By winning their respective Conference Championship games during the weekend, the Los Angeles Galaxy and New England Revolution advanced to MLS Cup 2005 to be played on Sunday, November 13, 2005 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (live on ABC Sports - 3:30 p.m. ET). The League's tenth Championship will be a rematch of MLS Cup 2002, when the Galaxy defeated the Revolution 1-0 in overtime at Gillette Stadium to claim their first Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy.
Los Angeles, behind two goals from forward Landon Donovan, won the Western Conference Championship with a 2-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids at INVESCO Field at Mile High on Saturday, November 5. Donovan has scored four goals in the 2005 MLS Cup Playoffs to make him the League's all-time leader with 14 career playoff goals.
Six current Galaxy players were part of the winning MLS Cup 2002 team: Tyrone Marshall, Kevin Hartman, and Cobi Jones started and played the entire game, while Chris Albright and Peter Vagenas entered as substitutes in the second half. Herculez Gomez, who was signed in September of 2002, did not see any action in the regular season or playoffs that year.
New England claimed the Eastern Conference Championship on Sunday, November 6 with a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire at Gillette Stadium. Clint Dempsey's fourth-minute goal held up as the Revs advance to their second MLS Cup.
The 2005 Revs feature five players who played in MLS Cup 2002: Taylor Twellman, Jay Heaps, Daniel Hernandez, Steve Ralston, and Joe Franchino all started and played the full game. Current Revs goalkeeper Matt Reis was the back-up to the Galaxy's Hartman and did not play in the game.
As MLS Cup 2005 finalists, both Los Angeles and New England also have secured their place in the 2006 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Champions Cup is the annual regional tournament featuring the top clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean. Los Angeles, which won the Champions Cup in 2000, will be playing in their fourth tournament while the Revs will make their second appearance. Aside from the 2002 and 2003 editions of the CONCACAF Champions Cup which saw four MLS teams participate, the MLS Cup Champions and runner-up have represented the United States in all previous tournaments since 1997.
MLS Cup 1996-2004
MLS Cup 2004
D.C. United 3 vs. Kansas City Wizards 2
The Home Depot Center - Carson, California
November 14, 2004
MVP: Alecko Eskandarian (D.C. United)
Attendance: 25,797
MLS Cup 2003
San Jose Earthquakes 4 vs. Chicago Fire 2
The Home Depot Center - Carson, California
November 23, 2003
MVP: Landon Donovan (San Jose Earthquakes)
Attendance: 27,000
MLS Cup 2002
Los Angeles Galaxy 1 vs. New England Revolution 0 (Overtime)
Gillette Stadium - Foxboro, Massachusetts - October 20, 2002
MVP: Carlos Ruiz (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Attendance: 61,316
MLS Cup 2001
San Jose Earthquakes 2 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 1 (Overtime)
Columbus Crew Stadium - Columbus, Ohio - October 21, 2001
MVP: Dwayne De Rosario (San Jose Earthquakes)
Attendance: 21,626
MLS Cup 2000
Kansas City Wizards 1 vs. Chicago Fire 0
RFK Stadium - Washington D.C. - October 15, 2000
MVP: Tony Meola (Kansas City Wizards)
Attendance: 39,159
MLS Cup 1999
D.C. United 2 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 0
Foxboro Stadium - Foxboro, Massachusetts - November 21, 1999
MVP: Ben Olsen (D.C.United)
Attendance: 44,910
MLS Cup 1998
Chicago Fire 2 vs. D.C. United 0
Rose Bowl - Pasadena, California - October 25, 1998
MVP: Peter Nowak (Chicago Fire)
Attendance: 51,350
MLS Cup 1997
D.C. United 2 vs. Colorado Rapids 1
RFK Stadium - Washington D.C. - October 26, 1997
MVP: Jamie Moreno (D.C. United)
Attendance: 57,431
MLS Cup 1996
D.C. United 3 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy 2 (Overtime)
Foxboro Stadium - Foxboro, Massachusetts - October 20, 1996
MVP: Marco Etcheverry (D.C. United)
Attendance: 34, 643
