Major League Soccer playoff release of notes and quotes
The road to MLS Cup 2010 kicks off this week with the first legs of the four conference semifinal series. All four matchups - the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC, Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas, the New York Red Bulls and San Jose Earthquakes, and the Columbus Crew and Colorado Rapids - feature teams that have never faced each other in the postseason.
How Wondo won the Golden Boot
Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes won the Budweiser MLS Golden Boot, scoring 18 goals to finish one ahead of the LA Galaxy's Edson Buddle.
* Wondolowski has scored the last 10 goals for the Earthquakes, setting an MLS record for goals scored consecutively by one player for his team.
* With six weeks to play in the regular season, Wondolowski trailed Edson Buddle by six goals in the Golden Boot race. While Buddle scored three goals in the Galaxy's final seven games (after Sept. 11), Wondolowski scored 10 in the Earthquakes' final eight - the biggest deficit overcome late in the season to win the Golden Boot in MLS history.
Defense wins championships?
Real Salt Lake concluded the 2010 season with just 20 goals allowed in 30 games - smashing the record of 23 goals allowed in 30 games set by the Houston Dynamo.
Four teams - RSL (0.67 goals per game), LA Galaxy (0.87), FC Dallas (0.93) and the New York Red Bulls (0.97) all allowed less than a goal per game. Coming into the 2010 season, just seven teams total in league history had allowed less than a goal per game, two of which won it all:
How Wondo won the Golden Boot
Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes won the Budweiser MLS Golden Boot, scoring 18 goals to finish one ahead of the LA Galaxy's Edson Buddle.
* Wondolowski has scored the last 10 goals for the Earthquakes, setting an MLS record for goals scored consecutively by one player for his team.
* With six weeks to play in the regular season, Wondolowski trailed Edson Buddle by six goals in the Golden Boot race. While Buddle scored three goals in the Galaxy's final seven games (after Sept. 11), Wondolowski scored 10 in the Earthquakes' final eight - the biggest deficit overcome late in the season to win the Golden Boot in MLS history.
Defense wins championships?
Real Salt Lake concluded the 2010 season with just 20 goals allowed in 30 games - smashing the record of 23 goals allowed in 30 games set by the Houston Dynamo.
Four teams - RSL (0.67 goals per game), LA Galaxy (0.87), FC Dallas (0.93) and the New York Red Bulls (0.97) all allowed less than a goal per game. Coming into the 2010 season, just seven teams total in league history had allowed less than a goal per game, two of which won it all: