Major League Soccer
Encyclopedia
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer)
. The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada. MLS represents the top tier of both the American
and Canadian soccer pyramid
s.
Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. Unique for a major sports league, MLS operates under a single-entity structure, where each team is owned by the league and operated by its investors. The first season took place in 1996 beginning with 10 teams. Seasons presently run from March to November, with each team playing 34 games in the regular season. Ten teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs
culminating in the championship game, MLS Cup
.
in which each team
both hosts and visits every other team once. Teams are divided into the Eastern
and Western
Conference. Midway through the season, teams break for the annual All-Star Game
, a friendly game between the league's finest players and a major club from a different league. At the end of the regular season, the team with the highest point total is awarded the Supporters' Shield. The regular season is followed by the 10-team MLS Cup Playoffs
ending with the MLS Cup
championship final.
MLS has three automatic berths in the CONCACAF Champions League
for its American clubs with an additional spot available via the U.S. Open Cup
; Canadian clubs can qualify for a single berth via the Canadian Championship. For the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League
, the qualifying clubs are MLS Cup 2010
champion Colorado Rapids
, Supporters' Shield winner Los Angeles Galaxy
, MLS Cup runner-up FC Dallas
, and 2010 U.S. Open Cup
champion Seattle Sounders FC
. Toronto FC
also qualified as winner of the 2011 Canadian Championship
.
, D.C. United
, the New England Revolution
, the NY/NJ MetroStars, the Tampa Bay Mutiny
, the Colorado Rapids
, the Dallas Burn
, the Kansas City Wiz, the Los Angeles Galaxy
and the San Jose Clash
, began play. The early years of the league gave rise to the Bruce Arena
-led dynasty of D.C. United, winning the MLS Cup
in three of the league's first four seasons. It took the expansion Chicago Fire in 1998 to end United's stranglehold on the championship. Also joining the league in 1998 were the Miami Fusion.
After its first season, MLS suffered from a decline in attendance. The league's quality was cast into doubt when the U.S. men's national team
, made up largely of MLS players, was eliminated in the first round of the 1998 World Cup
and finished in last place.
The league began to market itself on the talents of American players, both experienced veterans and fresh talents. Breakout stars like DaMarcus Beasley
and Landon Donovan
began making names for themselves in MLS before breaking into and starring for the U.S. national team, while established players such as Brian McBride
, Eddie Pope
, and Clint Mathis
continued to prove their value to both their MLS clubs and the U.S. national team.
The league's ongoing financial problems led to the departure of Commissioner Doug Logan
after the end of the 1998 season. Don Garber
, a former National Football League
executive, was hired as commissioner and became instrumental in stabilizing the league's future. Construction of soccer-specific stadium
s, largely funded by owners such as Lamar Hunt
and Phil Anschutz, became a point of emphasis to bring fiscal health and ensure the league's survival. Hunt's Columbus Crew Stadium
, built in 1999, is often cited as a league model.
On the field, the early wave of international players who had joined MLS at its inception drifted into retirement or moved on to clubs elsewhere in the world. The run-up to the 2002 World Cup
saw a gradual shift in the league's philosophy toward the development of American talent, a move that would eventually lead to success for U.S. soccer.
Despite movement, declining attendances forced MLS to stop the bleeding by contracting the two Florida franchises, the Tampa Bay Mutiny
and Miami Fusion, just a few years after their establishment. This left the league with 10 teams, the same number as when MLS began. Also, the league reorganized back to the Eastern and Western Conference format after two seasons with the third Central Division.
unexpectedly made the quarterfinals through wins against Portugal
and Mexico
, triggered a resurgence in American soccer and MLS. The MLS Cup 2002
, held four months after the 2002 World Cup final, set an attendance record as a sellout crowd at Gillette Stadium
saw the Los Angeles Galaxy win their first title.
MLS drew international attention in 2004 with the debut of 14-year-old Freddy Adu
for D.C. United, who entered the league with much fanfare and was heralded as one of the top prospects in American soccer history.
MLS underwent a significant transition in the years leading up to the 2006 World Cup
. After marketing itself on the talents of American players, the league saw some of its homegrown stars depart for more prominent leagues in Europe
. Tim Howard
, goalkeeper for the MetroStars, was sold to Manchester United
in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history. DaMarcus Beasley of the Chicago Fire left for PSV Eindhoven, while Landon Donovan, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, was recalled to Germany. Donovan's stint in Germany was brief; before the start of the 2005 MLS season he was sold back to MLS to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Many more American players, though they factored little in the U.S. national team picture, did make an impact in MLS. In 2005, Jason Kreis
of expansion club Real Salt Lake
became the first player to score at least 100 career MLS goals. In 2005, the MLS Reserve Division
was created, with each reserve squad playing 12 games, providing valuable playing time to develop non-starters on team rosters.
It was also in this era that MLS expanded for the first time since the contraction of 2001. Real Salt Lake
and Chivas USA
began play in 2005, with Chivas USA becoming the second club in Los Angeles, sharing The Home Depot Center
with the Galaxy. Chivas USA also became the first team in MLS to be directly connected to a foreign club, their sister club of Guadalajara. By 2006 the San Jose Earthquakes
owners, players and a few coaches moved to Texas to become the expansion Houston Dynamo
, after failing to build a stadium in San Jose. The Dynamo became an expansion team, leaving their history behind for a new San Jose ownership group that would materialize in 2007.
, which places top MLS clubs against top Mexican clubs in an effort to provide more meaningful competition for both leagues. MLS changed the rules regarding foreign players in the league to allow a total of eight per team. This period also saw expansion reach beyond the United States' borders into Canada, beginning with Toronto FC
.
The 2007 season
witnessed the MLS debut of David Beckham
, whose signing had been seen as a coup for American soccer. Beckham's contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy was made possible by the Designated Player Rule. Players such as Cuauhtémoc Blanco
of Club América
signed for the Chicago Fire, and Juan Pablo Ángel
, who moved from Aston Villa
to the New York Red Bulls, are some of the first Designated Players who have made major contributions to their clubs.
The departures of Clint Dempsey
and Jozy Altidore
, coupled with the return of former U.S. national team stars Claudio Reyna
and Brian McBride
to New York and Chicago, respectively, highlight the exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans to MLS. Several other well-known foreign players have followed Beckham and Blanco to MLS, including Guillermo Barros Schelotto
to Columbus and Freddie Ljungberg
to Seattle.
By 2008 San Jose had returned to the league under new ownership. In 2009 expansion side Seattle Sounders FC
opened to a crowd of 32,523 at Qwest Field. The 2010 season ushered in the expansion franchise Philadelphia Union and the opening of New York's soccer-specific stadium, Red Bull Arena. That same summer saw the opening of Philadelphia's own new stadium, PPL Park and the debut of New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry
, the leading all-time goalscorer of Arsenal F.C.
and the French national team
.
The start of the 2011 season saw further expansion with the addition of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the second Canadian MLS franchise, and Portland Timbers
. The addition of two West Coast teams pushed the Houston Dynamo
into the Eastern Conference. The Kansas City Wizards began play under the rebranded moniker of Sporting Kansas City. During the season, the Galaxy signed another major international star in Republic of Ireland
captain and all-time leading goalscorer Robbie Keane
.
In 2012, the Montreal Impact
will become the league's 19th franchise and the 3rd to be located in Canada.
The league's cost-controlling measures have attracted new ownership that have injected more money into the league, improving it and focusing the league's resources on fewer clubs. Examples include the Anschutz Entertainment Group
's sale of the MetroStars to Red Bull
, for an "excess of $100 million," according to the New York Times. Commissioner Garber said to the Los Angeles Times that, "the sale was part of a plan to have AEG decrease its holdings in MLS. We're pushing Hunt Sports to do the same thing."
Commissioner Garber has stated that having multiple clubs owned by a single owner was a necessity in the first 10 years of MLS, but now that the league appears to be on the brink of overall profitability and has significant expansion plans, he wants each club to have a distinct owner. In order to help bring this about, the league is now giving more incentive to be an individual club owner, with all owners now having the rights to a certain number of players they develop through their club's academy system each year, sharing the profits of Soccer United Marketing, and being able to sell individual club jersey sponsorships.
At one time AEG owned six clubs in MLS, and have since sold the Colorado Rapids, the MetroStars, D.C. United and the Chicago Fire to new owners. AEG's remaining teams are the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo. The other major owner-investor in MLS has been Hunt Sports, which owns the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas, having sold the Kansas City Wizards to a local ownership group in 2006. The league now has 17 owners for its 19 clubs (including the Montreal team entering in 2012).
, who rose to prominence as one of the league's most skilled young strikers before fetching the league's record transfer fee in his $10 million move to Villarreal in 2008.
The league also announced "Game First", a series of initiatives aimed at improving the league in several ways. One of the most immediate changes is that U.S. Soccer
hired the first full-time professional referees in league history. Another part of "Game First" was the creation of an official league anthem by Audiobrain
- similar to other competitions from around the world. There are two versions of the MLS Anthem, an orchestral version that is performed before every regular season game and an orchestral chorus version that is played before the MLS All-Star Game
and MLS Cup
.
Since 1999, the league has overseen the construction and completion of nine venues specifically designed for soccer. Lamar Hunt broke new ground in this endeavor by financing the construction of MLS's first soccer-specific stadium
, Columbus Crew Stadium
. The Los Angeles Galaxy followed four years later with the opening of The Home Depot Center
in 2003. Chivas USA has shared this venue with the Galaxy since their expansion season in 2005. It also played host to two consecutive MLS Cup
s, until FC Dallas opened Pizza Hut Park
in 2005 and hosted the next two championships. The Chicago Fire began playing their home games in Toyota Park
in 2006. 2007
saw the opening of Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the Colorado Rapids and BMO Field
for Toronto FC. Near the end of the 2008 season
, Rio Tinto Stadium became the home of Real Salt Lake. Red Bull Arena, the new home of the New York Red Bulls, began construction in December 2007 and opened for the start of the 2010 season
. The Philadelphia Union opened PPL Park, midway through their inaugural season, in June 2010. The following season, the Portland Timbers
made their MLS debut in a newly renovated Jeld-Wen Field (originally a multipurpose venue but turned into a soccer-specific facility), and Sporting Kansas City began the season with a record 10-game road trip to accommodate the June opening of their new Livestrong Sporting Park
.
