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Major League Soccer



 
 
Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top-flight professional soccer league based in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, overseen by the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation

The United States Soccer Federation is the official Sport governing body of the sport of football in the United States. The headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois....
. The league is comprised of 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
. MLS represents the top tier of the American
American Soccer Pyramid

The American Soccer Pyramid is a term used in Football to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. For practical and historical reasons, some teams from Bermuda, Canada and Puerto Rico also compete, but they are not eligible for the Lamar Hunt U.S....
 and Canadian soccer pyramid
Canadian soccer pyramid

The Canadian soccer pyramid is a term used in Football to describe the structure of the league system in the Canada. Canadian teams are often members of leagues that are based in the United States....
s.

MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the bid for the United States 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 the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. The United States was chosen as FIFA World Cup hosts#1994 FIFA World Cup by FIFA in July 1988....
. The first season took place in 1996 beginning with 10 teams. Seasons run from late March or early April to November, with teams playing 30 regular season games each.






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Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top-flight professional soccer league based in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, overseen by the United States Soccer Federation
United States Soccer Federation

The United States Soccer Federation is the official Sport governing body of the sport of football in the United States. The headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois....
. The league is comprised of 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
. MLS represents the top tier of the American
American Soccer Pyramid

The American Soccer Pyramid is a term used in Football to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. For practical and historical reasons, some teams from Bermuda, Canada and Puerto Rico also compete, but they are not eligible for the Lamar Hunt U.S....
 and Canadian soccer pyramid
Canadian soccer pyramid

The Canadian soccer pyramid is a term used in Football to describe the structure of the league system in the Canada. Canadian teams are often members of leagues that are based in the United States....
s.

MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the bid for the United States 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 the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. The United States was chosen as FIFA World Cup hosts#1994 FIFA World Cup by FIFA in July 1988....
. The first season took place in 1996 beginning with 10 teams. Seasons run from late March or early April to November, with teams playing 30 regular season games each. Eight teams from the league compete in the post-season MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs

The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason Tournament#Multi-stage_tournaments of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup Championship game....
, which culminate in MLS Cup
MLS Cup

The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the MLS Cup 2008 winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip Anschutz Trophy , for his long-standing commitment to MLS....
.

Competition format


The 2009 Major League Soccer season
2009 Major League Soccer season

The 2009 Major League Soccer season will be the 14th season in league history. The season will begin on March 19 and will end in November with MLS Cup 2009....
 runs from March 19 to November. The 15 teams in the league are divided into the Eastern
MLS Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer two conferences....
 and Western
MLS Western Conference

The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer two conferences....
 Conferences — seven in the Eastern Conference, eight in the Western Conference. Each team plays 30 games, evenly divided between home and away matches. Each team competes against every other team twice, home and away, for a total of 28 games. The remaining two games are intra-conference matches, often highlighting geographic and conference rivalries.

MLS has four 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 . The competition is open to the leading teams in the region, and replaced the CONCACAF Champions' Cup which ran from 1962 to 2008....
. For CONCACAF Champions League 2009–10
CONCACAF Champions League 2009–10

The CONCACAF Champions League 2009?10 will be the 2nd edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. The tournament will run from July 2009 through April 2010....
, qualifying teams include MLS Cup 2008
MLS Cup 2008

The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2008 Major League Soccer season, and took place at 3:30 PM ET on November 23, 2008 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California between the 2008 MLS Eastern Conference Champion Columbus Crew and the 2008 MLS Western Conference Champion Red Bull New York....
 and Supporters' Shield winner the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
, Supporters' Shield runner-up the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo professional football team is based in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons....
, MLS Cup runner-up the New York Red Bulls
Red Bull New York

Red Bull New York is an United States professional association football organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the New York Red Bulls....
, and 2008 U.S. Open Cup
2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

The 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June through September 2008.The Cup schedule was shortened in 2008, ending in August instead of October, so as to avoid interfering with Major League Soccer's end-of-season playoff drive in the fall and the new CONCACAF Champions League....
 winner D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
. Columbus and Houston are automatically seeded into the Group Stage, while New York and D.C. are required to play in the Preliminary Round.

MLS also has four berths in SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga

The SuperLiga is an official North America football competition between teams from the Primera Divisi?n de M?xico of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each nation....
, a competition jointly organized by MLS and Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
's national football governing body, the FMF
Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación

The Federaci?n Mexicana de F?tbol Asociaci?n, A.C. is the official governing body of the sport of football in Mexico. Under its auspices, it administers the Mexico national football team, the 4 professional categories of the Mexican League, the Liga Universitaria and all affiliated amateur sectors.The head quartesr are located in the street...
. The top four overall teams from the 2008 season, excluding those participating in the Champions League, qualify for SuperLiga 2009
North American SuperLiga 2009

SuperLiga 2009 will be the third edition of the North American SuperLiga. The top four overall Major League Soccer teams from the Major League Soccer 2008 season not already qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League will earn qualification, as well as four clubs from Mexico....
. This includes the Chicago Fire, the New England Revolution
New England Revolution

The New England Revolution, nicknamed the Revs, is a professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that participates in Major League Soccer....
, the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards

The Kansas City Wizards are a professional association football club based in Kansas City that participates in Major League Soccer. The Wizards won the MLS Cup in 2000, the Lamar Hunt U.S....
, and Chivas USA.

History


Early years


In 1996, Major League Soccer's original ten teams, the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
, D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
, the New England Revolution
New England Revolution

The New England Revolution, nicknamed the Revs, is a professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that participates in Major League Soccer....
, the NY/NJ MetroStars
Red Bull New York

Red Bull New York is an United States professional association football organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the New York Red Bulls....
, the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny

The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional football club located in Tampa, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001. The club played its home games at Houlihan's Stadium from 1996-1998 and at Raymond James Stadium from 1999 onwards....
, the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids are a association football club based in Commerce City, Colorado, Colorado that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was founded in 1995....
, the Dallas Burn
FC Dallas

FC Dallas is a North American professional association football team based in Frisco, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1996 as the Dallas Burn, the team plays in Major League Soccer ....
, the Kansas City Wiz
Kansas City Wizards

The Kansas City Wizards are a professional association football club based in Kansas City that participates in Major League Soccer. The Wizards won the MLS Cup in 2000, the Lamar Hunt U.S....
, the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
 and the San Jose Clash
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
, began play. The early years of the league gave rise to the Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena

Bruce Arena is an American football coach, currently in charge of Los Angeles Galaxy. He is a former Head Coach and Sporting Director for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer and the former coach of the United States men's national soccer team....
-led dynasty of D.C. United, which won MLS Cups in three of the league's first four seasons. It took the expansion Chicago Fire in 1998 to end United's stranglehold on MLS Cup. Also joining the league in 1998 was 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
United States men's national soccer team

The United States men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, since the 1970s the sport has steadily grown in popularity, and the men's national team has risen to become one of the strongest teams in CONCACAF, is ranked 20th...
, 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 FIFA World Cup hosts#1998 FIFA World Cup by FIFA on 1 July 1992....
 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 is currently playing for Scottish Premier League side Rangers F.C. as well as the United States men's national soccer team....
 and Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan

Landon Timothy Donovan is an United States football player, currently playing for Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He is the all-time leading scorer for the United States men's national soccer team, and is the only five-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year award....
 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 McBride is an United States Association football striker who has appeared in three FIFA World Cup for the United States men's national soccer team and currently plays for the Chicago Fire S.C....
 and Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis

Clint Mathis is a soccer striker/midfielder who currently plays for Real Salt Lake.Clint Mathis was on the cover of Backyard Soccer 2004....
 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 on July 21, 2008, became the Chief Executive Officer of USATF, the national governing body for track and field, long distance running and race walking....
 after the end of the 1998 season. Don Garber
Don Garber

Don 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....
, a former NFL
National Football League

The National Football League is the Major North American professional sports leagues American football Sports league in the United States. It is an unincorporated 501#501.28c.29.286.29 association controlled by its members....
 International chief, was hired in his place and his leadership became instrumental to shoring up the league's future. Construction of "soccer-specific" stadiums
Soccer-specific stadium

Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada, coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium whose primary purpose is to host association football matches....
 for the league's teams, largely funded by financiers such as Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt

Lamar Hunt was an United States sportsman and promoter of American football, football , basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee of the first three sports' hall of fame....
 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....
, 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 World Cup

This disambiguation page had piped links removed by a bot, per...
 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 this 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 professional football club located in Tampa, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001. The club played its home games at Houlihan's Stadium from 1996-1998 and at Raymond James Stadium from 1999 onwards....
 and Miami Fusion, just a few years after their establishment. This left the league with 10 teams, the same number as when the league began.

