The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 15th season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 32nd with a national first-division league.
Negotiations between the league and the players' union resulted in a new collective bargaining agreement being agreed to on March 20, 2010. The new Designated Player Rule permitted teams to sign two such players, up from one under the previous rule, and pay a luxury tax of $250,000 for the right to sign a third.
The Philadelphia Union joined the league as its 16th team. The club's first two home games were played at Lincoln Financial Field while the construction of their permanent home, PPL Park in Chester, was being completed. The New York Red Bulls opened their new stadium, Red Bull Arena, on March 27 against the Chicago Fire.
The regular season began on March 25, and concluded on October 24. The LA Galaxy won the Supporters' Shield by one point over Real Salt Lake. The 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 28, and concluded with MLS Cup 2010 on November 21. The Colorado Rapids won their first MLS Cup by defeating the FC Dallas, 2-1, at BMO Field in Toronto. It was the first MLS Cup to be played outside the United States.
Overview
Season format The season began on March 25 and concluded with MLS Cup on November 21. The 16 teams were split evenly into two conferences. For the first time in league history, the season had a balanced schedule where each team played every other team in the league once at home and once away for a total of 30 games.
The top two teams from each conference automatically qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs. In addition, the four highest remaining point totals, regardless of conference, also qualified. In the first round, aggregate goals over two matches determined the winners. The conference finals were played as a single match, and the winners advanced to MLS Cup. In all rounds, draws were broken with two 15-minute periods of extra time, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. The away goals rule was not used in any round.
The team with the most points in the regular season was awarded the MLS Supporters' Shield and qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League. Additionally, the winner of MLS Cup, and the runner-up, also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League. An additional berth in the Champions League was also awarded to the winner of the U.S. Open Cup. If a team qualified for multiple berths into the Champions League, then additional berths were awarded to the highest overall finishing MLS team(s) not already qualified. Also, Toronto FC, as a Canadian-based team, could not qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League through MLS, and had to instead qualify through the Canadian Championship.
Automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup was awarded to the top six overall finishers. The rest of the U.S.-based MLS teams had to qualify for the remaining two berths via a series of play-in games.
Stadiums and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Chicago Fire Toyota Park 20,000 Chivas USA Home Depot Center 27,000 Colorado Rapids Dick's Sporting Goods Park 18,061 Columbus Crew Columbus Crew Stadium 22,555 D.C. United RFK Stadium 46,000 FC Dallas Pizza Hut Park 21,193 Houston Dynamo Robertson Stadium 32,000 Kansas City Wizards CommunityAmerica Ballpark 10,385 LA Galaxy Home Depot Center 27,000 New England Revolution Gillette Stadium 68,756 New York Red Bulls Red Bull Arena 25,000 Philadelphia Union Lincoln Financial Field PPL Park 67,594 18,500 Real Salt Lake Rio Tinto Stadium 20,213 San Jose Earthquakes Buck Shaw Stadium 10,525 Seattle Sounders FC Qwest Field 68,740 Toronto FC BMO Field 21,566
Personnel and sponsorships
