clock with stoppage time and tied matches would be allowed following two periods of five-minute golden goal overtime. The MLS Cup Playoffs ran from mid-September to October and was contested by the winners of the three divisions and five wild card teams with the most points regardless of division, who were then seeded based on overall standings. The playoffs were organized into three rounds, the first two being a home-and-away series organized into a best-of-three format. Teams were awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw, and the first team to earn five points would advance. The MLS Cup final remained a single match at a predetermined venue. MLS Cup 2000 was contested by the Kansas City Wizards of the Western Division and the Chicago Fire of the Central Division. Both teams finished atop their respective divisions with 57 points, but the Wizards clinched the Supporters' Shield on the goal difference tiebreaker by two goals. The Fire, who won the MLS Cup in 1998, were the top-scoring team during the 2000 season, while the Wizards conceded the fewest goals. Kansas City and Chicago met twice during the regular season, trading wins at home; the Wizards won 4–3 on March 25 and the Fire won 3–2 on June 4. MLS Cup 2000 was the first edition of the league's championship to not feature D.C. United, whose stadium was used for the match. Kansas City Wizards The Kansas City Wizards (originally the "Wiz") qualified for the playoffs in their first two seasons, finishing atop the Western Conference in 1997, but had never appeared in the MLS Cup final. The Wizards then finished with a 12–20 record in 1998 and failed to qualify for the playoffs under head coach Ron Newman, who was fired after a 0–7 start the following year. Newman was replaced by Bob Gansler, who finished the 1999 season with a 8–24 record, the second-worst in the league, while rebuilding the team's roster. Several members of the inaugural season's team, including forward Vitalis Takawira and defenders Sean Bowers and Scott Uderitz, were waived by the Wizards at the end of the 1999 season, while Alexi Lalas announced his retirement. Gansler and new general manager Curt Johnson made several key signing in the offseason, beginning with the acquisition of Danish forward Miklos Molnar from Sevilla F.C. in January 2000. The Wizards traded defender Scott Vermillion to the