Season
The Major League Soccer
regular season (usually) begins
in March and concludes
in October.
Each team will play 34 games comprised of 2 games (one home and one
way) for each team within their division
and one dame against
each team from
the other division.
The team with
the best record by points
is awarded the Supporters’ Shield trophy.
The 2020 Twist…
Playoffs
Fourteen teams qualify
for the MLS
postseason which is, like most American professional
sports an elimination bracket.
The playoffs
take place
from October until
November when the MLS Finals take place with the winner hoisting the MLS Cup. Like many European leagues, Continental Champions League places are also awarded, however, the allocation process is unique because two nations are involved.
Teams in the United States:
A total of four berths are awarded; one for winning the Supporter’s Shield, one for the best finisher in the non-Supporter’s Shield winning division, the MLS Cup winner (if American), and the final slot going to the winner of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Teams in Canada:
Only one Champions League place is awarded to a Canadian club and that berth the winner of the Canadian Championship. If a Canadian team would get a berth through any of the U.S. qualification places it is simply given to the U.S. team with the next best record.
Note: A Canadian Premier League team can also qualify meaning that in some cases the total Canadian teams allotted rises to two.
History
The current version of Major League Soccer (MLS) arose from a condition from FIFA allowing the United States to host the 1994 World Cup. As a result, the United States Soccer Federation organized a top-tier professional soccer league which initially debuted under the name Major League Professional Soccer in 1993. Although, by 1995 the name was changed to Major League Soccer and it was established as a limited-liability corporation. Play began in 1996 with ten teams, and 9 of the original teams remain, the only exception being the Tampa Bay Mutiny.
The early renditions of the MLS were fraught with gimmicky-rules that were intended to draw in more American fans by making the game for faced paced, refusing to end games, among others. Although the inaugural season was quite successful, primarily because of the inclusion of notorious members of both the United States Men’s National Team and the Mexican National Team, the league’s success was fleeting. After the poor showing in the 1998 World Cup and the massive losses endured through the first five years (expected to be $250M or more), the league had trouble maintaining popularity. In 1998, the early growth of the league occurred adding the Chicago Fire and the Miami Fusion, however, shortly in 2002, the league announced it would return to 10 teams by folding the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Miami Fusion. Soon after the first additions, the league changed from inaugural commissioner Doug Logan to current Don Garber (who had NFL experience).
The 2002 World Cup saw United States soccer with a shock return to prominence as they made the quarterfinals and a subsequent historic showing at the 2002 MLS Cup (around 62,000 at the Patriot’s Gillette Stadium). Shortly after this, the MLS adopted standard international rules (as outlined by FIFA) and began the process of creating soccer-specific stadiums (as opposed to the half-empty behemoths they had been playing in up to this point). In 2005, the league expanded again adding Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA — while technically the San Jose team took a three-year break from competition. The Houston Dynamo expansion franchise would come in 2006 from this shuddering, although a club in San Jose would reappear in a few short years. The MLS foray into Canada would begin the next major phase of expansion with Toronto FC joining the fray in 2007, followed by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2008, Seattle Sounders FC in 2009, Philadelphia Union in 2010, a duo of teams in 2011 of the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps, and Montreal Impact in 2012.
The league would remain this size for only a few short years before adding Orlando City SC and New York City FC in 2015, Minnesota United and Atlanta United in 2017, Los Angeles FC in 2018, FC Cincinnati in 2019 and more to come in 2020 (Inter Miami FC and Nashville FC) and 2021 (Austin FC). As a result of rapid growth, the league was divided up into two major conferences which compete amongst each other, while visiting non-conference opponents as well.
Standings (Top 7 Make the Playoffs)
Make sure to check out information for all the other
MLS Teams or other
Soccer content!
Major League Soccer Teams:
Atlanta United was the second club to join the MLS for the 2017 season (along with Minnesota United). The team shares Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons (as both are owned by Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank). Atlanta United’s inaugural coach was Tata Martino and he would guide the team to one of the best expansion team beginnings in the MLS. Atlanta United led by Martino finished in playoff position in the 2017 where they would be eliminated early on. However, in Martino’s second season the club improved to 2nd-place in the League (and division) before going on to win the MLS Cup. However, Martino had announced earlier in the season that he would not return (and would later be announced as the Mexican National Team Manager). Frank de Boer (who has prior managerial stints with Ajax, Inter, Crystal Palace, and the Dutch National Team) was appointed to the position in December of 2018. de Boer currently holds the post with the club seeking to add to the success experienced by the club with Martino at the helm.
