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Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer)
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois...

. The league comprises 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
United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer 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 soccer 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.

Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. The United States was chosen as hosts 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 compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup Championship game. Eight teams from the league's two conferences qualify for the tournament based on regular-season records, and a tiebreaking procedure...

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

.

Competition format


The 2009 Major League Soccer season
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season is the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and will end with MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington.- Changes from the 2008 season :...

 runs from March 19 through November 22. The 15 teams in the league are divided into the Eastern
MLS Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.-Current members:*Chicago Fire*Columbus Crew*D.C. United*Kansas City Wizards*New England Revolution*New York Red Bulls*Toronto FC-Lineup for 1996–1997:*Columbus Crew*D.C...

 and Western
MLS Western Conference
The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.-Current members:*Chivas USA*Colorado Rapids*FC Dallas*Houston Dynamo*Los Angeles Galaxy*Real Salt Lake*San Jose Earthquakes*Seattle Sounders FC-Lineup for 1996:*Colorado Rapids...

 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. The team with the most total points at the end of the regular season is awarded the Supporters' Shield. Eight teams then proceed to the MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup Championship game. Eight teams from the league's two conferences qualify for the tournament based on regular-season records, and a tiebreaking procedure...

 ending in the single match MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the 2008 MLS Cup winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, for his long-standing commitment to MLS. The previous trophy was named the Alan I...

 final.

MLS has three automatic berths in the CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region . The competition is open to the leading teams in the region, and replaced the CONCACAF Champions' Cup which ran from 1962 to 2008...

 with extra berths possible via the U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League Soccer....

 and the Canadian Championship
Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship is an football tournament that is scheduled to take place in the cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver every year to determine Canada's entrant into the CONCACAF Champions League...

. For CONCACAF Champions League 2009–10
CONCACAF Champions League 2009–10
The 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League is the second edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current format. The tournament began on July 28, 2009 will run through April 27, 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...

 and Supporters' Shield winner the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his...

, Supporters' Shield runner-up the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club based in Houston, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer. The club won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons of existence....

, MLS Cup runner-up the New York Red Bulls
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls is an American professional soccer club based in in the New York metropolitan area that participates in Major League Soccer . The team plays their home matches at Giants Stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey but is currently...

, 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.The 13 US-based MLS...

 winner D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

, and 2009 Canadian Championship
2009 Canadian Championship
The 2009 Canadian Soccer Championship was a soccer tournament hosted and organized by the Canadian Soccer Association that took place in the cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver in 2009...

 winner Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC, popularly abbreviated as TFC, is a professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first Canadian and non-American team in the United States' pre-eminent professional soccer league, Major League Soccer...

. Columbus and Houston are automatically seeded into the Group Stage. New York, Toronto, 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 American football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each nation. The competition is sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...

, a competition jointly organized by MLS and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional 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...

's national football governing body, the FMF
Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación
The Mexican Football Federation is the governing body of football in Mexico. It administers the Mexican national team, the Mexican League and all affiliated amateur sectors. The headquarters are located in Mexico City...

. The top four overall teams from the 2008 season, excluding those participating in the Champions League, qualify for SuperLiga 2009
North American SuperLiga 2009
The 2009 SuperLiga was the third edition of the SuperLiga. The top four overall Major League Soccer teams from the 2008 season not already qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League earned qualification, as well as four clubs from the Primera División de México...

. This includes the Chicago Fire, the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American soccer club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that participates in Major League Soccer. The club is owned by Robert Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots of the National Football League...

, the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
The Kansas City Wizards are an American, professional soccer club based in the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area that participates in Major League Soccer. In 2007 the team moved from Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas with plans to build a new stadium there near the Kansas...

, and Chivas USA.

Early years

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


Playoff and League
Champions
MLS 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 NHL.- History :...


Regular Season
Champions
2009
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season is the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and will end with MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington.- Changes from the 2008 season :...

TBD Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his...

2008
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.- Changes from the 2007 season :...

Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his...

Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his...

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 is an American professional soccer club based in Houston, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer. The club won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons of existence....

D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

2006 Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club based in Houston, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer. The club won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons of existence....

D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

2005 Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy is an American, professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer . It is one of the ten charter franchises of MLS and is the league's second most-decorated club, after D.C. United...

San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer club is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada, Major League Soccer . The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2008. It is one of the...

2004 D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his...

2003 San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer club is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada, Major League Soccer . The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2008. It is one of the...

Chicago Fire
2002 Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy is an American, professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer . It is one of the ten charter franchises of MLS and is the league's second most-decorated club, after D.C. United...

Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy is an American, professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer . It is one of the ten charter franchises of MLS and is the league's second most-decorated club, after D.C. United...

2001 San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer club is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada, Major League Soccer . The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2008. It is one of the...

Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...

2000 Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
The Kansas City Wizards are an American, professional soccer club based in the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area that participates in Major League Soccer. In 2007 the team moved from Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas with plans to build a new stadium there near the Kansas...

Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
The Kansas City Wizards are an American, professional soccer club based in the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area that participates in Major League Soccer. In 2007 the team moved from Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas with plans to build a new stadium there near the Kansas...

1999 D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

1998 Chicago Fire Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy is an American, professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer . It is one of the ten charter franchises of MLS and is the league's second most-decorated club, after D.C. United...

1997 D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

1996 D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer 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....



In 1996, Major League Soccer's original ten teams, the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his...

, D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

, the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American soccer club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that participates in Major League Soccer. The club is owned by Robert Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots of the National Football League...

, the NY/NJ MetroStars, the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer 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 professional American soccer club based in the Denver suburb of that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was founded in 1995. The team colors are burgundy, sky blue, and gray. They played their home matches at Mile High Stadium from 1996–2001 and moved...

, the Dallas Burn
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer team based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer...

