From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
2003 Major League Soccer season
8th season of Major League Soccer
8th season of Major League Soccer
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| season | 2003 |
| num_teams | 10 |
| mlscup | San Jose Earthquakes (2nd title) |
| shield | Chicago Fire (1st shield) |
| continentalcup1 | [2004 CONCACAF Champions' Cup](2004-concacaf-champions-cup) |
| continentalcup1 qualifiers | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Chicago Fire | |
| league topscorer | Carlos Ruiz |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | |
| Goals: 15 | |
| Taylor Twellman | |
| N.E. Revolution | |
| Goals: 15 | |
| matches | 150 |
| total goals | 433 |
| biggest home win | CHI 4–0 COL |
| CLB 6–2 CHI | |
| biggest away win | SJ 1–4 CHI |
| DAL 0–3 SJ | |
| highest scoring | NY 4–4 SJ |
| CLB 6–2 CHI | |
| longest wins | Colorado Rapids |
| Games: 5 | |
| (07/04 – 08/09) | |
| MetroStars | |
| Games: 5 | |
| (04/26 – 05/24) | |
| longest unbeaten | Chicago Fire |
| Games: 7 | |
| (07/19 – 08/24) | |
| Colorado Rapids | |
| Games: 7 | |
| (08/16 – 10/01) | |
| longest losses | Colorado Rapids |
| Games: 4 | |
| (05/03 – 05/25) | |
| Dallas Burn | |
| Games: 4 | |
| (07/19 -08/13) | |
| highest attendance | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Season: 329,752 | |
| Game Avg.: 21,983 | |
| lowest attendance | Dallas Burn |
| Season: 118,585 | |
| Game Avg.: 7,906 | |
| attendance | 2,234,747 |
| average attendance | 14,898 |
| prevseason | [2002](2002-major-league-soccer-season) |
| nextseason | [2004](2004-major-league-soccer-season) |
Chicago Fire
Los Angeles Galaxy
Goals: 15
Taylor Twellman
N.E. Revolution
Goals: 15
CLB 6–2 CHI
DAL 0–3 SJ
CLB 6–2 CHI
Games: 5
(07/04 – 08/09)
MetroStars
Games: 5
(04/26 – 05/24)
Games: 7
(07/19 – 08/24)
Colorado Rapids
Games: 7
(08/16 – 10/01)
Games: 4
(05/03 – 05/25)
Dallas Burn
Games: 4
(07/19 -08/13)
Season: 329,752
Game Avg.: 21,983
Season: 118,585
Game Avg.: 7,906
The 2003 Major League Soccer season was the eighth season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 91st season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 25th with a national first-division league.
The Los Angeles Galaxy moved into the league's second soccer-specific stadium when the Home Depot Center opened on June 1, 2003. The Chicago Fire continued to play at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville but returned to the newly renovated Soldier Field for their final regular season game.
The number of games was increased to 30 after a reduction to 28 for the 2002 season. Instead of a best-of-three series, the playoffs were tweaked so that the conference semifinals would be determined by a home-and-away aggregate score over two matches, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. Additionally, the two conference finals became single-leg hosted by the higher seed.
The regular season began on April 5, and concluded on October 26. The 2003 MLS Cup Playoffs began on November 1, and concluded with MLS Cup 2003 on November 23. The San Jose Earthquakes won their second MLS Cup in three years with a victory over Chicago.
Overview
Season format
The season began on April 5 and concluded with MLS Cup on November 23. The 10 teams were split evenly into two conferences. Each team played 30 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their conference, and two designated opponents from the opposite conference, four times, and the remaining teams in the opposite conference twice.
