1998 Major League Soccer season

The 1998 Major League Soccer season was the third season of Major League Soccer. Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion played their inaugural seasons as the first two MLS expansion teams. Chicago would become the first expansion team to win the MLS Cup and the first to win it in the inaugural year.

1998 Major League Soccer season
Season1998
MLS CupChicago Fire (1st title)
Supporters' ShieldLos Angeles Galaxy (1st shield)
Matches played192
Goals scored701 (3.65 per match)
Top goalscorerStern John
(26 goals)
Longest winning runChicago Fire
Games: 11
(05/16 – 07/09)
Longest losing runNew England Revolution
Games: 9
(05/13 – 07/04)
Highest attendanceLos Angeles Galaxy
Season: 348,549
Game Avg.: 21,784
Lowest attendanceKansas City Wizards
Season: 129,163
Game Avg.: 8,073
Total attendance2,747,897
Average attendance14,312
← 1997
1999 →

Final standings
  • 3 points were awarded for a win.
  • 1 point was awarded for a shootout win and considered a win in the standings.
  • No points were awarded for a loss or a shootout loss, with the latter being considered a loss in the standings
  • The top four teams in each conference advanced to the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference P W SW SL L WIR SO LIR GF GA GD APts Pts
D.C. United 3224738171057448266158
Columbus Crew 32150517155126756115045
MetroStars 32153417127135463-94339
Miami Fusion 32155017105174668-223535
Tampa Bay Mutiny 32121520116154657-113934
New England Revolution 3211242196175366-1333 29

Western Conference
Western Conference P W SW SL L WIR SO LIR GF GA GD APts Pts
Los Angeles Galaxy (SS) 322422822468544417068
Chicago Fire 32202212184106245175856
Colorado Rapids 32162216144146269-74644
Dallas Burn 32154217116154359-163937
San Jose Clash 32133519108144860-123833
Kansas City Wizards 32122420106164550-53632

MLS Cup Playoffs

Bracket
  • The ties were a best of three series.
  Conference Semifinals Conference Finals MLS Cup '98
                                   
  E1 D.C. United 2 0 (3) x  
E4 Miami 1 0 (2) x  
  E1 D.C. United 2 2 3  
Eastern Conference
  E2 Columbus 0 4 0  
E2 Columbus 5 1 (3) x
  E3 MetroStars 3 1 (2) x  
    E1 D.C. United 0
  W2 Chicago 2
  W1 Los Angeles 6 3 x  
W4 Dallas 1 2 x  
  W1 Los Angeles 0 1 (1) x
Western Conference
  W2 Chicago 1 1 (2) x  
W2 Chicago 2 1 x
  W3 Colorado 1 0 x  

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference

Miami Fusion1–2D.C. United
Paulinho McLaren Roy Lassiter, Jamie Moreno
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 15,187
D.C. United0–0
3–2 (S.O.)		Miami Fusion
Lockhart Stadium
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attendance: 13,128
  • D.C. United advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.
MetroStars3–5Columbus Crew
Eduardo Hurtado, Mike Sorber, Miles Joseph Brian Mcbride, Brian Mcbride, Rob Smith, Jason Ferrell, Stern John
Ohio Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 10,996
Columbus Crew1–1
3–2 (S.O.)		MetroStars
Stern John Tab Ramos
  • Columbus Crew advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

Western Conference

Dallas Burn1–6Los Angeles Galaxy
Dante Washington Danny Pena, Carlos Hermosillo, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Carlos Hermosillo, Welton, Danny Pena
Los Angeles Galaxy3–2Dallas Burn
Ezra Hendrickson, Paul Caligiuri, Clint Mathis Brian Haynes, Jason Kreis
Cotton Bowl
Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 8,130
  • Los Angeles Galaxy advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.
Colorado Rapids1–1
3–2 (S.O.)		Chicago Fire
Lubos Kubik Waldir Saenz
Soldier Field
Chicago
Attendance: 12,610
Chicago Fire1–0Colorado Rapids
Lubos Kubik
Mile High Stadium
Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 6,582
  • Chicago Fire advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