Honors:
MLS Cup
The Chicago Fire were the first expansion team in the MLS, beginning play two years after the original ten. The was officially founded on the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire in 1997, in preparation for the 1998 season. Bob Bradley (later to be U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach) was the inaugural manager for the club. Under Bradley, the team experienced success in their first full season of existence by winning their first (and only) MLS Cup against D.C. United and their first U.S. Open Cup. Bradley would spend five years with the club and in his care the team would finish no worse than third in their division. In 2002, Bradley would leave for the same position in the MetroStars (of his home state, New Jersey), and the club would appoint U.S. National Team Assistant Coach Dave Sarachan.
In 2006, the club would announce the opening of the Toyota Park (now known as SeatGeek Stadium) as the latest in a slew of MLS clubs opening soccer-specific stadiums. In Sarachan’s first year at the helm of the club, he was able to replicate part of Bradley’s success by bringing home the club’s only Supporter’s Shield to date — this was also the best finish by the club under Sarachan with a defeat after reaching the MLS Cup Final. However, aside from his first year, the club’s best finish was 4th-placed in the regular season and a Conference Finals appearance (twice) which they lost to the New England Revolution both times (0-1 scoreline). Sarachan only lasted eleven games into the MLS season being dismissed after a string of losses, seven in eight matches.
Since the club’s first two coaches, Bradley and Sarachan, who both lasted five years, the club has had seven managers (including one interim) in the eight years to follow. The club has also not won any of the major trophies since Sarachan was dismissed. The club has experienced reasonable success in the regular season but has been unable to replicate this form in the playoffs (or cups). The team was managed by Veljko Paunović from 2015 until a disappointing campaign saw him sacked in December 2019. The club appointed Raphael Wicky as manager shortly after, where he still remains.
Honors:
MLS Cup
- Winners (1): 1998
- Runners Up (2): 2000, 2003
Supporter’s Shield
- Winners (1): 2003
- Runners Up (2): 2000, 2001
U.S. Open Cup
- Winners (4): 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006
The Colorado Rapids are another of the ten founding members of the MLS. The Rapids history began in a less than ideal fashion as their inaugural season found them not only last in the conference, but also the league. Between the club’s birth and the last day of 2004, the club had four managers (and a caretaker manager). During this span, the best finish the club had in the regular season was third-place in the conference and a finals appearance in the MLS Cup in 1997. The one real bright spot during this timeframe was the 2002 season when the Rapids added Kyle Beckerman and Pablo Mastroeni. While they managed a quarterfinal appearance, they won several individual awards. In the 2014 season, the Rapids appointed former Rapids great, Pablo Mastroeni, who began a turnaround for the club and would also bring in some formidable names. The best finish the club had been able to muster in the regular season came much later as they finished second (in 2016), although they did secure an MLS Cup in 2010. They were runner up for both the Supporters’ Shield (2016) and the Open Cup (1999). During Mastroeni’s tenure, they added US Men’s National Team members, Tim Howard, and Jermaine Jones. Despite the additions, Mastroeni was fired at the end of the 2017 season. In his place, the Rapids brought on Anthony Hudson who would remain with the club until May 2019. The next, and current manager is Robin Fraser.
Honors:
MLS Cup
- Winners: 2010
- Runners Up: 1997
Supporters’ Shield
U.S. Open Cup
Columbus Crew SC is another of the ten clubs that started the MLS. Officially the club was formed in 1994, although they didn’t begin playing until 1996 when the league kicked off. The SC wasn’t added until 2014 when the club revealed a new logo with the addition of SC (for soccer club) included. The first coach in club history was Timo Liekoski who spent time previously as US Men’s National Team coach. The first selection for Columbus was Brian McBride with the first overall pick in 1996. Columbus did not get off to a good start with only six wins in the first 22 games, leading to Liekoski being dismissed. Tom Fitzgerald was appointed and after failing to win only one of the remaining games; they qualified for the playoffs. The next two seasons would be much the same with the Crew winning 15 of the 32 games in 1997 and 1998. Although they would make the playoffs each time, they were defeated by D.C. United each time. The 1999 season would begin with the Crew opening their new, soccer-specific stadium (the first in the US). Previously, the Crew had played at Ohio Stadium, and they would again make the playoffs. They missed them the following season, and the club would experience some difficult seasons with lots of transitions in both staff and players. Columbus would taste it’s first MLS Cup in 2008 under coach Sigi Schmidt who would leave at the end of the season to coach the Seattle Sounders.
After Schmidt left, the team hired Robert Warzycha, who would manage the team from 2008 until September 2013 when he was released, just months before his contract was set to expire. After his departure the club would bring in Gregg Berhalter who would remain with the club until being hired as the United States Men’s National Team manager in December of 2018. The current manager, Caleb Porter, joined in January 2019, and had most recently coached the Portland Timbers.
