccer in Alta Loma, CA for such competitive teams as the Aztecs and Arsenal. His first club team, th ...
that kept them out of the starting lineup for several weeks, but earned 17 points in their first eight matches with a five-win record.
The Revolution went undefeated across six matches in July and continued to remain atop the Eastern Conference standings ahead of the
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
and
D.C. United
D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...
. New England made few changes to their roster during the summer transfer window, adding Gambian duo
Abdoulie Mansally and
Sainey Nyassi and recalling a loaned player, relying on their core group of veteran and rookies like Igwe, Thompson, and
Adam Cristman
Adam Cristman (born January 8, 1985) is an American retired soccer player.
Career
Youth and college
Cristman graduated from Mills Godwin High School in Richmond, Virginia, where as a senior in 2003 he helped seal a perfect 22–0–0 record fo ...
. Parkhurst returned from an injury and earned
Defender of the Year honors and was named to the
MLS Best XI The MLS Best XI is an annual acknowledgment of the best eleven players in Major League Soccer.
Winners
*Players in bold were awarded the Landon Donovan MVP Award for that season.
Most appearances by a player
The following players have appeared ...
alongside Joseph. Despite falling behind the pace set by the team in previous seasons and conceding the first-place spot to D.C. United, the Revolution clinched a playoff berth and finished the season in second place with 50 points and a 14–8–8 record. New England also won the
U.S. Open Cup in October against
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise began play in 1996 as a charter club of the le ...
—the club's first trophy in five attempts.
New England entered the playoffs on a three-match winless streak and faced the third-seeded
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
in the Conference Semifinal. After a scoreless draw in the first leg hosted by the Red Bulls in New Jersey, the Revolution won 1–0 on a 64th-minute goal by
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Timothy Twellman (born February 29, 1980) is an American former soccer player who played professionally from 1999 to 2010. He now works in the media as a soccer television commentator.
Twellman is best known for his play with the New Eng ...
and advanced to their sixth consecutive Eastern Conference Final. The team hosted the Eastern Conference Final against the fourth-place
Chicago Fire, who had
upset D.C. United with a 3–2
aggregate win. New England defeated Chicago 1–0 in the conference final, with the lone goal coming in the 38th minute from a
bicycle kick
In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick, scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before d ...
by Twellman, and clinched a berth in their third consecutive MLS Cup final.
Matt Reis
Matt Reis ( ; born March 28, 1975) is an American former soccer player and coach who played as a goalkeeper. A long-time Major League Soccer mainstay, he has served as goalkeeper coach for LA Galaxy and the United States.
Youth and college
R ...
maintained a
clean sheet through the team's three playoff matches.
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo were relocated from San Jose in December 2005 and retained most of their roster from their move before their run to win the MLS Cup over New England in 2006. The roster remained mostly unchanged as they entered the 2007 season, adding forward
Nate Jaqua
Jonathan "Nate" Jaqua (born October 28, 1981 in Eugene, Oregon) is an American former soccer player.
Career
High school
Jaqua is a graduate of South Eugene High School, where he led his team to two Midwestern League titles and one co-championsh ...
in a trade from the
Los Angeles Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...
and drafting defender
Corey Ashe
Corey Alan Ashe (born March 14, 1986) is a retired American soccer player. He played 10 seasons in Major League Soccer, mostly with the Houston Dynamo, but also with Orlando City SC and Columbus Crew SC. Originally a wide midfielder, Ashe ...
to replace
Adrian Serioux
Adrian Serioux (born May 12, 1979) is a Canadian retired professional soccer player who played as a defender.
Club career
After playing college soccer for the University of New Haven, Serioux started his pro career with the Toronto Lynx in the ...
after he left to join
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). The franchise began play in 1996 as a charter club of the le ...
.
Richard Mulrooney
Richard Mulrooney (born November 3, 1976) is an American former soccer player. He is the current men's soccer coach at the University of Memphis.
