1998 D.C. United season

D.C. United

1998 season
General Manager	Dave Kasper
Head Coach	Bruce Arena
Stadium	RFK Stadium
MLS	2nd
MLS Cup	Runners-Up
CONCACAF Champions Cup	Champions
Top goalscorer	League: All: Roy Lassiter (18)
Home colors Away colors Third colors
← 1997 1999 →

The 1998 D.C. United season was the clubs' fourth year of existence, as well as their third season in Major League Soccer.

D.C. United entered their third season as the two-time defending MLS Cup champion, as well as the defending Supporters' Shield titleholder. Finishing as runners-up in MLS Cup '98 and second-place in the regular season standings, United failed to defend both domestic honors. In international play, D.C. United made American soccer history, becoming the first American soccer club to win any CONCACAF club tournament, being the 1998 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It was only the third time in CONCACAF history that an American soccer club reached the Champions' Cup final (previously achieved by Los Angeles Galaxy the previous season and New York Pancyprian-Freedoms in 1984). Since their title, only the Galaxy have won the Champions' Cup, which they accomplished in 2000, and it would not be until 2011 when Real Salt Lake reached the 2011 CONCACAF Champions League Finals would an American club once again reach the North American club final.

Background

D.C. United ended their sophomore campaign on a high note, claiming the "league double", earning both the Supporters' Shield (regular season), and the 1997 MLS Cup championship (postseason). During the 1997 campaign, the club nearly earned a tuble, which is to win four or more top tier trophies during a single season, but ultimately fell short of that. In the domestic cup competition, the U.S. Open Cup, D.C. United reached the final of the competition, only to lose against Dallas Burn (now known as FC Dallas). In the continental club tournament, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, United finished in third place, after falling to Los Angeles Galaxy in the semifinals.^[1]

Competitions

Major League Soccer

Standings

Conference

Pos	Club	GP	W	(sw)	(sl)	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	D.C. United	32	24	7	3	8	74	48	26	58	Eastern Conference regular season champion, 1998 MLS Cup Playoffs
2	Columbus Crew	32	15	0	5	17	67	56	11	45	1998 MLS Cup Playoffs
3	MetroStars	32	15	3	4	17	54	63	-9	39
4	Miami Fusion	32	15	5	0	17	46	68	-22	35
5	Tampa Bay Mutiny	32	12	1	5	20	46	57	-11	34
6	New England Revolution	32	11	2	4	21	53	66	-13	29

Source: MLSSoccer.com
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head record; 3rd goal difference; 4th number of goals scored.
(E1) = Eastern Division premier
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs, but not yet to the particular round indicated; (E) = Eliminated from playoff-contention.
The top four teams in each conference make the playoffs. Below is the points calculation.
Wins (W) are worth 3 points.
Shootout Wins (SW) are worth 1 point, and is considered a Win in the standings
Shootout Loss (SL) are worth 0 points, and is considered a Loss in the standings; Loss (L) are worth 0 points.

Overall

Pos	Club	GP	W	(sw)	(sl)	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Los Angeles Galaxy (SS) (W1)	32	24	2	2	8	85	44	41	68	1999 CONCACAF Champions' Cup qualifying playoff, 1998 MLS Cup Playoffs
2	D.C. United (E1)	32	24	7	3	8	74	48	26	58	1998 MLS Cup Playoffs
3	Chicago Fire	32	20	2	1	12	62	45	17	56	1998 MLS Cup Playoffs
4	Columbus Crew	32	15	0	5	17	67	56	11	45
5	Colorado Rapids	32	16	2	2	16	62	69	-7	44
6	MetroStars	32	15	3	4	17	54	63	-9	39
7	Dallas Burn	32	15	4	2	17	43	59	-16	37
8	Miami Fusion	32	15	5	0	17	46	68	-22	35
9	Tampa Bay Mutiny	32	12	1	5	20	46	57	-11	34
10	San Jose Clash	32	13	3	5	19	48	60	-12	33
11	Kansas City Wizards	32	12	2	4	20	45	50	-5	32
12	New England Revolution	32	11	2	4	21	53	66	-13	29

Source: MLSSoccer.com
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head record; 3rd goal difference; 4th number of goals scored.
(SS) = MLS Supporters' Shield; (E1) = Eastern Division premier, (W1) = Western Division premier
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs, but not yet to the particular round indicated; (E) = Eliminated from playoff-contention.
Below is the points calculation.
Wins (W) are worth 3 points.
Shootout Wins (SW) are worth 1 point, and is considered a Win in the standings
Shootout Loss (SL) are worth 0 points, and is considered a Loss in the standings; Loss (L) are worth 0 points.

Match reports

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MLS Cup Playoffs

Round	Game	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers	Ref.
Conf. SF	1	September 30, 1998	Miami Fusion	H	2–1	15,187
Conf. SF	2	October 4, 1998	Miami Fusion	A	0–0 (3–2 pen.)	13,128
Conf. F	1	October 11, 1998	Columbus Crew	H	2–0	13,193	Sanneh, Etcheverry
Conf. F	2	October 18, 1998	Columbus Crew	A	2–4	12,607	Sanneh, Lassiter
Conf. F	3	October 21, 1998	Columbus Crew	H	3–0	21,453	Agoos, Lassiter
F		October 25, 1998	Chicago Fire	N	0–2	51,530

CONCACAF Champions' Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers	Ref.
QF	August 11, 1998	Joe Public	H	8–0		Lassiter (4), Olsen (2), Wood (2)
SF	August 14, 1998	León	H	2–0		Lassiter (2)
F	August 16, 1998	Toluca	H	1–0	12,607	Pope

References

1. "CONCACAF Champions' Cup 1962–2008" (PDF). CONCACAF. CONCACAF.com. p. 9. Retrieved February 10, 2012.