Honors:
MLS Cup
Supporters Shield
- Winners (3): 2004, 2008, 2009
U.S. Open Cup (1): 2002
D.C. United is another of the original ten MLS teams. In the first years of the league, D.C. United were giants among men winning six different trophies within the first three years of their existence under future United States Men’s National Team Coach Bruce Arena. Their successes continued into the international arena where they won the two separate competitions. In late 1998, Arena left to become the National Team head coach. This coincided with the decline of the dominance of the league, despite winning the league in 1999 they would have four managers in the next ten years (Thomas Rongen, Ray Hudson, Piotr Nowak, and Tom Soehn). They also won the MLS Cup two more times during that span. The club had the best record in the MLS in back to back years in 2006 and 2007. After the 2007 Supporters Shield win, they had a playoff void of 5 years and only the 2008 U.S. Open Cup to hoist. The team would part ways with Soehn after the 2009 season to turn to Curt Onalfo, although he would remain with the team until August 2010 before also being removed. After his departure, the club would hire Ben Olson, who remains the current manager.
The 2013 season would go down as one D.C. United supporters would rather forget as they managed only three wins. Vengeance would come in the 2014 season where they would be the best team in the Eastern Conference. After the 2014 season, D.C. United has maintained a string of mostly middle of the road finishes to the season with a particular poor finish (21st) in the 2017 season. The team would begin to show improvement through the 2018 and 2019 seasons, when the club was able to bring in former-Manchester United player, Wayne Rooney.
Honors:
CONCACAF Champions Cup
Copa Interamericana
MLS Cup
- Winner (4): 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004
Supporters’ Shield
- Winner (4): 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007
U.S. Open Cup
- Winner (3): 1996, 2008, 2013
FC Cincinnati joined the MLS for the 2019 season as the 24th club. The club replaces the USL club of the same name. The club’s majority owner is Carl Linder III, who is the co-chief executive officer (and co-president) of American Financial Group. The club will play their home games at Nippert Stadium (home of the Cincinnati Bearcats football team) until the West End Stadium is completed which is expected to be 2021. The club is currently coached by Alan Koch who has been manager since the club’s expansion announcement, although he would depart the club in May of 2019. The 2019 season was not a good debut for the club, managing the league’s worst inaugural season at 6-22-6 while also allowing a league record number of goals (at 75). FC Cincinnati finished the club in last place, and are hoping for a dramatic improvement in the 2020 season. The club’s current manager is Ron Jans, who was appointed in August of 2019.
Honors:
None to date
FC Dallas was one of the 10 original founders of the MLS, although they did so under the name Dallas burn (founded in 1995) and was under that name until 2004 when it re-branded itself FC Dallas. This franchise was awarded the same day as the ones to Kansas City and Colorado. The team played their first game against the San Jose Clash at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas winning in a shootout. Jason Kreis would open his MLS account a few days later. The first season for the Burn would end with a 2nd-place finish in the Western Conference and a subsequent loss to the Kansas City Wizards. After 5 years of making the playoffs but failing to advance, Dave Dir was let go from the inaugural head coaching job.
After Dir, Mike Jeffries was appointed to the head coach position, who had been very successful with the Chicago Fire in the prior years. While the season was cut short (due to the September 11th attacks), the Burn lost to the Fire in the quarterfinals. Jeffries only remained at the helm of the team until mid-September of 2003 after which he was fired due to the teams poor performance and his former-assistant, Colin Clarke, took the reigns on an interim basis. Prior to the season, the interim tag was removed and he was announced as the new manager and along with changing them team’s name to their current name, FC Dallas, the owner, Lamar Hunt, announced that a soccer-specific stadium was being built in Frisco for the team’s 2005 campaign. Clarke would remain manager until the 2006 season where despite making the playoffs, the team again failed to advance. Steve Morrow was appointed to the manage the team, but would only last two seasons before the club would again change management.
The club’s next manager would be Schellas Hyndman who would manage the team from 2008 until the end of the 2013 season, after which the club would turn to Oscar Pareja. Pareja would remain at the helm until the end of the 2018 season after which he resigned. Current manager, Luchi Gonzalez would take over managerial duties in December of 2018. In the 2019 season, FC Dallas would finish seventh in the conference.
