2004 Major League Soccer season
| Season | 2004 |
|---|---|
| MLS Cup | D.C. United (4th title) |
| Supporters' Shield | Columbus Crew (1st shield) |
| Matches played | 150 |
| Goals scored | 392 (2.61 per match) |
| Top goalscorer |
Brian Ching San Jose Earthquakes Goals: 12 Eddie Johnson Dallas Burn Goals: 12 |
| Biggest home win | NE 6-1 COL |
| Biggest away win |
LA 0-3 NY DAL 0-3 NE CHI 0-3 COL |
| Highest scoring | SJ 5-5 NY |
| Longest winning run |
Columbus Crew Games: 4 (05/15 – 06/06) Columbus Crew Games: 4 (09/04 – 09/25) |
| Longest unbeaten run |
Columbus Crew Games: 18 (07/03/2004) |
| Longest losing run |
Dallas Burn Games: 4 (05/08 – 05/29) |
| Highest attendance |
Los Angeles Galaxy Season: 357,137 Game Avg.: 23,809 |
| Lowest attendance |
Dallas Burn Season: 136,319 Game Avg.: 9,088 |
| Average attendance |
MLS Season: 2,333,797 Game Avg.: 15,559 |
The 2004 Major League Soccer season culminated with D.C. United winning its fourth MLS Cup championship.
The biggest news in the beginning of the season was the signing of 14-year-old prodigy Freddy Adu, who made his debut as a substitute in United's season opener and scored his first goal several games later against the rival MetroStars. Adu contributed as a substitute on D.C.'s championship team, scoring five goals as the youngest player in North American sports history.
The season saw the emergence of forwards Brian Ching (San Jose) and Eddie Johnson (Dallas) as formidable forwards, not only for their MLS teams, but for the United States national team as well. The two shared Golden Boot honors.
The Columbus Crew emerged as a dominant team in the second half of the regular season, running off an MLS-record 18-game unbeaten streak en route to the Supporters' Shield title, won after finishing level on points with Kansas City.
In the playoffs the Crew were taken down by the New England Revolution, who ended the Crew's streak in the opening leg, and goalkeeper Matt Reis, who saved two penalty kicks in the second leg. United cruised past the rival MetroStars (and league MVP Amado Guevara) 4-0 on aggregate in the other Eastern Conference semifinal.
In the Western Conference, Kansas City rallied from a 2-0 first-leg deficit for a dramatic 3-0 win in stoppage time over the defending MLS Cup champion San Jose Earthquakes in their conference semifinal. The Los Angeles Galaxy used a 2-0 home victory in the second leg to overcome the Colorado Rapids and goalie Joe Cannon, who had led the Rapids to a 1-0 victory in the opener.
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