Major League Soccer 2009 Playoff Schedule, Predictions, Previews, and TV Listings
The 2009 Major League Soccer Season is down to the playoffs. MLS has released the full schedule for the playoffs along with the television schedule. Almost all the matches will be broadcast on national TV including Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN2. Here’s the full playoff schedule, predictions (for the conference semifinals), previews, and TV listings.
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs Schedule
All times Eastern; schedule subject to change
Conference Semifinals – Game #1
Eastern Conference
(1) Columbus Crew at (4) Real Salt Lake, Saturday, Oct. 31 – 6 p.m. ET (Regional TV, Direct Kick, MLSnet.com)
(2) Chicago Fire at (3) New England Revolution, Saturday, Oct. 31 – 4 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)
Western Conference
(1) Los Angeles Galaxy at (4) Chivas USA, Sunday, Nov. 1 – 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
(2) Houston Dynamo at (3) Seattle Sounders FC, Thursday, Oct. 29 – 10 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
Conference Semifinals – Game #2
Eastern Conference
(4) Real Salt Lake at (1) Columbus Crew, Thursday, Nov. 5 – 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
(3) New England Revolution at (2) Chicago Fire, Saturday, Nov. 7 – 8:30 p.m. ET (FSC, FSE)
Western Conference
(3) Seattle Sounders FC at (2) Houston Dynamo, Sunday, Nov. 8 – 3 p.m. (TeleFutura, Regional TV)
(4) Chivas USA at (1) Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday, Nov. 8 – 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2, Deportes)
Conference Championships (times TBD based on match-ups)
Thursday, Nov. 12 (ESPN2, Deportes)
Saturday, Nov. 14 (FSC, FSE)
MLS Cup 2009
Sunday, Nov. 22 – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN and Galavision)
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS FORMAT
Playoff Format: Conference Semifinal series are conducted in a home-and-home, aggregate-goal format. The lower seeded team in the Conference Semifinal hosts the first game. The winners of those four series advance to single-game Conference Championships that will determine the MLS Cup Finalists.
The team that scores the most goals in the home-and-home series advances to the single elimination Conference Championship. If the teams are tied after 180 minutes in the Conference Semifinal series, a 30-minute extra time period (divided into two 15-minute periods) will be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary. The team with the higher seed between the two Conference finalists will host the Conference Championship game.
In the case of ties after 90 minutes of regulation in the Eastern and Western Conference Championship games and MLS Cup, 30 minutes of extra time (divided into two 15-minute periods) would be played followed by kicks from the penalty mark, if necessary, to determine the winners.
Predictions
Columbus v RSL – Columbus wins 4-2 on aggregate
Chicago v NE – New England wins 3-2 on aggregate
Los Angeles v Chivas – LA wins on aggregate 2-1
Houston v Seattle – Seattle wins on aggregate 5-3
Video Previews (previews of individual matches will be added later)
Globalpost
NewsNow
