113-630: The Landon Donovan MVP Award is an annual award for Major League Soccer players. It is voted on by media, MLS players, and club management and is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007, the award was known as the Honda MLS Most Valuable Player, for commercial purposes. From 2007 to 2014, the award was titled the Volkswagen MLS Most Valuable Player. Players for D.C. United have won
226-679: A best-of-three round; the round is followed by more single-elimination rounds that lead up to the MLS Cup final. Major League Soccer's spring-to-fall schedule results in scheduling conflicts with the FIFA calendar and with summertime international tournaments such as the World Cup and the Gold Cup , causing some players to miss league matches. While MLS has looked into changing to a fall-to-spring format, there are no current plans to do so. Were
339-449: A $ 200 million entrance fee. As of the 2023 season, 32 different clubs have competed in the league, with 15 having won at least one MLS Cup , and 16 winning at least one Supporters' Shield . The two trophies have been won by the same club in the same year on eight occasions (two clubs have accomplished the feat twice). Major League Soccer operates under a single-entity structure in which teams and player contracts are centrally owned by
452-455: A $ 25 million expansion fee due to a clause in part-owner David Beckham 's original playing contract signed in 2007. $ 150 million was paid as an effective entrance fee by a group that bought Columbus Crew in 2018, which led to that team's previous operator receiving rights to Austin FC, which joined MLS in 2021. MLS has also announced the ownership groups of the 28th and 29th teams would each pay
565-484: A blue shield with a gold border, the LA Galaxy team name, and a quasar at the top of the crest. The quasar, featured prominently on the LA Galaxy's shield, was originally featured on the 1957 Seal of Los Angeles County, as well as the modified Seal of Los Angeles County, California . The name "Galaxy" was created by Nike at the conception of the league; the apparel company was also the original uniform supplier for
678-421: A countdown clock and halves ended when the clock reached 0:00. The league realized that the rule changes had alienated some traditional soccer fans while failing to draw new American sports fans, and the shootout and countdown clock were eliminated after the 1999 season . The league's quality was cast into doubt when the U.S. men's national team , which was made up largely of MLS players, finished in last place at
791-501: A coup for American soccer, and was made possible by the Designated Player Rule. Players such as Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire) and Juan Pablo Ángel (New York Red Bulls), are some of the first Designated Players who made major contributions to their clubs. The departures of Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore , coupled with the return of former U.S. national team stars Claudio Reyna and Brian McBride , highlighted
904-731: A crowd of 58,912, while the New York Red Bulls added Australian all-time leading goalscorer Tim Cahill . In 2012, with an average attendance of over 18,000 per game, MLS had the third highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB), and was the seventh highest attended professional soccer league worldwide as of 2013 . In 2013, MLS introduced New York City FC as its 20th team, and Orlando City Soccer Club as its 21st team, both of which would begin playing in 2015. In 2013,
1017-410: A decline in attendance. The league's low attendance was all the more apparent in light of the fact that eight of the original ten teams played in large American football stadiums. One aspect that had alienated fans was that MLS experimented with rules deviations in its early years in an attempt to "Americanize" the sport. The league implemented the use of shootouts to resolve tie games. MLS also used
1130-536: A designated player. Not since the days of Jorge Campos , Carlos Hermosillo and Luis Hernández in the late 1990s and early 2000s had the Galaxy had a notable Mexican player, let alone one in the prime of his career. Dos Santos made an impactful impression on the Galaxy early on, scoring on his club debut against Central FC in the CONCACAF Champions League and then in his league debut against
1243-518: A fixed membership like most sports leagues in the United States and Canada and Mexico 's Liga MX which makes it one of the few soccer leagues that does not use a promotion and relegation process. The LA Galaxy have the most MLS Cups, with five. They are also tied with D.C. United for most Supporters' Shields, with four each. The Columbus Crew are the defending champions, as they defeated Los Angeles FC 2–1 on December 9, 2023, to mark
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#17327801734731356-669: A league record. At the end of the season, longtime LA Galaxy and United States national team player Landon Donovan retired. On January 7, 2015, the LA Galaxy announced the signing of long time Liverpool player Steven Gerrard to an 18-month Designated Player contract, reportedly worth $ 9 million. He joined the team in July 2015 following the end of the 2014–15 Premier League season, and made his debut in an International Champions Cup against Club América on July 11. The club again made headlines by acquiring Mexican star and Barcelona academy product Giovani dos Santos in July as
1469-697: A legal method for the league to maintain solvency and competitive parity since MLS was a single entity and therefore incapable of conspiring with itself. The 2002 FIFA World Cup , in which the United States unexpectedly made the quarterfinals, coincided with a resurgence in American soccer and MLS. MLS Cup 2002 drew 61,316 spectators to Gillette Stadium , the largest attendance in an MLS Cup final until 2018 . MLS limited teams to three substitutions per game in 2003, and adopted International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules in 2005. MLS underwent
1582-611: A new San Jose ownership group that formed in 2007. In 2007, the league expanded beyond the United States' borders into Canada with the Toronto FC expansion team. Major League Soccer took steps to further raise the level of play by adopting the Designated Player Rule , which helped bring international stars into the league. The 2007 season witnessed the MLS debut of David Beckham . Beckham's signing had been seen as