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Manager Captain Shirt sponsorChicago Fire Best BuyChivas USA Tiendas ExtraColorado Rapids —Columbus Crew GliddenD.C. United VolkswagenFC Dallas —Houston Dynamo Amigo EnergyKansas City Wizards —LA Galaxy HerbalifeNew England Revolution —New York Red Bulls Red BullPhiladelphia Union —Real Salt Lake XanGoSan Jose Earthquakes Amway GlobalSeattle Sounders FC Xbox LIVEToronto FC Bank of Montreal
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing coachManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming coachDate of appointmentTablePhiladelphia Union Expansion Team Piotr NowakMay 29, 2009Pre-seasonNew York Red Bulls Richie WilliamsEnd of interim periodAugust 21, 20097th East ('09) Hans BackeJanuary 7, 2010Pre-seasonToronto FC Chris CumminsContract expirationOctober 27, 20095th East ('09) PrekiNovember 18, 2009Pre-seasonD.C. United Tom SoehnResignedNovember 3, 20094th East ('09) Curt OnalfoDecember 28, 2009Pre-seasonChivas USA PrekiMutual consentNovember 12, 20094th West ('09) Martín VásquezDecember 2, 2009Pre-seasonChicago Fire Denis HamlettFiredNovember 24, 20092nd East ('09) Carlos de los CobosJanuary 11, 2010Pre-seasonD.C. United Curt OnalfoFiredAugust 4, 20108th East Ben OlsenAugust 4, 20108th EastToronto FC PrekiFiredSeptember 14, 20103rd East Nick DasovicSeptember 14, 20103rd East
Results table
Standings
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Overall standings
MLS Cup playoffs
Bracket
Player statistics
Goals RankScorerClubGoals1 Chris WondolowskiSan Jose Earthquakes182 Edson BuddleLA Galaxy173 Dwayne De RosarioToronto FC154 Omar CummingsColorado Rapids14 Sébastien Le TouxPhiladelphia Union6 Juan Pablo ÁngelNew York Red Bulls13 Conor CaseyColorado Rapids8 Álvaro SaboríoReal Salt Lake129 Jeff CunninghamFC Dallas1110 Kei KamaraKansas City Wizards10 Fredy MonteroSeattle Sounders FC Steve ZakuaniSeattle Sounders FC
Assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Landon DonovanLA Galaxy162 David FerreiraFC Dallas133 Brad DavisHouston Dynamo124 Sébastien Le TouxPhiladelphia Union115 Bobby ConveySan Jose Earthquakes10 Fredy MonteroSeattle Sounders FC Patrick NyarkoChicago Fire8 Guillermo Barros SchelottoColumbus Crew9 Javier MoralesReal Salt Lake10 Jamie SmithColorado Rapids8 Ryan JohnsonSan Jose Earthquakes Michael StephensLA Galaxy
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Nick RimandoReal Salt Lake142 Bouna CoundoulNew York Red Bulls11 Will HesmerColumbus Crew Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FC Donovan RickettsLA Galaxy6 Jimmy NielsenKansas City Wizards107 Kevin HartmanFC Dallas98 Stefan FreiKansas City Wizards89 Jon BuschSan Jose Earthquakes7 Matt PickensColorado Rapids
Awards
Individual awards AwardPlayerClubMost Valuable Player David FerreiraFC DallasDefender of the Year Jámison OlaveReal Salt LakeGoalkeeper of the Year Donovan RickettsLA GalaxyCoach of the Year Schellas HyndmanFC DallasRookie of the Year Andy NajarD.C. UnitedNewcomer of the Year Álvaro SaboríoReal Salt LakeComeback Player of the Year Bobby ConveySan Jose EarthquakesGolden Boot Chris WondolowskiSan Jose EarthquakesGoal of the Year Marco PappaChicago FireSave of the Year Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FCFair Play Award Sébastien Le TouxPhiladelphia UnionHumanitarian of the Year Seth Stammler New York Red Bulls
Best XI GoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwards Donovan Ricketts, LA Galaxy Nat Borchers, Salt Lake Omar Gonzalez, LA Galaxy Jámison Olave, Salt Lake Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto Landon Donovan, LA Galaxy David Ferreira, Dallas Sébastien Le Toux, Philadelphia Javier Morales, Salt Lake Edson Buddle, LA Galaxy Chris Wondolowski, San Jose