Resurgence


MLS Major Trophy Winners
SeasonMLS Cup
MLS Cup

The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the MLS Cup 2008 winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip Anschutz Trophy , for his long-standing commitment to MLS....

Playoff and League
Champions
Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield

The Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system, much like the Presidents' Trophy in the National Hockey League....

Regular Season
Champions
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 California....
Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
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....
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo professional football team is based in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons....
D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
2006Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo professional football team is based in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons....
D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
2005Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
2004D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
2003San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
Chicago Fire
2002Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
2001San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion

Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional association football club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001....
2000Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards

The Kansas City Wizards are a professional association football club based in Kansas City that participates in Major League Soccer. The Wizards won the MLS Cup in 2000, the Lamar Hunt U.S....
Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards

The Kansas City Wizards are a professional association football club based in Kansas City that participates in Major League Soccer. The Wizards won the MLS Cup in 2000, the Lamar Hunt U.S....
1999D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
1998Chicago FireLos Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
1997D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
1996D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny

The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional football club located in Tampa, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001. The club played its home games at Houlihan's Stadium from 1996-1998 and at Raymond James Stadium from 1999 onwards....


The 2002 World Cup, in which the United States
United States men's national soccer team

The United States men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, since the 1970s the sport has steadily grown in popularity, and the men's national team has risen to become one of the strongest teams in CONCACAF, is ranked 20th...
 unexpectedly made the quarterfinals through wins against Portugal
Portugal national football team

The Portugal national football team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation , finishing 4th at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The first appearance in the 1966 FIFA World cup saw them reach the semi final, losing 2-1 at Wembley Stadium to the eventual world champions England national football team....
 and Mexico
Mexico national football team

The Mexican national football team is controlled by the Federaci?n Mexicana de F?tbol and represents Mexico in international association football competition....
, triggered a resurgence in American soccer and MLS. At MLS Cup 2002
MLS Cup 2002

The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the Major League Soccer 2002 season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts....
, 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 the home stadium for the New England Patriots American football team and the New England Revolution Football team. Located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the facility opened in 2002, replacing Foxboro 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
Freddy Adu

Fredua Koranteng "Freddy" Adu is an American football striker or attacking midfielder. He plays for AS Monaco FC on loan from S.L. Benfica....
 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 instance of the FIFA World Cup, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names international football world championship tournament....
. 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, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
. Tim Howard
Tim Howard

Timothy Matthew "Tim" Howard is an United States association football Goalkeeper currently playing for Everton F.C. in the English Premier League and the United States men's national soccer team....
, goalkeeper for the MetroStars
Red Bull New York

Red Bull New York is an United States professional association football organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the New York Red Bulls....
, was sold to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English association football club, based at Old Trafford in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with over 330 million supporters worldwide ? almost 5% of the world's population....
 in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history. DaMarcus Beasley of the Chicago Fire left for PSV
PSV

PSV may refer to:* PSV Eindhoven, a sports club from Eindhoven, The Netherlands* Partial specific volume* Platform supply vessel, a specific type of ship...
, while Landon Donovan, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, was recalled back 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 Kreis is a former American soccer striker, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history. He is the current head coach of Real Salt Lake....
 of expansion club Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake is an American soccer club that is based in the Salt Lake City, Utah suburb of Sandy, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005....
 became the first player to score at least 100 career MLS goals. In 2005, the now defunct MLS Reserve Division
MLS Reserve Division

The MLS Reserve Division was a USA soccer league for the reserve teams of Major League Soccer, much like the English FA Premier Reserve League is to the FA Premier League....
 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 soccer club that is based in the Salt Lake City, Utah suburb of Sandy, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005....
 and Chivas USA began play in 2004, 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....
 with the Galaxy. Chivas USA also became the first team in MLS to be directly connected to a foreign club, as they are the sister club of Guadalajara. A year later the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
 were moved to Texas, becoming the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo professional football team is based in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons....
, after funding for a soccer-specific stadium could not be found in San Jose. The Dynamo were treated as an expansion franchise, leaving their history behind for the new ownership group that would materialize a few years after the move, in 2008.

2006-present


Since 2006, Major League Soccer's leadership has taken steps to "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 SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga

The SuperLiga is an official North America football competition between teams from the Primera Divisi?n de M?xico of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each nation....
, which pits the best of MLS 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 more of them. However, despite the increasing number of foreign players in MLS, the Houston Dynamo were able to establish a domestic dynasty, winning both the 2006 and 2007 titles with mostly American and Canadian talent.

The 2006 season confirmed Major League Soccer as a stable entity within both American and international soccer. Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley

Bob Bradley is the current manager of the United States men's national soccer team. He is the manager with the most victories in Major League Soccer history, managing the Chicago Fire S.C., MetroStars and C.D....
, whose reputation was scarred by disappointing results when coaching the MetroStars, turned around second-year Chivas USA, who in their inaugural season had finished last among all teams in the league.

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....
 saw the MLS debut of David Beckham
David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham Order of the British Empire is an England association football who currently plays in midfielder for Italy Serie A club A.C....
, whose signing has been seen as a coup for American soccer. Beckham's signing by the Los Angeles Galaxy was made possible by the Designated Player Rule. Marcelo Gallardo
Marcelo Gallardo

Marcelo Daniel Gallardo is an Argentina Football . He is an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder in the role of playmaker who plays for Club Atl?tico River Plate in Argentina....
 of Paris Saint-Germain transferred to D.C. United, Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco

Cuauht?moc Blanco Bravo , also known as Cuauh or Temoc, is a Mexico national football team football midfielder, who can play in Central Midfield and on the Left Wing and currently plays for Chicago Fire S.C....
 of Club América
Club América

Club de F?tbol Am?rica is a Mexican football club based in Mexico City, competing in the Primera Divisi?n de M?xico. Am?rica is owned by Emilio Azc?rraga, who owns Televisa, making it the richest club in Mexico, and arguably the richest outside Europe....
 signed for the Chicago Fire, and Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel

Juan Pablo ?ngel Arango is a Colombian football striker, who currently plays for and captains the Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer....
, who moved from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.

Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, who currently play in the Premier League. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897....
 to the New York Red Bulls
Red Bull New York

Red Bull New York is an United States professional association football organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the New York Red Bulls....
, are just some of the Designated Players who have made major contributions to their clubs.

The departures of Clint Dempsey
Clint Dempsey

Clinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey is an United States Association football player who plays midfielder for Fulham F.C. of the Premier League and the United States men's national soccer team....
 to Fulham
Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is an English professional Association football club based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they celebrated their 125th anniversary in 2004, and they are in the top tier of English football, the The Football Association Premier League....
 and Jozy Altidore
Jozy Altidore

Josmer "Jozy" Volmy Altidore is an American soccer striker who currently plays for Xerez C.D. of Spain's Segunda Divisi?n while on loan from Villarreal C.F....
 to Villarreal, coupled with the return of former U.S. national team stars Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna

Claudio Reyna is a former United States association football player. He was the captain of the United States men's national soccer team before retiring from international soccer immediately following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup....
 and Brian McBride
Brian McBride

Brian McBride is an United States Association football striker who has appeared in three FIFA World Cup for the United States men's national soccer team and currently plays for the Chicago Fire S.C....
 to New York and Chicago, respectively, highlight the exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans for 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 an Argentina football player. He is a playmaker or midfielder who currently plays for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer....
 to Columbus and Freddie Ljungberg to Seattle.