, the Kansas City Wiz
Kansas City Wizards
The Kansas City Wizards are an American, professional soccer club based in the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area that participates in Major League Soccer. In 2007 the team moved from Kansas City, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas with plans to build a new stadium there near the Kansas...

, the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy is an American, professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer . It is one of the ten charter franchises of MLS and is the league's second most-decorated club, after D.C. United...

 and the San Jose Clash
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer club is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada, Major League Soccer . The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2008. It is one of the...

, began play. The early years of the league gave rise to the Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena is an American soccer coach, currently in charge of Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer....

-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 represents the United States in international football competitions and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, the sport has steadily grown in popularity since the 1970s...

, 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 hosts by FIFA on 1 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...

 and finished in last place.

The league began to market itself on the talents of American players, both experienced veterans and fresh talents. Breakout stars like DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who is currently playing for Scottish Premier League side Rangers as well as the United States soccer team...

 and Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He plays usually as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.A member of the inaugural class of the U.S...

 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 American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...

, Eddie Pope
Eddie Pope
George Edward Pope is a retired American soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent 11 years as a defender for the United States national team....

, and Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis is an American soccer player who currently plays for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...

 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 USA Track & Field, 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. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...

, a former NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...

 International chief, was hired in his place and his leadership became instrumental to shoring up the league's future. Construction of soccer-specific stadiums for the league's teams, largely funded by financiers such as Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee of the first three sports' halls 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
-Origins:As a charter franchise in the MLS, the Columbus Crew commenced play at Ohio Stadium in MLS's inaugural season of 1996. As it is principally an American football stadium, the facility was never popular with the team or its fans...

, 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
2002 World Cup may refer to:*Athletics – 2002 IAAF World Cup*Field Hockey:** 2002 Men's World Hockey Cup** 2002 Women's World Hockey Cup*Football – 2002 FIFA World Cup...

 saw a gradual shift in the league's philosophy toward the development of American talent, a move that would eventually lead to success for U.S. soccer.

Despite 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 soccer 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 the 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


The 2002 World Cup, in which the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international football competitions and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, the sport has steadily grown in popularity since the 1970s...

 unexpectedly made the quarterfinals through wins against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portuguese 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 semifinal, losing 2 – 1 at Wembley to the eventual world champions England. Portugal finished in...

 and Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team represents Mexico in international football competition and is managed by the Mexican Football Federation Association...

, triggered a resurgence in American soccer and MLS. The MLS Cup 2002
MLS Cup 2002
The 2002 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2002 Major League Soccer season. The game was played on October 20, 2002, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Los Angeles Galaxy beat the host New England Revolution 1-0 on a sudden-death goal in the second overtime from regular...

, held four months after the 2002 World Cup final, set an attendance record as a sellout crowd at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, residing 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston that serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution soccer team. The facility opened in...

 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 soccer player who currently plays with Belenenses in Portugal. Adu was born in Tema, Ghana, before emigrating to the United States at the age of eight and becoming a citizen in 2003...

 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 quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000...

. After marketing itself on the talents of American players, the league saw some of its homegrown stars depart for more prominent leagues in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...

. Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew "Tim" Howard is an American soccer goalkeeper who plays for Everton of England and the United States national team.-Early years:...

, goalkeeper for the MetroStars
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls is an American professional soccer club based in in the New York metropolitan area that participates in Major League Soccer . The team plays their home matches at Giants Stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey but is currently...

, was sold to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...

 in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history. DaMarcus Beasley of the Chicago Fire left for PSV Eindhoven
PSV Eindhoven
Philips Sport Vereniging , widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department....

, while Landon Donovan, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, was recalled to Germany. Donovan's stint in Germany was brief; before the start of the 2005 MLS season he was sold back to MLS to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Many more American players, though they factored little in the U.S. national team picture, did make an impact in MLS. In 2005, Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis is a former American soccer forward, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history...

 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 that participates in Major League Soccer. The club joined the league as an expansion team in 2005, and plays its home games at Rio Tinto Stadium....

 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 that participates in Major League Soccer. The club joined the league as an expansion team in 2005, and plays its home games at Rio Tinto Stadium....

 and Chivas USA began play in 2005, with Chivas USA becoming the second club in Los Angeles, sharing The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center
The Home Depot Center is a multi-purpose stadium located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 13 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot...

 with the Galaxy. Chivas USA also became the first team in MLS to be directly connected to a foreign club, their sister club of Guadalajara. By 2006 the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer club is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada, Major League Soccer . The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2008. It is one of the...

 moved to Texas, becoming the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club based in Houston, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer. The club won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons of existence....

, after funding for stadium could not be found in San Jose. The Dynamo became an expansion team, leaving their history behind for a new San Jose ownership group that would materialize years later in 2008.

2007–present


Since 2007, Major League Soccer's leadership has taken steps to further internationalize the league in an effort to raise the level of play. Among the first moves in this regard was the Designated Player Rule, which helped MLS bring international stars into the league, despite the relatively meager MLS salary cap, and the creation of the SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga is an official North American football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each nation. The competition is sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...

, which places top MLS clubs against top Mexican clubs in an effort to provide more meaningful competition for both leagues. MLS changed the rules regarding foreign players in the league to allow a total of 8. This period also saw expansion reach beyond the United States' borders into Canada, beginning with Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC, popularly abbreviated as TFC, is a professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first Canadian and non-American team in the United States' pre-eminent professional soccer league, Major League Soccer...

.

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...

 witnessed the MLS debut of David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who currently plays in midfield for American Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy and the England national team....

, whose signing had been seen as a coup for American soccer. Beckham's contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy was made possible by the Designated Player Rule. Players such as Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo , also known as Cuauh , is a Mexican professional soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer of US....

 of Club América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican football club based in Mexico City, competing in the Primera División. América is owned by Emilio Azcárraga, who owns Televisa, making it the richest club in Mexico, and the richest outside Europe...

 signed for the Chicago Fire, and Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel is a Colombian soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Atlético Nacional and River Plate:...