1695-538: A promotion and relegation system. In October 2017, Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt announced plans to move the franchise to Austin, Texas by 2019. The announcement spawned a league-wide backlash and legal action against the league by the Ohio state government. On August 15, 2018, the Austin City Council voted to approve an agreement with Precourt to move Crew SC to Austin, and on August 22, 2018,
1808-435: A third round draft pick to the Galaxy as compensation to hire Yallop as their new head coach. Yallop was replaced at LA by Ruud Gullit , who signed a three-year contract with the club, making him the highest paid coach in MLS history. Cobi Jones returned as assistant coach. LA went on a promotional tour of Australia and New Zealand, setting attendance records in both countries. 80,295 people showed up at Stadium Australia for
1921-604: A tied aggregate and a sudden-death game. Los Angeles won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup that same year, one of three American clubs to win the tournament. 2001 was another successful year for Los Angeles, winning the Open Cup and scoring 1,000 all-time points, and with Cobi Jones scoring the 300th goal, but again they fell short by being defeated by Landon Donovan and the San Jose Earthquakes . Again
2034-424: A transition in the years leading up to the 2006 World Cup . After marketing itself on the talents of American players, the league lost some of its homegrown stars to prominent European leagues. For example, Tim Howard was transferred to Manchester United for $ 4 million in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history. Many more American players did make an impact in MLS. In 2005, Jason Kreis became
2147-432: A trend among MLS teams to construct their own venues instead of leasing American football stadiums, where they would not be able to generate revenue from other events. In 2000, the league won an antitrust lawsuit, Fraser v. Major League Soccer , that the players had filed in 1996. The court ruled that MLS's policy of centrally contracting players and limiting player salaries through a salary cap and other restrictions were
2260-477: A unified boycott, refusing to attend any home games until Klein was removed from his position. The Galaxy began 2023 with their worst start to a season in club history, winless in their first seven games while twice ending up at the bottom of the league's overall standings. After a loss to Charlotte FC in May, Galaxy supporters were seen involved in a shouting match with manager Greg Vanney, who had assumed control of
2373-550: A year, to be the club's primary shirt sponsor. Four months later, the club signed David Beckham from Real Madrid . His debut was made at Home Depot Center before a record crowd of nearly 35,000, including many celebrities, coming on in the 78th minute in a 1–0 loss to Chelsea in a match during the World Series of Football tournament. The match brought unprecedented TV coverage from ESPN , who used 19 cameras to cover it, including one trained only on Beckham, even when he
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#17327801734732486-671: Is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation , which represents the sport's highest level in the United States . The league comprises 29 teams – 26 in the United States and 3 in Canada . A 30th team, San Diego FC , will join the league in 2025. MLS is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan . Major League Soccer is the most recent in a series of men's premier professional national soccer leagues established in
2599-411: Is awarded to the team with the best record in matches during the regular season involving the participating teams. The concept is comparable to rivalry trophies played for by American college football teams. MLS features some of the longest travel distances for a domestic soccer league, with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Inter Miami CF the furthest apart teams at 2,801 miles (4,508 km). During
2712-427: Is blue. The colors were adopted to coincide with David Beckham 's arrival with the team in 2007 as part of an overall re-branding exercise spearheaded by then GM Alexi Lalas. Before 2007, the Galaxy played in various color combinations, usually comprising gold, teal green and white with black accents, and often highlighting an iconic sash design from the left shoulder and across the chest. Their original jersey, used in
2825-485: Is the all-time leading scorer for the club. In 2019, Forbes estimated the club is the second most valuable in the league, worth about $ 480 million. LA Galaxy is one of the 10 founding clubs in Major League Soccer. The name "Galaxy" was derived from Los Angeles being home to the "stars" of Hollywood . The team began competing in the first season of the then-new league, which took place in 1996. In
2938-489: Is the official cheerleaders of the club. They often attend events hosted by the Galaxy, such as autograph sessions, and can be often seen around the stadium during game time giving away scarves and supporting the team. The Angel City Brigade was created in 2007 to help establish a festive and vibrant atmosphere in Dignity Health Sports Park for the Galaxy. They were originally located in section 121 in
3051-553: The 1998 World Cup . Major League Soccer lost an estimated $ 250 million during its first five years, and more than $ 350 million between its founding and 2004. The league's financial problems led to Commissioner Doug Logan being replaced by Don Garber , a former NFL executive, in August 1999. Following decreased attendance and increased losses by late 2001, league officials planned to fold but were able to secure new financing from owners Lamar Hunt , Philip Anschutz , and
3164-464: The 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round. After the 2009 success, both Donovan and Beckham again went out on second loan spells. Donovan went to Everton while Beckham returned to Milan, where he ruptured his Achilles tendon and therefore missed his chance at playing in the World Cup for England and subsequently missing most of the Galaxy's 2010 season. In 2010, the Galaxy stayed at
3277-401: The 2018 season , the team with the shortest distance traveled over the entire regular schedule was Toronto FC at 25,891 miles (41,668 km), while the longest was Vancouver at 51,178 miles (82,363 km). Notes Major League Soccer is the most recent of a series of men's premier professional national soccer leagues established in the United States and Canada. The predecessor of MLS