Toronto FC
Toronto FC

Toronto FC is a Canada professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer . The club was founded in 2006, is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and plays its home games at BMO Field....
, who joined the league for 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....
, were the league's first entrant from Canada.

In the inaugural 2007 SuperLiga
2007 North American SuperLiga

North American SuperLiga 2007, the inaugural edition of the SuperLiga competition, was held from July 24 to August 29, 2007. The eight clubs participating in the 2007 tournament were chosen by invitation....
, which was the product of the league's marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing
Soccer United Marketing

Soccer United Marketing is the marketing arm of Major League Soccer and is responsible for the US English and Spanish broadcasting rights for the World Cup....
, the Los Angeles Galaxy lost on penalty kicks to Pachuca, as the league attempted to translate the traditional rivalry between the U.S. and Mexican
Mexico national football team

The Mexican national football team is controlled by the Federaci?n Mexicana de F?tbol and represents Mexico in international association football competition....
 national teams to the club level. Though it has only two seasons of existence, the tournament has been declared a success for both leagues.

Organization


Recently "expansion," "contraction," 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.

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 Altidore
Jozy Altidore

Josmer "Jozy" Volmy Altidore is an American soccer striker who currently plays for Xerez C.D. of Spain's Segunda Divisi?n while on loan from Villarreal C.F....
, who rose to prominence as one of the league's most skilled young strikers before fetching the league's record transfer fee in his move to Villarreal in 2008.

Furthering the development of the league was the decision to create the Designated Player Rule, which allows for clubs to pay up to two players a salary beyond that covered in the salary cap at their own expense. A host of veteran players including Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco

Cuauht?moc Blanco Bravo , also known as Cuauh or Temoc, is a Mexico national football team football midfielder, who can play in Central Midfield and on the Left Wing and currently plays for Chicago Fire S.C....
, Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel

Juan Pablo ?ngel Arango is a Colombian football striker, who currently plays for and captains the Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer....
, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Guillermo Barros Schelotto is an Argentina football player. He is a playmaker or midfielder who currently plays for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer....
, and David Beckham
David Beckham

David Robert Joseph Beckham Order of the British Empire is an England association football who currently plays in midfielder for Italy Serie A club A.C....
 joined MLS and improved the league's level of play and the game's overall profile in the U.S. and the league's profile abroad.

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 Sport governing body of the sport of football in the United States. The headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois....
 hired the first full-time professional referees in league history. Another part of "Game First" was the creation of an official league anthem similar to other competitions from around the world. There are two versions of the MLS Anthem, an that is performed before every regular season game and an that is played before the MLS All-Star Game
Major League Soccer All-Star Game

The MLS All-Star Game has been held each season that Major League Soccer has existed. The set-up for the game has been far more fluid than that of All-Star games in more traditional leagues such as the NHL, National Basketball Association, NFL, and MLB....
 and MLS Cup
MLS Cup

The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the MLS Cup 2008 winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip Anschutz Trophy , for his long-standing commitment to MLS....
.

Stadiums


Since 1999, the league has overseen the construction and completion of seven venues specifically designed for soccer. Lamar Hunt broke new ground in this endeavor by financing the construction of Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium

Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio....
. 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....
 in 2003. Chivas USA has shared this venue with the Galaxy since their expansion season in 2004. It also played host to two consecutive MLS Cups, until FC Dallas opened Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park

Pizza Hut Park is a multi-purpose facility, featuring a 20,500-seat stadium, built and owned by the suburb of Frisco, Texas in Collin County, Texas....
 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 the home stadium for the Chicago Fire S.C., members of Major League Soccer . Located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois, it is a soccer-specific stadium and concert venue developed at a cost of more than $100 million....
 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....
 saw the opening of Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the Colorado Rapids and BMO Field
BMO Field

Bank of Montreal Field is a soccer-specific stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. It is also known as the National Soccer Stadium....
 for the expansion 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 California....
, Rio Tinto Stadium became the new home of Real Salt Lake.

Other stadiums are currently under construction. Red Bull Arena, the new home of Red Bull New York, began construction in December 2007 with the goal of beginning play there at some point in 2009. D.C. United, the Kansas City Wizards, the Houston Dynamo, the New England Revolution, and the San Jose Earthquakes are actively searching for ways to finance and build their respective stadiums.

Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC is a professional football club based in Seattle, Washington that will begin play in Major League Soccer in 2009. The team will play its home games at Qwest Field....
 will play at Qwest Field
Qwest Field

Qwest Field is a multipurpose stadium located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It serves as the home field for the National Football League's Seattle Seahawks, and Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC....
, home of the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington, USA. They are currently members of the NFC West of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, but the owners have pledged that only the lower portion of the stadium will be used in order to create a better atmosphere for soccer. The Philadelphia franchise plans to play in the new Chester Stadium
Chester Stadium

Chester Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania which is currently under construction. It is the planned home of Major League Soccer Philadelphia 2010....
 when they enter the league in 2010.

The move to soccer-specific stadiums has been seen by many as essential to building up attendance and fan support for MLS. So far, every club that has built its own stadium has not only seen its game attendance rise, but also has helped MLS achieve profitability. Thanks to their new stadium, the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
 became the first club to make a profit, followed in 2006 by FC Dallas
FC Dallas

FC Dallas is a North American professional association football team based in Frisco, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1996 as the Dallas Burn, the team plays in Major League Soccer ....
.

Media coverage


At the outset, MLS signed deals for coverage on ESPN
ESPN

ESPN is a United States cable television Television network dedicated to Broadcasting of sports events and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....
, ESPN2
ESPN2

ESPN2 debuted on October 1, 1993, as a sister station of ESPN. Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was to be branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross, snowboarding, and BMX racing....
 and ABC, while Univision
Univision

Univision is a List of Spanish-language television channels network in the United States and Puerto Rico. It has the largest Latin American audience, largely due to repurposed telenovelas and other Mexican programs produced by Grupo Televisa....
, Galavision
Galavisión

Galavisi?n is a Miami, Florida based Spanish language cable network owned by Univision Communications, Inc. The station is unrelated to the XEQ-TV, other than sharing the Televisa-produced programming....
, and Telemundo
Telemundo

Telemundo is a Spanish language United States television network. Launched in San Juan, Puerto Rico by Angel Ramos in 1954, it is the second-largest Spanish language content producer in the world....
 broadcasted matches in Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
. 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
Fox Soccer Channel

Fox Soccer Channel is a United States digital cable network, owned by News Corporation, that specializes in football . The channel took its current name on February 7, 2005; before then, the network was known as Fox Sports World, launched November 1, 1997....
 (later rebranded as Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel

Fox Soccer Channel is a United States digital cable network, owned by News Corporation, that specializes in football . The channel took its current name on February 7, 2005; before then, the network was known as Fox Sports World, launched November 1, 1997....
 in 2005), Fox Sports en Español
Fox Sports en Español

Fox Sports en Espa?ol is a cable television Television network dedicated to Broadcasting of sports events 24 hours a day in Spanish language. FSE is a joint venture between Fox Sports International and Fox Pan American Sports LLC and is managed by Fox Sports International featuring soccer tournaments from across Latin America as well as Spa...
 and HDNet
HDNet

HDNet is a general interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition television format and available via cable television and direct broadcast satellite television....
 began airing matches in 2003. The 2007 MLS season was the first season, however, for which television rights were sold to networks at a profit. Previously, MLS paid networks to broadcast its games. It is estimated MLS will receive about $30 million from TV revenue alone within the next eight years.