, who moved from Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, who play in the Premier League. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of Football League in 1888...

 to the New York Red Bulls
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls is an American professional soccer club based in in the New York metropolitan area that participates in Major League Soccer . The team plays their home matches at Giants Stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey but is currently...

, are some of the first Designated Players who have made major contributions to their clubs.

The departures of Clint Dempsey
Clint Dempsey
Clinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey is an American soccer player who plays for Fulham in the English Premier League and for the United States national team.-Youth:...

 and Jozy Altidore
Jozy Altidore
Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore is an American soccer player who currently plays for English club Hull City, on loan from Villarreal...

, coupled with the return of former U.S. national team stars Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna
Claudio Reyna is a former American soccer player. He was the captain of the U.S. national team before retiring from international soccer following the USA's exit from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He's widely considered one of the greatest players the United States has ever produced...

 and Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian McBride is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...

 to New York and Chicago, respectively, highlight the exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans to MLS. Several other well-known foreign players have followed Beckham and Blanco to MLS, including Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is an Argentine soccer player who currently plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Argentina:...

 to Columbus and Freddie Ljungberg
Fredrik Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg is a Swedish professional footballer with Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer....

 to Seattle.

By 2008 San Jose had returned to the league, and in 2009 Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that participates in Major League Soccer . The team was established in November 2007 as an MLS expansion team. The following year fans chose the Sounders name for the team through an online poll. They are...

 became the newest expansion franchise, opening to a crowd of 32,523 at Qwest Field
Qwest Field
Qwest Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, USA. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer. The complex also consists of the WaMu Theater, a parking garage, and large public plaza...

. Presently MLS plans expansion into Philadelphia, Vancouver, and Portland.

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.

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. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...

's sale of the MetroStars to Red Bull
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH is an Austrian company which sells the Red Bull energy drink. In 2006, more than 3 billion cans were sold in over 130 countries. 3,903 employees generated 2.6 billion euros in turnover....

, for an "excess of $100 million," according to the New York Times. Commissioner Garber said to the Los Angeles Times that, "the sale was part of a plan to have AEG decrease its holdings in MLS. We're pushing Hunt Sports to do the same thing."

Commissioner Garber has stated that having multiple clubs owned by a single owner was a necessity in the first 10 years of MLS, but now that the league appears to be on the brink of overall profitability and has significant expansion plans, he wants each club to have a distinct owner. In order to help bring this about, the league is now giving more incentive to be an individual club owner, with all owners now having the rights to a certain number of players they develop through their club's academy system each year, sharing the profits of Soccer United Marketing, and being able to sell individual club jersey sponsorships.

At one time AEG owned six clubs in MLS, and have since sold the Colorado Rapids, the MetroStars, D.C. United and the Chicago Fire to new owners. AEG's remaining teams are the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo. The other major owner-investor in MLS has been Hunt Sports, which owns the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas, having sold the Kansas City Wizards in to a local ownership group
OnGoal
OnGoal, LLC is a group of Kansas City 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. On August 31st, 2006, OnGoal bought the Wizards from their previous owner,...

 in 2006. The league now has 16 owners for their 18 clubs (including the 2010 Philadelphia Union and the 2011 Vancouver and Portland teams).

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 Volmy "Jozy" Altidore is an American soccer player who currently plays for English club Hull City, on loan from Villarreal...

, 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.

The league also announced "Game First", a series of initiatives aimed at improving the league in several ways. One of the most immediate changes is that U.S. Soccer
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are 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 orchestral version that is performed before every regular season game and an orchestral chorus version with a chorus 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, NBA, NFL, and MLB...

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

.

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 MLS's first soccer-specific stadium
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...

, Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium
-Origins:As a charter franchise in the MLS, the Columbus Crew commenced play at Ohio Stadium in MLS's inaugural season of 1996. As it is principally an American football stadium, the facility was never popular with the team or its fans...

. 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 multi-purpose stadium located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 13 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot...

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

s, until FC Dallas opened Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 20,500-seat capacity, built and owned by the suburb of Frisco in Collin County, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...

 in 2005 and hosted the next two championships. The Chicago Fire began playing their home games in Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a multi-purpose stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $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
BMO Field is a soccer-specific stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 20,500 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...

 for Toronto FC. Near the end of the 2008 season
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.- Changes from the 2007 season :...

, Rio Tinto Stadium became the home of Real Salt Lake.

Other stadiums are currently under construction. Red Bull Arena, the new home of the New York Red Bulls, began construction in December 2007 with the goal of opening sometime in 2009
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season is the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and will end with MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington.- Changes from the 2008 season :...

, but construction delays have pushed back the opening until 2010. The Kansas City Wizards expect to move into their new stadium sometime in 2011. Philadelphia Union plans to call the new Union Field at Chester home when they enter the league in 2010. In 2011, the Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers (MLS)
The Portland Timbers will be an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon that, according to an announcement in March 2009, will begin play in Major League Soccer in 2011. The team will replace the USL First Division's team of the same name, while retaining the same ownership...

 will make their MLS debut in a newly-renovated PGE Park
PGE Park
PGE Park is a multi-purpose stadium located in Portland, Oregon, United States...

.

Five remaining clubs play in stadiums not originally built for MLS. The New England Revolution and D.C. United play home games at NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...

 venues Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, residing 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston that serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution soccer team. The facility opened in...

 and RFK Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, better known as RFK Stadium or RFK, is a multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C., United States, and the current home of Major League Soccer's D.C. United....