3390-692: The CONCACAF Champions Cup (CCC) against other clubs from the CONCACAF region. Four MLS teams qualify based on regular-season results from the previous year: the Supporters' Shield champion, the team with the highest point total from the opposite conference, and the next two clubs in the Supporters' Shield rankings. The fifth MLS team to qualify is the reigning MLS Cup champion. An additional U.S.-based MLS team can qualify by winning
3503-736: The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , and other U.S.-based sports leagues did the same. The 2020 season resumed in July with the MLS is Back Tournament , a competition in which 24 out of the 26 teams competed at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando for a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. In September 2020, the league announced the formation of MLS Next , an academy league for MLS academy teams from
Landon Donovan MVP Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-625: The Kraft family to take on more teams. MLS announced in January 2002 that it had decided to contract the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion , leaving the league with ten teams. Despite the financial problems, though, MLS did have some accomplishments that would set the stage for the league's resurgence. Columbus Crew Stadium, now known as Historic Crew Stadium , was built in 1999, becoming MLS's first soccer-specific stadium . This began
3729-745: The LA Galaxy , are an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference . The Galaxy began play in 1996 as one of the league's 10 charter members. The Galaxy were founded in 1994 and are owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group (also owners of the Los Angeles Kings , as well as an interest in
3842-482: The Leagues Cup , was established in 2019. The 2020 edition of the tournament was originally planned to pair eight MLS clubs against eight Liga MX clubs in a single-elimination tournament hosted in the United States, reviving an inter-league rivalry that previously took place in the now-defunct North American Superliga , before its cancelation. Beginning with the 2023 edition all MLS and Liga MX teams participate in
3955-763: The Los Angeles Lakers ). In their early years, the club played home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California . Since 2003, they have played at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California . The team holds a rivalry with the San Jose Earthquakes in the California Clásico and used to play the SuperClasico against city rivals Chivas USA before that team folded in 2014. Following
4068-505: The MLS Goal of the Year award. Los Angeles throughout the season dealt with defensive struggles, and in their last match of the regular season, against Houston Dynamo , the Galaxy were defeated and once again missed the postseason. After the 2018 season, the Galaxy ended Ibrahimović's original deal and signed him to a new and higher salaried designated player contract. On March 1, 2019,
4181-706: The Philadelphia Union and their new PPL Park stadium (now known as Subaru Park ). The 2010 season also brought the opening of the New York Red Bulls' soccer-specific stadium, Red Bull Arena , and the debut of French striker Thierry Henry . The 2011 season brought further expansion with the addition of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC , the second Canadian MLS franchise, and the Portland Timbers . Real Salt Lake reached
4294-471: The U.S. Open Cup . In 2024, the league will send eight teams to participate in the U.S. Open Cup instead of every U.S.-based club, with MLS Next Pro teams as representatives for some teams. MLS had announced their intention to remove itself from the tournament entirely, but reached a compromise with U.S. Soccer to send representatives from clubs that were not participating in the Champions Cup, with
4407-439: The U.S. v. Germany match the U.S. fielded a team with seven MLS starters. On September 18, 2014, MLS unveiled their new logo as part of a branding initiative. In addition to the new crest logo, MLS teams display versions in their own colors on their jerseys. Chivas USA folded following the 2014 season, while New York City FC and Orlando City SC joined the league in 2015 as the 19th and 20th teams. Sporting Kansas City and
4520-409: The United States national team , bringing most of the Galaxy's coaching staff with him, including associate head coach Dave Sarachan. Arena was replaced as general manager by former Galaxy player Peter Vagenas , and as head coach by his LA Galaxy II counterpart, Curt Onalfo . The front office constructed the team to rely on players from the academy and Galaxy II system. Multiple injuries exposed
4633-773: The 1994 World Cup to play in MLS—including U.S. stars such as Alexi Lalas , Tony Meola and Eric Wynalda , and foreign players such as Mexico's Jorge Campos and Colombia's Carlos Valderrama . D.C. United won the MLS Cup in three of the league's first four seasons. The league added its first two expansion teams in 1998 —the Miami Fusion and the Chicago Fire ; the Chicago Fire won its first title in its inaugural season. After its first season, MLS suffered from
Landon Donovan MVP Award - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-613: The 2009 season top of the Western Conference and runners-up in the MLS Supporters' Shield , qualifying for the 2009 MLS Cup . They reached the final by beating Chivas USA 3–2 on aggregate in the quarter-final, and Houston Dynamo 2–0, after extra time, in the semi-final. In the final they drew 1–1 with Real Salt Lake at Qwest Field in Seattle , but lost 5–4 on penalties. By reaching the final, they qualified for
4859-547: The 2014 season, fifteen of the nineteen MLS head coaches had previously played in MLS. By 2013, the league's popularity had increased to the point where MLS was as popular as Major League Baseball among 12- to 17-year-olds, as reported by the 2013 Luker on Trends ESPN poll, having jumped in popularity since the 2010 World Cup. In 2014, the league announced Atlanta United FC as the 22nd team to start playing in 2017. Even though New York City FC and Orlando City were not set to begin play until 2015, each team made headlines during
