MLS Cup 2020 was the 25th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The match was played on December 12, 2020, at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, between Columbus Crew SC and the defending champion Seattle Sounders FC. It was originally scheduled for November 7, 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the adjusted MLS season schedule.
Background
The 2020 MLS season was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The league suspended play on March 12, 2020, and resumed with the MLS is Back Tournament in July at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. The regular season was shortened to 23 matches per team, and conference standings were determined by points per game due to match cancellations. The MLS Cup Playoffs featured an expanded field of 18 teams in a single-elimination format.
Road to the Final
Columbus Crew SC finished third in the Eastern Conference with a points-per-game average of 1.78. They defeated the New York Red Bulls (3–2), Nashville SC (2–0 after extra time), and the New England Revolution (1–0) to reach the final.
Seattle Sounders FC finished second in the Western Conference with a points-per-game average of 1.77. They defeated Los Angeles FC (3–1), FC Dallas (1–0), and Minnesota United FC (3–2) to advance to their fourth MLS Cup final in five years.
Venue
The match was held at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, a 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium that opened in 1999. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance was limited to 1,500 spectators in distanced seating. It was the final playoff match played at Mapfre Stadium, which was replaced by Lower.com Field in 2021.
Match Summary
Columbus Crew SC won 3–0. Lucas Zelarayán opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a left-footed volley that deflected off Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei. In the 31st minute, Zelarayán provided an assist to Derrick Etienne, who scored with a curling shot to make it 2–0. Zelarayán scored his second goal of the match in the 82nd minute with a left-footed shot into the upper corner. Columbus goalkeeper Eloy Room made a key save on a header from Jordan Morris in the 80th minute to preserve the shutout.
Key Details
- Date: December 12, 2020
- Venue: Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Attendance: 1,500
- Referee: Jair Marrufo
- MLS Cup MVP: Lucas Zelarayán (Columbus Crew SC)
- Weather: Cloudy, 48 °F (9 °C)
Post-Match
Columbus Crew SC won their second MLS Cup championship (their first since 2008). Caleb Porter became the third coach in MLS history to win the MLS Cup with two different teams, having previously won with the Portland Timbers in 2015. Lucas Zelarayán became the first player to score two goals in an MLS Cup since Alecko Eskandarian in 2004. As champions, Columbus earned a berth in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League and the 2021 Campeones Cup, which they won against Liga MX champion Cruz Azul.
The match was broadcast in English by Fox in the United States and TSN in Canada, drawing 1.071 million viewers on Fox—a 30 percent increase from the 2019 final.