Honors:
MLS Cup
Supporters’ Shield
- Winners: 2016
- Runners-up (2): 2006, 2015
U.S. Open Cup
- Winners (2): 1997, 2016
- Runners-up (2): 2005, 2007
Western Conference
- Winners (Playoffs): 2010
- Winners (Regular Season) (3): 2006, 2015, 2016
The Houston Dynamo are technically a relocation of the San Jose Earthquakes team although the league withheld the Earthquakes brand for an eventual “expansion” team there. The club was founded mid-December of 2005 preparing to play (with most of the San Jose Earthquake’s squad) in the 2006 season. The Dynamo were dominant in their first two seasons in the MLS with head coach Dominic Kinnear, with both of those years (2006, 2007) ending in MLS Cup Victories. However, they have not won an MLS Cup again, despite coming close on two occasions (2011, 2012).
Towards the end of Kinnear’s nine years with the club, performance began to drop and Kinnear resigned in 2014 as the club slumped towards an eventual eighth-place finish in the division. Kinnear was replaced by Owen Coyle, but the results on the field did not improve and less than a year later the club and Coyle parted ways. Wade Barrett managed (as interim coach) the club for the remainder of the season but finished last in the conference and was replaced at the end of the season by Wilmer Cabrera (who remains in charge of the club).
With Cabrera in charge of the club, they ended a three-season postseason drought although they would lose in the Conference Finals. Things were again looking up for the Dynamo however as the next season brought their first trophy since Dominic Kinnear’s reign. Despite winning the U.S. Open Cup, the team still finished in a disappointing ninth-place and did not take part in the playoffs. Wilmer Cabrera was fired in August 2019 and would be replaced by interim coach Davy Arnaud. The club would then hire Tabare “Tab” Ramos in early December of 2019 where he remains at the reigns.
Honors:
MLS Cup
- Winners (2): 2006, 2007
- Runners Up (2): 2011, 2012
Supporter’s Shield
U.S. Open Cup
Inter Miami CF
Inter Miami also joins for the 2020 as one of the newest teams in Major League Soccer. The franchise is owned by an ownership group including former-MLS legend, David Beckham. The club will be led in its inaugural season by Diego Alonso.
Honors:
The Los Angeles Galaxy is another founding member of the MLS. It is not only one of the most prolific clubs in League history, but they also have some of the biggest signings to date. The club is famous for having the likes of David Beckham, Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Steven Gerrard, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, among others to don the Galaxy uniform. The club began under much humbler beginnings as a property of AEG (the group known for part-ownership in the LA Kings and LA Lakers among others) starting in 1994. The Galaxy was hot right out of the gate finishing first in the inaugural season and eventually losing out to D.C. United in the MLS Finals. Since inception, the Galaxy made the playoffs each year before their eventual 2002 MLS Cup victory but fell to the Dallas Burn, Chicago Fire, D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards, and the San Jose Earthquakes before winning.
The Galaxy has had two managers before their cup winning season with Lothar Osiander having the inaugural stint which he held only until mid-1997. His replacement, Octavio Zambrano, lasted just under two years before being fired and their Cup-winning manager, Sigi Schmidt was hired. Schmidt is the second-longest tenured (about 4.5 years) manager in Galaxy club history behind only once U.S. National Team Head Coach, Bruce Arena (who was with the club just shy of 8 years). After the first MLS Cup victory, it was three more years and another managerial change, to Steve Sampson, before the club won add more MLS Cups to its trophy case. The next (and final to date) three were all won under Bruce Arena.
The Galaxy were unique in the MLS in the fact that they were the first team to become profitable (back in 2003) and it would coincide with their move into the then-named Home Depot Center. Their profits were further increased with a massive shirt-sponsorship with Herbalife of between $4-$5 million, along with stadium, parking, and concessions revenue. Two short years (in 2005) later the team would acquire Landon Donovan and only two more years after his acquisition they brought David Beckham from Real Madrid. These two would propel the side on to several more MLS Cups before they would both eventually retire from the club. After Bruce Arena left the club, they would hire Curt Onalfo, who would remain with the club for only a few months. Guillermo Barros Schelotto was hired as the next manager in January 2019, where he still remains.
Honors:
CONCACAF Champions Cup:
MLS Cup:
- Winners (5): 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014
Supporters’ Shield
- Winners (4): 1998, 2002, 2010, 2011
Los Angeles FC provided the second Club to the Los Angeles area after the league dissolved Chivas USA (the other being the
LA Galaxy). The club began play in 2018 under the guidance of former U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach Bob Bradley. The ownership group reads like a who’s who list of anyone influential in the region including Will Ferrell, “Magic” Johnson, Mia Hamm, and Nomar Garciaparra among others. In the 2018 season the club set a new record for the most points recorded by an expansion team in their inaugural year. The record used to belong to the Chicago Fire, for whom Bob Bradley was also the coach. LAFC would make the playoffs off the back of a third-place finish but who would lose to Real Salt Lake in the first round. The club play their home games at Banc of California Stadium, which was built on the site of the former Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. The new soccer-specific stadium was completed in time for the 2018 season opener. Bob Bradley remains the only head coach in the franchise’s history.