4972-684: The Dallas Burn, 9–3 on aggregate. They lost in the semi-final to the Chicago Fire , 5–1 on aggregate. The Galaxy again finished first in the Western Conference in 1999, with a final record of 20–12, with a win in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup , but lost to D.C. United again 2–0. The 2000 season had the Galaxy in second in the Western Division, at 14–10–8. Despite this, they lost to the Kansas City Wizards after
5085-454: The Galaxy shared the stadium with their now-defunct league rivals Chivas USA , with whom they competed in the SuperClasico . Cozmo is the Galaxy's mascot. He has dark blue skin with yellow eyebrows and white eyes matching the Galaxy's home uniform colors. He replaced the Galaxy's original mascot, "Twizzle", who also looked like it was from outer space but was more humanoid in form, wearing a space-man's helmet and cape. The Galaxy Star Squad
5198-528: The General Admission area of the stadium. The LA Riot Squad formed after a loss in the 2001 MLS Cup, when then-Galaxy keeper Kevin Hartman challenged a group of Galaxy fans to form a supporter group of 100 people by opening day of 2002. The reward if they were able to do this was a keg of beer. They are located in sections 137 and 138 in the General Admission area of the stadium. Galaxians are
5311-806: The Houston Dynamo moved from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference in 2015 to make two 10-team conferences. In early 2015, the league announced that two teams— Los Angeles FC and Minnesota United FC —would join MLS in either 2017 or 2018. The 20th season of MLS saw the arrivals of several players who have starred at the highest levels of European club soccer and in international soccer: Giovanni dos Santos , Kaká , Andrea Pirlo , Frank Lampard , Steven Gerrard , Didier Drogba , David Villa , and Sebastian Giovinco . MLS confirmed in August 2016 that Minnesota United would begin play in 2017 along with Atlanta United FC. In April 2016,
5424-528: The MLS regular season is followed by a postseason knockout tournament to determine the league champion. As of 2023 , eighteen teams participate in the MLS Cup Playoffs in October and November, which concludes with the MLS Cup championship game in early December. The 2023 playoff format includes a pair of single-elimination play-in matches for the two lowest-ranked teams in each conference ahead of
5537-495: The Sounders. In his first five club matches, he had a goal, an assist or both to total with four goals and five assists in that span. Before the start of the 2016 season , it was announced that long-time servicing center-back Omar Gonzalez would leave the Galaxy after nine years to C.F. Pachuca . On November 22, 2016, long-time general manager and head coach Bruce Arena left the club to begin his second stint as head coach of
5650-582: The U.S. Open Cup Final was held there in 2001 when the Galaxy won the tournament. In 2003, the Galaxy moved to Dignity Health Sports Park (then known as the Home Depot Center, later known as StubHub Center), on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson , approximately ten miles south of downtown Los Angeles. The stadium is a 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium , the second of its kind in MLS, but has hosted other sports such as rugby and American football. From 2005 to 2014,
5763-544: The United States and Canada , behind the National Football League (NFL) with over 69,000 fans per game, Major League Baseball (MLB) with over 26,000 fans per game, and the Canadian Football League (CFL) with over 21,700 fans per game. MLS was the eighth-highest attended professional soccer league worldwide by 2018. The MLS regular season typically starts in late February or early March and runs through mid-October, with each team playing 34 games;
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#17327801734735876-552: The United States and Canada. The predecessor of MLS was the North American Soccer League (NASL), which existed from 1968 until 1984. MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup . The inaugural season took place in 1996 with ten teams. MLS experienced financial and operational struggles in its first few years, losing millions of dollars and folding two teams in 2002. Since then, developments such as
5989-508: The West (eighth overall), their highest mark since 2016, and beat Nashville SC at home in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs before falling again to their crosstown rivals LAFC in the conference semifinals, 3−2, at the last minute. Hernández was named the team's player of the year that season. In the offseason leading up to 2023, team president Chris Klein was suspended through the primary transfer window after undisclosed payments involving
6102-417: The Western Conference, eliminating them from playoff contention for the first time since the league's inception. Midway through the season, Steve Sampson was sacked as head coach, replaced by Frank Yallop . The team managed to make a deep run to the U.S. Open Cup final, but lost 3–1 against the Chicago Fire. In March 2007, Herbalife signed a five-year deal with the Galaxy, worth between $ 4–5 million
6215-409: The award a record four times, while Kansas City and Los Angeles Galaxy players have won a second best three times. Carlos Valderrama won the award for the inaugural 1996 season . Kansas City's Preki is the only player to ever win twice, in 1997 and 2003 . On January 15, 2015, MLS renamed its MVP award in honor of Landon Donovan . Major League Soccer Major League Soccer ( MLS )
6328-498: The berth is reallocated to the next best team in the overall table. If the U.S. Open Cup winner qualifies through multiple methods, the runner-up fills the slot; should the runner-up qualify, the next best team in the overall table earns the slot. If the Leagues Cup champion wins the MLS Cup, the MLS Cup runner-up qualifies to the round of 16; should a Leagues Cup slot already qualify, MLS is awarded with one additional slot given to
6441-401: The city's USL Championship team . On January 29, 2018, MLS awarded Miami an expansion team, led by David Beckham . Inter Miami CF started MLS play on March 1, 2020, and plan on opening the proposed 25,000-seat stadium sometime in the near future. An expansion team was awarded to Cincinnati, Ohio on May 29, 2018, to the ownership group of USL's FC Cincinnati . The team, which assumed
