Major League Soccer: The 1997 Season
Unpacking the second year of professional soccer in America, from league standings to individual accolades.
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Season Overview
League Progression
The 1997 Major League Soccer season marked the league's second year of operation, building upon the foundation laid in 1996. This season saw continued development in team structures, player performance, and fan engagement across the United States. The league comprised 10 teams, evenly divided into two conferences, competing over a 32-game regular season schedule.
Championship Dominance
D.C. United established itself as a dominant force in the nascent league, securing both the Supporters' Shield for the best regular-season record and defending their MLS Cup championship. This achievement marked them as the first team in MLS history to win consecutive league titles, showcasing remarkable consistency and strategic prowess.
League Dynamics
The season featured notable team name changes and legal considerations, such as the Kansas City Wiz rebranding as the Wizards. The league's competitive landscape was defined by close standings, with playoff berths hotly contested. The introduction of specific rules, like the absence of the away goals rule and the use of penalty shootouts to decide draws, shaped the tactical approaches of the participating clubs.
Home Venues
The 1997 MLS season utilized a range of stadiums across the United States, varying significantly in capacity and historical context. These venues served as the home grounds for the league's 10 franchises.
Stadium Data
The following table details the primary stadiums used by each team during the 1997 season, along with their reported capacities.
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Rapids | Mile High Stadium | 76,273 |
| Columbus Crew | Ohio Stadium | 102,329 |
| D.C. United | RFK Stadium | 46,000 |
| Dallas Burn | Cotton Bowl | 92,100 |
| Kansas City Wizards | Arrowhead Stadium | 81,425 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Rose Bowl | 92,542 |
| New England Revolution | Foxboro Stadium | 60,292 |
| NY/NJ MetroStars | Giants Stadium | 80,200 |
| San Jose Clash | Spartan Stadium | 30,456 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | Houlihan's Stadium | 74,301 |
Team Leadership
Effective management and leadership are crucial for team success. The following tables outline the head coaches, captains, and shirt sponsors for each club, as well as significant coaching changes that occurred during the 1997 season.
Head Coaches and Captains
The strategic direction and on-field leadership were provided by these individuals.
| Team | Head Coach | Captain | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Rapids | Glenn Myernick | ||
| Columbus Crew | Tom Fitzgerald | Marcelo Carrera | Snickers |
| D.C. United | Bruce Arena | MasterCard | |
| Dallas Burn | Dave Dir | ||
| Kansas City Wizards | Ron Newman | โ | |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Octavio Zambrano | โ | |
| New England Revolution | Thomas Rongen | โ | |
| NY/NJ MetroStars | Carlos Alberto Parreira | Tony Meola | Fujifilm |
| San Jose Clash | Brian Quinn | John Doyle | Honda |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | John Kowalski |
Coaching Transitions
The dynamic nature of professional sports often necessitates changes in coaching staff. The following table details significant coaching changes during the 1997 season.
| Team | Outgoing Coach | Manner of Departure | Date of Vacancy | Incoming Coach | Date of Appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Lothar Osiander | Fired | June 10, 1997 | Octavio Zambrano | June 10, 1997 |
| San Jose Clash | Laurie Calloway | Fired | June 25, 1997 | Brian Quinn | June 25, 1997 |
League Standings
The 1997 season saw teams compete within their respective conferences, with overall standings reflecting the league-wide performance. D.C. United and Kansas City Wizards emerged as the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively.
Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference saw D.C. United lead the pack, followed closely by Tampa Bay Mutiny and Columbus Crew, all qualifying for the playoffs.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | SOW | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United | 32 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 70 | 53 | +17 | 55 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 32 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 55 | 60 | โ5 | 45 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | Columbus Crew | 32 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 39 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | New England Revolution | 32 | 11 | 4 | 17 | 40 | 53 | โ13 | 37 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 5 | NY/NJ MetroStars | 32 | 11 | 2 | 19 | 43 | 53 | โ10 | 35 |
Western Conference
The Western Conference was led by the Kansas City Wizards, with Los Angeles Galaxy and Dallas Burn also securing playoff berths.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | SOW | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City Wizards | 32 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 57 | 51 | +6 | 49 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 2 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 32 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 55 | 44 | +11 | 44 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 3 | Dallas Burn | 32 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 55 | 49 | +6 | 42 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 4 | Colorado Rapids | 32 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 50 | 59 | โ9 | 38 | MLS Cup Playoffs |
| 5 | San Jose Clash | 32 | 9 | 3 | 20 | 55 | 59 | โ4 | 30 |
Overall Standings
The overall league standings highlight D.C. United's superior performance, securing the Supporters' Shield.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | SOW | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United (C, S) | 32 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 70 | 53 | +17 | 55 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 2 | Kansas City Wizards | 32 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 57 | 51 | +6 | 49 | |
| 3 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 32 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 55 | 60 | โ5 | 45 | |
| 4 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 32 | 14 | 2 | 16 | 55 | 44 | +11 | 44 | |
| 5 | Dallas Burn | 32 | 13 | 3 | 16 | 55 | 49 | +6 | 42 | |
| 6 | Columbus Crew | 32 | 12 | 3 | 17 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 39 | |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids | 32 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 50 | 59 | โ9 | 38 | CONCACAF Champions' Cup |
| 8 | New England Revolution | 32 | 11 | 4 | 17 | 40 | 53 | โ13 | 37 | |
| 9 | NY/NJ MetroStars | 32 | 11 | 2 | 19 | 43 | 53 | โ10 | 35 | |
| 10 | San Jose Clash | 32 | 9 | 3 | 20 | 55 | 59 | โ4 | 30 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
MLS Cup Playoffs
The culmination of the season was the MLS Cup Playoffs, featuring the top four teams from each conference. The playoff structure involved best-of-three series in the conference semifinals and finals, leading to the championship match.