With the addition of Toronto FC, coverage of MLS expanded into Canada in 2007. The CBC, The Score and Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet

Rogers Sportsnet is a Canada English language cable television sports specialty channel, operating four regional feeds and one national high-definition television feed....
 all broadcast Toronto matches nationwide.

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. The package allows its subscribers to see over 130 Major League Soccer regional games including regular-season and MLS Cup playoff matches....
 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 many games were shown on national television. MLS Primetime Thursday
MLS Primetime Thursday

MLS Primetime Thursday is a weekly presentation of Major League Soccer games on ESPN2 that began in 2007. The program is presented by Adidas....
 on ESPN networks featured a live match for the first time on Thursdays each week, and Fox Soccer Channel's MLS Saturday expanded to a 3-hour format, with both a pregame and postgame show wrapped around the featured match each week. Additionally, Fox Soccer Channel produces their own news on MLS and special original programs on players, such as Beckham Unwrapped, a biographical update for summer 2007 on the Galaxy's David Beckham.

Major League Soccer also offers streaming live video of some matches via its website.

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 Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs

The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason Tournament#Multi-stage_tournaments of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup Championship game....
, MLS Cup
MLS Cup

The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the MLS Cup 2008 winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip Anschutz Trophy , for his long-standing commitment to MLS....
, and the international competitions SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga

The SuperLiga is an official North America football competition between teams from the Primera Divisi?n de M?xico of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each nation....
, InterLiga
InterLiga

The InterLiga is a football competition between Mexico clubs to determine qualifying spots for that country in CONMEBOL premier club competition, the Copa Libertadores de Am?rica....
, and Pan-Pacific Championship
Pan-Pacific Championship

The Pan-Pacific Championship is an inter-confederation football tournament between teams from A-League , Chinese Super League , J. League , K-league , and Major League Soccer ....
." InterLiga is the only non-MLS competition included in the deal. MP & Silva CEO Carlo Pozzali acknowledged that high profile, international players who were lured to MLS by the designated player
Designated player

A designated player may refer to:Designated player - A player signed by a Major League Soccer franchise whose salary is outside the team's salary cap....
 rule have raised the international awareness and potential for popularity of MLS in international markets.

In 2009 Seattle Sounders FC will become the first MLS team to broadcast all their games locally on over the air television and radio.

Profitability


colspan="5"|Shirt sponsorships
TeamSponsor
Chicago FireBest Buy
Best Buy

Best Buy Co., Inc. is a Fortune 500 company and the largest specialty Retailing of consumer electronics in the United States accounting for 21% of the market....
Chivas USAComex
Comex

Comex may refer to:*COMEX, a division of the New York Mercantile Exchange * COMEX , a French company in undersea engineering...
Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
Glidden
Glidden (paints)

The Glidden Company was a Cleveland-based company founded in 1875 by Francis Harrington Glidden, Levi Rackett and Thomas Bolles, initially as a varnish-making business, which later diversified into the production of chemicals and foodstuffs....
D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
Volkswagen
Volkswagen of America

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. , is the United States operational headquarters, and subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group of automobile companies of Germany....
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo professional football team is based in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons....
Amigo Energy
Amigo Energy

Amigo Energy is a privately owned, full-service Retail Electricity Provider to residential and commercial customers in Texas....
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
Herbalife
Herbalife

Herbalife International , founded in 1980, is a company that sells weight-loss, nutrition and skin-care products by multi-level marketing, also known as network marketing....
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake is an American soccer club that is based in the Salt Lake City, Utah suburb of Sandy, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005....
XanGo
XanGo

XanGo, LLC, founded in 2002, is a privately owned international multi-level marketing company based in Lehi, Utah. The company markets and distributes Xango juice, a blended juice product consisting of mangosteen and other juices, which is promoted as a dietary supplement....
New York Red Bulls
Red Bull New York

Red Bull New York is an United States professional association football organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the New York Red Bulls....
Red Bull
Red Bull GmbH

Red Bull GmbH is an Austrian company which sells the Red Bull energy drink. In 2006, more than 3 1000000000 cans were sold in over 130 countries....
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
Amway Global
Amway

Amway is a direct selling company that uses multi-level marketing or network marketing to promote its products.Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos....
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC is a professional football club based in Seattle, Washington that will begin play in Major League Soccer in 2009. The team will play its home games at Qwest Field....
Xbox 360 Live
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
Toronto FC
Toronto FC

Toronto FC is a Canada professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer . The club was founded in 2006, is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and plays its home games at BMO Field....
BMO
Bank of Montreal

The Bank of Montreal is the fifth Big Five banks bank in Canada by deposits. However, Wikipedia also cites the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to also be the fourth largest by deposits....


Major League Soccer has lost more than $350 million since its founding, according to a report by BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek

BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. It was first published in 1929 under the direction of Malcolm Muir, who was serving as president of the McGraw-Hill Publishing company at the time....
 in 2004. However, there are positive signs for profitability in the near future. As soccer-specific stadiums are built, ownership expands and television coverage increases, MLS has managed to see their revenues increase while costs are kept to a minimum. The 2003 season saw the Los Angeles Galaxy 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....
, while FC Dallas turned a profit in similar fashion after moving into Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park

Pizza Hut Park is a multi-purpose facility, featuring a 20,500-seat stadium, built and owned by the suburb of Frisco, Texas in Collin County, Texas....
 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 January 2009, eleven of the league's fifteen teams have signed sponsorship deals to have company logos placed on the front of their team jerseys.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber said on May 11, 2006 that he expects the league's clubs to be profitable by 2010 overall. He reported that FC Dallas and the L.A. Galaxy are 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 franchises; LA Galaxy, Toronto FC and FC Dallas .

Ownership


MLS operates under a single-entity structure in which teams are centrally controlled by 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. The company owns or operates several major entertainment/sporting venues, including Staples Center and the Home Depot Center and beginning in fall 2007, the XL Center and Rentschler Field....
'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 2006, more than 3 1000000000 cans were sold in over 130 countries....
, 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 teams 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
Lamar Hunt

Lamar Hunt was an United States sportsman and promoter of American football, football , basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee of the first three sports' hall of fame....
, which owns the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas, having sold the Kansas City Wizards in to a local ownership group
OnGoal

OnGoal, LLC is a group of Kansas City, Missouri investors formed for the purpose of purchasing the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer and seeing through the construction of a permanent soccer-specific stadium for the team....
 in 2006. The league now has 14 owners for their 16 clubs (including the 2010 Philadelphia club).

Rule changes


MLS experimented with deviations from IFAB rules and standards
Laws of the Game

The Laws of the Game are the rules governing a game of association football. They are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board ....
 in its early years, some of which had been used in the NASL
North American Soccer League

North American Soccer League was a professional football league with teams in the United States of America and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984....
 and continue to be used in college soccer
College soccer

College soccer is a term used to describe Football that is played by teams operated by colleges and University as opposed to a Professional sports 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....
.

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 football ....
 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 current U.S. national team manager Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley

Bob Bradley is the current manager of the United States men's national soccer team. He is the manager with the most victories in Major League Soccer history, managing the Chicago Fire S.C., MetroStars and C.D....
 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 to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during extra time to be declared the winner....
 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 penalty kicks if necessary. The away goals rule
Away goals rule

The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaker in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground....
 is not used in any playoff round.

Teams


There are 15 MLS teams divided between the Eastern
MLS Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer two conferences....
 and Western
MLS Western Conference

The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer two conferences....
 Conferences. Each club is allowed 20 players on their senior roster plus 4 developmental players.

Before its maiden season and inaugural draft
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft

The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial Major League Soccer 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams....
, 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....
 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 Major League Soccer 1996 season....
 consisted of key U.S. national team and international players such as Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda

Eric Wynalda is an American international center forward, currently playing for Bakersfield Brigade in the USL Premier Development League. Wynalda scored the first goal ever in Major League Soccer in 1996 and was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004....
 and Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez

Hugo S?nchez M?rquez , popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi, or Hugol, is a Mexico association football coach and former striker....
.