Career
College
Mulrooney played four years of college soccer at Creighton University, where he re ...
was traded to Houston from
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
after two matches in exchange for
Kevin Goldthwaite. While the Dynamo did not sign a Designated Player, the club sought an international signing to bolster its roster.
Houston began the season with two wins in their first eight matches, with close 1–0 losses to several teams. After a win against in-state rivals FC Dallas in early June, the Dynamo embarked on an eleven-match unbeaten streak that included eight wins and three draws as well as a league-record 726-minute shutout streak for goalkeeper
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart Onstad (born January 13, 1968) is a Canadian former professional soccer goalkeeper who serves as the General Manager of the Houston Dynamo. During his career, Onstad played with a variety of clubs in Canada and the United States ...
. The unbeaten run brought Houston to first place in the Western Conference and came with the loss of midfielder of
Brad Davis to a knee injury and a congested schedule featuring
SuperLiga and
U.S. Open Cup matches. The team used its reserves to rotate out players and saw the emergence of forwards Jaqua,
Stuart Holden
Stuart Alistair Holden (born August 1, 1985) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder, and is currently a lead TV game analyst for Fox Sports. Holden is part of the ownership group for Spanish La Liga soccer ...
, and
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya (born March 30, 1981 in Plumtree) is a Zimbabwean footballer.
Career
College
Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before moving to the Unit ...
as key goalscorers alongside starters
Brian Ching
Brian Ching (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional soccer player who played for twelve years in Major League Soccer and represented the U.S. national team for eight years.
Ching's professional career began when he was the 16th ...
and
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario OOnt (born May 15, 1978) is a Canadian former professional soccer player, who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. De Rosario last played for the Mississauga MetroStars of the Major Arena Soccer League. ...
.
The unbeaten streak was briefly interrupted for the Dynamo with a pair of 1–0 losses to
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 2 ...
and the
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, lat ...
in early August, which caused them to fall behind FC Dallas in the conference standings. Houston then continued with strong offensive performances and lost only one of their remaining nine matches, but were eclipsed in conference rankings by
Chivas USA
Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. G ...
in the final match.
The Dynamo finished the regular season in second place with 52 points from a 15–8–7 record and conceded 23 goals, the fewest of any MLS team.
The team would enter the playoffs without midfielder
Ricardo Clark
Ricardo Anthony Clark (born February 10, 1983) is an American retired soccer player who played as a midfielder. He appeared for MetroStars, San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew SC in the United States, Eintracht Frankfurt ...
, who was suspended nine matches for kicking
Carlos Ruiz during a match against FC Dallas on September 30.
In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Houston Dynamo played against FC Dallas and lost the opening leg 1–0 in a repeat of the series against Chivas USA in the previous year's semifinals. After a goal by Carlos Ruiz in the 14th minute to give Dallas a 2–0 aggregate lead, the Dynamo took advantage of a
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or d ...
shown to
Arturo Álvarez to press forward with a 3–5–2 formation. Stuart Holden was substituted during the formation switch and scored in the 67th minute to tie the match; a series-equalizing goal came five minutes later from Brian Ching, who received a through pass from De Rosario.
The match went to
extra time, where Ching added a second goal in the 97th minute to lead on aggregate and Brad Davis scored Houston's fourth and final goal with a free kick in the 100th minute. The Dynamo won the match 4–1 and the series 4–2 on aggregate,
advancing to a second consecutive Western Conference Final against the
Kansas City Wizards, who were seeded from the East as a
wild card team and defeated Chivas USA. With more than 30,000 spectators at
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium (often referred to as simply Robertson Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It was the home of the Houston Cougars football and wom ...
, the Houston Dynamo repeated as Western Conference Champions by defeating Kansas City 2–0 with goals by Nate Jaqua in the 34th minute and Dwayne De Rosario in the 81st minute.
Summary of results
:''Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).''