6554-650: The club added the dubious MLS Wooden Spoon to its trophy case for finishing at the bottom of the MLS table. In 2007, the club made international headlines with the signing of English player David Beckham from Real Madrid , the most high-profile transaction with Major League Soccer to that point. The club has fielded other high-profile international players including Zlatan Ibrahimović , Steven Gerrard , Nigel de Jong , Robbie Keane , Ashley Cole , Marco Reus , Luis Hernández , Giovani dos Santos , Mauricio Cienfuegos , Carlos Ruiz , Jonathan dos Santos , Jorge Campos , Javier Hernández , and American Landon Donovan , who
6667-590: The club clinched first in the Western Conference with a 16–9–3 record, their fifth time being first. Los Angeles were to take part in FIFA's Club World Cup as Concacaf champions from the previous year, but the tournament was canceled that year. In 2002, the Galaxy won their first MLS Cup in the club's fourth appearance by defeating the New England Revolution 1–0. In 2003, the Galaxy finished fourth playing more away games due to stadium construction, with
6780-406: The club was not allowed to sign international players in the 2023 summer transfer window. The club arranged for a transfer from La Liga club Sevilla , signing a three-year contract with Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez on January 21, 2020, and making him the highest-paid player in the league. At the end of the season, after failing to making the postseason, head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto
6893-465: The club's new name, Austin FC , was announced. After negotiations between Precourt and Jimmy Haslam , owner of the Cleveland Browns , were announced, MLS made it clear that Austin would receive an expansion team only after a deal to sell Columbus to a local buyer had completed. The purchase of Crew SC by Haslam's group was finalized in late December 2018, and on January 15, 2019, Austin FC
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#17327801734737006-538: The club. Despite the new contract, Beckham confirmed in November 2012 that he would be leaving the Galaxy at the end of the 2012 MLS season. On December 1, 2012, the Galaxy won their second-straight MLS Cup victory over the Houston Dynamo, 3–1. Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez won the MLS MVP trophy, heading in the 1–1 equalizer in the 60th minute. That goal was quickly followed by a Donovan penalty kick, and Keane sealed
7119-497: The collapse of the NASL following the 1984 season, leaving the United States without a top-level soccer league until MLS. In 1988, in exchange for FIFA awarding the right to host the 1994 World Cup , U.S. Soccer promised to establish a Division 1 professional soccer league. In 1993, U.S. Soccer selected Major League Professional Soccer (the precursor to MLS) as the exclusive Division 1 professional soccer league. Major League Soccer
7232-628: The competition, which functions as the regional cup for the North American zone of CONCACAF . The 29 teams of Major League Soccer are divided between the Eastern and Western conferences. MLS has regularly expanded since the 2005 season, most recently with the addition of St. Louis City SC for the 2023 season. San Diego FC is planned to enter the league in 2025. The league features numerous rivalry cups that are contested by two or more teams, quite often geographic rivals. Each trophy
7345-535: The conclusion of the Rossoneri's season in June, before returning to LA in July. Donovan was not offered a contract by Bayern, and returned to the U.S. in time for the beginning of the 2009 MLS season . In the book The Beckham Experiment by Grant Wahl , Donovan openly criticized Beckham for his handling of the loan deals. Beckham and Donovan would later reconcile upon Beckham's return to LA in July. LA finished
7458-449: The current rightsholders have to negotiate extensions to their contracts. Additionally, media noted that Major League Soccer has long-opposed the adoption of promotion and relegation, continuing to utilize the fixed, franchise-based model used in other U.S. sports leagues. Furthermore, MP & Silva founder Riccardo Silva also owned Miami FC of the NASL , which stood to benefit from such
7571-406: The defeat to Seattle Sounders FC in the final game of the season with the Supporters' Shield on the line, the team entered the 2014 MLS playoffs defeating Real Salt Lake, advancing to face Seattle once again in the Western Conference Finals, advancing to the MLS Cup by away goals. They played the New England Revolution in the 2014 MLS Cup and won 2–1 in overtime, thereby becoming five-time champions,
7684-413: The emergence of academy product Efraín Álvarez , the Galaxy placed fifth in the West and made the playoffs. The season was best remembered for Ibrahimović's performances against LAFC, including a hat-trick at home in July and a brace in Banc of California Stadium that August. Ibrahimović finished the season with 30 goals, the second-highest mark in the season and third-highest total in league history (with
7797-402: The end of the 2023 season . Major League Soccer's regular season runs from late February or early March to October. Teams are geographically divided into the Eastern and Western Conferences, playing 34 games in an unbalanced schedule. With 29 teams in 2023, each team plays two games, home and away, against every team in its conference and one game against all but four or five of the teams in
7910-456: The exception of the defending Open Cup champions. The last three teams to qualify are the champion, runner-up, and third-place finisher of the Leagues Cup . Montreal , Toronto , and Vancouver compete against other Canadian sides in the Canadian Championship for the one CONCACAF Champions Cup berth allocated to Canada. All three Canadian clubs may also qualify through MLS or the Leagues Cup. If an MLS team qualifies through multiple methods,
8023-442: The exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans to MLS. By 2008, San Jose had returned to the league under new ownership, and in 2009, the expansion side Seattle Sounders FC began play in MLS. The Sounders set a new average attendance record for the league, with 30,943 spectators per match, and were the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs since 1998. The 2010 season ushered in an expansion franchise in