. New England and D.C. are actively seeking to build their own soccer stadiums. Seattle Sounders FC play in a dual-purpose stadium, designed to be used for both football and soccer. For Sounders matches, Qwest Field staff tarps off the upper bowl to provide a more intimate atmosphere. The Houston Dynamo and the San Jose Earthquakes are in the planning stages for their own soccer venues replacing Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium, often referred to as simply Robertson Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...

 and Buck Shaw Stadium
Buck Shaw Stadium
Buck Shaw Stadium is a 10,300-seat multi-purpose stadium at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. The stadium is the current home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer teams and was the former home of the now defunct Santa Clara football team as well as the Santa Clara baseball team. The...

. In 2011 the Vancouver expansion team
Vancouver MLS 2011
Major League Soccer has awarded an expansion franchise for an as yet unnamed Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver, British Columbia that will begin play in 2011...

 will begin play in a refurbished BC Place, and will remain there until at least 2016, by which time the team hopes to complete construction on a planned waterfront soccer stadium.

The move to soccer-specific stadiums has been seen as essential to building 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 became the first club to turn a profit in 2003, followed by FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer team based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer...

 in 2006.

Media coverage


At the outset, MLS signed deals for coverage on ESPN
ESPN
ESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....

, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is a American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...

 and ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports coverage has been delegated to ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...

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

, Galavision
Galavisión
Galavisión is a Miami, Florida based Spanish language cable network owned by Univision Communications, Inc. The station is unrelated to the Mexican channel of the same name, other than sharing the Televisa-produced programming.-History:...

, and Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is a Spanish-language American television network. Angel Ramos launched the brand with a TV station in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1954 -- and it evolved into the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world...

 broadcasted matches in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...

. 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's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. 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's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. 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) and Fox Sports en Español
Fox Sports en Español
Fox Sports en Español is a cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day in Spanish. FSE is a joint venture between Fox Sports International and Fox Pan American Sports LLC and is managed by FSI featuring soccer tournaments from across Latin America...

 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
CBC Sports
CBC Sports is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for sports broadcasting. The highest rated televised segment on the CBC Television network comes from the CBC Sports presentation of Hockey Night in Canada...

, GolTV Canada
GolTV Canada
GolTV is a Canadian English language category 2 digital cable specialty channel. GolTV is exclusively dedicated to association football , with live sporting events from around the world, news programs, coaching & instructional programming and more...

 and Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language cable television sports specialty channel, operating four regional standard-definition feeds, each with a corresponding high-definition simulcast feed...

 all broadcast Toronto matches nationwide, along with the MLS Cup playoffs.

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. The package costs $79 for residential...

 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. ESPN's
ESPN Major League Soccer
ESPN Major League Soccer is a promotion of Major League Soccer on ESPN2 and ESPN on ABC, with simulcasts on ESPN2HD and ABCHD. Major League Soccer on ESPN2 debuted in 1996, the league's first season, and is guaranteed to stay on the network till at least 2014...

 coverage now features a live match each week, usually in primetime, and Fox Soccer Channel's MLS Saturday added a pregame and postgame show wrapped around their featured matches.

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 elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup Championship game. Eight teams from the league's two conferences qualify for the tournament based on regular-season records, and a tiebreaking procedure...

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

, and the international competitions SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga is an official North American football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each nation. The competition is sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...

, InterLiga
InterLiga
The InterLiga is a football competition between Mexican clubs to determine qualifying spots for that country in South America's premier club competition, the Copa Libertadores....

, and Pan-Pacific Championship
Pan-Pacific Championship
The Pan-Pacific Football Championship is an inter-confederation football tournament between teams from A-League , Chinese Super League , J...

." 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 rule have raised the international awareness and potential for popularity of MLS in international markets.

MP & Silva's package generally does not include ESPN-televised matches. ESPN International
ESPN International
ESPN International is a family of networks around the world. It was begun in 1989 and is operated by ESPN. It consists of:*ESPN Africa*ESPN America**ESPN America Extra**ESPN Classic **ESPN Classic **ESPN *ESPN Atlantic*ESPN Australia...

 purchased the rights to broadcast MLS in Great Britain and Ireland
ESPN (UK)
ESPN is a sports television channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland owned by American sports broadcaster ESPN Inc. The channel launched on 3 August 2009...

 in 2009, and other ESPN networks around the world also broadcast games.

Profitability

colspan="5"|Shirt sponsorships
Team Sponsor Value
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire (soccer)
The Chicago Fire is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois that participates in Major League Soccer. The team was founded on October 8, 1997, on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1998, their inaugural league season, the...

Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Canada, Mexico, and China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates under both the Best...

$7.5M over 3 years
Chivas USA
C.D. Chivas USA
Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that participates in Major League Soccer. The club, founded in 2004, plays its home games at The Home Depot Center, sharing it with arch-rivals the Los Angeles Galaxy. The...

Comex
Comex
Comex may refer to:*COMEX, a division of the New York Mercantile Exchange * COMEX , a French company in undersea engineering *Los Comex, a comic book imprint*Comex Group, a Mexican paint manufacturer and distributor...

$2M per year
Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was owned by the legendary Lamar Hunt, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs and FC Dallas until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt took over his...

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...

$1M per year
D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club located in Washington, D.C. that participates in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier soccer league. The team's home field is the 45,596-seat Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, owned by the District of Columbia and located on the...

Volkswagen $14M over 5 years
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club based in Houston, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer. The club won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons of existence....

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

$1.9M per year
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy is an American, professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer . It is one of the ten charter franchises of MLS and is the league's second most-decorated club, after D.C. United...

Herbalife
Herbalife
Herbalife International , is a global nutrition, weight-loss and skin-care company. The company was founded in 1980 and it employs around 3500 people worldwide...

$4M-$5M per year
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 billion cans were sold in over 130 countries. 3,903 employees generated 2.6 billion euros in turnover....

Part of $100M deal for club and stadium
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 that participates in Major League Soccer. The club joined the league as an expansion team in 2005, and plays its home games at Rio Tinto Stadium....