Conference Semifinals
The initial playoff round saw intense matchups across both conferences.
| D.C. United | 4โ1 | New England Revolution |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| New England Revolution | 1โ1 | D.C. United |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
D.C. United wins series 2-0.
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | 1โ2 | Columbus Crew |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Columbus Crew | 2โ0 | Tampa Bay Mutiny |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Columbus Crew wins series 2-0.
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 0โ0 | Dallas Burn |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Colorado Rapids | 3โ2 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Colorado Rapids wins series 2-0.
| Kansas City Wizards | 0โ3 | Colorado Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Colorado Rapids | 3โ2 | Kansas City Wizards |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Colorado Rapids wins series 2-0.
Conference Finals
The winners advanced to face each other in the Conference Finals.
| Dallas Burn | 0โ1 | Colorado Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Colorado Rapids | 2โ1 | Dallas Burn |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Colorado Rapids wins series 2-0.
| D.C. United | 3โ2 | Columbus Crew |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Columbus Crew | 0โ1 | D.C. United |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
D.C. United wins series 2-0.
MLS Cup 1997
The championship match pitted the Eastern Conference champions against the Western Conference champions.
| D.C. United | 2โ1 | Colorado Rapids |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
D.C. United are crowned MLS Cup Champions for the second consecutive year.
Player Statistics
Individual player performances were critical to team success. The following sections highlight the top performers in goals, assists, and clean sheets.
Top Goal Scorers
Jaime Moreno of D.C. United led the league in scoring with 16 goals.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaime Moreno | D.C. United | 16 |
| 2 | Raรบl Dรญaz Arce | D.C. United | 15 |
| 3 | Giovanni Savarese | NY/NJ MetroStars | 14 |
| 4 | Preki | Kansas City Wizards | 12 |
| Ronald Cerritos | San Jose Clash | ||
| Dante Washington | Dallas Burn | ||
| 7 | Damiรกn รlvarez | Dallas Burn | 11 |
| Wรฉlton | Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| 9 | Jeff Baicher | San Jose Clash | 10 |
| Mark Chung | Kansas City Wizards | ||
| Roy Lassiter | Tampa Bay Mutiny | ||
| Lawrence Lozzano | San Jose Clash |
Top Assist Providers
Carlos Valderrama of the Tampa Bay Mutiny led the league in assists with 15.
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Valderrama | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 15 |
| 2 | Preki | Kansas City Wizards | 12 |
| Eddie Lewis | San Jose Clash | ||
| 4 | Chris Henderson | Colorado Rapids | 9 |
| Mauricio Cienfuegos | Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| 6 | Lawrence Lozzano | San Jose Clash | 8 |
| Steve Ralston | Tampa Bay Mutiny | ||
| Eric Wynalda | San Jose Clash | ||
| Miles Joseph | NY/NJ MetroStars | ||
| Adriรกn Paz | Colorado Rapids |
Clean Sheets
Brad Friedel of Columbus Crew recorded the most clean sheets with 7.
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Friedel | Columbus Crew | 7 |
| 2 | Walter Zenga | New England Revolution | 6 |
| 3 | Mike Ammann | Kansas City Wizards | 5 |
| Marcus Hahnemann | Colorado Rapids | ||
| Tony Meola | NY/NJ MetroStars | ||
| 6 | Jorge Campos | Los Angeles Galaxy | 4 |
| 7 | Mark Dodd | Dallas Burn | 3 |
| Mark Dougherty | Tampa Bay Mutiny | ||
| Kevin Hartman | Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| Mark Simpson | D.C. United |
Individual Accolades
The league recognized outstanding individual performances through several prestigious awards.
Major Awards
The following players received top honors for their contributions during the 1997 season.
| Award | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Preki | Kansas City Wizards |
| Defender of the Year | Eddie Pope | D.C. United |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Brad Friedel | Columbus Crew |
| Rookie of the Year | Steve Ralston | Tampa Bay Mutiny |
| Top Scorer Award | Jaime Moreno | D.C. United |
| Coach of the Year | Bruce Arena | D.C. United |
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Disclaimer
Important Notice
This document has been generated by an AI model, synthesizing information from publicly available data sources, primarily Wikipedia. It is intended for educational and informational purposes only. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and completeness, the content may not reflect the most current information or nuances of the subject matter.
This is not professional sports analysis or advice. The data presented, including statistics and historical accounts, should not be considered a substitute for expert consultation or official league documentation. Always refer to primary sources and qualified professionals for definitive information.
The creators of this page are not liable for any errors, omissions, or actions taken based on the information provided herein.