The league added its first two expansion team
Expansion team

An expansion team is a term used for 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 Major professional sports league#Traits of the top US/Canadian major leagues system of league membership....
s for the 1998 season: the Miami Fusion and the Chicago Fire. However, following the 2001 season, Miami and the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny

The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional football club located in Tampa, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001. The club played its home games at Houlihan's Stadium from 1996-1998 and at Raymond James Stadium from 1999 onwards....
 were disbanded and MLS returned to ten teams. Since the 2004 season, the league has expanded with four new clubs: Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake is an American soccer club that is based in the Salt Lake City, Utah suburb of Sandy, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005....
 and Chivas USA in 2005, the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo professional football team is based in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons....
 in 2006, and Toronto FC
Toronto FC

Toronto FC is a Canada professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer . The club was founded in 2006, is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and plays its home games at BMO Field....
 in 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....
. After relocating as an expansion team to Houston in 2006, the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
 returned from hiatus in 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 California....
. For the 2009 season, Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC is a professional football club based in Seattle, Washington that will begin play in Major League Soccer in 2009. The team will play its home games at Qwest Field....
 join MLS with an as yet unnamed team from Philadelphia starting play in 2010.

As of 2009, MLS has had seventeen different clubs over the years, but only seven have won MLS Cup
MLS Cup

The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the MLS Cup 2008 winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip Anschutz Trophy , for his long-standing commitment to MLS....
.

For the 2009 season, teams are aligned as follows:
Team Stadium City Founded Joined MLS
Eastern Conference
MLS Eastern Conference

The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer two conferences....
Chicago Fire Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)

Toyota Park is the home stadium for the Chicago Fire S.C., members of Major League Soccer . Located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois, it is a soccer-specific stadium and concert venue developed at a cost of more than $100 million....
Bridgeview
Bridgeview, Illinois

Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately 13 miles from the Chicago Loop. As of the United States Census, 2000, the village population was 15,335....
, Illinois
Illinois

The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation....
1997 1998
Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew

The Columbus Crew is a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium

Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio....
Columbus
Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the Capital , the largest, and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located near the Geographic centers of the United States, Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County, Ohio, although parts of the city also extend into Delaware County, Ohio and Fairfield County, Ohio counties....
, Ohio
Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....
1994 1996
D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
RFK Stadium1 2 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, founded on July 16, 1790....
1995 1996
Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards

The Kansas City Wizards are a professional association football club based in Kansas City that participates in Major League Soccer. The Wizards won the MLS Cup in 2000, the Lamar Hunt U.S....
CommunityAmerica Ballpark
CommunityAmerica Ballpark

CommunityAmerica Ballpark is a minor league baseball stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, home of the Kansas City T-Bones of the independent Northern League , and the temporary home of the Kansas City Wizards ....
1 2
Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas

Kansas City is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County, Kansas. It is a Satellite town of Kansas City, Missouri and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area....
, Kansas
Kansas

The State of Kansas is a Midwestern U.S. state in the Central United States of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the United States "Heartland"....
1995 1996
New England Revolution
New England Revolution

The New England Revolution, nicknamed the Revs, is a professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that participates in Major League Soccer....
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium

Gillette Stadium is the home stadium for the New England Patriots American football team and the New England Revolution Football team. Located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the facility opened in 2002, replacing Foxboro Stadium....
1
Foxborough
Foxborough, Massachusetts

Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, approximately 22 miles southwest of Boston, Massachusetts and 18 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Rhode Island....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
1995 1996
New York Red Bulls
Red Bull New York

Red Bull New York is an United States professional association football organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the New York Red Bulls....
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium

Giants Stadium is a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. It primarily serves as the home stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets American football teams of the National Football League, and the Red Bull New York association football team of Major League Soccer....
1 2
East Rutherford
East Rutherford, New Jersey

East Rutherford is a Borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,716. It is a suburb of New York City and in New Jersey....
, New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
1995 1996
Toronto FC
Toronto FC

Toronto FC is a Canada professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer . The club was founded in 2006, is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and plays its home games at BMO Field....
BMO Field
BMO Field

Bank of Montreal Field is a soccer-specific stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. It is also known as the National Soccer Stadium....
Toronto
Toronto

Toronto is the List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population in Canada and the Provinces and territories of Canada Provincial and territorial capitals of Canada of Ontario....
, Ontario
Ontario

Ontario is a Provinces and territories of Canada located in the Central Canada part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area....
2006 2007
Western Conference
MLS Western Conference

The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer two conferences....
Chivas USA
C.D. Chivas USA

Club Deportivo Chivas USA is a professional soccer club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California, California, United States and participates in Major League Soccer....
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....
Carson
Carson, California

Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, Carson had a total population of 89,730. It is located 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and is classified as a suburb of the city....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
2004 2005
Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids are a association football club based in Commerce City, Colorado, Colorado that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was founded in 1995....
Dick's Sporting Goods Park Commerce City
Commerce City, Colorado

The City of Commerce City is a Colorado municipalities#Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver, Colorado and now the Colorado municipalities in the State of Colorado....
, Colorado
Colorado

The State of Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Mountain States of the United States of America. Colorado may also be considered to be a part of the Western United States and Southwestern United States regions of the United States....
1995 1996
FC Dallas
FC Dallas

FC Dallas is a North American professional association football team based in Frisco, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1996 as the Dallas Burn, the team plays in Major League Soccer ....
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park

Pizza Hut Park is a multi-purpose facility, featuring a 20,500-seat stadium, built and owned by the suburb of Frisco, Texas in Collin County, Texas....
Frisco
Frisco, Texas

Frisco is a city in Collin County, Texas and Denton County, Texas Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a wealthy and rapid growing suburb of Dallas, Texas....
, Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
1996 1996
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo professional football team is based in Houston, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 2005, the team plays in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States, and won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons....
Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium

John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium, often referred to as simply Robertson Stadium, is a sports stadium in Houston, Texas located on the campus of the University of Houston....
1 2
Houston, Texas
Texas

Texas is a U.S. state located in the South Central United States, nicknamed the Lone Star State. Texas is the second largest U.S. state in both area and population, spanning , and with a growing population of 24.3 million residents....
2005 2006
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy is an United States, professional association football club based in the L.A. suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer , which is the American first division....
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....
Carson
Carson, California

Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, Carson had a total population of 89,730. It is located 13 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, and is classified as a suburb of the city....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
1995 1996
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake is an American soccer club that is based in the Salt Lake City, Utah suburb of Sandy, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005....
Rio Tinto Stadium Sandy
Sandy, Utah

Sandy is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, Utah, United States, and a suburb of Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The population was 88,418 at the United States Census, 2000, making it the List of cities in Utah city in Utah....
, Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
2004 2005
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional Association football team is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States, Major League Soccer ....
Buck Shaw Stadium
Buck Shaw Stadium

Buck Shaw Stadium is a 10,300 seat soccer stadium at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, 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....
2 3
Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara, California , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in the U.S. state of California....
, California
California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
1995 1996
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC is a professional football club based in Seattle, Washington that will begin play in Major League Soccer in 2009. The team will play its home games at Qwest Field....
Qwest Field
Qwest Field

Qwest Field is a multipurpose stadium located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It serves as the home field for the National Football League's Seattle Seahawks, and Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders FC....
1
Seattle, Washington
Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
2007 2009
Future Teams
Expansion of Major League Soccer

Since Major League Soccer, the top level of Association Football in the United States, was created in 1993 with ten initial teams, it has expanded several times into new markets across the United States and in 2006 into Canada for the first time....
Philadelphia Chester Stadium
Chester Stadium

Chester Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania which is currently under construction. It is the planned home of Major League Soccer Philadelphia 2010....
Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with a population of 36,854 at the 2000 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
2008 2010
1 - Not a soccer-specific stadium
2 - To be replaced by a soccer-specific stadium
3 - Select games played at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum1


Former teams

  • Miami Fusion (1998–2001)
  • Tampa Bay Mutiny
    Tampa Bay Mutiny

    The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional football club located in Tampa, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001. The club played its home games at Houlihan's Stadium from 1996-1998 and at Raymond James Stadium from 1999 onwards....
     (1996–2001)


Expansion


MLS plans on expanding to 18 teams by 2011 — a Philadelphia club in 2010 followed by two undetermined teams joining the following season. The Philadelphia club will play in a 20,000-seat stadium to be built just west of the Commodore Barry Bridge
Commodore Barry Bridge

The Commodore Barry Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Delaware River from Chester, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania to Bridgeport, New Jersey, in Logan Township, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States....
 in Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with a population of 36,854 at the 2000 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a U.S. state located in the Northeastern United States and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States....
. No name for the team has been announced.