Six remaining clubs play in stadiums not originally built for MLS. The New England Revolution play home games at an NFL
venue, Gillette Stadium
; and D.C. United play home games at a former NFL and Major League Baseball
venue, RFK Stadium
. New England and D.C. are actively seeking to build their own soccer stadiums. The Seattle Sounders FC play in a dual-purpose stadium, designed to be used for both American football and soccer. For Sounders games, CenturyLink Field staff tarps off the upper bowl to provide a more intimate atmosphere. The Houston Dynamo's new stadium is under construction and should be ready for the 2012 season, and the San Jose Earthquakes are in the planning stages for their own soccer venues replacing Robertson Stadium
and Buck Shaw Stadium
. The Vancouver Whitecaps FC made their MLS debut in 2011 at the temporary Empire Field
and moved into a refurbished BC Place in October, shortly before the end of the season. Both Empire Field and the renovated BC Place are designed to accommodate Canadian football
as well as soccer.
The Montreal Impact expansion team will play most of its home games in the soccer-specific Saputo Stadium
, built by the city's current NASL team. Although Saputo Stadium will be expanded to over 20,000 capacity for the team's MLS debut, some games could require a larger capacity; nearby Olympic Stadium
will be used as a second home field.
, ESPN2
and ABC
, while Univision
, Galavision, and TeleFutura
broadcast matches in Spanish
. The original Univision deal lapsed after a few years, leaving only the ABC/ESPN family of networks as the league's national broadcasters.
Fox Sports World (later renamed "Fox Soccer Channel
" in 2005) and Fox Sports en Español (later renamed "Fox Deportes" in 2010) began airing matches in 2003, but lost its contract with MLS starting in 2012 to NBC
and NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus). The NBC deal will also include a return to network television for the league.
The league's MLS Direct Kick
package, which broadcasts out-of-market matches, has been expanded to ensure that every league match is broadcast. Univision and its family of networks resumed MLS broadcasts in 2007 as well, with most matches airing on TeleFutura and Galavision on Sunday afternoons and evenings.
The 2007 season was the first in the league's history in which every regular season match was telecast live, and for which television rights were sold to networks at a profit. Previously, MLS paid networks to broadcast its games. It was also the first time many games were shown on national television. ESPN's
coverage now features a live match each week, usually in primetime, and Fox Soccer Channel's MLS Saturday added a pregame and postgame show wrapped around their featured matches. This broadcast has since been renamed Soccer Night in America in 2011 and features newer graphics and game analysis.
Major League Soccer also offers streaming live video of some matches via its website.
and Rogers Sportsnet
, and later GolTV Canada
(after it was acquired by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the team), all broadcast Toronto matches nationwide, along with the MLS Cup playoffs. GolTV also carried U.S.-produced broadcasts (primarily from ESPN) of selected regular-season games not involving Toronto FC.
In February 2011, the TSN
family of channels (in which ESPN owns a 20% interest) announced a six-year deal for national MLS broadcast rights in Canada. TSN or TSN2
will broadcast a minimum of 24 games during the 2011 season and 30 games per season during the subsequent five seasons, all featuring at least one Canadian team. RDS
and RIS will have similar French-language broadcast rights. The channels will also carry the MLS Cup
and playoff games, the MLS All-Star Game, and additional games not involving Canadian teams. GolTV Canada will also continue to carry selected all-U.S. MLS matchups.
For games not aired by TSN, the individual teams have adopted their own broadcasting contracts, and these team broadcasts are also available across Canada. Toronto FC games are broadcast by GolTV Canada, and Sportsnet became the official broadcast partner of the Whitecaps, with most games airing on its Pacific feed and national channel Sportsnet One. Beginning in 2012, TVA Sports
will carry Montreal Impact games not covered under the TSN/RDS contract with MLS.
, MLS Cup
, and the international competitions SuperLiga
, InterLiga
, and Pan-Pacific Championship
" (all three international competitions are now defunct). MP & Silva CEO Carlo Pozzali boasted that high-profile, international players who were lured to MLS by the designated player rule have raised the international awareness and potential for popularity of MLS in international markets.
MP & Silva's package generally does not include ESPN-televised matches. ESPN International
purchased the rights to broadcast MLS in Great Britain and Ireland
in 2009, and other ESPN networks around the world also broadcast games.
Major League Soccer lost more than $350 million between its founding and the year 2004, according to a report by BusinessWeek
released that year. However, there have been positive signs of long-term profitability since 2004. As soccer-specific stadiums are built, ownership expands and television coverage increases, MLS has seen its revenues increase while minimizing costs. The 2003 season saw the Los Angeles Galaxy
make a profit in their first season at The Home Depot Center
, while FC Dallas
turned a profit in similar fashion after moving into Pizza Hut Park
in 2005.
Television coverage has consistently expanded throughout the league's history, as MLS brokered a deal with ESPN
in 2006 for rights fees and a greater presence across its networks. The 2007 season saw the return of MLS to Univision and its Spanish-language networks. They joined Fox Soccer Channel
and HDNet
as the U.S. national outlets, and the league has mandated that every league game receive television coverage either nationally or locally in one or both teams' cities for broadcast on its Direct Kick
package.
In 2007, MLS teams started selling ad space on the front of jerseys to go along with the league-wide sponsorship partners who had already been advertising on the back of club jerseys, following the practice of international sport, specifically soccer. The league has established a floor of $500,000 per shirt sponsorship, with the league receiving a flat fee of $200,000 per deal. Online gambling and hard liquor sponsorships are prohibited. As of April 2011, twelve of the league's eighteen teams have signed sponsorship deals to have company logos placed on the front of their team jerseys, and a thirteenth is directly owned by its shirt sponsor.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber
said on May 11, 2006 that he expected the league's clubs to be profitable by 2010 overall. He reported that FC Dallas
and the Los Angeles Galaxy
were already profitable, with several other clubs nearing profitability. A year later, he revealed that the Chicago Fire, the Colorado Rapids
, and Toronto FC
were on track for profitability by 2008. However in 2008 there were only three profitable MLS clubs; Los Angeles Galaxy
, Toronto FC
and FC Dallas
. According to the League, in 2009 there were only two profitable MLS clubs, Seattle Sounders FC
and Toronto FC
.
and continue to be used in college soccer
and many high school associations
.
Among them was the use of a countdown clock, rather than a standard progressive clock, with time paused for dead ball situations at a referee's discretion. Halves ended when the clock reached 0:00, rather than at the whistle of the referee as was customary elsewhere.
Also implemented was the use of shootouts to resolve tie games. These best-of-five contests placed a player 35 yards from goal with five seconds to put the ball past the opposing goalkeeper; if needed the shootout progressed into extra frames. A winning team received one standings point (as opposed to three for the regulation win).
While IFAB
rules allow teams to substitute three players during games, MLS allowed a fourth, goalkeeper-only substitute. MLS discarded the rule after 2003 and adopted the IFAB standard, prompted in part by a match in which then MetroStars coach and former U.S. national head coach Bob Bradley
used a loophole to insert an outfield player as a fourth substitute.
MLS eventually conceded that the rules changes, particularly the shootout, had alienated some traditional soccer fans while failing to draw new American sports fans as hoped. The shootout and countdown clock were eliminated after the 1999 season.
MLS continued to experiment with the settling of tie games in regular season play. In 2000, a 10-minute golden goal
period replaced the shootout for tied games. It was abandoned after 2003. The golden-goal overtime remained through 2004 for playoff matches, where it had been used since the league's inception.
In 2005 the league adopted a playoff extra time structure that followed new IFAB standards for such situations: two full 15-minute periods, followed by kicks from the penalty mark if necessary. The away goals rule
is not used in any playoff round.
Before its maiden season and inaugural draft
, MLS allocated
four marquee players across the initial ten teams. These inaugural allocations
consisted of key U.S. national team and international players such as Eric Wynalda
and Hugo Sánchez
. By the 1998 season, the league added its first two expansion team
s while the 2000 season saw the league reorganize from two conferences into three divisions: the Eastern, Western, and Central Division.
However, following the 2001 season, MLS contracted its two Florida franchises and returned to ten teams in two conferences. The league waited three more seasons before it continued its growth. Since the 2005 season, MLS has expanded by eight new clubs. This period of expansion saw Los Angeles become the first two-team market, the league's push into Canada, a renewed interest in NASL
-era names, and a growing national presence. Expansion continues in 2012 when the Montreal Impact join MLS as the 19th team. League executives are currently entertaining expansion offers for a 20th team in the near future.
As of the 2012 season, MLS has seen nineteen different clubs over the years with nine having won at least one MLS Cup
, and eight winning at least one Supporters' Shield. Of the league's fifteen seasons, only six have seen the same club win both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup
.
For the 2012 season, teams are aligned as follows:
Notes
Originally, in the style of other U.S. sports, teams were given nicknames at their creation such as the Columbus Crew
, the San Jose Clash
or the Tampa Bay Mutiny
. Two exceptions to this were D.C. United
and Miami Fusion F.C., adopting naming conventions usually seen in European clubs. However, new teams such as Real Salt Lake
and Toronto FC
continued this trend along with the Dallas Burn renaming themselves FC Dallas
and the Kansas City Wizards renaming themselves Sporting Kansas City. Some of the club names have their origins in defunct American professional soccer leagues like the NASL
, such as the 1970s-era San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps.
C.D. Chivas USA is the only MLS club whose name does not specify a city, state, or region. The club is named for the Mexican team C.D. Guadalajara
, who are often known by their nickname "Chivas", which translates to "Goats". The Mexican club, based in Guadalajara
, and Chivas USA share the same ownership. Though Real Salt Lake was not originally affiliated with Real Madrid
, in 2006 the two clubs signed an agreement to play friendly matches every two years, and to co-sponsor a soccer academy and training facility in Utah. The beverage company Red Bull
owns the New York Red Bulls as well as teams in other leagues and sports.
teams.
and some domestic soccer fans for neither abiding by the FIFA calendar
, nor changing the league schedule to one that begins in August and ends in May. MLS' spring-to-fall format causes scheduling conflicts with the CONCACAF Gold Cup
, the FIFA World Cup
, and other FIFA-sanctioned international competitions held in June and July. Such conflicts cause many of the league's top players to abandon their MLS teams during those two months so they can compete in these tournaments, and thus makes it harder for the league to recruit more of the world's best players. Commissioner Don Garber
previously stated the league was looking into changing to a fall-to-spring format, but has since said no such change will take place "any time soon." Said Garber: "To think about playing in Toronto in January or December, it's hard to imagine we are going to be able to do that." If the league does change their schedule, Garber admitted that a winter break would be needed to avoid playing games in the snow, especially with several teams in colder climates.
