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 →
D.C.
United
MetroStars
Miami
Fusion
Tampa Bay Mutiny
Columbus Crew
New England Revolution
Colorado Rapids
Dallas
Burn
Los Angeles Galaxy
Kansas City Wizards
San Jose Clash
Chicago
Fire
Locations of teams for the 1998 Major League Soccer season
Western Conference   Eastern Conference

Final standings

Eastern Conference
Pos Team Pld W SOW L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 D.C. United 32 17 7 8 74 48 +26 58 Playoffs
2 Columbus Crew 32 15 0 17 67 56 +11 45
3 MetroStars 32 12 3 17 54 63 −9 39
4 Miami Fusion 32 10 5 17 46 68 −22 35
5 Tampa Bay Mutiny 32 11 1 20 46 57 −11 34
6 New England Revolution 32 9 2 21 53 66 −13 29
Source: FBREF.com

Western Conference
Pos Team Pld W SOW L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Los Angeles Galaxy 32 22 2 8 85 44 +41 68 Playoffs
2 Chicago Fire 32 18 2 12 62 45 +17 56
3 Colorado Rapids 32 14 2 16 62 69 −7 44
4 Dallas Burn 32 11 4 17 43 59 −16 37
5 San Jose Clash 32 10 3 19 48 60 −12 33
6 Kansas City Wizards 32 10 2 20 45 50 −5 32
Source: FBREF.com

Overall Table
Pos Team Pld W SOW L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Los Angeles Galaxy (S) 32 22 2 8 85 44 +41 68 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup[lower-alpha 1]
2 D.C. United 32 17 7 8 74 48 +26 58 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup[lower-alpha 2]
3 Chicago Fire (C) 32 18 2 12 62 45 +17 56 1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup[lower-alpha 3]
4 Columbus Crew 32 15 0 17 67 56 +11 45
5 Colorado Rapids 32 14 2 16 62 69 −7 44
6 MetroStars 32 12 3 17 54 63 −9 39
7 Dallas Burn 32 11 4 17 43 59 −16 37
8 Miami Fusion 32 10 5 17 46 68 −22 35
9 Tampa Bay Mutiny 32 11 1 20 46 57 −11 34
10 San Jose Clash 32 10 3 19 48 60 −12 33
11 Kansas City Wizards 32 10 2 20 45 50 −5 32
12 New England Revolution 32 9 2 21 53 66 −13 29
Source: MLSsoccer.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champion; (S) MLS Supporters' Shield
Notes:
  1. As 1998 MLS Supporters' Shield winner
  2. As 1998 MLS Cup runner-up
  3. As 1998 MLS Cup winner

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 1 (3) 1 x
  W3 Colorado 1 (2) 0 x  

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference

Game 1
D.C. United2–1Miami Fusion
  • Lassiter 28'
  • Moreno 38'
 Report
Attendance: 15,187
Referee: Brian Hall
Game 2
Miami Fusion0–0D.C. United
Report
Penalties
 2–3
Attendance: 13,128
Referee: Tim Weyland
  • D.C. United advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.
Game 1
Columbus Crew5–3MetroStars
 Report
Attendance: 10,996
Referee: Ali Saheli
Game 2
MetroStars1–1Columbus Crew
 Report
Penalties
 2–3
Attendance: 11,686
Referee: Michael Kennedy
  • Columbus Crew advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

Western Conference

Game 1
Los Angeles Galaxy6–1Dallas Burn
 Report
Attendance: 10,047
Referee: Ted Covaciu
Game 2
Dallas Burn2–3Los Angeles Galaxy
 Report
Attendance: 8,130
Referee: Brian Hall
  • Los Angeles Galaxy advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.
Game 1
Chicago Fire1–1Colorado Rapids
 Report
Penalties
 3–2
Attendance: 12,610
Referee: Kevin Terry
Game 2
Colorado Rapids0–1Chicago Fire
Report
Attendance: 6,582
Referee: Noel Kenny
  • Chicago Fire advance 2–0, to the Conference Finals.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

Game 1
D.C. United2–0Columbus Crew
 Report
Attendance: 17,755
Referee: Kevin Stott
Game 2
Columbus Crew4–2D.C. United
 Report
Attendance: 13,193
Referee: Rich Grady
Game 3
D.C. United3–0Columbus Crew
 Report
Attendance: 21,453
Referee: Noel Kenny
  • D.C. United advance 2–1, to MLS Cup '98

Western Conference

Game 1
Los Angeles Galaxy0–1Chicago Fire
Report
Attendance: 25,107
Referee: Kevin Terry
Game 2
Chicago Fire1–1Los Angeles Galaxy
 Report
Penalties
 2–1
Attendance: 32,744
  • Chicago Fire advance 2–0, to MLS Cup '98

MLS Cup '98
MLS Cup 1998
Chicago Fire2–0D.C. United
 Report
Attendance: 51,350
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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