The four Conference Semifinal series of the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs are set and listed below. The MLS Cup Playoffs kick off on Thursday, Oct. 29 when the Houston Dynamo, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, travel to face the third seed, Seattle Sounders FC on ESPN2/Deportes at 10 p.m. ET.
The MLS Cup Playoffs will be broadcast on national television partners ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español and Telefutura. Regional television partners and Direct Kick will carry the Oct. 31 Columbus Crew at Real Salt Lake game. Fox Soccer Channel will have 30-minute pre-game and 30-minute post-game shows for each of their broadcasts and ESPN2 will have a two and a half hour broadcast window for each of their games.
One other Conference Semifinal match this week is on Saturday, Oct. 31 and a pair on Sunday, Nov. 1. Each Conference Semifinal is a two-game, aggregate goal series with the higher seed hosting the second game of the two-game series.
In the first postseason meeting between SuperClasico rivals and "housemates" at The Home Depot Center, the top-seeded Los Angeles Galaxy will face No. 4 seed Chivas USA in a Western Conference Semifinal series. Chivas USA qualified as a wild card team behind automatic qualifiers LA and Houston, who both finished with 48 points. Chivas USA will host Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2/Deportes) at The Home Depot Center.
The top seed in the Eastern Conference, Supporters' Shield winners the Columbus Crew, travel to face Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. ET (Direct Kick). Real Salt Lake earned a wild card berth and shifts over to the Eastern Conference bracket as the fifth qualifier out of the West.
New England was the final team to qualify and finished third in the Eastern Conference. They will host the second-place Chicago Fire on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. ET (FSC/FSE). Fox Soccer Channel's pregame coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET. The two clubs have met seven times in the postseason.
The single-game conference championship matches will be played on Thursday, Nov. 12 and Saturday, Nov. 14.
MLS Cup 2009 is Sunday, Nov. 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle at 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN and Galavision).
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, Sunday, Nov 1 - 2 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.