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, a skin care product, and a nutritional supplement.-Executives:*Aaron...

$500K-$1M per year
San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer club is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada, Major League Soccer . The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2008. It is one of the...

Amway Global
Amway
Amway is a direct selling company and manufacturer that uses multi-level marketing to sell a wide variety of products, primarily in the health & beauty industry.Amway was founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos...

$2-$3M per year
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that participates in Major League Soccer . The team was established in November 2007 as an MLS expansion team. The following year fans chose the Sounders name for the team through an online poll. They are...

Xbox 360 Live
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...

$20M over 5 years
Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC, popularly abbreviated as TFC, is a professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first Canadian and non-American team in the United States' pre-eminent professional soccer league, Major League Soccer...

BMO
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817, making it Canada's oldest bank....

$1M-$1.5M per year


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. BusinessWeek is a business magazine published by McGraw-Hill. It was first published...

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 multi-purpose stadium located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California. It is located approximately 13 miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Its title sponsor is hardware retailer The Home Depot...

, while FC Dallas turned a profit in similar fashion after moving into Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 20,500-seat capacity, built and owned by the suburb of Frisco in Collin County, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...

 in 2005.

Television coverage has consistently expanded throughout the league's history, as MLS brokered a deal with ESPN 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 Los Angeles 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; Los Angeles Galaxy, Toronto FC and FC Dallas http://www.forbes.com/2008/09/09/mls-soccer-beckham-biz-sports-cz_kb_0909mlsvalues.html.

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 .-Current Laws of the Game:...

 in its early years, some of which had been used in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...

 and continue to be used in college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe soccer that is played by teams operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...

 and many high school associations
National Federation of State High School Associations
The National Federation of State High School Associations is the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. Most high schools, whether public or private, belong to their state's high school association; in turn, each state association...

.

Among them was the use of a countdown clock, rather than a standard progressive clock, with time paused for dead ball situations at a referee's discretion. Halves ended when the clock reached 0:00, rather than at the whistle of the referee as was customary elsewhere.

Also implemented was the use of shootouts to resolve tie games. These best-of-five contests placed a player 35 yards from goal with five seconds to put the ball past the opposing goalkeeper; if needed the shootout progressed into extra frames. A winning team received one standings point (as opposed to three for the regulation win).

While IFAB
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...

 rules allow teams to substitute three players during games, MLS allowed a fourth, goalkeeper-only substitute. MLS discarded the rule after 2003 and adopted the IFAB standard, prompted in part by a match in which then MetroStars coach and 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.Before taking over the national team in December 2006, he had previously coached in the American college game and later in Major League Soccer, where he has more victories than any other coach in league history,...

 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. The game finishes when a golden goal is scored. The...

 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 breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise tied...

 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's two conferences.-Current members:*Chicago Fire*Columbus Crew*D.C. United*Kansas City Wizards*New England Revolution*New York Red Bulls*Toronto FC-Lineup for 1996–1997:*Columbus Crew*D.C...

 and Western
MLS Western Conference
The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.-Current members:*Chivas USA*Colorado Rapids*FC Dallas*Houston Dynamo*Los Angeles Galaxy*Real Salt Lake*San Jose Earthquakes*Seattle Sounders FC-Lineup for 1996:*Colorado Rapids...

 Conferences. Each club is allowed 24 players on their full roster.

Before its maiden season and inaugural draft
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996...

, MLS allocated
Allocation (MLS)
In Major League Soccer, an allocation represents an amount of money teams can use to sign players and/or allocate to their salaries to get under the salary cap. Allocations are given to teams that have missed the playoffs the previous seasons, given to expansion teams, or awarded as compensation...

 four marquee players across the initial ten teams. These inaugural allocations
1996 MLS Inaugural Allocations
The Major League Soccer Inaugural Allocations were signed by the league in 1996 and distributed to the ten initial teams prior to the beginning of the first MLS season...

 consisted of key U.S. national team and international players such as Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda
Eric Wynalda is an American soccer player, currently playing and serving as technical director for Bakersfield Brigade in the USL Premier Development League...

 and Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez
Hugo Sánchez Márquez , popularly nicknamed Pentapichichi, or Hugol, is a Mexican football coach and former striker. He played for four European clubs, including Real Madrid...

. By the 1998 season, 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 franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the...

s: the Miami Fusion and the Chicago Fire. The 2000 season saw the league divide into three conferences with teams in either the Eastern, Western, or Central
MLS Central Division
The MLS Central Division was one of Major League Soccer's three divisions, existing from 2000-2001.-Lineup for 2000-2001:*Chicago Fire*Columbus Crew*Dallas Burn*Tampa Bay Mutiny-Changes from 1999:*The new Central Division is created...

 Divisions.

However, following the 2001 season, Miami and the Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny
The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer 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 with two conferences. Since the 2004 season, the league has expanded with six 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 that participates in Major League Soccer. The club joined the league as an expansion team in 2005, and plays its home games at Rio Tinto Stadium....

 and Chivas USA in 2005, the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club based in Houston, Texas that participates in Major League Soccer. The club won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in its first two seasons of existence....

 in 2006, and Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC, popularly abbreviated as TFC, is a professional football club located in Toronto, Ontario and the first Canadian and non-American team in the United States' pre-eminent professional soccer league, Major League Soccer...

 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 soccer club is located in San Jose, California and participates in the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada, Major League Soccer . The Earthquakes participated in MLS from 1995 to 2005, and resumed operations in 2008. It is one of the...

 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.- Changes from the 2007 season :...

. Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that participates in Major League Soccer . The team was established in November 2007 as an MLS expansion team. The following year fans chose the Sounders name for the team through an online poll. They are...

 joined MLS for the 2009 season
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season is the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and will end with MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington.- Changes from the 2008 season :...