The top four teams from each conference qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs. 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. Additionally, the winner of MLS Cup and the runner-up qualified for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
Stadiums and locations
Main article: List of Major League Soccer stadiums
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Fire | Cardinal Stadium | |
| Soldier Field | 15,000 | |
| 61,500 | ||
| Colorado Rapids | Invesco Field at Mile High | 76,125 |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew Stadium | 22,555 |
| D.C. United | RFK Stadium | 46,000 |
| Dallas Burn | Dragon Stadium | 11,000 |
| Kansas City Wizards | Arrowhead Stadium | 81,425 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Home Depot Center | 27,000 |
| MetroStars | Giants Stadium | 80,200 |
| New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium | 68,756 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Spartan Stadium | 30,456 |
Personnel and sponsorships
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Fire | USA Dave Sarachan | — | |
| Colorado Rapids | USA Tim Hankinson | ||
| Columbus Crew | USA Greg Andrulis | Pepsi | |
| D.C. United | ENG Ray Hudson | — | |
| Dallas Burn | NIR Colin Clarke | ||
| Kansas City Wizards | USA Bob Gansler | — | |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | USA Sigi Schmid | Budweiser | |
| MetroStars | USA Bob Bradley | USA Eddie Pope | — |
| New England Revolution | SCO Steve Nicol | — | |
| San Jose Earthquakes | CAN Frank Yallop | USA Jeff Agoos | Yahoo! en Español |
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Burn | USA Mike Jeffries | Fired | September 15, 2003 | NIR Colin Clarke | September 15, 2003 |
Standings
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Overall standings
MLS Cup Playoffs
Bracket
| RD1-group1=Eastern Conference | RD1-group2=Western Conference | team-width=240px | RD1-seed1=E1 | RD1-team1=Chicago (wins 4–0 agg.) | RD1-score1-1=2 | RD1-score1-2=2 | RD1-seed2=E4 | RD1-team2=D.C. United | RD1-score2-1=0 | RD1-score2-2=0 | RD1-seed3=E2 | RD1-team3=New England (wins 3–1 agg.) | RD1-score3-1=2 | RD1-score3-2=1 | RD1-seed4=E3 | RD1-team4=MetroStars | RD1-score4-1=0 | RD1-score4-2=1 | RD1-seed5=W1 | RD1-team5=San Jose (wins 5–4 agg.) | RD1-score5-1=0 | RD1-score5-2=5* | RD1-seed6=W4 | RD1-team6=Los Angeles | RD1-score6-1=2 | RD1-score6-2=2 | RD1-seed7=W3 | RD1-team7=Kansas City (wins 3–1 agg.) | RD1-score7-1=1 | RD1-score7-2=2 | RD1-seed8=W2 | RD1-team8=Colorado | RD1-score8-1=1 | RD1-score8-2=0 | RD2-seed1=E1 | RD2-team1=Chicago | RD2-score1=1 | RD2-seed2=E3 | RD2-team2=New England | RD2-score2=0 | RD2-seed3=W1 | RD2-team3=San Jose | RD2-score3=3 | RD2-seed4=W3 | RD2-team4=Kansas City | RD2-score4=2 | RD3-seed1=E1 | RD3-team1=Chicago | RD3-score1=2 | RD3-seed2=W1 | RD3-team2=San Jose | RD3-score2=4
Eastern Conference semifinals
Razov Washington, D.C.
Razov Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Fire won 4–0 on aggregate.
Noonan East Rutherford, New Jersey
Foxborough, Massachusetts
New England Revolution won 3–1 on aggregate.
Western Conference semifinals
Ruiz Carson, California
Vagenas Donovan Walker Roner Faria San Jose, California
San Jose Earthquakes won 5–4 on aggregate after golden goal extra time.
Denver, Colorado
Klein Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City Wizards won 3–1 on aggregate.