8136-548: The existing FC Cincinnati name, started MLS play in 2019 and moved to the new 26,000-seat TQL Stadium in 2021. The league planned to expand to 30 teams with the addition of Austin FC in 2021, Charlotte in 2022, and Sacramento and St. Louis in 2023; however, this was reduced to 29 after Sacramento Republic FC 's bid was placed on indefinite hold. Commissioner Don Garber has suggested that another round of expansion could lead to 32 teams in MLS. The league suspended its 2020 season on March 12, 2020, after two weeks, due to
8249-651: The finals of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League . During the 2011 season, the Galaxy signed another international star in Republic of Ireland all-time leading goalscorer Robbie Keane . MLS drew an average attendance of 17,872 in 2011, higher than the average attendances of the NBA and NHL. In 2012, the Montreal Impact became the league's 19th franchise and the third in Canada, and made their home debut in front of
8362-448: The first player to score 100 career MLS goals. The league's financial stabilization plan included teams moving out of large American football stadiums and into soccer-specific stadiums. From 2003 to 2008, the league oversaw the construction of six additional soccer-specific stadiums, largely funded by owners such as Lamar Hunt and Phil Anschutz , so that by the end of 2008, a majority of teams were now in soccer-specific stadiums. It
8475-444: The game with another penalty kick in stoppage time. In post-match interviews both Donovan and Beckham remained coy about their future MLS plans. The Galaxy finished the 2013 season third in the Western Conference. They reached the conference semi-finals, where they lost 2–1 to Real Salt Lake. They also reached the semi-finals of the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League , but lost 3–1 on aggregate to Mexican team Monterrey . Following
8588-543: The highest annual revenue of any MLS team, the third highest revenue of any CONCACAF team, and the seventh highest revenue of any team in the Americas. From 1996 to 2002, and for an El Tráfico exhibition game in 2023, the Galaxy played their home games at the 107,000-person capacity Rose Bowl in Pasadena , but often held U.S. Open Cup games at Titan Stadium on the campus of California State University, Fullerton . The Galaxy played 10 games in total at Titan Stadium;
8701-466: The inaugural 1996 MLS season, reflected the colors of the city of Los Angeles and featured black-and-teal halves, black sleeves with gold and red accents, black shorts and black socks. The Galaxy have had two logos to date. The original brand was gold, teal and black, and featured the Galaxy wordmark superimposed over a golden swirl, with a stylized black outline. The logo was changed in 2007, again to coincide with David Beckham's arrival, and now features
8814-478: The inaugural season, the Galaxy finished first in the Western Conference and contested the first MLS Cup final, finishing as runners-up to D.C. United . In 1997, they started 1–7, but went 15–9 for the rest of the season to qualify for the playoffs. The Galaxy ended up second in their conference, losing to the Dallas Burn . In 1998, the Galaxy left off on a streak, eventually finishing 24–8. The Galaxy defeated
8927-561: The league implemented its "Core Players" initiative, allowing teams to retain key players using retention funds instead of losing the players to foreign leagues. Among the first high-profile players re-signed in 2013 using retention funds were U.S. national team regulars Graham Zusi and Matt Besler . Beginning in summer of 2013 and continuing in the run up to the 2014 World Cup, MLS began signing U.S. stars based abroad, including Clint Dempsey , Jermaine Jones , and Michael Bradley from Europe; and DaMarcus Beasley from Mexico's Liga MX . By
9040-500: The league in 2007; San Jose paid $ 20 million the next year, and the fee had risen to $ 30 million when Sounders FC paid the fee in 2007 to join the league in 2009. In 2013, New York City FC agreed to pay a record $ 100 million expansion fee for the right to join MLS in 2015. This record was surpassed by the ownership groups of FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC, which each paid $ 150 million to join MLS 2019 and 2020, respectively. Despite being announced in January 2018, Inter Miami CF only paid
9153-472: The league including Johan Cruyff , Gerd Müller , Eusébio , Bobby Moore , and George Best . Despite dramatic increases in attendance (with some matches drawing over 70,000 fans such as Soccer Bowl '78 , the highest attendance to date for any club soccer championship in the United States) over-expansion, the economic recession of the early 1980s , and disputes with the players union ultimately led to
9266-470: The league to change its schedule, a winter break would be necessary to accommodate teams located in harsh winter climates. It would also have to compete with the popularity and media presence of the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and National Hockey League (NHL), which all run on fall-to-spring schedules. MLS teams also play in other international and domestic competitions. Each season, up to ten MLS teams play in
9379-528: The league's best players. The format of the All-Star Game has changed several times since the league's inception; 2020 was the first year in which the MLS All-Stars were planned to play against an all-star team from Mexico's Liga MX , before the event's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Unlike most major soccer leagues around the world, but similar to other leagues in the Americas,
9492-403: The league's commissioner Don Garber reiterated the intention of the league to expand to 28 teams, with the next round of expansion "likely happening in 2020". In December 2016, he updated the expansion plans stating that the league will look to approve the 25th and 26th teams in 2017 and to start play in 2020. In January 2017, the league received bids from 12 ownership groups. In July 2017, it
9605-494: The league's dissolution of Chivas USA, a new expansion team, Los Angeles FC (LAFC), was formed in 2014 and began play in 2018 . The new L.A. rivalry was dubbed " El Tráfico ". The franchise is one of Major League Soccer's most successful teams , with a record five MLS Cups and four additional appearances in the final, and won the Western Conference regular-season title eight times, four Supporters' Shields , two U.S. Open Cups , and one CONCACAF Champions' Cup title. In 2017,