.

As of 2009, MLS has had seventeen different clubs over the years, but only seven have won the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer. Beginning with the 2008 MLS Cup winner, subsequent teams will receive the redesigned MLS Cup trophy, named the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, for his long-standing commitment to MLS. The previous trophy was named the Alan I...

. Of the league's thirteen seasons, only five have seen the 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 NHL.- History :...

 winner labeled league champion.
For the 2009 season, teams are aligned as follows:


Notes
Former teams
  • Miami Fusion (1998–2001)
  • Tampa Bay Mutiny
    Tampa Bay Mutiny
    The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer 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 will expand to 16 teams in 2010, 18 teams in 2011, and plans to expand to 20 teams in 2012. The Philadelphia Union club is in place for 2010 with Vancouver
Vancouver MLS 2011
Major League Soccer has awarded an expansion franchise for an as yet unnamed Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver, British Columbia that will begin play in 2011...

 and Portland
Portland Timbers (MLS)
The Portland Timbers will be an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon that, according to an announcement in March 2009, will begin play in Major League Soccer in 2011. The team will replace the USL First Division's team of the same name, while retaining the same ownership...

 joining the following season, and two yet to be determined franchises would begin play a year after that. The Union will play in a 18,500-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 to Bridgeport, in Logan Township, New Jersey, USA...

 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 state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...

.

On March 18, 2009 a press conference announced that a new MLS team in Vancouver, Canada will replace the existing USL-1 club in that city, and that it would keep some form of the "Whitecaps" name. Vancouver will join the league in 2011. For at least its first season the Vancouver MLS club will play in BC Place stadium, which by then will have been renovated to include a soccer-specific configuration. However, the Vancouver ownership group is still hopeful that a new, completely soccer specific stadium will be approved for construction on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver.

On March 20, 2009 a press conference announced that a new MLS team in Portland will replace the existing USL-1 club
Portland Timbers (USL)
Portland Timbers is an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....

 in that city, and would keep the Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers , the original team that played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1982....

 name. Portland will play in PGE Park
PGE Park
PGE Park is a multi-purpose stadium located in Portland, Oregon, United States...

, which will be renovated to be a soccer-specific stadium by 2011. Portland will join the league in 2011.

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, the San Jose Clash, or the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Two exceptions to this were D.C. United and Miami Fusion F.C., adopting naming conventions usually seen in European clubs. However, new teams such as Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC continued this trend along with the Dallas Burn renaming themselves FC Dallas. 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 soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...

, such as the 70s-era San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes (NASL)
San Jose Earthquakes was a professional soccer club that played from 1974 to 1984. The team began as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League. From 1983 to 1984, the team was known as the Golden Bay Earthquakes...

, Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (NASL)
The Seattle Sounders were a U.S. professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1974, the team belonged to the North American Soccer League where it played both indoor and outdoor soccer...

, and Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers (NASL)
The Portland Timbers were a team in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1982. The name has been used by two other soccer franchises: the Timbers of the WSA/APSL and the current team of the USL.-History:...

.

C.D.
Sports club
A sports club, athletics club or sports association is an eclectic institution oriented to multiple sports, which fields many teams and in several sports, working under the same umbrella organization. In a larger sense, it may also refer to any sports institution, even those that have only one...

 Chivas USA is the only MLS team whose name does not specify a city, state, or region. The club is named for the Mexican team C.D. Guadalajara
C.D. Guadalajara
Club Deportivo Guadalajara, commonly known as Chivas , or El Rebaño Sagrado is a Mexican association football team based in Guadalajara, Jalisco that competes in the Primera División de México, the highest football division in Mexico. Chivas has the most titles in the Mexican first division with...

, who are often known by their nickname "Chivas," which translates to "Goats". The Mexican club, based in Guadalajara, Mexico
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital city of the Mexican 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. With a population of 1,579,174 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...

, and Chivas USA share the same ownership. Though Real Salt Lake was not originally affiliated with Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European...

, in 2006 the two clubs signed an agreement to play friendly matches every two years, and to co-sponsor a soccer academy and training facility in Utah. The beverage company Red Bull
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH is an Austrian company which sells the Red Bull energy drink. In 2006, more than 3 billion cans were sold in over 130 countries. 3,903 employees generated 2.6 billion euros in turnover....

 owns the New York Red Bulls as well as other Red Bull-owned teams.

Rivalry cup competitions

  • D.C. United — New York Red Bulls (Atlantic Cup
    Atlantic Cup
    For rugby league's Atlantic Cup see 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 New York Red Bulls. Since the trophy was initiated for the 2002 season between DC and the then-named MetroStars,...

    )
  • Los Angeles Galaxy — San Jose Earthquakes (California Clasico
    California Clasico
    The California Clasico is a soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. This rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs...

    )
  • FC Dallas — Houston Dynamo (Texas Derby
    Texas Derby
    The Texas Derby is a soccer rivalry between Texas's two MLS teams, Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas, recognizing the best club in the state for the season. The two squads play a series of games with the series winner taking home a replica 18th century mountain howitzer cannon...

    )
  • Chivas USA — Los Angeles Galaxy (Honda SuperClasico
    Honda SuperClasico
    The Honda SuperClasico, a.k.a. El Clásico 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...

    )
  • Chicago Fire — FC Dallas (Brimstone Cup
    Brimstone Cup
    The Brimstone Cup is a soccer trophy awarded to the yearly winner of the rivalry between the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas Major League Soccer teams. The Cup is awarded by the Brimstone Cup Committee to the team with the most points in games played between the two...

    )
  • Colorado Rapids — Real Salt Lake (Rocky Mountain Cup
    Rocky Mountain Cup
    The Rocky Mountain Cup is a soccer trophy awarded to the fans of the yearly winner of the rivalry between the Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer teams. The Cup is awarded by the Committee of 10, the fans who run the competition, to the team with the most points in games played...