Honors:
Supporter’s Shield
Minnesota United began play in 2017 along with Atlanta United to become the 22nd and 23rd clubs to join the MLS. They are the newest rendition of the Minnesota United NASL club. The club’s ownership group is led by Bill McGuire (former UnitedHealth CEO) and consists of a number of Minnesota-based minority owners Minnesota United has kept their inaugural coach, Adrian Heath, despite setting records for the worst inaugural defeat by an expansion side, being the only team in the MLS to lose consecutive games by 5 goals, and the coldest match temperature. They would finish the season in 9th-place in their division. The team’s record would not improve in the 2018 season and they would eventually end the season in 10th-place. Minnesota United opened their brand new stadium, Allianz Arena, in April of 2019. It seats about 19,400 and was funded privately at an estimated cost of $200 million. So far, the 2019 season has started off much better for the club as they strive for their first playoff appearance.
Honors:
None to date
The Montreal Impact joined the MLS as the 19th team in the league set to begin play in 2012. The Montreal Impact would become the third Canadian MLS Team. As with several other MLS teams, this club chose to represent a former NASL side by the same name. The club’s inaugural head coach was Jesse Marsch, who held the position for only a year before being replaced after a twelfth-place finish in the league.
Marco Schälibaum was the next manager appointed to the club, but lasted only one season after improving only to eleventh position. Frank Klopas was hired as his replacement lasting two years (2013-2015) before being replaced by Mauro Biello who also lasted only two years (2015-2017). The best finish for the club in the MLS has been the conference finals game (after a seventh place finish) however, the team has been very competitive in the Canadian Championship.
After Biello’s two years in charge they splinted Rémi Garde as manager in late 2017 where he is still in charge. In his first season the club finished in fifteenth-place, although Garde has the best winning percentage in club history exceeding 43%. Despite this, he would only remain until August 2019 before he would be fired and replaced with Wilmer Cabrera. Cabrera would remain with the club until his contract expired at the end of the season and the Montreal Impact would then announce that the French-legend Thierry Henry would become their next manager.
Honors:
Canadian Championship:
- Winners (2): 2013, 2014
- Runners Up (2): 2015, 2017
CONCACAF Champions League:
Nashville SC
Nashville SC joins the league in 2020 becoming one of newest teams in Major League Soccer. Gary Smith will lead Nashville SC’s inaugural season in the MLS.
Honors:
None to date
The New England Revolution is another of the founding members of the League, the team owned by Robert Kraft (yes, that Robert Kraft that owns the Patriots) was founded two years before they began in the League. New England started off with the United States Men’s National Member Alexi Lalas, but despite this fact, the team was unable to make the playoffs in their first year of existence. However, they did manage to maintain a very sizable crowd for home games at Foxborough Borough Stadium (though the club now plays at Gillette Stadium) even despite the team’s poor record.
The Revolution had trouble getting positive momentum started, evidenced by 6 managers (including 2 interims) in the team’s first three years. The club experienced some of its best results to date under the guidance of former-Liverpool great, Steve Nicol, who was appointed on a full-time basis in 2002 (after serving as one of the interim managers discussed above). During his tenure, the club appeared in the playoffs eight times in a row ended with four MLS Cup Final appearances, two conference finals, and two conference semi-finals. During this run, Taylor Twellman was a part of the club and won the golden boot, twice, in 2002 and 2005.
The Revs are one of the teams that despite making several appearances in an MLS Cup finals game (five, to be exact) they have yet to claim a victory in the competition. Though, they have secured a U.S. Open Cup in 2007, where they also lost in the MLS Cup (to the Houston Dynamo). New England is also one of only a few teams left in the league that does not play in a soccer-specific stadium — despite several attempts and rounds of discussion. The team has drawn crowds in excess of 10,000 for every season in the League. After a long haul with the club, Steve Nicol, would depart after a disappointing 2011 season. The club would then hire former player Jay Heaps as head coach, and although he would not win any trophies, he would bring them into the MLS Cup in 2014. Heaps would be fired in September of 2017 and replaced with Brad Friedel, who would coach the club for just under two years before being fired himself in November 2019. The clubs next manager would bring the former US Men’s National Team coach, Bruce Arena, to the club after a two year break in his managerial career. In the 2019 season, Arena would lead them to an eleven game win streak, before losing to the 2019 Supporter’s Shield winners, LAFC.
Honors:
MLS Cup:
- Runners Up (5): 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014.