Conference finals
Eastern Conference
Chicago, Illinois
Western Conference
date = November 15, 2003 Klein Mullan Donovan San Jose, California
MLS Cup
Main article: MLS Cup 2003
Roner Donovan Mulrooney Carson, California
Player statistics
Goals
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GUA Carlos Ruiz | Los Angeles Galaxy | 15 |
| USA Taylor Twellman | New England Revolution | ||
| 3 | USA Ante Razov | Chicago Fire | 14 |
| SCO John Spencer | Colorado Rapids | ||
| 5 | USA Landon Donovan | San Jose Earthquakes | 12 |
| USA Brian McBride | Columbus Crew | ||
| USA Preki | Kansas City Wizards | ||
| 8 | USA Mark Chung | Colorado Rapids | 11 |
| JAM Damani Ralph | Chicago Fire | ||
| 10 | USA Edson Buddle | Columbus Crew | 10 |
| USA Pat Noonan | New England Revolution |
Hat-tricks
Main article: List of Major League Soccer hat-tricks
| Player | Club | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA Chris Brown | New England Revolution | Chicago Fire | 5–1 | |
| USA Landon Donovan | San Jose Earthquakes | Kansas City Wizards | 4–1 | |
| CAN Dwayne De Rosario | San Jose Earthquakes | Dallas Burn | 5–2 | |
| USA Pat Noonan | New England Revolution | MetroStars | 5–2 |
Assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA Preki | Kansas City Wizards | 12 |
| 2 | HON Amado Guevara | MetroStars | 9 |
| 3 | USA Mark Lisi | MetroStars | 6 |
| USA Ross Paule | Columbus Crew | ||
| USA Steve Ralston | New England Revolution | ||
| 6 | USA Cobi Jones | Los Angeles Galaxy | 5 |
| USA Manny Lagos | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| USA Brian Mullan | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| USA Richard Mulrooney | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| USA Pat Noonan | New England Revolution | ||
| USA Eric Quill | Kansas City Wizards | ||
| JAM Andy Williams | Chicago Fire |
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean |
|---|---|---|---|
| sheets | |||
| 1 | USA Scott Garlick | Colorado Rapids | 9 |
| CAN Pat Onstad | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| 3 | USA Zach Thornton | Chicago Fire | 8 |
| 4 | USA Nick Rimando | D.C. United | 7 |
| 5 | USA Adin Brown | New England Revolution | 4 |
| USA Jon Busch | Columbus Crew | ||
| USA Kevin Hartman | LA Galaxy | ||
| USA Tony Meola | Kansas City Wizards | ||
| USA Jonny Walker | MetroStars | ||
| 10 | USA D.J. Countess | Dallas Burn | 3 |
| USA Tim Howard | MetroStars |
Awards
Individual awards
| Award | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | USA Preki | Kansas City Wizards |
| Defender of the Year | USA Carlos Bocanegra | Chicago Fire |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | CAN Pat Onstad | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Coach of the Year | USA Dave Sarachan | Chicago Fire |
| Rookie of the Year | JAM Damani Ralph | Chicago Fire |
| Comeback Player of the Year | USA Chris Armas | Chicago Fire |
| Scoring Champion | USA Preki | Kansas City Wizards |
| Goal of the Year | JAM Damani Ralph | Chicago Fire |
| Fair Play Award | USA Brian McBride | Columbus Crew |
| Humanitarian of the Year | USA Ben Olsen | D.C. United |
Best XI
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA Tim Howard, MetroStars | USA Wade Barrett, San Jose | ||
| USA Carlos Bocanegra, Chicago | |||
| USA Alexi Lalas, LA Galaxy | USA Mark Chung, Colorado | ||
| DEN Ronnie Ekelund, San Jose | |||
| COL Óscar Pareja, Dallas | |||
| USA Steve Ralston, New England | USA Jeff Cunningham, Columbus | ||
| GUA Carlos Ruiz, LA Galaxy | |||
| USA Taylor Twellman, New England |
Attendance
| Club | Games | Season | Game Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 15 | 329,752 | 21,983 |
| Colorado Rapids | 15 | 251,578 | 16,772 |
| Columbus Crew | 15 | 243,756 | 16,250 |
| MetroStars | 15 | 237,326 | 15,822 |
| Kansas City Wizards | 15 | 233,594 | 15,573 |
| D.C. United | 15 | 233,476 | 15,565 |
| New England Revolution | 15 | 219,611 | 14,641 |
| Chicago Fire | 15 | 210,080 | 14,005 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 15 | 156,989 | 10,466 |
| Dallas Burn | 15 | 118,585 | 7,906 |
| **Totals** | **150** | **2,234,747** | **14,898** |
References
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about 2003 Major League Soccer season — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report