Columbus Crew0–2D.C. United
Sanneh  68'
Etcheverry  78'
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 17,755
D.C. United2–4Columbus Crew
Sanneh  65'
Lassiter  77'		 McBride  8', 47'
Dooley  37'
John  81'
Ohio Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Attendance: 13,193
Columbus Crew0–3D.C. United
Agoos  12'
Lassiter  44', 79'
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 21,453
  • D.C. United advance 2–1, to MLS Cup '98

Western Conference

Chicago Fire1–0Los Angeles Galaxy
Marsch  86'
Los Angeles Galaxy1–1
1–2 (SO)		Chicago Fire
Pena  37' Nowak  31'
Soldier Field
Chicago
Attendance: 32,744
  • Chicago Fire advance 2–0, to MLS Cup '98

MLS Cup '98
Chicago Fire2–0D.C. United
Podbrozny  29'
Gutiérrez  45'
Referee: Kevin Terry

Player awards

Weekly award
WeekPlayer of the WeekTeam
Week 1 Cobi JonesLos Angeles Galaxy
Week 2 Cobi JonesLos Angeles Galaxy
Week 3 Frank KlopasChicago Fire
Week 4 Jason FarrellColumbus Crew
Week 5 Stern JohnColumbus Crew
Week 6 Paul BravoColorado Rapids
Week 7 Tony MeolaMetroStars
Week 8 Cobi JonesLos Angeles Galaxy
Week 9 Vitalis TakawiraKansas City Wizards
Week 10 Peter NowakChicago Fire
Week 11 Stern JohnColumbus Crew
Week 12 Jerzy PodbrożnyChicago Fire
Week 13 Zach ThorntonChicago Fire
Week 14 Roman KoseckiChicago Fire
Week 15 Luboš KubíkChicago Fire
Week 16 John HarkesD.C. United
Week 17 Roy LassiterD.C. United
Week 18 Marco EtcheverryD.C. United
Week 19 Cobi JonesLos Angeles Galaxy
Week 20 Stern JohnColumbus Crew
Week 21 Cobi JonesLos Angeles Galaxy
Week 22 Diego SernaMiami Fusion
Week 23 Carlos HermosilloLos Angeles Galaxy
Week 24 Josh WolffChicago Fire
Week 25 Diego SernaMiami Fusion

Monthly awards
MonthPlayer of the MonthTeam
March Cobi JonesLos Angeles Galaxy
April Juergen SommerColumbus Crew
May Peter NowakChicago Fire
June Ross PauleColorado Rapids
July Roy LassiterD.C. United
August Stern JohnColumbus Crew
September Diego SernaMiami Fusion

End of year awards
AwardPlayerTeam
Most Valuable Player Marco EtcheverryD.C. United
Scoring Champion Stern John – (57 Pts.)Columbus Crew
Defender of the Year Lubos KubikChicago Fire
Goalkeeper of the Year Zach ThorntonChicago Fire
Rookie of the Year Ben OlsenD.C. United
Coach of the Year Bob BradleyChicago Fire
Goal of the Year Brian McBrideColumbus Crew
Fair Play Award Thomas DooleyColumbus Crew

Player statistics

Top goal scorers
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Stern John Columbus Crew 26
2 Cobi Jones Los Angeles Galaxy 19
3 Roy Lassiter D.C. United 18
Raúl Díaz Arce New England Revolution 18
5 Welton Los Angeles Galaxy 17
6 Jaime Moreno D.C. United 16
7 Giovanni Savarese MetroStars 14
8 Wolde Harris Colorado Rapids 13
Mauricio Cienfuegos Los Angeles Galaxy 13
Ronald Cerritos San Jose Clash 13

Attendance
Club Games Home Total Home Average
Los Angeles Galaxy 16 348,549 21,784
New England Revolution 16 307,004 19,187
Chicago Fire 16 286,190 17,886
MetroStars 16 264,316 16,519
D.C. United 16 256,127 16,007
Colorado Rapids 16 236,995 14,812
San Jose Clash 16 218,450 13,653
Columbus Crew 16 196,394 12,274
Dallas Burn 16 175,162 10,947
Tampa Bay Mutiny 16 164,999 10,312
Miami Fusion 16 164,548 10,284
Kansas City Wizards 16 129,163 8,072
OVERALL 192 2,747,897 14,311

International Competition

CONCACAF Champions' Cup

Interamerican Cup

First leg played at RFK Stadium
Second leg played at Lockhart Stadium.

Coaches

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

References
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