    )
  • 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. state of Ohio...

    )
  • San Jose Earthquakes — Seattle Sounders FC (Heritage Cup)
  • 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.The...

    , pre-season)

Regular season leaders



Goals
Regular Season only
Rank Player Goals
1 BOL Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno is a Bolivian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.Moreno is the all-time leading scorer in Major League Soccer...

130
2 USA Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.-College:...

120
3 USA Ante Razov
Ante Razov
Ante Razov is an American soccer player of Croatian descent who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...

114
4 USA Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis is a former American soccer forward, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history...

108
5 USA Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Taylor was raised in the American soccer hotbed of St...

101
6 USA Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He plays usually as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.A member of the inaugural class of the U.S...

95
7 USA Roy Lassiter
Roy Lassiter
Roy Lassiter is a retired American soccer striker, and Major League Soccer's record holder for goals scored in a season, with 27 in 1996....

88
8 SLV Raúl Díaz Arce
Raúl Díaz Arce
Raúl Díaz Arce is a retired Salvadoran football player. He is El Salvador's second most goal scorer behind Jorge "Mágico" González with 39 goals in just 55 appearances.-Early Career:...

82
GUA Carlos Ruíz 82
10 USA Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević , is a former Yugoslavian-American soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Chivas USA.-Everton:...

79

Goals Against Average
Regular Season only, 1500+ MINS
Rank Player GAA
1 USA Kasey Keller
Kasey Keller
Kasey Keller is an American soccer player who currently plays for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer....

0.98
2 CAN Pat Onstad
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer and the Canadian national soccer team.-Youth and College:...

1.07
3 SEN Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese Goalkeeper who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls. He also is a member of the Senegal National Team.-Career:...

1.16
4 USA Matt Pickens
Matt Pickens
Matt Pickens is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and Amateur:...

1.21
5 USA Jon Busch
Jon Busch
Jon Busch is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. He was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008.-Youth and College:...

1.22
USA Troy Perkins
Troy Perkins
Troy Perkins is an American soccer player who currently plays goalkeeper for Vålerenga in the Norwegian Premier League.-College:...

1.22
7 USA Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

1.23
8 USA Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

1.29
9 USA Matt Reis
Matt Reis
Matt Reis is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-College:Reis played college soccer at UCLA...

1.31
USA Joe Cannon
Joe Cannon (soccer)
Joseph Cannon is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...

1.31
USA Jonny Walker
Jonny Walker
Jonny Walker is an American soccer goalkeeper, the first American to become a starting player on a South American soccer club....

1.31

Games Played
Regular Season only
Rank Player GP
1 USA Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...

378
2 USA Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

329
3 USA Chris Klein
Chris Klein (soccer)
Chris Klein is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Amateur:...

320
4 USA Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...

318
5 USA Chris Henderson
Chris Henderson
Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S...

317
6 BOL Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno is a Bolivian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.Moreno is the all-time leading scorer in Major League Soccer...

316
7 USA Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.-College:...

313
8 USA Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-College:...

310
9 USA Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones
Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former American soccer player who is currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, whom he has been involved with as a player and coach since the team's inaugural season in 1996...

306
10 USA Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis is a former American soccer forward, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history...

305

Minutes Played
Regular Season only
Rank Player MINS
1 USA Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...

31,645
2 USA Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

27,495
3 USA Chris Henderson
Chris Henderson
Christopher "Chris" Henderson is a former American soccer midfielder who earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team. He was part of the U.S...

26,242
4 USA Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-College:...

25,463
5 USA Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis
Jason Kreis is a former American soccer forward, and is currently the third highest scorer in Major League Soccer regular-season history...

25,242
6 USA Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones
Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former American soccer player who is currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, whom he has been involved with as a player and coach since the team's inaugural season in 1996...

25,157
7 USA Chris Klein
Chris Klein (soccer)
Chris Klein is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Amateur:...

25,049
8 USA 24,470
9 USA Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...

24,152
10 BOL Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno is a Bolivian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.Moreno is the all-time leading scorer in Major League Soccer...

23,720

Last Updated September 28, 2009

Playoff leaders



Goals
Playoffs only
Rank Player G
1 GUA Carlos Ruíz 16
2 USA Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He plays usually as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing.A member of the inaugural class of the U.S...

14
3 USA Roy Lassiter
Roy Lassiter
Roy Lassiter is a retired American soccer striker, and Major League Soccer's record holder for goals scored in a season, with 27 in 1996....

13
4 BOL Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno is a Bolivian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.Moreno is the all-time leading scorer in Major League Soccer...

12
5 USA Ante Razov
Ante Razov
Ante Razov is an American soccer player of Croatian descent who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...

11
6 USA Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian McBride is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...

10
USA Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević , is a former Yugoslavian-American soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Chivas USA.-Everton:...

10
USA Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Taylor was raised in the American soccer hotbed of St...

10
9 SLV Raúl Díaz Arce
Raúl Díaz Arce
Raúl Díaz Arce is a retired Salvadoran football player. He is El Salvador's second most goal scorer behind Jorge "Mágico" González with 39 goals in just 55 appearances.-Early Career:...

8
TRI Stern John
Stern John
Stern John is a Trinidadian football player currently playing for Crystal Palace.-Club career:...

8

Goals Against Average
Playoffs only, 300+ MINS
Rank Player GAA
1 USA Adin Brown
Adin Brown
Adin Brown is an American soccer goalkeeper, who currently plays for Aalesund of the Norwegian Premier League....

0.66
2 USA Jon Conway
Jon Conway
Jon Conway is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

0.75
USA William Hesmer 0.75
4 USA Matt Reis
Matt Reis
Matt Reis is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-College:Reis played college soccer at UCLA...

0.79
5 USA Jon Busch
Jon Busch
Jon Busch is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer. He was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008.-Youth and College:...