Monthly awards MonthMLS Player of the MonthMLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the MonthPlayerClubLinkPlayerClubLinkApril Edson BuddleLos Angeles Galaxy7G 4–0–1 Sanna NyassiSeattle Sounders FCApril Humanitarian May Álvaro SaboríoReal Salt Lake4G 3A 5–0–0 Chris TierneyNew England RevolutionMay Humanitarian June Nick RimandoReal Salt Lake0G Allowed 1–0–2 Craig WaibelHouston DynamoJune Humanitarian July Fredy MonteroSeattle Sounders FC2G 3A 3–1–1 Jed ZaynerColumbus CrewJuly Humanitarian August Kevin HartmanFC Dallas2G Allowed 2–0–2 Michael LahoudChivas USAAugust Humanitarian September Omar CummingsColorado Rapids6G 1A 3–1–1 Kei KamaraKansas City WizardsSeptember Humanitarian October Chris WondolowskiSan Jose Earthquakes6G 2–2–1 James RileySeattle Sounders FCOctober Humanitarian
Weekly awards WeekPlayer of the WeekAT&T Goal of the WeekNAPA Save of the WeekPlayerClubPlayerClubPlayerClubWeek 1 Javier MoralesReal Salt Lake Javier MoralesReal Salt Lake Nick RimandoReal Salt LakeWeek 2 Kenny MansallyNew England Revolution Kenny MansallyNew England Revolution Preston BurpoNew England RevolutionWeek 3 Sébastien Le TouxPhiladelphia Union Marco PappaChicago Fire Jason HernandezSan Jose EarthquakesWeek 4 Edson BuddleLos Angeles Galaxy Lovel PalmerHouston Dynamo Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FCWeek 5 Dwayne De RosarioToronto FC Fredy MonteroSeattle Sounders FC Andrew DykstraChicago FireWeek 6 Edson BuddleLos Angeles Galaxy Chris WondolowskiSan Jose Earthquakes Joe CannonSan Jose EarthquakesWeek 7 Landon DonovanLos Angeles Galaxy Logan PauseChicago Fire Kevin HartmanFC DallasWeek 8 Alvaro SaborioReal Salt Lake Danny MwangaPhiladelphia Union Gino PadulaColumbus CrewWeek 9 Emilio RenteríaColumbus Crew Dominic OduroHouston Dynamo Jimmy NielsenKansas City WizardsWeek 10 Dwayne De RosarioToronto FC Shea SalinasPhiladelphia Union Donovan RickettsLos Angeles GalaxyWeek 11 Brek SheaFC Dallas Leo GonzálezSeattle Sounders FC Chris SeitzPhiladelphia UnionWeek 12 Chris PontiusD.C. United Kei KamaraKansas City Wizards Nick RimandoReal Salt LakeWeek 13 Juan Pablo ÁngelNew York Red Bulls Juan Pablo ÁngelNew York Red Bulls Jimmy NielsenKansas City WizardsWeek 14 Álvaro SaboríoReal Salt Lake JuninhoLos Angeles Galaxy Jimmy NielsenKansas City WizardsWeek 15 Justin BraunChivas USA David FerreiraFC Dallas Stefan FreiToronto FCWeek 16 Sébastien Le TouxPhiladelphia Union Roger LevesqueSeattle Sounders FC Jimmy NielsenKansas City WizardsWeek 17 Steve ZakuaniSeattle Sounders FC Ned GrabavoyReal Salt Lake Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FCWeek 18 Juan Pablo ÁngelNew York Red Bulls Sébastien Le TouxPhiladelphia Union Sean JohnsonChicago FireWeek 19 Jeff CunninghamFC Dallas Fredy MonteroSeattle Sounders FC Sean JohnsonChicago FireWeek 20 Javier MoralesReal Salt Lake Javier MoralesReal Salt Lake Nick RimandoReal Salt LakeWeek 21 Brian ChingHouston Dynamo Rafael MárquezNew York Red Bulls Sean JohnsonChicago FireWeek 22 Fredy MonteroSeattle Sounders FC Dane RichardsNew York Red Bulls Jimmy NielsenKansas City WizardsWeek 23 Omar CummingsColorado Rapids GeovanniSan Jose Earthquakes Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FCWeek 24 Alan GordonChivas USA Omar CummingsColorado Rapids Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FCWeek 25 Blaise NkufoSeattle Sounders FC Blaise NkufoSeattle Sounders FC Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FCWeek 26 Chris WondolowskiSan Jose Earthquakes Nat BorchersReal Salt Lake Kasey KellerSeattle Sounders FCWeek 27 Bouna CoundoulNew York Red Bulls Steve ZakuaniSeattle Sounders FC Bouna CoundoulNew York Red BullsWeek 28 Chris WondolowskiSan Jose Earthquakes Álvaro FernándezSeattle Sounders FC Brad KnightonPhiladelphia UnionWeek 29 Steve ZakuaniSeattle Sounders FC Steve ZakuaniSeattle Sounders FC FredPhiladelphia UnionWeek 30 Chris WondolowskiSan Jose Earthquakes James RileySeattle Sounders FC Eddie GavenColumbus Crew
Related competitions
International competitions
CONCACAF Champions League
The Columbus Crew continued their 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League campaign that began during the previous season. They were defeated by Mexican club Toluca in the quarterfinals, 5–4 on aggregate.