Major League Soccer

MLS Cup 2004 to be played at Home Depot Center again.

NEW YORK (Thursday, June 24, 2004) -- MLS Cup 2004, Major League Soccer's ninth championship game, will be played November 14 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., for the second straight year, league commissioner Don Garber announced today.

The 3:30 p.m. (ET) title match will be broadcast by ABC.

MLS Cup 2004 marks the third time that the MLS champion will be crowned at the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy. In 1998, the Chicago Fire defeated D.C. United 2-0 in the final before 51,530 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Last year, the San Jose Earthquakes outlasted the Fire 4-2 before 27,000 at The Home Depot Center.

The Home Depot Center opened June 7, 2003, with the host Galaxy blanking the Colorado Rapids 2-0 before a capacity crowd of 27,000. It was also sold out for the 2003 MLS All-Star Game on August 3 and, since it opened, is the venue with the highest average attendance in MLS.

The HDC, which is home to the United States women's 2004 Summer Olympics preparations, as well as a training center for the U.S. men and women, also hosted six contests during the 2003 Women's World Cup, including the third-place and championship games.

The first round of MLS playoffs will feature a two-match, home-and-home, aggregate-goals format. As is the case with MLS Cup 2004, the Eastern and Western conference championships will be decided with one match each.

1996 -- D.C. United 3, Los Angeles Galaxy 2
Attendance: 34,643 at Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.