Other criticisms include the MLS playoff
format. The postseason is structured in such a way that a team participating in the playoffs could play in the opposite conference than which they are a member. This format has been criticized as overly complicated and creating competitively uneven playoff brackets. Most notably Real Salt Lake
and the Colorado Rapids
, who played the regular season in the Western Conference, won the MLS Cup as the Eastern Conference champions in 2009 and 2010
, respectively. Further criticism of the playoff system goes beyond this structural point and is made by those arguing playoffs in general greatly reduces the importance of the regular season; especially since over a majority of teams qualify for the postseason. Garber has acknowledged this tension but argues the league cannot "cater to the loudest voices who have this view that our sole purpose is to have a valuable regular season. Our purpose is to have a valuable competition, and that includes having playoffs that are more meaningful. Because we don't have a single table."
Last Updated November 4, 2011
As of MLS Cup 2009
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
. The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada. MLS represents the top tier of both the American
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
and Canadian soccer pyramid
Canadian soccer pyramid
The Canadian soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in Canada. The governing body of soccer in the country is the Canadian Soccer Association , which oversees the system and domestic cups but does not operate any of its component leagues...
s.
Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. Unique for a major sports league, MLS operates under a single-entity structure, where each team is owned by the league and operated by its investors. The first season took place in 1996 beginning with 10 teams. Seasons presently run from March to November, with each team playing 34 games in the regular season. Ten teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
culminating in the championship game, MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
.
Competition format
Major League Soccer's regular season runs from March to October with its 18 teams playing 34 games in a double round-robin systemRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
in which each team
both hosts and visits every other team once. Teams are divided into the Eastern
MLS Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.-Current members:*Chicago Fire*Columbus Crew*D.C. United*Houston Dynamo*New England Revolution*New York Red Bulls*Philadelphia Union*Sporting Kansas City*Toronto FC...
and Western
MLS Western Conference
The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.-Current members:*Chivas USA*Colorado Rapids*FC Dallas*Los Angeles Galaxy*Portland Timbers*Real Salt Lake*San Jose Earthquakes*Seattle Sounders FC*Vancouver Whitecaps FC...
Conference. Midway through the season, teams break for the annual All-Star Game
Major League Soccer All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
, a friendly game between the league's finest players and a major club from a different league. At the end of the regular season, the team with the highest point total is awarded the Supporters' Shield. The regular season is followed by the 10-team MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
ending with the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
championship final.
MLS has three automatic berths in the CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
for its American clubs with an additional spot available via the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
; Canadian clubs can qualify for a single berth via the Canadian Championship. For the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League
2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League
The 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League is the 4th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 26, 2011 and will finish with the second leg of the final April 24–26, 2012. Monterrey is the defending champion...
, the qualifying clubs are MLS Cup 2010
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
champion Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, Supporters' Shield winner Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, MLS Cup runner-up FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, and 2010 U.S. Open Cup
2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
The 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on October 5, 2010, at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The match determined the winner of the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. This...
champion Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
. Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
also qualified as winner of the 2011 Canadian Championship
2011 Canadian Championship
The 2011 Canadian Championship was a soccer tournament hosted and organized by the Canadian Soccer Association that took place in the cities of Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver in 2011. As in previous tournaments, participating teams included the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and Vancouver...
.
Establishment
In 1996, Major League Soccer's original ten teams, the Columbus CrewColumbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, the NY/NJ MetroStars, the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in...
, the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, the Dallas Burn
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, the Kansas City Wiz, the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
and the San Jose Clash
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, began play. The early years of the league gave rise to the Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
-led dynasty of D.C. United, winning the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
in three of the league's first four seasons. It took the expansion Chicago Fire in 1998 to end United's stranglehold on the championship. Also joining the league in 1998 were the Miami Fusion.
| Season | MLS Cup MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues... |
Supporters' Shield |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa Bay Mutiny The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in... |
| 1997 | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 1998 | Chicago Fire | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
| 1999 | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 2000 | Kansas City Wizards | Kansas City Wizards |
| 2001 | San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Miami Fusion |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
| 2003 | San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Chicago Fire |
| 2004 | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
| 2005 | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
| 2006 | Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 2007 2007 Major League Soccer season The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C..... |
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
| 2008 2008 Major League Soccer season The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:... |
Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
| 2009 2009 Major League Soccer season The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:... |
Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
| 2010 2010 Major League Soccer season The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion... |
Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
| 2011 2011 Major League Soccer season The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver... |
Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
After its first season, MLS suffered from a decline in attendance. The league's quality was cast into doubt when the U.S. men's national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, made up largely of MLS players, was eliminated in the first round of the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
and finished in last place.
The league began to market itself on the talents of American players, both experienced veterans and fresh talents. Breakout stars like DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
and Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
began making names for themselves in MLS before breaking into and starring for the U.S. national team, while established players such as Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
, Eddie Pope
Eddie Pope
George Edward Pope is a retired American soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Youth:Born in Greensboro, he attended Southwest Guilford...
, and Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis is a retired American soccer player.-Youth and college:Mathis played club soccer at a young age for Rockdale Youth Soccer Association, and then for AFC Lightning, a Georgia powerhouse producing players such as current U.S. international Ricardo Clark, in Fayetteville...
continued to prove their value to both their MLS clubs and the U.S. national team.
The league's ongoing financial problems led to the departure of Commissioner Doug Logan
Doug Logan
Douglas G. Logan was the Chief Executive Officer of USA Track & Field, the national governing body for track and field, long distance running and race walking from 2008 to 2010...
after the end of the 1998 season. Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
, a former National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
executive, was hired as commissioner and became instrumental in stabilizing the league's future. Construction of soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
s, largely funded by owners such as Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
and Phil Anschutz, became a point of emphasis to bring fiscal health and ensure the league's survival. Hunt's Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
, built in 1999, is often cited as a league model.
On the field, the early wave of international players who had joined MLS at its inception drifted into retirement or moved on to clubs elsewhere in the world. The run-up to the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
saw a gradual shift in the league's philosophy toward the development of American talent, a move that would eventually lead to success for U.S. soccer.
Despite movement, declining attendances forced MLS to stop the bleeding by contracting the two Florida franchises, the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in...
and Miami Fusion, just a few years after their establishment. This left the league with 10 teams, the same number as when MLS began. Also, the league reorganized back to the Eastern and Western Conference format after two seasons with the third Central Division.
Resurgence
The 2002 World Cup, in which the United StatesUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
unexpectedly made the quarterfinals through wins against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
and Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, triggered a resurgence in American soccer and MLS. The MLS Cup 2002
MLS Cup 2002
The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 in the second overtime on a sudden-death goal from regular...
, held four months after the 2002 World Cup final, set an attendance record as a sellout crowd at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
saw the Los Angeles Galaxy win their first title.
MLS drew international attention in 2004 with the debut of 14-year-old Freddy Adu
Freddy Adu
Fredua Koranteng "Freddy" Adu is a Ghanaian-born American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder, but he is also used as a winger or forward....
for D.C. United, who entered the league with much fanfare and was heralded as one of the top prospects in American soccer history.
MLS underwent a significant transition in the years leading up to the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. After marketing itself on the talents of American players, the league saw some of its homegrown stars depart for more prominent leagues in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
, goalkeeper for the MetroStars, was sold to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history. DaMarcus Beasley of the Chicago Fire left for PSV Eindhoven, while Landon Donovan, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, was recalled to Germany. Donovan's stint in Germany was brief; before the start of the 2005 MLS season he was sold back to MLS to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Many more American players, though they factored little in the U.S. national team picture, did make an impact in MLS. In 2005, Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Clarence Kreis is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer....
of expansion club Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
became the first player to score at least 100 career MLS goals. In 2005, the MLS Reserve Division
MLS Reserve Division
The MLS Reserve Division is an USA soccer league for the reserve teams of Major League Soccer.It was inaugurated on April 9, 2005, with the first official reserve game being a 2-0 victory by Chivas USA over the host San Jose Earthquakes, and disbanded after the 2008 season.The reserve division...
was created, with each reserve squad playing 12 games, providing valuable playing time to develop non-starters on team rosters.
It was also in this era that MLS expanded for the first time since the contraction of 2001. Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
and Chivas USA
C.D. Chivas USA
Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada....
began play in 2005, with Chivas USA becoming the second club in Los Angeles, sharing The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
with the Galaxy. Chivas USA also became the first team in MLS to be directly connected to a foreign club, their sister club of Guadalajara. By 2006 the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
owners, players and a few coaches moved to Texas to become the expansion Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
, after failing to build a stadium in San Jose. The Dynamo became an expansion team, leaving their history behind for a new San Jose ownership group that would materialize in 2007.
| Team | Titles | Last Title | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
4 | 2004 | 5 |
| Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
3 | 2011 | 7 |
| Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
2 | 2007 | 3 |
| San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
2 | 2003 | 2 |
| Chicago Fire | 1 | 1998 | 3 |
| Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
1 | 2010 | 2 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 1 | 2000 | 2 |
| Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
1 | 2009 | 1 |
| Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
1 | 2008 | 1 |
| New England Revolution New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
0 | 4 | |
| FC Dallas FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
0 | 1 | |
| New York Red Bulls | 0 | 1 |
2007–present
Since 2007, Major League Soccer's leadership has taken steps to further internationalize the league in an effort to raise the level of play. Among the first moves in this regard was the Designated Player Rule, which helped MLS bring international stars into the league, despite the relatively meager MLS salary cap, and the creation of the SuperLigaNorth American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
, which places top MLS clubs against top Mexican clubs in an effort to provide more meaningful competition for both leagues. MLS changed the rules regarding foreign players in the league to allow a total of eight per team. This period also saw expansion reach beyond the United States' borders into Canada, beginning with Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
.
The 2007 season
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
witnessed the MLS debut of David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, whose signing had been seen as a coup for American soccer. Beckham's contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy was made possible by the Designated Player Rule. Players such as Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder...
of Club América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
signed for the Chicago Fire, and Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel Arango is a Colombian footballer. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Atlético Nacional and River Plate:...
, who moved from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
to the New York Red Bulls, are some of the first Designated Players who have made major contributions to their clubs.