0.88
6 USA Jeff Cassar
Jeff Cassar
Jeff Cassar is a retired American soccer goalkeeper, who last played for FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. He is now the Real Salt Lake goalkeeper coach following his retirement from active play....

0.89
7 USA Matt Pickens
Matt Pickens
Matt Pickens is an American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Youth and Amateur:...

0.94
8 USA Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

0.99
MEX Jorge Campos
Jorge Campos
Jorge Campos is a retired Mexican footballer who played as a goalkeeper....

0.99
10 USA Danny Cepero
Danny Cepero
Danny Cepero is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...

1.00

Games Played
Playoffs only
Rank Player GP
1 USA Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones
Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former American soccer player who is currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, whom he has been involved with as a player and coach since the team's inaugural season in 1996...

45
2 USA Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

44
3 USA Diego Gutiérrez
Diego Gutierrez (soccer)
Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer....

40
4 USA Jeff Agoos
Jeff Agoos
Jeff Agoos is a retired American soccer defender, and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team....

39
5 USA Chris Armas
Chris Armas
Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. Today he is a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...

37
USA Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...

37
7 SLV Mauricio Cienfuegos
Mauricio Cienfuegos
Mauricio Cienfuegos is a retired Salvadoran soccer player.-Club:Cienfuegos began his professional career in 1985 with Racing Junior. He played the next two seasons for Soyapango, and then moved to Luís Ángel Firpo, where he would play for four years.Cienfuegos the to Mexico to play for Morelia in...

35
USA Ante Razov
Ante Razov
Ante Razov is an American soccer player of Croatian descent who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...

35
9 USA Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...

34
10 USA Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

33

Minutes Played
Playoffs only
Rank Player MINS
1 USA Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman
Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

4,042
2 USA Cobi Jones
Cobi Jones
Cobi N'Gai Jones is a former American soccer player who is currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, whom he has been involved with as a player and coach since the team's inaugural season in 1996...

3,938
3 USA Jeff Agoos
Jeff Agoos
Jeff Agoos is a retired American soccer defender, and one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team....

3,557
4 USA Chris Armas
Chris Armas
Chris Armas is a retired American soccer player. Today he is a teacher of physical education at St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, New York.-College:Armas is of Puerto Rican descent...

3,383
5 USA Diego Gutiérrez
Diego Gutierrez (soccer)
Diego Gutiérrez is a retired Colombian American footballer, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer....

3,270
6 USA Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...

3,228
7 USA Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston
Steve Ralston is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...

3,164
8 USA Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton is an American soccer player who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...

3,013
9 SLV Mauricio Cienfuegos
Mauricio Cienfuegos
Mauricio Cienfuegos is a retired Salvadoran soccer player.-Club:Cienfuegos began his professional career in 1985 with Racing Junior. He played the next two seasons for Soyapango, and then moved to Luís Ángel Firpo, where he would play for four years.Cienfuegos the to Mexico to play for Morelia in...

2,992
10 USA C.J. Brown 2,921

As of MLS Cup 2008

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. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...

  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.-Winners:-Most Appearances by a Player:*Jaime Moreno, Chris Armas: 5...

  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.-Winners:...

  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*2001 - Troy Dayak, San Jose Earthquakes...

  5. MLS Scudetto
  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:*1996 - John Doyle, San Jose Clash*1997 - Eddie Pope, D.C...

  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:-Winners:...

  8. MLS Golden Boot
    MLS Golden Boot
    The MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...

  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. 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 represents the United States in international football competitions and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, the sport has steadily grown in popularity since the 1970s...

  • 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 a term used in Canada and the United States for the highest professional competitions 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 video game released in 2002 by Konami. Clint Mathis is on the cover. MLS Extratime ended after just one installment as the MLS officially licensed its players and uniforms to the FIFA series....

  • ESPN MLS GameNight
    ESPN MLS GameNight
    ESPN MLS GameNight is a video game of the sports genre released in 2000 by Konami. It has the option of choosing either 12 teams from the MLS 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.-External links:*...

  • Generation Adidas
    Generation adidas
    Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry of American players into MLS...

  • List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
  • List of current MLS players
  • List of current MLS players with national team caps
  • List of foreign MLS players
  • List of MLS seasons
  • 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 Cup and Supporters' Shield Winners and Runners-Up :- MLS Cup Finals :- All-Time Most Successful MLS Clubs :...

  • MLS Central Division
    MLS Central Division
    The MLS Central Division was one of Major League Soccer's three divisions, existing from 2000-2001.-Lineup for 2000-2001:*Chicago Fire*Columbus Crew*Dallas Burn*Tampa Bay Mutiny-Changes from 1999:*The new Central Division is created...

  • 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....

  • 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. The package costs $79 for residential...

  • 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. ESPN and MLS had previously had a contract where ESPN2 televised live games at 4PM on Saturdays. On 2008 season, Play-by-play will be usually handled by JP...

  • MLS Game of the Week
    MLS Game of the Week
    MLS Game of the Week is a weekly presentation of Major League Soccer on ESPN and ESPN2 that began in 2009.-2009 Season EST:*Saturday April 11- Chivas USA @ Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30*Friday April 17- New England Revolution @ D.C...

  • 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. The program is sponsored by Radioshack...

  • 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. The Columbus Crew edged out D.C. United on goal differential to win the 2004 competition,...

  • MLS Wrap
    MLS Wrap
    MLS Wrap was a MLS 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 soccer achievements in the United States. The museum first opened its doors in 1979....

  • Sueño MLS
    Sueño MLS
    Sueño 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.-Previous uses of name:...

  • Wooden Spoon
    MLS Wooden Spoon
    The Major League Soccer Wooden Spoon is an unofficial annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the worst regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system, much like the AFL Wooden Spoon in the Australian Football League....


External links