U.S. Open Cup
New York City Football Club would become the 20th club to join the MLS in 2015. The club would become the 2nd club based in New York and the first to be in the city proper. The club has played all games in their history at Yankee Stadium. When the club began play in 2015, they had hired former Real Salt Lake great, Jason Kreis, as his contract with that club would expire shortly. However, Kreis would last only one year before being replaced by Patrick Vieira. Under Vieira, the club would make dramatic improvements from the Kreis-led side’s 17th finish in 2015, to the Vieira-led fourth place finish in the 2016 League campaign and a playoff berth. The Vieira-led club would make the conference semifinals which the club would repeat for the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons. Despite the success experiences by Vieira he would depart midway through the 2018 season to coach for Ligue 1 side Nice. Domènec Torrent (long-term Assistant of
Pep Guardiola at Manchester City) would be appointed to the NYCFC job in short order. Torrent’s beginning at the club would be bright, but would slowly fade as the end of the season approached, culminating in a seventh-placed finish. At the end of the 2018 season, Torrent would begin wholesale changes to the club in preparation for the 2019 season after which he would leave under mutual consent. The 2020 season will begin under manager Ronny Deila.
Honors:
None to date
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are one of the original ten teams although they were competing under the brand of the New York/New Jersey Metrostars. When the club began competition they had brought in Peter Vermes and Roberto Donadoni. They began under the guidance of Eddie Firmani and were projected to be immediately successful. However, Firmani lasted only eight games (3-5) before being replaced Carlos Queiróz who finished the season 12-12. The team hired a new manager of Carlos Alberto Parriera, however this development didn’t fare much better for this team finishing 13-19. The team has eleven different managers across their 25 years in the league. Although they have not yet won an MLS Cup they have finished runners up in 2008 and made the semifinals four separate times. In recent times, the club parted ways with manager Jesse Marsch only two years after a 7-0 dismantling of NYCFC. After this result he signed a multiple year deal although he would fail to complete 2018. This led to the appointment of sitting assistant coach (of three years) Chris Armas who currently holds the post.
Honors:
MLS Cup
Supporters Shield
- Winners (3): 2013, 2015, 2018
U.S. Open Cup
Orlando City SC would join the MLS as the 21st club in the League with Adrian Heath as the inaugural coach on a three year deal. However, Heath was fired in July 2016 after a 14th-place finish in the League in the inaugural season and a poor start to the 2016 season. An interim manager, Bobby Murphy, took charge of the club for only 16 days before former-Real Salt Lake and NYCFC Coach Jason Kreis was announced as the new manager.
Under Kreis the on-field results did not improve, in fact, the team actually lost ground in the League. Kreis would guide the team to a 15th-place followed by an 18th-place finish in 2016 and 2017 (respectively). Kreis was fired 15 games into the 2018 season, after securing only 19 of a possible 45 points. This time the club sought to utilize a former player to buoy the club’s fortunes and brought in Louisville FC coach James O’Connor.
O’Connor, a former defender for the club, managed only 2 wins and 3 draws in the 18 matches that remained in the season. The club also set a nefarious record during his tenure by allowing the most goals in an MLS season by allowing 74 goals in the 2018 season. To date, the club’s best finish in the League was the 14th place in the inaugural season, however, the club has reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup twice. O’Connor would leave the club in October of 2019 to be replaced (in December) by current manager, Oscar Pareja.
Honors:
None to date
The Philadelphia Union announced themselves to the world in 2008, although the expansion side wouldn’t begin play until 2010. The Philadelphia location was actually the third location after a site in Trenton and Glassboro, New Jersey. The inaugural coach of the club was Piotr Nowak, who would end up remaining with the club for just over three years.
Despite the team’s lack of an MLS Cup, their fan base has provided continued support. Their lowest season average was well over 15,000, their best finish what been a conference semifinals in their second season. Nowak won just 28% of his games leading to his dismissal in 2012 the eventual appointment of John Hackworth after serving as the club’s interim manager for just over 3 months.
Despite winning 33% of his games, Hackworth would only be with the club for just under 2 years. He would be replaced in 2014 by current manager Jim Curtin who has managed a better than 40% win rate for the side. He is also the longest tenured manager in the club’s short history.