The departures of Clint Dempsey
Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey is an American soccer player who plays for Fulham and the United States national team. Dempsey usually plays as either an attacking midfielder, or a striker....
and Jozy Altidore
Jozy Altidore
Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore is an American soccer player currently playing for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and for the United States national team....
, coupled with the return of former U.S. national team stars Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna is a retired American soccer player and the current USSF US Youth Soccer Technical Director. He was the captain of the United States national team before retiring from international football following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is widely considered one of the...
and Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
to New York and Chicago, respectively, highlight the exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans to MLS. Several other well-known foreign players have followed Beckham and Blanco to MLS, including Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
to Columbus and Freddie Ljungberg
Fredrik Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a right winger for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan. Ljungberg was captain of the Swedish national team until he announced his international retirement after UEFA Euro 2008.Ljungberg was a model for Calvin Klein underwear...
to Seattle.
By 2008 San Jose had returned to the league under new ownership. In 2009 expansion side Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
opened to a crowd of 32,523 at Qwest Field. The 2010 season ushered in the expansion franchise Philadelphia Union and the opening of New York's soccer-specific stadium, Red Bull Arena. That same summer saw the opening of Philadelphia's own new stadium, PPL Park and the debut of New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
, the leading all-time goalscorer of Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and the French national team
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
.
The start of the 2011 season saw further expansion with the addition of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the second Canadian MLS franchise, and Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011....
. The addition of two West Coast teams pushed the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
into the Eastern Conference. The Kansas City Wizards began play under the rebranded moniker of Sporting Kansas City. During the season, the Galaxy signed another major international star in Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
captain and all-time leading goalscorer Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane
Robert David "Robbie" Keane is an Irish association football player who plays as a striker for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer and captains the Irish national football team....
.
In 2012, the Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
will become the league's 19th franchise and the 3rd to be located in Canada.
Organization
Recently "expansion" and "rebranding" have become buzzwords for the league and its fans. The league has renewed its emphasis on improving the quality of play by its teams via initiatives such as the Designated Player Rule and the creation of a league-wide youth development system.Ownership
MLS operates under a single-entity structure in which teams are centrally owned by the league. Each team has an owner-operator and the team owners are shareholders in the league. In order to keep costs under control, revenues are shared throughout the league, player contracts are negotiated by the league, and ultimately players are contracted not with individual teams but with the league itself. The league fought a bitter legal battle with its players over its economic system, but this was eventually resolved with the players gaining some improved benefits in return for accepting the single entity structure. A court had also ruled that even absent their collective bargaining agreement, players could opt to play in other leagues if they were unsatisfied.The league's cost-controlling measures have attracted new ownership that have injected more money into the league, improving it and focusing the league's resources on fewer clubs. Examples include the Anschutz Entertainment Group
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
's sale of the MetroStars to Red Bull
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH is an Austrian company which sells the Red Bull energy drink. In 2010, more than 4.204 billion cans were sold in over 161 countries. 7,758 employees generated 3.78 billion euros in revenue...
, for an "excess of $100 million," according to the New York Times. Commissioner Garber said to the Los Angeles Times that, "the sale was part of a plan to have AEG decrease its holdings in MLS. We're pushing Hunt Sports to do the same thing."
Commissioner Garber has stated that having multiple clubs owned by a single owner was a necessity in the first 10 years of MLS, but now that the league appears to be on the brink of overall profitability and has significant expansion plans, he wants each club to have a distinct owner. In order to help bring this about, the league is now giving more incentive to be an individual club owner, with all owners now having the rights to a certain number of players they develop through their club's academy system each year, sharing the profits of Soccer United Marketing, and being able to sell individual club jersey sponsorships.
At one time AEG owned six clubs in MLS, and have since sold the Colorado Rapids, the MetroStars, D.C. United and the Chicago Fire to new owners. AEG's remaining teams are the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo. The other major owner-investor in MLS has been Hunt Sports, which owns the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas, having sold the Kansas City Wizards to a local ownership group in 2006. The league now has 17 owners for its 19 clubs (including the Montreal team entering in 2012).
Game First
The 2006–2007 MLS offseason has been considered by some to be the most productive in the history of the league, and there were a number of changes made to the league, which have brought about an increase in the league's ability to compete financially as well as on the field. The league announced a youth development initiative, which will require youth development programs for all of the league's teams. The hope is that by being able to sign up to two of its own youth players to the senior team each year that the league's teams will have an incentive to improve the quality of the league's talent in an organic way that will also benefit the league through transfer fees for outgoing players. Perhaps the first example of a success in "home-grown" talent development was New York's Jozy AltidoreJozy Altidore
Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore is an American soccer player currently playing for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and for the United States national team....
, who rose to prominence as one of the league's most skilled young strikers before fetching the league's record transfer fee in his $10 million move to Villarreal in 2008.
The league also announced "Game First", a series of initiatives aimed at improving the league in several ways. One of the most immediate changes is that U.S. Soccer
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
hired the first full-time professional referees in league history. Another part of "Game First" was the creation of an official league anthem by Audiobrain
Audiobrain
-History:Audiobrain was founded in 2003. Audrey Arbeeny, Audiobrain’s Owner and Executive Producer, currently teaches Sonic Branding at New York's Pratt Institute.-Projects:...
- similar to other competitions from around the world. There are two versions of the MLS Anthem, an orchestral version that is performed before every regular season game and an orchestral chorus version that is played before the MLS All-Star Game
Major League Soccer All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game is an annual soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against various competitors...
and MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
.
Stadiums
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
, Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
. The Los Angeles Galaxy followed four years later with the opening of The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
in 2003. Chivas USA has shared this venue with the Galaxy since their expansion season in 2005. It also played host to two consecutive MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
s, until FC Dallas opened Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
in 2005 and hosted the next two championships. The Chicago Fire began playing their home games in Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
in 2006. 2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
saw the opening of Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the Colorado Rapids and BMO Field
BMO Field
BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
for Toronto FC. Near the end of the 2008 season
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
, Rio Tinto Stadium became the home of Real Salt Lake. Red Bull Arena, the new home of the New York Red Bulls, began construction in December 2007 and opened for the start of the 2010 season
2010 Major League Soccer season
The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion...
. The Philadelphia Union opened PPL Park, midway through their inaugural season, in June 2010. The following season, the Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011....
made their MLS debut in a newly renovated Jeld-Wen Field (originally a multipurpose venue but turned into a soccer-specific facility), and Sporting Kansas City began the season with a record 10-game road trip to accommodate the June opening of their new Livestrong Sporting Park
Livestrong Sporting Park
Livestrong Sporting Park is a soccer-specific stadium in Kansas City, Kansas and is the home of Sporting Kansas City. The stadium opened during the 2011 season of Major League Soccer on June 9, 2011 with a match against the Chicago Fire. The stadium has a seating capacity of 18,467 seats, which can...
.
Six remaining clubs play in stadiums not originally built for MLS. The New England Revolution play home games at an NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
venue, Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
; and D.C. United play home games at a former NFL and Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
venue, RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United....
. New England and D.C. are actively seeking to build their own soccer stadiums. The Seattle Sounders FC play in a dual-purpose stadium, designed to be used for both American football and soccer. For Sounders games, CenturyLink Field staff tarps off the upper bowl to provide a more intimate atmosphere. The Houston Dynamo's new stadium is under construction and should be ready for the 2012 season, and the San Jose Earthquakes are in the planning stages for their own soccer venues replacing Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
and Buck Shaw Stadium
Buck Shaw Stadium
Buck Shaw Stadium is a 10,300-seat soccer stadium at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. The stadium is the current home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer teams and was the former home of the now defunct Santa Clara football team as well as the Santa Clara baseball team. The baseball...
. The Vancouver Whitecaps FC made their MLS debut in 2011 at the temporary Empire Field
Empire Field
Empire Field was a temporary outdoor football and soccer stadium built at the former location of Empire Stadium at Hastings Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. It served as the home of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League from the summer of 2010 until the fall of 2011 when the installation...
and moved into a refurbished BC Place in October, shortly before the end of the season. Both Empire Field and the renovated BC Place are designed to accommodate Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
as well as soccer.
The Montreal Impact expansion team will play most of its home games in the soccer-specific Saputo Stadium
Saputo Stadium
Saputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a...
, built by the city's current NASL team. Although Saputo Stadium will be expanded to over 20,000 capacity for the team's MLS debut, some games could require a larger capacity; nearby Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Montreal)
The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics...
will be used as a second home field.
Media coverage
At the outset, MLS signed deals for coverage on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
and ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
, while Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, Galavision, and TeleFutura
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
broadcast matches in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. The original Univision deal lapsed after a few years, leaving only the ABC/ESPN family of networks as the league's national broadcasters.
Fox Sports World (later renamed "Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
" in 2005) and Fox Sports en Español (later renamed "Fox Deportes" in 2010) began airing matches in 2003, but lost its contract with MLS starting in 2012 to NBC
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
and NBC Sports Network (formerly Versus). The NBC deal will also include a return to network television for the league.
The league's MLS Direct Kick
MLS Direct Kick
MLS Direct Kick is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed by most cable and satellite providers in North America. As of the 2011 season, package subscribers will be able to watch up to 221 Major League Soccer regular season games as well as some MLS Cup playoff matches. The package costs $79...
package, which broadcasts out-of-market matches, has been expanded to ensure that every league match is broadcast. Univision and its family of networks resumed MLS broadcasts in 2007 as well, with most matches airing on TeleFutura and Galavision on Sunday afternoons and evenings.
The 2007 season was the first in the league's history in which every regular season match was telecast live, and for which television rights were sold to networks at a profit. Previously, MLS paid networks to broadcast its games. It was also the first time many games were shown on national television. ESPN's
ESPN Major League Soccer
ESPN Major League Soccer is a promotion of Major League Soccer on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD and ESPN2HD. Major League Soccer on ESPN2 debuted in 1996, the league's first season, and is guaranteed to stay on the network till at least 2014...
coverage now features a live match each week, usually in primetime, and Fox Soccer Channel's MLS Saturday added a pregame and postgame show wrapped around their featured matches. This broadcast has since been renamed Soccer Night in America in 2011 and features newer graphics and game analysis.
Major League Soccer also offers streaming live video of some matches via its website.