9718-678: The league. Each team has an investor-operator that is a shareholder in the league. In order to control costs, MLS shares revenues and holds players contracts instead of players contracting with individual teams. In Fraser v. Major League Soccer , a lawsuit filed in 1996 and decided in 2002, the league won a legal battle with its players in which the court ruled that MLS was a single entity that can lawfully centrally contract for player services. The court also ruled that even absent their collective bargaining agreement , players could opt to play in other leagues if they were unsatisfied. LA Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy , more commonly known as
9831-473: The match between Sydney FC and LA Galaxy, which the home side won 5–3. They also played a tour of Asia, and competed in the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship in Honolulu , finishing third after beating Sydney 2–1 in the third-place match. In the 2008 MLS season , LA went on a seven-game winless streak that saw them drop from first place in the Western Conference to outside playoff contention, prompting
9944-416: The naive roster construction, which included erratic performances by Jermaine Jones, and sparse production from Giovanni Dos Santos. With a 6–10–4 record, the Galaxy fired Curt Onalfo and replaced him with former head coach Sigi Schmid on July 27, 2017. Under Schmid, the club went 2–8–4 and finished the season in last place overall with a mark of 8–18–8. It was only the fourth time that the club failed to make
10057-828: The next best non-qualified team in the overall table. Seattle Sounders FC became the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup under the competition's updated format in 2022 . Since 2018, the reigning MLS Cup champion plays in the Campeones Cup , a Super Cup -style single game against the Campeón de Campeones from Liga MX , hosted by the MLS team in September. The inaugural edition saw Tigres UANL defeat Toronto FC at BMO Field in Toronto in 2018. Another inter-league competition with Liga MX,
10170-409: The opposite conference. The 2020 season was the first season in league history in which teams did not play against every other team in the league. At the end of the regular season, the team with the highest point total is awarded the Supporters' Shield and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Teams break for the annual All-Star Game midway through the season, an exhibition game containing
10283-518: The playoffs in all of the league's first ten seasons. They won the 2005 MLS Cup , defeating the New England Revolution in extra time, 1–0. The 2006 season began on March 16 with the sudden death of Doug Hamilton , the team's 43-year-old general manager, who suffered a heart attack on board a plane carrying the team back from Costa Rica where they had played Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup . The team finished fifth in
10396-456: The possible existing obstacles, the team finished 9–12–9. The Galaxy bounced back by gaining second with an 11–9–10 record. They lost to the Wizards in the final, 0–2. In 2005, the Galaxy acquired Landon Donovan from San Jose. The franchise won the Open Cup again ending with a record of 13–13–6. Having qualified for the playoffs for the 2005 season, the Galaxy has been the only team to appear in
10509-399: The postseason, and the club's first wooden spoon . In March 2018, the team signed Zlatan Ibrahimović on a two-year, $ 3 million contract with targeted allocation money. The Swede made his debut in the inaugural El Tráfico match against LAFC, scoring two goals to end the game with the Galaxy coming from 0–3 down to win 4–3. One of the goals Ibrahimović scored in that game later received
10622-406: The proliferation of soccer-specific stadiums around the league, the implementation of the Designated Player Rule allowing teams to sign star players such as David Beckham and Lionel Messi , and national TV contracts have made MLS profitable. In 2022, with an average attendance of over 21,000 per game, MLS had the fourth-highest average attendance of the major professional sports leagues in
10735-527: The record being broken by LAFC's Carlos Vela that year). In the playoffs , the Galaxy defeated Minnesota United FC 2–1 before falling to LAFC, 5–3. Ibrahimović left the club in November, and of the 2019 signings—most of them on loan—only Pavón returned for 2020. Three years later, in December 2022, MLS sanctioned the Galaxy for the 2019 Pavón signing, stripping the club of $ 1 million in allocation money and suspending club president Chris Klein . Moreover,
10848-647: The resignation of manager Ruud Gullit and firing of general manager Alexi Lalas . Gullit was replaced by Bruce Arena , who was unable to lead LA into a play-off spot, for the third-straight season. In the following off-season, both club captain David Beckham and vice-captain Landon Donovan were involved in loan deals with European clubs until the beginning of the new MLS season; Beckham to Milan in Italy and Donovan to German club Bayern Munich . Donovan
10961-440: The summer 2014 transfer window by announcing their first Designated Players— Spain's leading scorer David Villa and Chelsea's leading scorer Frank Lampard to New York, and Ballon d'Or winner Kaká to Orlando. The 2014 World Cup featured 21 MLS players on World Cup rosters and a record 11 MLS players playing for foreign teams—including players from traditional powerhouses Brazil ( Júlio César ) and Spain ( David Villa ); in
11074-445: The team announced they had exercised its one offseason Buyout of a Guaranteed Contract on Giovani dos Santos, thus releasing him from the team. In the 2019 season , the Galaxy welcomed Guillermo Barros Schelotto to the club as head coach. The Galaxy also added a number of players, notably Uruguayan Diego Polenta , Argentine World Cup veteran Cristian Pavón , fellow Argentine Favio Álvarez and Mexican Uriel Antuna . With this, and
11187-424: The team with the best record is awarded the Supporters' Shield . Eighteen teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs in late October and November, culminating in the league's championship game, the MLS Cup . Instead of operating as an association of independently owned clubs, MLS is a single entity in which each team is owned by the league and individually operated by the league's investors. The league has