While the cities for the 17th and 18th franchises have not been announced, those officially in the running for the next two franchises are Ottawa
Ottawa

Ottawa is the Capital of Canada. The city has population of 812,000, the List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population municipality in the country and second largest in Ontario....
, Portland
Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States United States, near the confluence of the Willamette River and Columbia River rivers in the state of Oregon....
, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri, located near the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Missouri River. St....
, and Vancouver
Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the largest city in British Columbia and the second largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest region....
. An announcement regarding the success of these applications will be made in early 2009.

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 a professional football team based in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death....
, San Jose Clash, or Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny

The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional football club located in Tampa, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001. The club played its home games at Houlihan's Stadium from 1996-1998 and at Raymond James Stadium from 1999 onwards....
. D.C. United
D.C. United

DC United is a professional association football club located in Washington, DC that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league....
 and Miami Fusion F.C. were the two exceptions that adopted more traditional names. However, new teams such as Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake is an American soccer club that is based in the Salt Lake City, Utah suburb of Sandy, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005....
 and Toronto FC
Toronto FC

Toronto FC is a Canada professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer . The club was founded in 2006, is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and plays its home games at BMO Field....
 have adopted names similar to European clubs, and FC Dallas
FC Dallas

FC Dallas is a North American professional association football team based in Frisco, Texas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1996 as the Dallas Burn, the team plays in Major League Soccer ....
 changed its name from the Dallas Burn. Some of 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 football league with teams in the United States of America and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984....
, such as the original San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes (NASL)

The San Jose Earthquakes was a professional Football club that played from 1974 to 1984 in the North American Soccer League. The team was known as the Golden Bay Earthquakes from 1983 to 1984, and resurfaced in the Western Soccer League from 1985 to 1988....
 and the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)

The Seattle Sounders were a United States professional football team based in Seattle, Washington, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor soccer and football ....
.

Chivas USA is the only MLS team whose name does not specify a specific city, state or region. The club is named after the Mexican side Guadalajara
C.D. Guadalajara

Club Deportivo Guadalajara, commonly known as Chivas or El Reba?o Sagrado is a Mexico association football team based in Guadalajara, Jalisco that competes in the Primera Divisi?n de M?xico, the highest football division in Mexico....
, who are often known by their nickname "Chivas," which translates to "Goats". The Mexican club (based in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco

Guadalajara is the capital city of the Mexico state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of the state and in the western-Pacific area of Mexico....
, Mexico) and Chivas USA share the same ownership. Though Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake is an American soccer club that is based in the Salt Lake City, Utah suburb of Sandy, Utah that began playing in Major League Soccer in 2005....
 was not originally affiliated with Real Madrid
Real Madrid

Real Madrid Club de F?tbol is a professional association football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the Football records in Spain in Football in Spain and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Copa del Rey, a record nine UEFA Champions League and two UEFA...
, 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
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
. The beverage company Red Bull
Red Bull GmbH

Red Bull GmbH is an Austrian company which sells the Red Bull energy drink. In 2006, more than 3 1000000000 cans were sold in over 130 countries....
 owns Red Bull New York
Red Bull New York

Red Bull New York is an United States professional association football organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the New York Red Bulls....
, the Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, and the lower-level Brazil
Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
ian club Red Bull Brasil
Red Bull Brasil

Red Bull Brasil is a Brazilian Football League Teams from S?o Paulo founded on November 19, 2007. The club is owned by Red Bull GmbH, who currently fields a team in Campeonato Paulista....
.

Rivalries and 2-team cup competitions


  • D.C. United — New York Red Bulls (Atlantic Cup
    Atlantic Cup

    The Atlantic Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the regular-season series between Major League Soccer rivals D.C. United and the Red Bull New York....
    )
  • Chicago Fire — FC Dallas (Brimstone Cup
    Brimstone Cup

    The Brimstone Cup is a football trophy awarded to the yearly winner of the rivalry between the Chicago Fire S.C. and FC Dallas Major League Soccer teams....
    )
  • Los Angeles Galaxy — San Jose Earthquakes (California Clasico
    California Clasico

    The California Clasico, also called the Interstate 5 Rivalry once, is a football rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from Major League Soccer 1996 Season to Major League Soccer 2005 Season and was resumed in 2008 Major League Soccer season....
    /Interstate 5 Rivalry)
  • FC Dallas — Houston Dynamo (El Capitan Clasico/Texas Derby
    Texas Derby

    The Texas Derby, or El Capitan Classico, is a local derby between Texas two Major League Soccer teams Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas. The two squads play a season series of games with the winner of the series taking home a Civil War era Mountain Howitzer cannon , which will recognize the best MLS team in the state of Texas during the yea...
    )
  • San Jose Earthquakes — Seattle Sounders FC (Heritage Cup
    Heritage Cup (Major League Soccer)

    The Heritage Cup will be an annual cup rivalry between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Seattle Sounders FC set to begin in the 2009 Major League Soccer season....
    , starting 2009)
  • Chivas USA — Los Angeles Galaxy (Honda SuperClasico
    Honda SuperClasico

    The Honda SuperClasico, a.k.a. El Cl?sico Angelino, is a local derby between Major League Soccer teams Los Angeles Galaxy and C.D. Chivas USA and is considered as the only "true" local derby in the MLS with both teams being based in the city of Los Angeles, California and playing in the suburb of Carson, California....
    )
  • Columbus Crew — FC Dallas (Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup
    Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup

    The Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup is a pre-season Major League Soccer game 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, this game is played between the two MLS teams owned by the Hunt Sports Group....
    , pre-season)
  • Colorado Rapids — Real Salt Lake (Rocky Mountain Cup
    Rocky Mountain Cup

    The Rocky Mountain Cup is a football trophy awarded to the fans of the yearly winner of the rivalry between the Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer teams....
    )
  • Columbus Crew — Toronto FC (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....
    )


Players


Bold indicates active MLS players

Regular Season leaders


Goals
Regular Season only
RankPlayerG
1Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno

Jaime Moreno Morales is a Bolivian football striker , the first Bolivian to play in the FA Premier League. He has spent most of his career with Major League Soccer club D.C....
122
2Ante Razov
Ante Razov

Ante Razov is an United States soccer player of Croatian-American descent who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
114
3Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis

Jason Kreis is a former American soccer striker, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history. He is the current head coach of Real Salt Lake....
108
4Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham

Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-American soccer striker, who currently plays for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer.Cunningham was born in Jamaica, but moved to Crystal River, Florida at the age of 14....
104
5Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman

Taylor Timothy Twellman is a United States soccer striker who plays for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. He has earned 29 cap with the United States men's national soccer team....
99
6Roy 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.Lassiter was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina where he attended Athens Drive High School....
88
7Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan

Landon Timothy Donovan is an United States football player, currently playing for Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He is the all-time leading scorer for the United States men's national soccer team, and is the only five-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year award....
84
8Raúl Díaz Arce
Raúl Díaz Arce

