Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and was founded in 1996 after the USA hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Major League Soccer is certainly the most prominent, popular, and profitable soccer league currently and of all time in the U.S.A., and its goal is to become one of the top soccer leagues in the world. The MLS was founded in 1996 and is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.
History of Major League Soccer
The first successfully organized national soccer league in the U.S. came about much later in comparison to that of other countries around the world. The league was founded in 1993 and held its first season in 1996 after the United States Soccer Federation, the official governing body of soccer in the U.S. and more commonly known as U.S. Soccer, pledged to create a Division 1 professional soccer league as part of its bid to host the 1994 World Cup.
MLS started with 10 teams in 1996 and a television rights deal with ESPN. The league struggled in its first few years due to a lack of attendance, financial problems, and unsuccessful efforts to “Americanize” the sport. It wasn’t until 2002, when the U.S. Men’s National Team made it to the quarterfinals in the World Cup, that MLS started to shed its inchoate skin and find success.
Adoption of International rules and standards
In mid-2000s, MLS adopted the rules and standards of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), a global body that formed in the British Isles and created the codified set of rules known as the Laws of the Game that FIFA recognizes and enforces. Major League Soccer also started constructing new soccer-specific home stadiums for its teams rather than continue to use NFL stadiums. Some MLS players ended up joining European teams, and the league was also able to successfully expand and include more teams.
Increase in Popularity
In 2007, when Toronto FC joined the league, English superstar David Beckham joined LA Galaxy, and Stan Kroenke bought the Colorado Rapids, all of which increased the popularity and revenue of MLS, the league finally started to look successful. Since then, the league has continued to succeed, profit, and expand and will only continue to do so in the near future.
Complete List of MLS Teams
Major League Soccer is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. This year, there are 26 teams in Major League Soccer, 14 of which are in the Eastern Conference, 12 of which are in the Western Conference, and six of which have had their debut season in the past four years. MLS plans to expand the number of teams to 30 by 2023.
Eastern Conference
- Atlanta United FC – Atlanta, Georgia
- Chicago Fire – Bridgeview, Illinois
- Columbus Crew SC – Columbus, Ohio
- D.C. United – Washington, D.C.
- FC Cincinnati – Cincinnati, Ohio
- Inter Miami CF – Miami, Florida
- Montreal Impact – Montreal, Quebec
- Nashville SC – Nashville, Tennessee
- New England Revolution – Foxborough, Massachusetts
- New York City FC – New York City, New York
- New York Red Bulls – Harrison, New Jersey
- Orlando City SC – Orlando, Florida
- Philadelphia Union – Chester, Pennsylvania
- Toronto FC – Toronto, Ontario
Western Conference
- Colorado Rapids – Commerce City, Colorado
- FC Dallas – Frisco, Texas
- Houston Dynamo – Houston, Texas
- LA Galaxy – Carson, California
- Los Angeles FC – Los Angeles, California
- Minnesota United FC – Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Portland Timbers – Portland, Oregon
- Real Salt Lake – Sandy, Utah
- San Jose Earthquakes – San Jose, California
- Seattle Sounders FC – Seattle, Washington
- Sporting Kansas City – Kansas City, Kansas
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Vancouver, British Columbia
Format of MLS
For the 2020 season, there are 13 teams in each conference. Each side plays 34 games during the regular season – 17 at home and 17 away. Clubs face each team in their own conference twice – once at home and once away – and play 10 games against teams from the opposing conference – five at home and five away.
The Supporters’ Shield is awarded to the team with the best regular-season record across both conferences. But the main attraction is the MLS Cup, which is lifted by the end-of-season playoff winners.
Format of MLS playoffs
The MLS Cup playoffs are the annual post-season elimination tournament. They begin in October, after the conclusion of the regulation MLS season. The top seven sides from each conference qualify for the MLS playoffs and compete in the knockout format.
The top seed from each conference – the side that finishes first – is given a first-round bye, while the remaining six teams face one another. All rounds are single-match elimination games hosted by the higher seed. This means that the first round will consist of the second- versus seventh-placed sides, third versus sixth and fourth versus fifth.
The winner of fourth versus fifth advances to face the conference leader, while the other semi-final is made up of the winners of the other two first-round matches. The four remaining teams in each conference then play until the winner of each final advances to December’s MLS Cup final, in which an Eastern Conference side will always play a side from the Western Conference. The final is played at the ground of the team with the best record in the regular season.
How do MLS teams qualify for the Champions League?
Every season, five MLS teams qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League – North America’s equivalent to the UEFA Champions League. They are split between four teams from the United States and one from Canada. Two US teams qualify based on regular-season results, with one coming from the Western Conference and one from the Eastern Conference. The third American team to qualify is the winner of the MLS Cup and a fourth can qualify by winning the US Open Cup – the American equivalent of the FA Cup. If a team qualifies through multiple berths, or they are taken by a Canadian MLS team, the Champions League spot is re-allocated to the next best US team in the overall table. Canadian MLS clubs play against other Canadian clubs in the Canadian Championship – Canada’s annual cup competition – for one spot in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Which MLS team is the most successful?
LA Galaxy are the most successful team in MLS history, with five MLS Cups and four Supporters’ Shields. DC United have also won four Supporters’ Shields.
MLS All-Star game
The MLS All-Star game takes place at the mid-point of the MLS season and has seen an MLS All-Star team face various opponents. The All-Stars are picked through a combination of fan voting and selections by the appointed manager of the team and league commissioner. For the last 14 seasons, they have played against European opposition, but in 2020 they will face a team of Liga MX All-Stars.
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