11300-399: The team's 2019 signing of Cristian Pavon, in which MLS reported that Pavon should have been classified as a designated player. The league's sanctions on the Galaxy meant that the team could not make any international signings during the 2023 summer transfer window. Despite these punishments, Klein signed a multi-year extension with the team. In response, Galaxy supporter group leaders announced
11413-399: The team's soccer operations in the wake of Klein's suspension. In the aftermath, ESPN ranked the Galaxy 29 of 29 in their MLS power rankings, saying they were "not a serious club". On May 30, 2023, the Galaxy officially announced they had parted ways with Klein. The LA Galaxy's current team colors are navy blue, gold, and white. The team's primary uniform is white and the secondary uniform
11526-576: The team. The Galaxy first turned a profit in 2003, becoming the first MLS team to do so. After the team moved into the new Home Depot Center, the team saw increased attendance, a doubling of revenue from sponsors, and revenues from parking and concessions. A Forbes 2015 report ranked the LA Galaxy second in MLS in terms of annual revenue ($ 44 million) and in franchise value ($ 240 million). The Galaxy earn more in annual club sponsorship income ($ 14 million) and annual local TV rights ($ 5 million) than any other MLS team. The Galaxy have
11639-458: The third-straight team to win consecutive Shields while amassing the second-best points total in MLS history. They followed this up with their third MLS Cup, defeating the Houston Dynamo 1–0 in the final . The 2011 MLS Cup was the Galaxy's first MLS Cup Victory in regulation. The 2002 and the 2005 MLS Cup wins were won in overtime. In January 2012, after much speculation, Beckham signed a new two-year deal with LA to secure his short-term future at
11752-480: The top of the table and won the Supporters' Shield, the first time MLS played a balanced schedule. They then lost to FC Dallas in the Western Conference Final, one game away from making another appearance at MLS Cup. In 2011, a year in which they added the Republic of Ireland's all-time leading goalscorer Robbie Keane , they won their fourth Supporters' Shield with two games remaining, becoming
11865-488: The under-13 to under-19 level. In 2022, the league signed a $ 2.5 billion deal with Apple Inc. that will make Apple TV the primary broadcaster for all MLS games. The agreement will see both MLS and Leagues Cup games shared across the streaming service. In May 2023, the league announced it would expand to 30 teams with the addition of San Diego FC for the 2025 season. In 2005, Toronto FC's ownership paid $ 10 million (about $ 15.6 million in today's dollars) to join
11978-541: Was also in this era that MLS expanded for the first time since 1998. Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA began play in 2005 , with Chivas USA becoming the second club in Los Angeles. By 2006 the San Jose Earthquakes owners, players and a few coaches moved to Texas to become the expansion Houston Dynamo , after failing to build a stadium in San Jose. The Dynamo became an expansion team, leaving their history behind for
12091-519: Was fired, and replaced with Dominic Kinnear as interim manager. On January 5, the Galaxy announced Greg Vanney as the new manager. Under Vanney, the Galaxy narrowly missed the MLS playoffs in 2021, finishing eighth in the Western Conference (15th overall). In 2022, the club showed marked improvement, punctuated by the continued improvement of Hernández (who scored 18 goals) and the signings of former Barcelona youth product Riqui Puig and European veteran Gastón Brugman . The Galaxy finished fourth in
12204-600: Was officially announced as a 2021 MLS entry. MLS announced on December 20, 2017, that it would be awarding an expansion franchise to Nashville, Tennessee , to play in a yet-to-be-built 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, Nashville Fairgrounds Stadium , and would join MLS in 2020. The management of the Nashville franchise announced in February 2019 that the MLS side would assume the Nashville SC name then in use by
12317-642: Was officially formed in February 1995 as a limited liability company . Tab Ramos was the first player signed by MLS, on January 3, 1995, and was assigned to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars . MLS began play in 1996 with ten teams. The first game was held on April 6, 1996, as the San Jose Clash defeated D.C. United before 31,000 fans at Spartan Stadium in San Jose in a game broadcast on ESPN. The league had generated some buzz by managing to lure some marquee players from
12430-474: Was on the bench. In that season's SuperLiga , LA reached the final but lost to Mexican side Pachuca on penalties after extra time . LA nearly made the end-of-season play-offs, but were eliminated following a 1–0 loss to the Chicago Fire. In the off-season, Cobi Jones retired and, amidst rumors that he was going to be sacked, Yallop resigned as head coach following a friendly match at Home Depot Center. The San Jose Earthquakes bought out his contract and offered
12543-418: Was reported that Major League Soccer had rejected an offer by MP & Silva to acquire all television rights to the league following the conclusion of its current contracts with Fox, ESPN, and Univision, where MP & Silva insisted that the deal would be conditional on Major League Soccer adopting a promotion and relegation system. The league stated that it rejected the offer due to the exclusive periods that
12656-481: Was seeking a permanent transfer to Munich, while Beckham was expected to return to LA in March, prior to the 2009 season. Beckham went on to seek a permanent transfer to Milan in a bid to sustain his England career through the 2010 World Cup , and Milan made a bid for the player that was rejected by LA. One day before his loan deal was to expire, Milan and LA reached an agreement to allow Beckham to stay in Italy until
12769-585: Was the North American Soccer League (NASL), which existed from 1968 until 1984. The United States did not have a truly national top-flight league with FIFA -sanctioning until the creation of the NASL. The first league to have U.S. and Canadian professional clubs, the NASL struggled until the mid-1970s when the New York Cosmos , the league's most prominent team, signed a number of the world's best players including Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer . Pelé's arrival attracted other well-known international stars to
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