Broadcasting
The MLS Cup final was televised in the United States on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
in English and
TeleFutura in Spanish for the first time. English play-by-play commentary was provided by Boston-based sportscaster
Dave O'Brien, reprising his role from the 2006 broadcast, and
color analysis by
Eric Wynalda and
Julie Foudy
Julie Maurine Foudy ( ; born January 23, 1971) is an American retired soccer midfielder, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. She played for the United States women's national soccer team from 1988 to 2004 ...
. The match was also broadcast on local radio stations in New England and the Houston area.
The match was broadcast nationally for the first time in Canada, where it was carried by
CBC Country Canada using the commentary feed from ABC.
The U.S.
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...
was performed by
Plácido Domingo
José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...
of the
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera (WNO) is an American opera company in Washington, D.C. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Perform ...
prior to the match.
Arizona-based rock band
Jimmy Eat World performed their single "
Big Casino
"Big Casino" is a song by American Rock music, rock band Jimmy Eat World from their sixth studio album ''Chase This Light'', which was released on October 16, 2007. The single was released on August 28, 2007. The song impacted radio on September 1 ...
" during the match's halftime show.
Match
Summary
![Dwayne De Rosario 031508](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Dwayne_De_Rosario_031508.jpg)
The match was played in front of 39,859 spectators at RFK Memorial Stadium, including a large contingent of traveling New England and Houston supporters alongside the home D.C. United fans.
The Revolution organized several free buses for fans traveling between
Foxborough, Massachusetts, and RFK Memorial Stadium, and also organized a free viewing party at
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Foot ...
.
The Dynamo were without injured striker
Brian Ching
Brian Ching (born May 24, 1978) is an American former professional soccer player who played for twelve years in Major League Soccer and represented the U.S. national team for eight years.
Ching's professional career began when he was the 16th ...
, who was replaced by the pairing of
Nate Jaqua
Jonathan "Nate" Jaqua (born October 28, 1981 in Eugene, Oregon) is an American former soccer player.
Career
High school
Jaqua is a graduate of South Eugene High School, where he led his team to two Midwestern League titles and one co-championsh ...
and
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya (born March 30, 1981 in Plumtree) is a Zimbabwean footballer.
Career
College
Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before moving to the Unit ...
, and suspended midfielder Ricardo Clark; the Revolution fielded a full-strength lineup that was similar to those used in their other playoff matches.
Alex Prus was named the referee for the MLS Cup final, reprising his role from the
2007 U.S. Open Cup Final, which also featured the Revolution.
Houston took several of the early chances to score, but New England were the first to score. A few minutes after a tackle in the Revolution box by
Avery John
Emery Avery John CM (born 18 June 1975) is a Trinidad and Tobago former professional footballer who played as a defender.
Career
Youth and College
John was born in Point Fortin. He attended Vessigny ntillesGovernment Secondary School and ...
was waved off as a potential penalty, the team made a series of passes on a counterattack towards
Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston (born June 14, 1974) is an American retired soccer player and manager who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his playing career in Major League Soccer with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the New England Revolution, retiring in 2010 ...
at the top of the penalty box. Ralston crossed to the far post, where the ball found
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Timothy Twellman (born February 29, 1980) is an American former soccer player who played professionally from 1999 to 2010. He now works in the media as a soccer television commentator.
Twellman is best known for his play with the New Eng ...
, who headed in the opening goal in the 20th minute.
The Revolution continued to control possession in the midfield and created additional chances to extend their lead, but failed to capitalize on them.
At halftime, Dynamo coach
Dominic Kinnear
Dominic Kinnear (born July 26, 1967) is an American soccer coach and former player. On January 18, 2022, he was named an assistant coach by FC Cincinnati, his first coaching role since serving as the interim head coach of the LA Galaxy.
As a p ...
switched his team from a 4–4–2 to an attack-oriented 3–5–2 formation to encourage scoring chances.
