The eighth MLS champion will be crowned Sunday when San Jose and Chicago meet at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Here's looked at the eighth MLS final.
In Brief
VENUE: Home Depot Center, Carson, California.
KICKOFF: Sunday, Nov. 23, 12:30 pm PT (3:30 pm ET).
TV: ABC (live).
RADIO: Sports Byline USA (English), Radio Unica (Spanish).
REFEREE: Brian Hall.
Probable Lineups
Chicago — 18 Thornton, 3 Whitfield, 4 Bocanegra, 5 Curtin, 20 Perez, 16 Williams, 14 Armas, 15 Marsch, 7 Beasley, 8 Ralph, 9 Razov.
San Jose — 18 Onstad, 16 Waibel, 19 Dayak, 2 Robinson, 12 Agoos, 9 Mullan, 8 Mulrooney, 6 Ekelund, 11 Lagos or 5 Corrales, 13 Walker or 14 De Rosario, 10 Donovan.
By The Numbers
0
Chicago is the first team to have reached MLS Cup without giving up a goal in the playoffs. The Fire set the record for the fewest goals allowed by an MLS champion when it gave up just two goals in five playoff matches, culminating in a 2-0 victory in MLS Cup 1998.
2
This is referee Brian Hall's second MLS Cup. He also ran the center in the 1997. HeÆs the second referee to preside over two MLS Cups (Kevin Terry, 1998 and 2002).
4
San Jose captain Jeff Agoos is the only player to have won four MLS Cup titles (1996, 1997, 1999 with D.C. United, 2001 with San Jose).
5
Five current Fire players played for Chicago in both the 1998 and 2000 finals: goalkeeper Zach Thornton, defender C.J. Brown, midfielders Chris Armas and Jesse Marsch and forward Ante Razov.
8
Eight players currently on the Earthquakes roster played in their 2001 MLS Cup victory: defender Troy Dayak and Jeff Agoos, midfielder Ronnie Ekelund, Richard Mulrooney, Ian Russell and Ramiro Corrales, and forwards Landon Donovan and Dwayne DeRosario. (Quakes midfielder Brian Mullan played for Los Angeles Galaxy against San Jose in that final.)
Road To Carson
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Semifinals, First Leg
Nov. 1 in Washington
D.C. United 0 Chicago 2. Goals: Williams 4, Razov (Jaqua, Thornton) 94+.
Chicago — Thornton, Bocanegra, Curtin, Perez, Whitfield, Armas, Marsch, Williams (Mapp, 65), Beasley, Ralph (Jaqua, 82), Razov.
Att.: 15,202.
Semifinals, Second Leg
Nov. 9 in Chicago
Chicago 2 D.C. United 0. Goals: Ralph (Armas, Razov) 17, Razov (Beasley, Perez) 55.
Chicago — Thornton, Whitfield, Bocanegra, Curtin, Perez, Williams, Armas, Marsch (Pause, 79), Beasley (Gray, 61), Ralph, Razov (Jaqua, 60).
Red card: D.C. United — Quintanilla 79.
Att.: 15,312.
(Chicago wins 4-0 on aggregate.)
Final
Nov. 14 in Chicago
Chicago 1 New England 0 (OT). Goal: Armas (Ralph, Mapp) 101.
Chicago — Thornton, Whitfield, Bocanegra, Curtin, Perez, Williams (Mapp, 81), Armas, Marsch, Beasley, Ralph, Razov.
Att.: 14,610.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Semifinals, First Leg
Nov. 1 in Carson, Calif.
Los Angeles 2 San Jose 0. Goals: Victorine 59, Ruiz (Hong) 62.
San Jose — Onstad, Roner, Agoos, Dayak, Dunivant, Mullan, Corrales (Waibel, 72), Mulrooney, Russell, De Rosario (Faria, 21; Walker, 75), Donovan.
Att.: 20,201.
Semifinals, Second Leg
Nov. 9 in San Jose
San Jose 5 Los Angeles 2 (OT). Goals: Agoos (Ekelund) 21, Donovan (Walker, Mulrooney) 35, Walker (Mulrooney) 50, Roner (Mulrooney, Dayak) 90, Faria (Donovan, Russell) 96; Ruiz (Hong) 7, Vagenas (Moreno) 13.
San Jose — Onstad, Waibel (Roner, 89), Dayak, Robinson, Agoos, Mullan, Ekelund, Mulrooney, Lagos (Russell, 77), Donovan, Walker (Faria, 75).
Att.: 14,145.
(San Jose wins 5-4 on aggregate.)
Final
Nov. 15 in San Jose
San Jose 3 Kansas City 2 (OT). Goals: Lagos (Dayak, Donovan) 61, Mullan (Russell) 83, Donovan (Ekelund) 117; Simutenkov (Klein) 57, Klein (Preki) 72.
San Jose — Onstad, Waibel (De Rosario, 81), Dayak, Robinson, Agoos, Mullan, Mulrooney, Ekelund, Lagos (Russell, 68), Walker (Faria, 77), Donovan.
Att.: 16,108.
Chicago-San Jose 2003
May 10 in Naperville, Ill.
Chicago 0 San Jose 0 (OT).
Chicago — Thornton, Curtin, Bocanegra, Brown, Perez, Armas, Pause (Faria, 85), Whitfield, Razov, Williams, Beasley.
San Jose — Onstad, Waibel, Agoos, Dayak, Dunivant, Mullan, Corrales, Mulrooney, Lagos (Roner, 84), Ching, Donovan (Alvarez, 90).
Yellow cards: San Jose — Corrales 31, Waibel 39.
Referee: Kevin Terry.
Att.: 7,825.
May 31 in San Jose
San Jose 1 Chicago 4. Goals: Roner (Dunivant) 59; Beasley (Bocanegra) 28, Ralph 47, Razov (Whitfield) 81, Beasley (Jaqua) 90.
San Jose — Conway, Waibel, Agoos, Dunivant, Robinson (Alvarez, 37), Lagos, Corrales (Walker, 45), Roner, Russell, Donovan, Mullan.
Chicago — Thornton, Brown (Whitfield, 59), Curtin, Bocanegra, Perez, Mapp (Gray, 76), Armas, Beasley, Pause, Razov, Ralph (Jaqua, 86).
Yellow cards: San Jose — Agoos 73; Chicago — Pause 89.
Referee: Ricardo Salazar.
Att.: 7,410.
July 5 in San Jose
San Jose 0 Chicago 0 (OT).
San Jose — Onstad, Waibel, Agoos, Robinson, Dunivant, Russell, Ekelund (Lagos, 71), Roner, Alvarez (Walker, 61), Mullan, Ching.
Chicago — Thornton, Brown, Whitfield, Curtin, Gray, Armas, Marsch (Pause, 79), Williams (Futagaki, 95), Mapp, Ralph, Razov (Jaqua, 61).
Yellow cards: San Jose — Agoos 90; Chicago — Marsch 44, Whitfield 89.
Referee: Kevin Stott.
Att.: 7,705.