Canada
With the addition of Toronto FC, coverage of MLS expanded into Canada in 2007; from 2007 to 2010, the CBCCBC Sports
CBC Sports is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for English-language sports broadcasting. The CBC's sports programming primarily airs on CBC Television, with some additional broadcasts on bold, CBC.ca, and occasionally CBC Radio One...
and Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
, and later GolTV Canada
GolTV Canada
GolTV is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel. GolTV is exclusively dedicated to association football , with live and recorded sporting events from around the world, news programs, and more...
(after it was acquired by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the team), all broadcast Toronto matches nationwide, along with the MLS Cup playoffs. GolTV also carried U.S.-produced broadcasts (primarily from ESPN) of selected regular-season games not involving Toronto FC.
In February 2011, the TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
family of channels (in which ESPN owns a 20% interest) announced a six-year deal for national MLS broadcast rights in Canada. TSN or TSN2
TSN2
TSN2 is a secondary feed of the Canadian English language Category C specialty channel TSN, owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media and ESPN...
will broadcast a minimum of 24 games during the 2011 season and 30 games per season during the subsequent five seasons, all featuring at least one Canadian team. RDS
Réseau des sports
Réseau des sports , is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel showing sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc....
and RIS will have similar French-language broadcast rights. The channels will also carry the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
and playoff games, the MLS All-Star Game, and additional games not involving Canadian teams. GolTV Canada will also continue to carry selected all-U.S. MLS matchups.
For games not aired by TSN, the individual teams have adopted their own broadcasting contracts, and these team broadcasts are also available across Canada. Toronto FC games are broadcast by GolTV Canada, and Sportsnet became the official broadcast partner of the Whitecaps, with most games airing on its Pacific feed and national channel Sportsnet One. Beginning in 2012, TVA Sports
TVA Sports
TVA Sports is a Canadian French language Category C specialty channel. The channel is owned by Groupe TVA, a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media....
will carry Montreal Impact games not covered under the TSN/RDS contract with MLS.
International
Sports Business Journal reported on December 23, 2008 that MLS and Soccer United Marketing had signed an international television broadcast contract with sports media company MP & Silva through 2013. The figure is reportedly an "eight-figure deal" that covers the "rights to all MLS games, tournaments and events, including MLS regular season, MLS Cup PlayoffsMLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
, MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
, and the international competitions SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
, InterLiga
InterLiga
The InterLiga was a football competition from 2004 to 2010 between Mexican clubs to determine qualifying spots for that country in South America's premier club competition, the Copa Libertadores....
, and Pan-Pacific Championship
Pan-Pacific Championship
The Pan-Pacific Football Championship was an inter-confederation football tournament between teams from A-League , Chinese Super League , J...
" (all three international competitions are now defunct). MP & Silva CEO Carlo Pozzali boasted that high-profile, international players who were lured to MLS by the designated player rule have raised the international awareness and potential for popularity of MLS in international markets.
MP & Silva's package generally does not include ESPN-televised matches. ESPN International
ESPN International
ESPN International is a family of networks around the world. It was begun in 1989 and is operated by ESPN. It consists of:Asia: *ESPN SEA*ESPN SEA 2*ESPN China*ESPN Hong Kong*ESPN India*ESPN Malaysia...
purchased the rights to broadcast MLS in Great Britain and Ireland
ESPN (UK)
ESPN is a sports television channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland owned by American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc. The channel launched on 3 August 2009...
in 2009, and other ESPN networks around the world also broadcast games.
Profitability
| Team | Sponsor | Annual Value |
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA C.D. Chivas USA Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada.... |
Corona Corona (beer) Corona Extra, better known as Corona and labeled as Coronita in Spain, is a brand of pale lager owned and produced by Cerveceria Modelo at a number of breweries in Mexico. It is one of the best-selling beers in Mexico and is one of the top-selling beers worldwide... |
Undisclosed |
| D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is... |
$3.1 million–$3.7 million |
| Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
Greenstar Recycling Greenstar Greenstar is the largest waste management company in Ireland and is a provider of integrated waste management services. Greenstar are a major landfill & transfer station operator in the region. Greenstar has made a number of acquisitions and stakes in UK waste management companies to expand its... |
$2.54 million |
| Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
Herbalife Herbalife Herbalife International is a global nutrition, weight-loss and skin-care company. The company was founded in 1980 and it employs around 4,000 people worldwide. Herbalife reported net sales of USD 2.7 billion in 2010... |
$4 million–$5 million |
| Montreal Impact | Bank of Montreal Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it... |
Undisclosed |
| New England Revolution New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a diversified health and "well-being" company. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UnitedHealth Group offers a spectrum of products and services through two operating businesses: United Healthcare and Optum. Through its family of subsidiaries and divisions,... |
Undisclosed |
| Philadelphia Union | Bimbo Bimbo Bakeries USA Bimbo Bakeries USA is the American corporate arm of Mexico's Grupo Bimbo. It is the largest bakery company in the United States, owning six of the top twelve fresh bread brands in the United States. The name means baby in Italian and does not mean anything in Spanish. The pronunciation is given on... |
$3 million |
| Portland Timbers Portland Timbers Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011.... |
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is an airline based in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac, Washington in the United States. The airline originated in 1932 as McGee Airways. After many mergers with and acquisitions of other airlines, including Star Air Service, it became known as Alaska Airlines in 1944... |
Undisclosed |
| Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
XanGo XanGo XANGO, LLC, founded in 2002, is a privately owned international network marketing company based in Lehi, Utah. The company markets and distributes XANGO Juice, a blended juice product consisting of mangosteen and other juices, and skin care, personal care, energy supplement and nutritional... |
$1 million |
| San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Amway Global | $2 million–$3 million |
| Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in... |
Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console... |
$4 million |
| Toronto FC Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Bank of Montreal Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it... |
C$4 million+ |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Bell Canada Bell Canada Bell Canada is a major Canadian telecommunications company. Including its subsidiaries such as Bell Aliant, Northwestel, Télébec, and NorthernTel, it is the incumbent local exchange carrier for telephone and DSL Internet services in most of Canada east of Manitoba and in the northern territories,... |
C$4 million+ |
| The New York Red Bulls jersey sponsor is Red Bull Red Bull GmbH Red Bull GmbH is an Austrian company which sells the Red Bull energy drink. In 2010, more than 4.204 billion cans were sold in over 161 countries. 7,758 employees generated 3.78 billion euros in revenue... , which owns the club. |
||
| Teams without jersey sponsor: Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Kansas City. | ||
Major League Soccer lost more than $350 million between its founding and the year 2004, according to a report by BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
released that year. However, there have been positive signs of long-term profitability since 2004. As soccer-specific stadiums are built, ownership expands and television coverage increases, MLS has seen its revenues increase while minimizing costs. The 2003 season saw the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
make a profit in their first season at The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was...
, while FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
turned a profit in similar fashion after moving into Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
in 2005.
Television coverage has consistently expanded throughout the league's history, as MLS brokered a deal with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 2006 for rights fees and a greater presence across its networks. The 2007 season saw the return of MLS to Univision and its Spanish-language networks. They joined Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
and HDNet
HDNet
HDNet is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format and available via cable and satellite television...
as the U.S. national outlets, and the league has mandated that every league game receive television coverage either nationally or locally in one or both teams' cities for broadcast on its Direct Kick
MLS Direct Kick
MLS Direct Kick is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed by most cable and satellite providers in North America. As of the 2011 season, package subscribers will be able to watch up to 221 Major League Soccer regular season games as well as some MLS Cup playoff matches. The package costs $79...
package.
In 2007, MLS teams started selling ad space on the front of jerseys to go along with the league-wide sponsorship partners who had already been advertising on the back of club jerseys, following the practice of international sport, specifically soccer. The league has established a floor of $500,000 per shirt sponsorship, with the league receiving a flat fee of $200,000 per deal. Online gambling and hard liquor sponsorships are prohibited. As of April 2011, twelve of the league's eighteen teams have signed sponsorship deals to have company logos placed on the front of their team jerseys, and a thirteenth is directly owned by its shirt sponsor.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
said on May 11, 2006 that he expected the league's clubs to be profitable by 2010 overall. He reported that FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
and the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
were already profitable, with several other clubs nearing profitability. A year later, he revealed that the Chicago Fire, the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, and Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
were on track for profitability by 2008. However in 2008 there were only three profitable MLS clubs; Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
and FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. According to the League, in 2009 there were only two profitable MLS clubs, Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
and Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
.
Rule changes
MLS currently follows IFAB rules and standards with few differences. MLS experimented with deviations in its early years. Some of these changes were used in the NASLNorth American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
and continue to be used in college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
and many high school associations
National Federation of State High School Associations
The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. Most high schools, whether public or private, belong to their state's high school association; in turn, each state association...
.
Among them was the use of a countdown clock, rather than a standard progressive clock, with time paused for dead ball situations at a referee's discretion. Halves ended when the clock reached 0:00, rather than at the whistle of the referee as was customary elsewhere.
Also implemented was the use of shootouts to resolve tie games. These best-of-five contests placed a player 35 yards from goal with five seconds to put the ball past the opposing goalkeeper; if needed the shootout progressed into extra frames. A winning team received one standings point (as opposed to three for the regulation win).
While IFAB
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...
rules allow teams to substitute three players during games, MLS allowed a fourth, goalkeeper-only substitute. MLS discarded the rule after 2003 and adopted the IFAB standard, prompted in part by a match in which then MetroStars coach and former U.S. national head coach Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
used a loophole to insert an outfield player as a fourth substitute.
MLS eventually conceded that the rules changes, particularly the shootout, had alienated some traditional soccer fans while failing to draw new American sports fans as hoped. The shootout and countdown clock were eliminated after the 1999 season.
MLS continued to experiment with the settling of tie games in regular season play. In 2000, a 10-minute golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
period replaced the shootout for tied games. It was abandoned after 2003. The golden-goal overtime remained through 2004 for playoff matches, where it had been used since the league's inception.
In 2005 the league adopted a playoff extra time structure that followed new IFAB standards for such situations: two full 15-minute periods, followed by kicks from the penalty mark if necessary. The away goals rule
Away goals rule
The away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
is not used in any playoff round.
Teams
The 19 MLS clubs are divided among the Eastern and Western Conference. Each club is allowed up to 30 players on its first team roster. All 30 players are eligible for selection to each 18-player game-day squad during the regular season and playoffs.Before its maiden season and inaugural draft
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996...