Before the new formation was allowed to set in, Revolution forward
Pat Noonan
Pat Noonan (born August 2, 1980) is an American soccer coach and former soccer player. He is the head coach of FC Cincinnati in Major League Soccer.
Playing career
College and amateur
Noonan attended De Smet Jesuit High School, and played c ...
had a close-range shot in the first minute of the second half that was saved by
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart Onstad (born January 13, 1968) is a Canadian former professional soccer goalkeeper who serves as the General Manager of the Houston Dynamo. During his career, Onstad played with a variety of clubs in Canada and the United States ...
.
After another shot from Noonan that missed the target, the Dynamo pushed ahead for an equalizing goal and won a
corner kick
A corner kick is the method of restarting play in a game of association football when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, without a goal being scored and having last been touched by a member of the defending team. The kick is take ...
in the 61st minute.
The corner was taken by Brad Davis and cleared away by New England's defense, but fell to
Brian Mullan, whose far-post cross found
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario OOnt (born May 15, 1978) is a Canadian former professional soccer player, who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder. De Rosario last played for the Mississauga MetroStars of the Major Arena Soccer League. ...
. De Rosario sent the ball back across the goal to
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya (born March 30, 1981 in Plumtree) is a Zimbabwean footballer.
Career
College
Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before moving to the Unit ...
, who misplayed his first touch but used his right foot to make a shot that passed under goalkeeper
Matt Reis
Matt Reis ( ; born March 28, 1975) is an American former soccer player and coach who played as a goalkeeper. A long-time Major League Soccer mainstay, he has served as goalkeeper coach for LA Galaxy and the United States.
Youth and college
R ...
and into the net.
With the score tied at 1–1, New England attempted to strike back, but an attempt by
Khano Smith
Khano Smith (born 10 January 1981) is a Bermudian retired footballer who is serving as a head coach and general manager for USL Championship club Rhode Island FC.
Club career College and amateur
Smith played college soccer at Champlain Colleg ...
was tackled away by
Craig Waibel
Craig Waibel (born August 21, 1975 in Portland, Oregon) is a former American soccer player who spent eleven seasons in Major League Soccer. He was hired as the sporting director of Seattle Sounders FC in April 2021 and became their general manage ...
for a goal kick. After exchanging words with Waibel, Smith attempted to
headbutt
A headbutt is a targeted strike with the head, typically (when intentional) involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of an opponent, such as ...
the Houston defender in front of referee Alex Prus, who issued a
yellow card
Yellow card may refer to:
* Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas
* Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band
* Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
.
Kinnear had planned to switch back to a defensive 4–4–2 formation after the equalizing goal, but kept Houston in the existing 3–5–2 formation at the behest of the players, who communicated using hand signals.
The Revolution kept a majority of possession, but only produced a single shot to challenge Onstad before the Dynamo had taken a 2–1 lead on a counterattack.
In the 74th minute, Brad Davis sent a lateral cross to Dwayne De Rosario, who headed the ball from and scored Houston's second goal.
New England brought more of their players into a series of attacks while looking for an equalizing goal, with chances by Pat Noonan in the 77th and 82nd minutes that missed the target. Ralston was substituted for
Andy Dorman
Andrew Dorman (born 1 May 1982) is a former professional footballer. During his club career, he played for New England Revolution, Crystal Palace and St. Mirren. Born in England, represented the Wales national team.
Born in England of Englis ...
in the 78th minute, who served a corner kick in the 87th minute that was headed towards goal by
Jeff Larentowicz
Jeffrey Adam Larentowicz ( ; born August 5, 1983) is an American former soccer player. He was a starting midfielder on the Colorado Rapids' 2010 MLS Cup Championship team, and a starting defender for Atlanta United's 2018 Cup-winning side.
Du ...
. Larentowicz's point-blank header was saved by Pat Onstad with a kick to preserve the lead and win the Houston Dynamo a second consecutive MLS Cup title.
