Revs Capture Final Available Playoff Berth; Dynamo Top Goats To Finish Second In West

The Major League Soccer regular season concluded Sunday with two games.

At Carson, California:

Goals from Andrew Hainault (26'), Dominic Oduro (29'), and Abe Thompson (52') enabled to Houston Dynamo to hold off Chivas USA 3-2 and clinch second place in the Western Conference. The Goats finished the season in fourth place in the West.

At Columbus, Ohio:

Jeff Lerentowicz scored the game's only goal at 79 minutes as the New England Revolution sealed the last remaining available playoff berth (and their eighth straight postseason appearance) with a 1-0 road win over the Columbus Crew.

FINAL MLS STANDINGS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Columbus (GP: 30; GD: +10; PTS: 49)
2. Chicago (GP: 30; GD: +5; PTS: 45)
3. New England (GP: 30; GD: -4; PTS: 42)
4. DC United (GP: 30; GD: -1; PTS: 40)
5. Toronto FC (GP: 30; GD: -9; PTS: 39)
6. Kansas City (GP: 30; GD: -9; PTS: 42)
7. New York (GP: 30; GD: -20; PTS: 21)

WESTERN CONFERNECE:

1. Los Angeles (GP: 30; GD: +5; PTS: 48)
2. Houston (GP: 30; GD: +10; PTS: 48)
3. Seattle (GP: 30; GD: +9; PTS: 47)
4. Chivas USA (GP: 30; GD: +3; PTS: 45)
5. Real Salt Lake (GP: 30; GD: +8; PTS: 40)
6. Colorado (GP: 30; GD: +4; PTS: 40)
7. FC Dallas (GP: 30; GD: +4; PTS: 39)
8. San Jose (GP: 30; GD: -14; PTS: 30)

Five Western Confernece (Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Chivas USA, and Real Salt Lake) and three Eastern Conference (Columbus, Chicago, and New England) all qualified for the playoffs. The Crew won the Supporters' Shield for the second straight year for winding up with the league's best overall regular-season record. Seattle Sounders FC became only the third first-year expansion club (after the two 1998 entries, the Chicago Fire---who won the MLS Cup that year---and the now-defunct Miami Fusion [who lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to DC United]) to make the playoffs in their first MLS season.

The playoffs will get underway this coming Thursday, when the Seattle Sounders host Houston in game one of their two-match home-and-away series, with the return match to take place on November 8 in Houston.

The other Western Conference semifinal series, involving the two Los Angeles area teams, will take place at Carson, California. Chivas USA will be the host team for game one on November 1, and the Los Angeles Galaxy will be the host team for game two the following Sunday.

As the fifth place team in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake will be shifted into the Eastern Conference semifinals, hosting the Columbus Crew at Sandy, Utah in the opening match, with the return contest in Columbus, Ohio.

The other Eastern Conference semifinal series will see the New England Revolution host the Chicago Fire in match one at Foxborough, Massachusetts. The return game will take place at Bridgeview, Illinois. At this time, the dates of all Eastern Conference semifinal contests have yet to be announced.