, MLS allocated
Allocation (MLS)
In Major League Soccer, an allocation represents an amount of money teams can use to sign players and/or allocate to their salaries to get under the salary cap. Allocations are given to teams that have missed the playoffs the previous seasons, given to expansion teams, or awarded as compensation...
four marquee players across the initial ten teams. These inaugural allocations
1996 MLS Inaugural Allocations
The Major League Soccer Inaugural Allocations were signed by the league in 1996 and distributed to the ten initial teams prior to the beginning of the first MLS season...
consisted of key U.S. national team and international players such as Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda is a retired American soccer player, and former sports broadcaster. He was the co-host of Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel and is currently employeed as the president of international operations at Mexican third division club Murcielagos.Wynalda scored the first goal...
and Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez , popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi, or Hugol, is a Mexican football coach and former striker. He played for four European clubs, including Real Madrid. Sanchez is considered the first highly talented Mexican player. He was also a member of the Mexico national team, and...
. By the 1998 season, the league added its first two expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
s while the 2000 season saw the league reorganize from two conferences into three divisions: the Eastern, Western, and Central Division.
However, following the 2001 season, MLS contracted its two Florida franchises and returned to ten teams in two conferences. The league waited three more seasons before it continued its growth. Since the 2005 season, MLS has expanded by eight new clubs. This period of expansion saw Los Angeles become the first two-team market, the league's push into Canada, a renewed interest in NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
-era names, and a growing national presence. Expansion continues in 2012 when the Montreal Impact join MLS as the 19th team. League executives are currently entertaining expansion offers for a 20th team in the near future.
As of the 2012 season, MLS has seen nineteen different clubs over the years with nine having won at least one MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
, and eight winning at least one Supporters' Shield. Of the league's fifteen seasons, only six have seen the same club win both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
.
For the 2012 season, teams are aligned as follows:
| Team | City | Stadium | Joined | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | |||||
| Chicago Fire | Bridgeview Bridgeview, Illinois Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446... , IL Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
Toyota Park Toyota Park (Bridgeview) Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006... |
1998 |  Frank KlopasFrank Klopas Fotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire... |
|
| Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
Columbus Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... , OH Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... |
Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer... |
1996 |  Robert WarzychaRobert Warzycha Robert Warzycha is a Polish former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.... |
|
| D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
RFK Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of MLS's D.C. United.... 1 |
1996 | Ben Olsen Ben Olsen Benjamin Robert "Ben" Olsen is a former American professional soccer player and the current manager of D.C. United. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Olsen grew up playing for FC Delco, an elite club program near Philadelphia... |
|
| Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
Houston, TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
New Houston Dynamo Stadium New Houston Dynamo stadium Houston Dynamo stadium is a planned soccer specific stadium in Houston. The 16 to 18 month project is planned to be completed during the month of May in the 2012 Major League Soccer season and is expected to cost $110 million... |
2006 | Dominic Kinnear Dominic Kinnear Dominic Kinnear is a Scottish-born American former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.As a player, he began his professional career with Scottish club St... |
|
| Montreal Impact | Montreal Montreal Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... , QC Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... |
Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium (Montreal) The Olympic Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics... 1 / Saputo Stadium Saputo Stadium Saputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a... |
2012 | Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch is a retired American soccer midfielder who will be the head coach of the Montreal Impact for their entrance in MLS in 2012, having previously been an assistant for the U.S. national team. He spent fourteen seasons in Major League Soccer, winning three league and four U.S. Open Cup... |
|
| New England Revolution New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
Foxborough Foxborough, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile... , MA Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... |
Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... 1 |
1996 | Jay Heaps Jay Heaps Jay Heaps ) is a former American soccer player. He is the current head coach for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.... |
|
| New York Red Bulls | Harrison Harrison, New Jersey Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 13,620. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.-Geography:Harrison is located at .... , NJ New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
Red Bull Arena | 1996 |  Hans BackeHans Backe Hans Backe is a Swedish former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
|
| Philadelphia Union | Chester Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :... , PA Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
PPL Park | 2010 | Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak Piotr Nowak is a Polish former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.Nowak enjoyed a successful playing career in Europe, playing for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszcz and Widzew Łódź, before going on to play in Turkey,... |
|
| Sporting Kansas City | Kansas City Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified... , KS Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... |
Livestrong Sporting Park Livestrong Sporting Park Livestrong Sporting Park is a soccer-specific stadium in Kansas City, Kansas and is the home of Sporting Kansas City. The stadium opened during the 2011 season of Major League Soccer on June 9, 2011 with a match against the Chicago Fire. The stadium has a seating capacity of 18,467 seats, which can... |
1996 | Peter Vermes Peter Vermes Peter Joseph Vermes is an American former professional soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.... |
|
| Toronto FC Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... , ON Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
BMO Field BMO Field BMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd... |
2007 |  Aron WinterAron Winter Aron Mohamed Winter [VIN-ter] is a retired Dutch football midfielder and current head coach of Toronto FC... |
|
| Western Conference | |||||
| C.D. Chivas USA C.D. Chivas USA Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada.... |
Carson Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city.... , CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was... |
2005 | Robin Fraser Robin Fraser Robin Fraser is a retired Jamaican-born American soccer player. He is currently head coach of Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.... |
|
| Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
Commerce City Commerce City, Colorado The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado... , CO Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
Dick's Sporting Goods Park | 1996 | Vacant | |
| FC Dallas FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
Frisco Frisco, Texas Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also... , TX Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... |
Pizza Hut Park Pizza Hut Park Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb... |
1996 | Schellas Hyndman Schellas Hyndman Schellas Hyndman is an American former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.Despite having a limited career as a professional athlete, Hyndman is one of the most successful college soccer coaches in American sports history, compiling a 466-122-49 record... |
|
| Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
Carson Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city.... , CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center is a multiple-use sports complex located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot. The $150 million complex was... |
1996 | Bruce Arena Bruce Arena Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player... |
|
| Portland Timbers Portland Timbers Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011.... |
Portland Portland, Oregon Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States... , OR Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... |
Jeld-Wen Field | 2011 |  John SpencerJohn Spencer (footballer) John Spencer is the head coach for Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. Spencer is a former professional football player, who represented Scotland at international level... |
|
| Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
Sandy Sandy, Utah Sandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah.... , UT Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the... |
Rio Tinto Stadium | 2005 | Jason Kreis Jason Kreis Jason Clarence Kreis is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.... |
|
| San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Santa Clara Santa Clara, California Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the... , CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
Buck Shaw Stadium Buck Shaw Stadium Buck Shaw Stadium is a 10,300-seat soccer stadium at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. The stadium is the current home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer teams and was the former home of the now defunct Santa Clara football team as well as the Santa Clara baseball team. The baseball... 2 |
1996 |  Frank YallopFrank Yallop Frank Walter Yallop is an English-born Canadian former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.... |
|
| Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in... |
Seattle, WA | CenturyLink Field 1 | 2009 | Sigi Schmid Sigi Schmid Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid is a German-American soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he was a starting midfielder in each... |
|
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,... , BC British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
BC Place1 | 2011 | Martin Rennie Martin Rennie Martin Rennie is a Scottish soccer coach and is currently the head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer. He was signed to a multi-year contract by Vancouver on 9 August 2011.-Coaching career:... |
|
Notes
| Team | City | Stadium | Years Active | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defunct Clubs | |||||
| Miami Fusion | Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010... , FL Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
Lockhart Stadium Lockhart Stadium Lockhart Stadium is a stadium located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. It is currently used by Fort Lauderdale High School, Stranahan High School, Northeast High School and Dillard High School for home high school football games, and previously served as the home of the Florida Atlantic... |
1998 – 2001 | ||
| Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa Bay Mutiny The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in... |
Tampa Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709.... , FL Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
1996 – 2001 | ||
Team names
- For more information on MLS team names, see the individual team entries.
Originally, in the style of other U.S. sports, teams were given nicknames at their creation such as the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, the San Jose Clash
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
or the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of Major League Soccer active from 1996 - 2001. They initially played in Tampa Stadium and were immediately successful, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in...
. Two exceptions to this were D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
and Miami Fusion F.C., adopting naming conventions usually seen in European clubs. However, new teams such as Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
and Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
continued this trend along with the Dallas Burn renaming themselves FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
and the Kansas City Wizards renaming themselves Sporting Kansas City. Some of the club names have their origins in defunct American professional soccer leagues like the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, such as the 1970s-era San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps.
C.D. Chivas USA is the only MLS club whose name does not specify a city, state, or region. The club is named for the Mexican team C.D. Guadalajara
C.D. Guadalajara
Club Deportivo Guadalajara , is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Guadalajara plays in the Primera División de México and is the most successful club in Mexican football, having won 11 First Division titles, 7 Campeón de Campeones and 2 Copa México...
, who are often known by their nickname "Chivas", which translates to "Goats". The Mexican club, based in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, and Chivas USA share the same ownership. Though Real Salt Lake was not originally affiliated with Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, in 2006 the two clubs signed an agreement to play friendly matches every two years, and to co-sponsor a soccer academy and training facility in Utah. The beverage company Red Bull
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH is an Austrian company which sells the Red Bull energy drink. In 2010, more than 4.204 billion cans were sold in over 161 countries. 7,758 employees generated 3.78 billion euros in revenue...
owns the New York Red Bulls as well as teams in other leagues and sports.