Details
Post-match
The Houston Dynamo became the second team to win consecutive MLS Cups, a decade after
D.C. United
D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...
won the first two editions in
1996 and
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
—the latter also hosted at RFK Memorial Stadium.
This feat would not be repeated until
2011 and
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
by the
Los Angeles Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...
, who won against the Dynamo. The third MLS Cup to feature a repeat match-up of finalists was in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
, which saw
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BM ...
winning against defending champion
Seattle Sounders FC. New England's third consecutive and fourth overall loss at the MLS Cup final moved it ahead of the Galaxy for the all-time record as runners-up in the competition.
Dwayne De Rosario became the first player to win the
MLS Cup MVP award twice, having also been named MVP in
2001 with the Earthquakes, and also became the third player to win four MLS Cups. The match also featured the lowest number of substitutes in MLS Cup history, at only one per team. Revolution midfielder
Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston (born June 14, 1974) is an American retired soccer player and manager who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his playing career in Major League Soccer with the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the New England Revolution, retiring in 2010 ...
played in his 371st MLS match, setting a new U.S. record for matches played in the country's top-flight league by surpassing a record set in the 1930s by
Bill McPherson
William McPherson (September 22, 1897 – July 1976) was a Scottish-American soccer wing half. He began his career in Scotland before moving to the American Soccer League. He also spent time in the St. Louis Soccer League, winning a total of f ...
.
Houston qualified alongside Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United for the
2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
The 2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 43rd edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region (North America, Central America and the Caribbean), the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It was the final edition unde ...
, and won 3–1 in the quarterfinals to advance past
CSD Municipal
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or ''Los Rojos'' (the Reds), is a Guatemalan football club based in Guatemala City.
They compete in the Liga Nacional, the top tier of Guatemalan football, and play their home matches a ...
of Guatemala. In the semifinals, the Dynamo fell 3–0 in the second leg to Costa Rica's
Deportivo Saprissa
Deportivo Saprissa is a Costa Rican sports club, mostly known for its football team. The club is based in San Juan de Tibás, San José, and play their home games at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá. The team's signature colours are purple ...
and were eliminated. Both MLS Cup finalists also qualified for the
2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League
The 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League was the first edition of the CONCACAF club football championship modelled after the UEFA Champions League, replacing the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, and overall the 44th edition of the premier football club ...
, the first edition of the new continental competition that replaced the Champions' Cup, alongside D.C. United and
Chivas USA
Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. G ...
, the second-place team in the 2007 regular season. The Revolution were eliminated in the preliminary round by Trinidadian club
Joe Public F.C., who defeated them by an aggregate score of 6–1 over two legs, including a 4–0 loss at home. The Dynamo were seeded directly into the group stage and finished in second behind
Pumas UNAM
Club Universidad Nacional, A.C., commonly referred to as UNAM, is a professional football club based in Ciudad Universitaria of Mexico City, Mexico. The club competes in the Liga MX, the top division in the Mexican football league system. Fo ...
, drawing 4–4 at their stadium in Mexico City, and qualified for the knockout stage ahead of
C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo from El Salvador. In the quarterfinals, Houston faced
Atlante, another Mexican team, and lost 4–1 on aggregate after conceding three goals in the away leg.
Houston would meet New England again in the
2008 SuperLiga Final, hosted by New England at
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Foot ...
, after qualifying based on their regular season standings. The finalists drew 2–2 after extra time to force a
penalty shootout
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
that was won 6–5 by the Revolution after eight rounds. Both teams qualified for the
2008 MLS Cup Playoffs, but failed to advance beyond the Conference Semifinals. The Revolution qualified for their fifth MLS Cup final in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, which it lost to the Galaxy.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mls Cup 2007
2007
*
Houston Dynamo FC matches
New England Revolution matches
Soccer in Washington, D.C.
Sports competitions in Washington, D.C.
November 2007 sports events in the United States
2007 in sports in Washington, D.C.