Honors:
U.S. Open Cup
- Runners Up (3): 2014, 2015, 2018
Portland Timbers joined the MLS as an expansion team for the 2011 season. This is the fourth club to hold the Timbers name, stretching back to 1975. The first manager of the club in the MLS era was John Spencer, who at the time was an assistant coach for the Colorado Rapids. Spencer would be in control of the team for just over one full season after finishing twelfth in the League. A poor start to the next season including a 0-3 to Real Salt Lake which would be the ultimate cause for managerial change. Gavin Wilkinson was brought in as interim to replace the recently fired Spencer and would remain with the club for three months. After which Caleb Porter was appointed as the new permanent manager, a post he would hold for just short of five years. Aside from the inaugural season, the Timbers have had attendance of at least 20,000 (season average). Under Caleb Porter, the team would win their division twice and win the MLS Cup once. Caleb Porter resigned in late 2017 and was replaced by Giovanni Savaresi a month later. Savaresi is the current manager of the club and in his first campaign the club finished the season as runners up in the MLS Cup. The club have sold out all available tickets since their entry into the league in 2011 (at least until October 2018).
Honors:
MLS Cup:
- Winners (1): 2015
- Runners Up (1): 2018
Real Salt Lake was established by a Dave Checketts-led investment group (SCP Worldwide) being awarded an expansion franchise for Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2004. The club began to play in 2005, playing home games at nearby Rice Eccles Stadium which is part of the University of Utah. Although the club was well received (
over 25,000 fans attended its inaugural home game), the on-field product struggled in its early years. The clubs fortunes didn’t change until the firing of the inaugural manager, John Ellinger. After Ellinger’s departure, the reigns were given to then-player Jason Kreis, who immediately retired from playing. Although the club struggled through the 2007 season, vast improvements were coming.
After Jason Kreis was named manager he added players who would end up in Real Salt Lake history. Those players included Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Jamison Olave, and Nat Borchers, who were all added to the squad. In October, Real Salt Lake moved to
Rio Tinto Stadium. The team turned the “
Riot” into a fortress, providing entirely different outcomes for the team at home. In January 2013, Dave Checketts sold his stake to now sole-owner Dell Loy Hansen.The team won their only hardware during the Jason Kreis era. Kreis would depart after the 2013 season to take the head coaching job at NYCFC. Long-time assistant, Jeff Cassar, was named as the next head coach. Cassar would serve for three full seasons and the club making two playoff appearances. Despite the postseason appearances, he was removed and caretaker manager, Daryl Shore, was appointed for two games.
Mike Petke was named the fifth head coach of the franchise in April 2017. Petke became an instant hero amongst the Real Salt Lake faithful after the “Petke outburst.” This episode involved the Real Salt Lake manager lambasting the press with still shots illustrating poor calls made. Eventually, this behavior would lead to a “touchline ban” for Petke, but he’d immediately endeared himself to the fans.Coinciding with the start of the 2018 season, Dell Loy Hansen unveiled major additions. These included a $78 million academy and training facility in nearby Herriman, Utah. This facility would also serve as home to the Real Monarchs (a USL, “second-tier,” soccer affiliate). The Monarchs team provides a route for the already successful Real (Arizona) Academy. Petke would be fired in the wake of “off color comments” and “consistent breaches in discipline”, and his assistant manager Freddy Juarez would finish out the 2019 season as Interim manager, before having the interim tag removed to start the 2020 season.
Honors:
CONCACAF Champions League
MLS Cup
- Winners: 2009
- Runner-up: 2013
Supporters’ Shield
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The San Jose Earthquakes history began some twenty years before most of the MLS founding clubs came into existence. The Earthquakes began play as part of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1974 (until 1984) before joining the WSL (Western Soccer League) and eventually ending up as a founding member of the new League. Out of the gates, the team flourished (as the San Jose Clash), but the success lasted just long enough to reach the playoffs in the inaugural season before starting a downward spiral. After the initial success, the team struggled mightily until their rebranding to the Earthquakes in 1999 which concluded a string of four missed playoffs under three different coaches.
Under Frank Yallop (and assistant Dominic Kinnear) there was a substantial turnaround of the team’s fortunes (along with securing Landon Donovan) under which they won their first MLS Cup in 2001. Under Frank Yallop, the club would continue to have success reaching the quarterfinals in 2002 before winning the MLS Cup again in 2003. After this win, Yallop would step down, and Dominic Kinnear would earn a promotion. After the 2005 season, the club’s owners (AEG) announced that the club was moving to Houston; although the MLS refused to allow the branding and record to follow. Following the relocation of what would become the Houston Dynamo and a two-year hiatus, the club would return as a “new” expansion club.
In 2008 after the restart of the club they were officially granted the team’s brand and prior statistics, viewed as a continuation of the previous franchise. The club would have mixed success over the next few years; reaching the semifinals (after a 6th-place finish in their division) and the quarterfinals (after finishing first in their division). The lows were a stretch of four straight years (2013-2016) where they failed to qualify for the playoffs. However, the low point for the club was brightened substantially by the opening of the team’s new, soccer-specific stadium, Avaya Stadium, in 2015. The club has been managed by Matias Almeyda since October 2018.