Rivalry cups
Several teams annually compete for secondary rivalry cups that are usually contested by only two teams. Each cup is awarded to the eligible team with the better regular season record. The concept is comparable to minor trophies played for by American college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
teams.
| Derby Name | Most Wins | Titles | Other Club(s) | Titles | Recent winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Cup | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
10 | New York Red Bulls | 5 | New York |
| Brimstone Cup Brimstone Cup The Brimstone Cup is a soccer trophy awarded to the yearly winner of the rivalry between the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas Major League Soccer teams. The Cup is awarded by the Brimstone Cup Committee to the team with the most points in games played between the two... |
FC Dallas FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
7 | Chicago Fire | 1 | Dallas |
| California Clasico California Clasico The California Clasico is a soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. This rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs... |
Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
9 | San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
4 | Los Angeles |
| Cascadia Cup Cascadia Cup The Cascadia Cup is the name of the trophy created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which is awarded each season to the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest. The Timbers, Sounders, and Whitecaps have roots dating to the days of the... |
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in... Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
3 | Portland Timbers Portland Timbers Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011.... |
2 | Seattle |
| Heritage Cup | Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in... |
2 | San Jose Earthquakes San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
1 | Seattle |
| Pioneer Cup Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup The Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup is a Major League Soccer series between FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew. Named after the late Lamar Hunt, one of the league's major investors and a key supporter of American soccer, the series is contested between the two teams still owned by the Hunt Sports Group... |
FC Dallas FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
2 | Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
1 | Dallas |
| SuperClasico Honda SuperClasico -2010 matches:-----2011 matches:-----Summary of all matches:-Results of all meetings:* – US Open Cup match** – Played at LA Memorial Coliseum*** – MLS Cup Playoffs-Other rivalries in the Los Angeles area:... |
Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
6 | Chivas USA C.D. Chivas USA Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada.... |
1 | Los Angeles |
| Rocky Mountain Cup Rocky Mountain Cup The Rocky Mountain Cup is a soccer trophy awarded to the fans of the yearly winner of the rivalry between the Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer teams. The Cup is awarded by the Committee of 10, the fans who run the competition, to the team with the most points in games played... |
Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
5 | Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
2 | Salt Lake |
| Texas Derby Texas Derby The Texas derby is a soccer rivalry between Texas's two MLS teams, Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas, recognizing the best club in the state for the season. The two squads play a series of games with the series winner taking home El Capitán, a replica 18th century mountain howitzer cannon... |
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic... |
4 | FC Dallas FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
2 | Houston |
| Trillium Cup Trillium Cup The Trillium Cup is an annual, two-team rivalry between the Columbus Crew and Toronto FC of Major League Soccer . The Trillium Cup is named after the trillium, which is both the official flower of the Canadian province of Ontario, and the official wildflower of the U.S. state of Ohio... |
Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
3 | Toronto FC Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
1 | Toronto |
Criticisms
Major League Soccer has faced criticism from FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and some domestic soccer fans for neither abiding by the FIFA calendar
Domestic association football season
The domestic association football season in countries that association football is played around the world varies in length and time of year contested...
, nor changing the league schedule to one that begins in August and ends in May. MLS' spring-to-fall format causes scheduling conflicts with the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
, the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, and other FIFA-sanctioned international competitions held in June and July. Such conflicts cause many of the league's top players to abandon their MLS teams during those two months so they can compete in these tournaments, and thus makes it harder for the league to recruit more of the world's best players. Commissioner Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
previously stated the league was looking into changing to a fall-to-spring format, but has since said no such change will take place "any time soon." Said Garber: "To think about playing in Toronto in January or December, it's hard to imagine we are going to be able to do that." If the league does change their schedule, Garber admitted that a winter break would be needed to avoid playing games in the snow, especially with several teams in colder climates.
Other criticisms include the MLS playoff
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
format. The postseason is structured in such a way that a team participating in the playoffs could play in the opposite conference than which they are a member. This format has been criticized as overly complicated and creating competitively uneven playoff brackets. Most notably Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
and the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, who played the regular season in the Western Conference, won the MLS Cup as the Eastern Conference champions in 2009 and 2010
MLS Cup 2010
The MLS Cup 2010 was the fifteenth edition of the MLS Cup championship game and the final match of the 2010 MLS season. The championship was played at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Sunday, November 21, 2010...
, respectively. Further criticism of the playoff system goes beyond this structural point and is made by those arguing playoffs in general greatly reduces the importance of the regular season; especially since over a majority of teams qualify for the postseason. Garber has acknowledged this tension but argues the league cannot "cater to the loudest voices who have this view that our sole purpose is to have a valuable regular season. Our purpose is to have a valuable competition, and that includes having playoffs that are more meaningful. Because we don't have a single table."
Supporters groups
All teams in the league have independent supporters groupsSupporters groups
Supporters groups or supporters clubs are independent fan clubs in association football, particularly in English speaking counties.Supporters groups in Europe are generally known as Ultras which derives from the Latin word deriving from ultrā, meaning beyond in English, with the implication that...
All-time regular season leaders
| Rank | Player | G |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Cunningham Jeff Cunningham Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who played on multiple Major League Soccer teams. He is the MLS all-time leader in goals scored with 134.-College:... |
134 |
| 2 |  Jaime MorenoJaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side.... |
133 |
| 3 | Landon Donovan Landon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.... |
115 |
| 4 | Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
114 |
| 5 | Jason Kreis Jason Kreis Jason Clarence Kreis is an American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.... |
108 |
| 6 | Taylor Twellman Taylor Twellman Taylor Twellman is a retired American soccer player who currently works as a television analyst for the Philadelphia Union and ESPN soccer.-Youth and College:Taylor was raised in St... |
101 |
| 7 | Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... |
93 |
| 8 | Edson Buddle Edson Buddle Edson Buddle is an American soccer player who currently plays for Ingolstadt 04 in Second Bundesliga, the second-highest level of competition of soccer in Germany. Buddle previously spent his entire career in North America, beginning in 2000 with the Long Island Rough Riders, who played in the USL... |
90 |
| 9 |  Carlos Ruiz |
88 |
| Roy Lassiter Roy Lassiter Roy Lassiter is a retired American soccer striker, and Major League Soccer's record holder for goals scored in a season, with 27 in 1996.-Early life:... |
88 |
| Rank | Player | GAA |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Donovan RickettsDonovan Ricketts Donovan Ricketts is a Jamaican footballer who plays as goalkeeper for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer. He is also the vice captain of the Jamaica national football team.-High School and College:... |
0.92 |
| 2 |  Josh SaundersJosh Saunders Josh Saunders is an American-born Puerto Rican footballer who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
1.04 |
| 3 | Kasey Keller Kasey Keller Kasey Keller is a retired American soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.... |
1.06 |
 Faryd Mondragón |
1.06 | |
| 5 | United States Brad Friedel Brad Friedel Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.... |
1.11 |
| 6 |  Bouna CoundoulBouna Coundoul Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:... |
1.13 |
| 7 | Pat Onstad Pat Onstad Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:... |
1.14 |
| 8 |  Jimmy NielsenJimmy Nielsen Jimmy Nielsen is a Danish professional footballer currently playing for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.... |
1.15 |
| 9 | Matt Pickens Matt Pickens Matt Pickens is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and Amateur:... |
1.17 |
| 10 | Dan Kennedy Dan Kennedy (soccer) Daniel Hoffard "Dan" Kennedy is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:... |
1.19 |
| Rank | Player | GP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:... |
386 |
| 2 | Steve Ralston Steve Ralston Steve Ralston is a retired American soccer player and a current assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo.-Professional:... |
378 |
| 3 | Jeff Cunningham Jeff Cunningham Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who played on multiple Major League Soccer teams. He is the MLS all-time leader in goals scored with 134.-College:... |
364 |
| 4 | Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side.... |
340 |
| 5 | Chris Klein Chris Klein (soccer) Chris Klein is a former American soccer player.Klein spent the entirety of his 12-year professional career playing in Major League Soccer, for the Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield with Kansas in 2000, and the Supporters' Shield... |
333 |
| 6 | Andy Williams |
332 |
| 7 | Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch is a retired American soccer midfielder who will be the head coach of the Montreal Impact for their entrance in MLS in 2012, having previously been an assistant for the U.S. national team. He spent fourteen seasons in Major League Soccer, winning three league and four U.S. Open Cup... |
321 |
| Tyrone Marshall Tyrone Marshall Tyrone Marshall is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Marshall moved to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area when he was twelve years old... |
321 | |
| 9 | Chris Henderson Chris Henderson Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S... |
317 |
| 10 | Pablo Mastroeni Pablo Mastroeni Pablo Mastroeni is an Argentine-born American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national soccer team.-Youth:... |
316 |
| Rank | Player | MINS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:... |
34,560 |
| 2 | Steve Ralston Steve Ralston Steve Ralston is a retired American soccer player and a current assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo.-Professional:... |
33,142 |
| 3 | Joe Cannon Joe Cannon (soccer) Joe Cannon is an American soccer player who currently plays for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer.-Professional:... |
27,554 |
| 3 | Jay Heaps Jay Heaps Jay Heaps ) is a former American soccer player. He is the current head coach for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.... |
27,363 |
| 5 | Pablo Mastroeni Pablo Mastroeni Pablo Mastroeni is an Argentine-born American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national soccer team.-Youth:... |
26,799 |
| 6 | Nick Garcia Nick Garcia Nick Garcia is an American soccer player who grew up playing for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club and most recently played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:... |
26,325 |
| 7 | Chris Klein Chris Klein (soccer) Chris Klein is a former American soccer player.Klein spent the entirety of his 12-year professional career playing in Major League Soccer, for the Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield with Kansas in 2000, and the Supporters' Shield... |
26,249 |
| 8 | Chris Henderson Chris Henderson Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S... |
26,240 |
| 9 | Nick Rimando Nick Rimando Nicholas Paul "Nick" Rimando is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer and the United States national team-College:... |
26,073 |
| 10 | Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side.... |
25,792 |
Last Updated November 4, 2011
All-time playoff leaders
| Rank | Player | G |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Landon Donovan Landon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.... |
20 |
| 2 | Guatemala Carlos Ruiz |
16 |
| 3 | United States Roy Lassiter Roy Lassiter Roy Lassiter is a retired American soccer striker, and Major League Soccer's record holder for goals scored in a season, with 27 in 1996.-Early life:... |
13 |
