It's playoff time for Major League Soccer (MLS), and David Wright, vice president of partnership marketing for Soccer United Marketing, couldn't be more pleased with how the 2009 season unfolded for the league.

"We're down to the final eight teams, and this is arguably one of the most competitive playoff races we've had in league history," says Wright.

Wright made those remarks before last night's Eastern Conference semi-final match between Real Salt Lake and the 2008 MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew. Thanks to three unanswered goals from Real's Javier Morales, Robbie Findley and Andy Williams, the Crew lost the match 3-2 and have been knocked out of the playoffs on aggregate.

Of the teams currently in the playoffs, the Seatte Sounders FC - an expansion team that began play this season - have proven to be an incredible success both on and off the field.

Wright credits a strong ownership group, which includes majority owner Joe Roth, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and actor/comedian Drew Carey, as one reason for the Sounders' fast rise.

In Salt Lake City, a growing Hispanic fan base and a huge number of youth soccer participants have aided Real in its home attendance.

For the MLS's corporate partners, the ability to drive sales through sponsorships and brand activation opportunities remains a key factor in the activity seen throughout the 2009 season, Wright says.

Throughout the playoffs, one big MLS sponsor - The Home Depot - will repeat its community-building activity seen during the 2008 MLS Cup by refurbishing a downtrodden playground in a Seattle neighborhood. The activity comes on top of MLS player appearances at retail locations that have attracted huge crowds. In Seattle, more than 800 people showed up to meet Sounders stars Kasey Keller and Freddie Ljungberg.

Come championship day, Wright hopes all of MLS's partners will be so satisfied with the 2009 season's ROI that MLS Cup 2009 will serve as a launching pad for 2010 and beyond.

Here's a review of what other MLS sponsors have done in the way of brand activation during the 2009 regular season, leading up to MLS Cup on November 22:

• Panasonic/Best Buy
  A national retail promotion was expanded to include 350 stores in both Hispanic-dominant and non-Latino areas. Among the MLS players involved with in-market activities were Mexican superstar Cuauthemoc Blanco of the Chicago Fire, Argentina's Guillermo Barros Schelotto of the Columbus Crew, Colombian Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls and American Chris Klein of the LA Galaxy (HispanicSportsBusiness archives 5/15/2009).
  

• NAPA Auto Parts
  Retail point-of-sale materials in both English and Spanish were distributed to 1,530 NAPA locations across the U.S. Players tied to NAPA's promotion of the MLS included Cuauthemoc Blanco, Brazil's Luciano Emilio of D.C. United, Argentine Javier Morales of Real Salt Lake and the Columbus Crew's Barros Schelotto.

• Volkswagen of America
  Four of eight MLS players featured in the VW Jr. Masters "Goal Celebration" series of video vignettes are Latino - Barros Schelotto, Wilman Conde, John Kennedy Hurtado and Javier Morales. A major PR push promoted the series of short videos (HispanicSportsBusiness archives 8/21/2009).

• Makita
  The power tools brand ran a three-month promotion online that awarded a trip to MLS Cup 2009 in Seattle.

ROAD TO THE MLS CUP
Real Salt Lake now awaits either the Chicago Fire or the New England Revolution. The Revolution lead on aggregate 2-1, and the teams are set to battle for a shot at playing Salt Lake tomorrow evening (November 7) in Chicago.

In the Western Conference semi-finals, the Los Angeles Galaxy and its in-stadium rival - Chivas USA - are tied 2-2 on aggregate going into Sunday night's game.

Also on Sunday, the Seattle Sounders - hosts of the 2009 MLS Cup, set for November 22 - will battle the Houston Dynamo in Texas. The clubs are 0-0 on aggregate going into the match. 

HSB