Honors:
MLS Cup
Supporters Shield
- Winners (2): 2005, 2012
- Runners up (2): 2002, 2003
Seattle Sounders FC was founded in 2007 as an expansion club beginning play in 2009. They share the same name as the NASL team that came before them. The club’s inaugural coach was Sigi Schmidt who remained with the club for eight years (until 2016). The only other coach in club history is Brian Schmetzer, who remains at the helm. The expansion club sold out all 22,000 season tickets in their initial season. They became the second expansion club to win the U.S. Open Cup in their inaugural season (Chicago Fire were first). Each of Seattle’s home matches during their inaugural season were sell outs (including playoffs and U.S. Open Cup games). In 2013 the club would sign DeAndre Yeldin as a homegrown player, although he would not stay in the MLS long. Sounders became the first club in more than four decades to win back to back to back U.S. Open Cups. The club has made the playoffs in each of their years of existence and made at least the Conference Semifinals. Despite the club’s successes they would not win an MLS Cup until 2016 and would nearly repeat immediately (finished as runners up).
Honors:
MLS Cup
- Winners (1): 2016, 2019
- Runners Up (1): 2017
Supporter’s Shield
U.S. Open Cup
- Winners (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
- Runners Up (1): 2012
Sporting KC is another club that was a founding member of the MLS, however, it was under a different name (Kansas City Wizards) for the first 15 years of its existence. It is the only club whose operations take place across two states; with the club office (and past home field) were in Missouri while the club plays home games in Kansas. The club was founded by Lamar Hunt (for whom the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is named) who was also the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The inaugural head coach of the team was Ron Newman who would remain with the club until April of 1999. The Wizards would make the playoffs in both of their opening seasons, however the next two seasons they finished last in conference and costing Newman his job. The club changed managers to Bob Gansler, a former U.S. National Team coach, but the result was the same finishing dead last in the conference.
In 2000, Gansler changed the club’s fortunes stating a twelve game stint where they were unbeaten. They had the best defensive record in the league, which would eventually lead them to the first double in club history. For the next several seasons the club would bounce between making the playoffs and being eliminated early on, or missing out entirely. In 2005 they would be moved to the MLS Eastern Conference as a result of expansion. They moved their home games into CommunityAmerica Ballpark (home to the Kansas City T-bones baseball team) for two years prior to the opening of now-Children’s Mercy Park.
In 2006, Gansler was replaced by the team for Curt Onalfo who would stay with the club for three years with minor success. In 2009, the club would usher in a new era with the hiring of Peter Vermes who is still with the club (in his 11th season).
Honors:
MLS Cup
Supporters’ Shield
U.S. Open Cup
- Winners (4): 2004, 2012, 2015, 2017
When Toronto FC joined the league in 2007, it became the first Canadian team to join the MLS. They are owned by Maple Leaf Sports who also own the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, the Toronto Raptors, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite the expansion side having a rough first years, fan support blossomed. The club went through 9 managers (including 2 interims) before being able to earn a spot in the playoffs. Greg Vanney was appointed manager in late August 2014 and in each of his full seasons he has made the playoffs in all but one (2018). However, their poor results in the MLS did not keep them from garnering trophies. Because the club is located in Canada it does not compete in the U.S. Open Cup and instead competes in the Canadian Cup. The Canadian Cup provides a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. Toronto FC has been very successful in the Canadian Cup and has become a mainstay in the CONCACAF Champions League. 2017 was the best year in the club’s short history completing a treble of the MLS Cup, the Canadian Cup, and the Supporter’s Cup.
Honors
MLS Cup
- Winners (1): 2017
- Runners Up (1): 2016, 2019
Supporters Shield
Canadian Cup
- Winners (7): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Runners Up (2): 2008, 2014
The Vancouver Whitecaps were the 17th team to join the MLS. They began League play in 2011 with head coach Teitur Thordarson at the helm. This version of the team is the third such club to carry the Whitecaps name. Thordarson would last only until the end of May in that season, after earning a victory in only one of the club’s twelve games to begin the season. Former D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn would assume the role of manager on an interim basis until the conclusion of the 2011 season. At the conclusion of the season, Martin Rennie was announced as the manager going forward, although he would last just two years. Rennie was replaced by the longest serving manager in club history, Carl Robinson, in 2013 who would remain at the club’s hem for five years. After the conclusion of Robinson’s tenure, Craig Dalrymple would assume responsible for nearly two months as interim before the appointment of current manager, Marc Dos Santos. The club’s best MLS finish to date is the conference semifinals, however, they have earned trophies in the Canadian Championship.
Honors:
Canadian Championship
- Winners (1): 2015
- Runners Up (5): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018