| 4 | Bolivia Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side.... |
12 |
| 5 | United States Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
11 |
| 6 | United States Brian McBride Brian McBride Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League... |
10 |
| United States Preki Preki Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction... |
10 | |
| United States Taylor Twellman Taylor Twellman Taylor Twellman is a retired American soccer player who currently works as a television analyst for the Philadelphia Union and ESPN soccer.-Youth and College:Taylor was raised in St... |
10 | |
| 9 |  El Salvador Raúl Díaz ArceRaúl Díaz Arce Raúl Díaz Arce is a retired Salvadoran football player.He is El Salvador's second most prolific goal scorer behind Jorge "Mágico" González, with 39 goals in just 68 appearances.-Early career:... |
8 |
 Trinidad and Tobago Stern JohnStern John Stern John is a Trinidadian football player currently playing for North East Stars in Trinidad. He played for a number of high profile English football clubs that included Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Coventry City.-Early Career in US:John moved to the United States to attend Mercer... |
8 |
| Rank | Player | GAA |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Adin Brown Adin Brown Adin Brown is an American soccer player who is currently without a club.-College:A highly-touted prospect and a starting goalkeeper for the United States in the run-up prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics, Brown played college soccer at the College of William and Mary... |
0.66 |
| 2 | Jamaica Donovan Ricketts Donovan Ricketts Donovan Ricketts is a Jamaican footballer who plays as goalkeeper for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer. He is also the vice captain of the Jamaica national football team.-High School and College:... |
0.74 |
| 3 | United States Jon Conway Jon Conway Jon Conway is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
0.75 |
| 4 | United States Jon Busch Jon Busch Jon Busch is an American soccer goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:... |
0.81 |
| 5 | United States Matt Reis Matt Reis Matt Reis is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-College:Reis played college soccer at UCLA... |
0.86 |
| 6 | United States Jeff Cassar Jeff Cassar Jeff Cassar is a retired American soccer goalkeeper, who last played for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. He is now the Real Salt Lake goalkeeper coach following his retirement from active play.... |
0.89 |
| 7 | United States Matt Pickens Matt Pickens Matt Pickens is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and Amateur:... |
0.94 |
| 8 |  Mexico Jorge Campos |
0.99 |
| 9 | United States Danny Cepero Danny Cepero Danny Cepero is a former American soccer player.-College:Cepero played four years of college soccer at the University of Pennsylvania, where he captained the squad, set Penn's all-time career record for shutouts, and was named to the All-Ivy team in his senior year.-Professional:Cepero was drafted... |
1.00 |
| United States Brad Guzan Brad Guzan Bradley Edwin "Brad" Guzan is an American soccer player who plays for Aston Villa of the Premier League.-Early Career:... |
1.00 |
| Rank | Player | GP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Cobi Jones Cobi Jones Cobi N'Gai Jones is a retired American soccer player who formerly served as assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer , with whom he had been involved as a player and coach since the team's inaugural season in 1996... |
45 |
| 2 | United States Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:... |
44 |
| 3 | United States Diego Gutiérrez Diego Gutierrez (soccer) Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently Head of Scouting and Player Development for Philadelphia Union.Born in Colombia, Gutiérrez was part of that country's youth... |
40 |
| 4 | United States Jeff Agoos Jeff Agoos Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Agoos is a retired American soccer defender, and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team.... |
39 |
| 5 | United States Chris Armas Chris Armas Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent... |
37 |
| United States Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch is a retired American soccer midfielder who will be the head coach of the Montreal Impact for their entrance in MLS in 2012, having previously been an assistant for the U.S. national team. He spent fourteen seasons in Major League Soccer, winning three league and four U.S. Open Cup... |
37 | |
| 7 | United States C. J. Brown C. J. Brown C. J. Brown is a former American soccer player who is currently an assistant head coach for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
35 |
| El Salvador Mauricio Cienfuegos Mauricio Cienfuegos Mauricio Cienfuegos is a retired Salvadoran soccer player.-Club career:Cienfuegos began his professional career in 1985 with Racing Junior... |
35 | |
| United States Ante Razov Ante Razov Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:... |
35 | |
| United States Zach Thornton Zach Thornton Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
35 |
| Rank | Player | MINS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:... |
4,042 |
| 2 | United States Cobi Jones Cobi Jones Cobi N'Gai Jones is a retired American soccer player who formerly served as assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer , with whom he had been involved as a player and coach since the team's inaugural season in 1996... |
3,938 |
| 3 | United States Jeff Agoos Jeff Agoos Jeffrey Alan "Jeff" Agoos is a retired American soccer defender, and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team.... |
3,557 |
| 4 | United States Chris Armas Chris Armas Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Adelphi University. He was also a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent... |
3,383 |
| 5 | United States Diego Gutiérrez Diego Gutierrez (soccer) Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently Head of Scouting and Player Development for Philadelphia Union.Born in Colombia, Gutiérrez was part of that country's youth... |
3,270 |
| 6 | United States Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch Jesse Marsch is a retired American soccer midfielder who will be the head coach of the Montreal Impact for their entrance in MLS in 2012, having previously been an assistant for the U.S. national team. He spent fourteen seasons in Major League Soccer, winning three league and four U.S. Open Cup... |
3,228 |
| 7 | United States C. J. Brown C. J. Brown C. J. Brown is a former American soccer player who is currently an assistant head coach for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
3,221 |
| 8 | United States Zach Thornton Zach Thornton Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
3,193 |
| 9 | United States Steve Ralston Steve Ralston Steve Ralston is a retired American soccer player and a current assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo.-Professional:... |
3,164 |
| 10 | El Salvador Mauricio Cienfuegos Mauricio Cienfuegos Mauricio Cienfuegos is a retired Salvadoran soccer player.-Club career:Cienfuegos began his professional career in 1985 with Racing Junior... |
2,992 |
As of MLS Cup 2009
MLS awards
There are 10 awards given out by the Major League Soccer each year.- Major League Soccer MVP AwardMajor League Soccer MVP AwardThe Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
- MLS Best XIMLS Best XIThe MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
- MLS Coach of the Year AwardMLS Coach of the Year AwardThe MLS Coach of the Year Award is an award given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996.-Winners:...
- MLS Comeback Player of the Year AwardMLS Comeback Player of the Year AwardIn the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Comeback Player of the Year award since 2000. Here is a list of the past winners:...
- MLS Scudetto
- MLS Defender of the Year AwardMLS Defender of the Year AwardIn the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Defender of the Year award since its inception in 1996. Here is a list of the past winners:Past winners:...
- MLS Goalkeeper of the Year AwardMLS Goalkeeper of the Year AwardIn the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Goalkeeper of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. Here is a list of recipients:-Winners:-External links:*...
- MLS Golden BootMLS Golden BootThe MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
- MLS Newcomer of the Year AwardMLS Newcomer of the Year AwardThe MLS Newcomer of the Year Award is awarded by Major League Soccer to a player who has professional experience in another league and has an outstanding season in his first season of play in the MLS.-Winners:...
- MLS Rookie of the Year AwardMLS Rookie of the Year AwardIn the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Rookie of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. MLS, as opposed to other American sports leagues like Major League Baseball, only designates a player as a rookie if the player has had no prior professional experience...
See also
- Canadian ChampionshipCanadian ChampionshipThe Canadian Championship—known as the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams...
- Canadian Soccer AssociationCanadian Soccer AssociationThe Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
- Generation AdidasGeneration adidasGeneration adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry of American players into MLS...
- Expansion of Major League SoccerExpansion of Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is the top level of soccer in the United States and Canada. It was established in 1993 with ten initial teams. Since then it has expanded several times into new markets across the United States, and for the first time, beginning in 2006, into Canada. MLS has announced a further...
- List of current MLS players
- List of current MLS players with national team caps
- List of foreign MLS players
- List of Major League Soccer stadiums
- List of MLS coaches
- List of MLS drafts
- List of MLS seasons
- Major League Soccer MVP AwardMajor League Soccer MVP AwardThe Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
- Major League Soccer Players UnionMajor League Soccer Players UnionThe Major League Soccer Players Union, also referred to as MLS Players Union or MLSPU, is the union of professional Major League Soccer players. The Players Union serves as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all current players in MLS.-History:The Major League Soccer Players...
- Major League Soccer records and statisticsMajor League Soccer records and statisticsThe following is a compilation of notable records and statistics for teams and players in and seasons of Major League Soccer.- MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield Winners and Runners-Up :- MLS Cup Finals :- All-Time Most Successful MLS Clubs :1 - Defunct...
- MLS All-Star Game
- MLS Attendance
- MLS CombineMLS CombineThe Major League Soccer Player Combine, as it is more widely known, is a four-day annual showcase, occurring every January in Fort Lauderdale, Florida's Central Broward Regional Park, where future Major League Soccer players perform physical and mental tests in front of coaches, general managers,...
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
- MLS Cup PlayoffsMLS Cup PlayoffsThe MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
- MLS Direct KickMLS Direct KickMLS Direct Kick is an Out-of-Market Sports Package distributed by most cable and satellite providers in North America. As of the 2011 season, package subscribers will be able to watch up to 221 Major League Soccer regular season games as well as some MLS Cup playoff matches. The package costs $79...
- MLS ExtraTimeMLS ExtratimeMLS ExtraTime was a Major League Soccer highlight show that aired on ESPN2 in 2000 and 2001. Rob Stone co-hosted first with Roy Wegerle, then with Alexi Lalas, in 2000 and with Dave Dir in 2001...
- MLS Hall of Fame GameMLS Hall of Fame GameThe MLS Hall of Fame Game is an annual friendly match between two MLS teams. It corresponds with the induction of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. The game takes place at At-A-Glance Field in Oneonta, NY. -Game history:...
- MLS Game of the WeekMLS Game of the WeekMLS Game of the Week is a weekly presentation of Major League Soccer on ESPN and ESPN2 that began in 2009.-2011 season EST:*Tuesday March 15- Seattle Sounders FC @ Los Angeles Galaxy 9:30 p.m.*...
- MLS Primetime ThursdayMLS Primetime ThursdayMLS Primetime Thursday is a weekly presentation of Major League Soccer games on ESPN2 that began in 2007. The program is presented by Adidas. ESPN and MLS had previously had a contract where ESPN2 televised live games at 4PM on Saturdays. Play-by-play was usually handled by JP Dellacamera, with...
- MLS Reserve DivisionMLS Reserve DivisionThe MLS Reserve Division is an USA soccer league for the reserve teams of Major League Soccer.It was inaugurated on April 9, 2005, with the first official reserve game being a 2-0 victory by Chivas USA over the host San Jose Earthquakes, and disbanded after the 2008 season.The reserve division...
- MLS rivalry cups
- MLS Soccer SaturdayMLS Soccer SaturdayMLS Soccer Saturday is a weekly presentation of Major League Soccer games that aired on ESPN from 1996 to 2006. MLS Soccer Saturday was the first weekly presentation of MLS games, which usually started at 4PM EST. The program is sponsored by Radioshack...
- Pan-Pacific ChampionshipPan-Pacific ChampionshipThe Pan-Pacific Football Championship was an inter-confederation football tournament between teams from A-League , Chinese Super League , J...
- Sueño MLSSueño MLSSueño MLS is a nationally-televised player search for Major League Soccer. Tryouts are held in three select cities on a first-come, first-serve basis.-History:...
- SuperLiga
- Supporters' Shield
- United States Soccer FederationUnited States Soccer FederationThe United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
- US Open Cup
- World Series of Soccer (MLS)World Series of Soccer (MLS)The World Series of Soccer was a series of club games hosted by Major League Soccer from 2005 to 2007, It was used by MLS to provide its teams with opportunities to compete against top international teams.-Previous uses of name:...
- Soccer Night in America