Ra?l D?az Arce is a retired Salvadoran football player. He is El Salvador's second most goal scorer behind Jorge "M?gico" Gonz?lez with 39 goals in just 55 appearances....
82
82
10Preki
Preki

Predrag Radosavljevic , commonly known in the United States as Preki , is a Serbian American soccer player. He is currently the head coach at C.D....
79
Goals Against Average
Regular Season only, 1500+ MINS
RankPlayerGAA
1Pat Onstad
Pat Onstad

Patrick Stewart Onstad is a professional Canada soccer goalkeeper. He is an active member of the Canada men's national soccer team, and currently plays for Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer....
1.07
2Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul

Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese Goalkeeper who is currently without a club. He also is a member of the Senegal national football team....
1.16
3Jon Busch
Jon Busch

Jon Busch is an United States association football Goalkeeper who currently plays for Chicago Fire S.C. of Major League Soccer. He was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in November 2008...
1.22
Troy Perkins
Troy Perkins

Troy Perkins is an American soccer player who currently plays goalkeeper for V?lerenga I.F. in Tippeligaen....
1.22
5Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman

Kevin Eugene Hartman is an American soccer player, who currently plays goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer....
1.23
6Will Hesmer
Will Hesmer

William Hesmer is an American football player who plays for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.Hesmer played college soccer at Wake Forest University from 2000 to 2003, establishing himself as one of the nation's best goalkeepers at that level....
1.27
7Joe Cannon
Joe Cannon (soccer)

Joe Cannon is a soccer goalkeeper , the first netminder in Major League Soccer's history to win two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Awards. He is currently with the San Jose Earthquakes....
1.30
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
1.30
9Jonny Walker
Jonny Walker

Jonny Walker is an American soccer goalkeeper, the first American to become a starting player on a South American soccer club.Walker's soccer career is unparalleled for an American player....
1.31
Matt Reis
Matt Reis

Matt Reis is an American soccer goalkeeper, who currently plays for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer....
1.30
Games Played
Regular Season only
RankPlayerGP
1Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston

Steve Ralston is an American association football player, who currently plays right midfielder and right defender in Major League Soccer for the New England Revolution....
358
2Chris Henderson
Chris Henderson

Christopher Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 cap with the United States men's national soccer team. He was part of the U.S....
317
3Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones

Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former United States midfielder who briefly served as interim coach for Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy until Bruce Arena was hired for the job on August 18, 2008....
306
4Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis

Jason Kreis is a former American soccer striker, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history. He is the current head coach of Real Salt Lake....
305
5Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman

Kevin Eugene Hartman is an American soccer player, who currently plays goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer....
303
6Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch

Jesse Marsch is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
298
7Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno

Jaime Moreno Morales is a Bolivian football striker , the first Bolivian to play in the FA Premier League. He has spent most of his career with Major League Soccer club D.C....
295
8Chris Klein
Chris Klein (soccer)

Chris Klein is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer....
294
9Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham

Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-American soccer striker, who currently plays for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer.Cunningham was born in Jamaica, but moved to Crystal River, Florida at the age of 14....
289
Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps

John F. Heaps IV is an American soccer player, who currently plays right back for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.Heaps played college soccer at Duke University from 1995 to 1998, spending most of his time playing forward....
289
Minutes Played
Regular Season only
RankPlayerMINS
1Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston

Steve Ralston is an American association football player, who currently plays right midfielder and right defender in Major League Soccer for the New England Revolution....
31,600
2Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman

Kevin Eugene Hartman is an American soccer player, who currently plays goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer....
27,135
3Chris Henderson
Chris Henderson

Christopher Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 cap with the United States men's national soccer team. He was part of the U.S....
26,242
4Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis

Jason Kreis is a former American soccer striker, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history. He is the current head coach of Real Salt Lake....
25,242
5Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps

John F. Heaps IV is an American soccer player, who currently plays right back for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.Heaps played college soccer at Duke University from 1995 to 1998, spending most of his time playing forward....
25,193
6Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones

Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former United States midfielder who briefly served as interim coach for Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy until Bruce Arena was hired for the job on August 18, 2008....
25,157
7Chris Klein
Chris Klein (soccer)

Chris Klein is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer....
24,788
8Mark Chung
Mark Chung

Mark Chung is a former American soccer midfielder who, after a season in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, played ten seasons in Major League Soccer....
24,470
9Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch

Jesse Marsch is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
23,792
10Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno

Jaime Moreno Morales is a Bolivian football striker , the first Bolivian to play in the FA Premier League. He has spent most of his career with Major League Soccer club D.C....
23,649




Playoff leaders


Goals
Playoffs only
RankPlayerG
116
2Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan

Landon Timothy Donovan is an United States football player, currently playing for Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He is the all-time leading scorer for the United States men's national soccer team, and is the only five-time winner of the Honda Player of the Year award....
14
3Roy 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.Lassiter was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina where he attended Athens Drive High School....
13
4Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno

Jaime Moreno Morales is a Bolivian football striker , the first Bolivian to play in the FA Premier League. He has spent most of his career with Major League Soccer club D.C....
12
5Ante Razov
Ante Razov

Ante Razov is an United States soccer player of Croatian-American descent who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
11
6Brian McBride
Brian McBride

Brian McBride is an United States Association football striker who has appeared in three FIFA World Cup for the United States men's national soccer team and currently plays for the Chicago Fire S.C....
10
Preki
Preki

Predrag Radosavljevic , commonly known in the United States as Preki , is a Serbian American soccer player. He is currently the head coach at C.D....
10
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman

Taylor Timothy Twellman is a United States soccer striker who plays for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. He has earned 29 cap with the United States men's national soccer team....
10
9Raúl Díaz Arce
Raúl Díaz Arce

Ra?l D?az Arce is a retired Salvadoran football player. He is El Salvador's second most goal scorer behind Jorge "M?gico" Gonz?lez with 39 goals in just 55 appearances....
8
Stern John
Stern John

Stern John is a Trinidadian Association football player who is currently on loan to Bristol City from Southampton F.C.. He is a striker ....
8
Goals Against Average
Playoffs only, 300+ MINS
RankPlayerGAA
1Adin Brown
Adin Brown

Adin Brown is an American soccer goalkeeper, who currently plays for Aalesunds F.K. of the Norwegian Premier League.A highly-touted prospect and a starting goalkeeper for the United States men's national soccer team in the run-up prior to the 2000 Summer Olympics, Brown played college soccer at the College of William and Mary....
0.66
2Jon Conway
Jon Conway

Jon Conway is a soccer goalkeeper for Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer.Conway before going to college played for powerhouse soccer club F.C Delco....
0.75
Will Hesmer
Will Hesmer

William Hesmer is an American football player who plays for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.Hesmer played college soccer at Wake Forest University from 2000 to 2003, establishing himself as one of the nation's best goalkeepers at that level....
0.75
4Matt Reis
Matt Reis

Matt Reis is an American soccer goalkeeper, who currently plays for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer....
0.79
5Jon Busch
Jon Busch

Jon Busch is an United States association football Goalkeeper who currently plays for Chicago Fire S.C. of Major League Soccer. He was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in November 2008...
0.88
6Jeff Cassar
Jeff Cassar

Jeff Cassar is a former 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
7Matt Pickens
Matt Pickens

Matt Pickens is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer....
0.94
8Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
0.99
Jorge Campos
Jorge Campos

Jorge Francisco Campos Navarrete is a Mexico football coach and former goalkeeper, one of the most notable Mexican players of the 1990s. Campos was a particularly eccentric player, known for his constant play outside the penalty area, his acrobatic style in goal, and his attire....
0.99
10Danny Cepero
Danny Cepero

Danny Cepero is an American Football Goalkeeper who currently plays for Major League Soccer's Red Bull New York....
1.00
Games Played
Playoffs only
RankPlayerGP
1Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones

Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former United States midfielder who briefly served as interim coach for Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy until Bruce Arena was hired for the job on August 18, 2008....
45
2Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman

Kevin Eugene Hartman is an American soccer player, who currently plays goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer....
44
3Diego Gutiérrez
Diego Gutierrez (soccer)

Diego Guti?rrez is a Mexican footballer, who has spent his career between REAL COLORADO and CHIVAS DENVER, both of Colorado youth. he is the new member of the real colorado team....
40
4Jeff Agoos
Jeff Agoos

Jeff Agoos is a former American soccer defender , and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States men's national soccer team....
39
5Chris Armas
Chris Armas

Chris Armas is a former American soccer player who last played with the Chicago Fire S.C. of Major League Soccer....
37
Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch

Jesse Marsch is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
37
7Mauricio Cienfuegos
Mauricio Cienfuegos

Mauricio Cienfuegos is a retired Salvadoran football player.Cienfuegos turned professional in 1985 and played his first season for Racing Junior of his native El Salvador....
35
Ante Razov
Ante Razov

Ante Razov is an United States soccer player of Croatian-American descent who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
35
9Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston

Steve Ralston is an American association football player, who currently plays right midfielder and right defender in Major League Soccer for the New England Revolution....
34
10Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
33
Minutes Played
Playoffs only
RankPlayerMINS
1Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman

Kevin Eugene Hartman is an American soccer player, who currently plays goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer....
4,042
2Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones

Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former United States midfielder who briefly served as interim coach for Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Galaxy until Bruce Arena was hired for the job on August 18, 2008....
3,938
3Jeff Agoos
Jeff Agoos

Jeff Agoos is a former American soccer defender , and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States men's national soccer team....
3,557
4Chris Armas
Chris Armas

Chris Armas is a former American soccer player who last played with the Chicago Fire S.C. of Major League Soccer....
3,383
5Diego Gutiérrez
Diego Gutierrez (soccer)

Diego Guti?rrez is a Mexican footballer, who has spent his career between REAL COLORADO and CHIVAS DENVER, both of Colorado youth. he is the new member of the real colorado team....
3,270
6Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch

Jesse Marsch is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
3,228
7Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston

Steve Ralston is an American association football player, who currently plays right midfielder and right defender in Major League Soccer for the New England Revolution....
3,164
8Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton

Zach Thornton is an United States soccer player who currently plays for Club Deportivo Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
3,013
9Mauricio Cienfuegos
Mauricio Cienfuegos

Mauricio Cienfuegos is a retired Salvadoran football player.Cienfuegos turned professional in 1985 and played his first season for Racing Junior of his native El Salvador....
2,992
10C.J. Brown2,921




MLS commissioners


  • Doug Logan
    Doug Logan

    Douglas G. Logan on July 21, 2008, became the Chief Executive Officer of USATF, the national governing body for track and field, long distance running and race walking....
     (1996-99)
  • Don Garber
    Don Garber

    Don 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....
     (1999-present)


MLS awards


There are 10 awards given out by the Major League Soccer each year.

  1. Major League Soccer MVP Award
    Major League Soccer MVP Award

    The 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....
  2. MLS Best XI
    MLS Best XI

    The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in the United States....
  3. MLS Coach of the Year Award
    MLS Coach of the Year Award

    The 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....
  4. MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award
    MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award

    In 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:*2000 - Tony Meola, Kansas City Wizards...
  5. MLS Scudetto
    MLS Cup

    The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the MLS Cup 2008 winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip Anschutz Trophy , for his long-standing commitment to MLS....
  6. MLS Defender of the Year Award
    MLS Defender of the Year Award

    In 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:...
  7. MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award
    MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award

    In 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:...
  8. MLS Golden Boot
    MLS Golden Boot

    The MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 Major League Soccer season to Major League Soccer regular season leading scorer. The award replaced the MLS Scoring Champion Award that was awarded since the league's inception in 1996....
  9. MLS Newcomer of the Year Award
    MLS Newcomer of the Year Award

    In the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Newcomer of the Year Award since 2007 Major League Soccer season. It is awarded to a player who has professional experience in another league, but has an outstanding season in his first season of play in MLS....
  10. MLS Rookie of the Year Award
    MLS Rookie of the Year Award

    In 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

  • United States men's national soccer team
    United States men's national soccer team

    The United States men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, since the 1970s the sport has steadily grown in popularity, and the men's national team has risen to become one of the strongest teams in CONCACAF, is ranked 20th...
  • Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada
    Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada

    Major professional sports league, or simply major league, is the term used in Canada and the United States to refer to the highest professional division in team sports....
  • ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002
    ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002

    ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002, or ESPN MLS ExtraTime on PlayStation 2, is a sports game video game released in 2002 by Konami. Clint Mathis is on the cover....
  • ESPN MLS GameNight
    ESPN MLS GameNight

    ESPN MLS GameNight is a video game of the sports game genre released in 2000 by Konami. It has the option of choosing either 12 teams from the Major League Soccer or 53 international teams....
  • ESPN MLS/Soccer Broadcast Teams
    ESPN MLS/Soccer Broadcast Teams

    The ESPN Soccer Broadcast Teams are listed in the table below, including games broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN on ABC. These are weekly regular season pairings for Major League Soccer....
  • Generation Adidas
    Generation adidas

    Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and United States Soccer Federation aimed at raising the level of young football talent in the United States....
  • Index of Professional Sports teams in the United States and Canada
  • List of current MLS players
    List of current MLS players

    This is a list of current Major League Soccer players . There is also a list of current MLS coaches, and a list of current American soccer players by US state....
  • List of current MLS players with national team caps
    List of current MLS players with national team caps

    This is a list of current Major League Soccer players who have been Cap at least once by their respective national team's first squad.Each team list is sorted by position then last name....
  • List of foreign MLS players
    List of foreign MLS players

    This is a list of foreign players in Major League Soccer. The following players:#have played at least one MLS game for the respective club....
  • List of MLS seasons
    List of MLS seasons

    This is a list of regular seasons in Major League Soccer....
  • Major League Soccer records and statistics
    Major League Soccer records and statistics

    The following is a compilation of notable records and statistics for teams and players in and seasons of Major League Soccer....
  • 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. The package allows its subscribers to see over 130 Major League Soccer regional games including regular-season and MLS Cup playoff matches....
  • MLS ExtraTime
    MLS Extratime

    MLS 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 Expansion
  • MLS Primetime Thursday
    MLS Primetime Thursday

    MLS Primetime Thursday is a weekly presentation of Major League Soccer games on ESPN2 that began in 2007. The program is presented by Adidas....
  • MLS Soccer Saturday
    MLS Soccer Saturday

    MLS Soccer Saturday was a weekly presentation of Major League Soccer games on ESPN from 1996 to 2006. MLS Soccer Saturday was the first weekly presentation of MLS games, which usually started at 4PM EST....
  • Carolina Challenge Cup
    Carolina Challenge Cup

    The Carolina Challenge Cup is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Charleston Battery. It was started in 2004 and features teams from Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues....
  • MLS Wrap
    MLS Wrap

    MLS Wrap was a Major League Soccer highlight show that aired on Fox Soccer Channel. Sean Wheelock often hosted with analyst John Harkes....
  • National Soccer Hall of Fame
    National Soccer Hall of Fame

    The National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame in Oneonta, New York which honors the achievements of soccer in the United States....
  • Sueño MLS
    Sueño MLS

    Sue?o MLS is a nationally-televised player search by Chivas USA and FC Dallas.The winner in 2007 was Jorge Flores , who was invited to join Chivas USA's Under-19 squad and later was signed to a professional contract and added to the full squad....
  • World Series of Soccer (MLS)
    World Series of Soccer (MLS)

    The term World Series of Soccer is a series of club games hosted by the U.S. Major League Soccer. The series began in 2005 and is used to provide MLS teams the opportunity to compete against top international teams....


External links