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112-895: The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer 's two conferences, along with the Eastern Conference . The division of the conferences broadly follows the path of the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico , with clubs on, or west of the river in the Western Conference. As of 2023, the Western Conference contains 14 teams. The conference has produced 11 Supporters' Shield champions and 17 MLS Cup winners in Major League Soccer's first 28 seasons. In 2000 and 2001,

224-679: 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

336-449: 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

448-455: 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

560-465: A 3–0 win in the second leg to advance 7–0 on aggregate). The away goals rule can result in the "lead" of the two-legged tie swinging back and forth. For instance, in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League round of 16 between Barcelona and Chelsea, Barcelona were ahead on aggregate after a 2–1 win in the first leg at home. During the second leg held in London, Chelsea first scored three straight goals to take

672-684: A 3–0 win. The forfeiture meant that the tie ended 4–4, meaning Celtic qualified to the next round, 1–0, on away goals. The away goals rule can also apply to matches played behind closed doors . For the 2019–20 and 2020–21 editions of the UEFA Champions League, although the away goals rule remained in place for these seasons, home advantage was nullified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic having no home fans for support (empty stadiums) and even being forced to relocate their "home" to alternate venues, leading to UEFA deciding to abolish

784-565: A Western Conference team appeared in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs (such as 2010 ), and it does include appearances by Eastern Conference teams. Chivas USA (defunct), Nashville SC , St. Louis City SC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC have never made it to the Western Conference finals. ^ – MLS did not have draws until the 2000 season. † – The LA Galaxy were declared winners of the Western Division in 2001 after

896-421: 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

1008-501: 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

1120-731: 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,

1232-410: 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

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1344-518: 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

1456-697: 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

1568-611: 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

1680-538: 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,

1792-484: A similar format was used except that draws were allowed and the team earning the most points advanced. From 2003 through 2011, the Finals were a single match. Matches tied after regulation went to extra time ( Golden goal extra time was implemented for 2003 only), then a shoot-out if necessary. Beginning in 2012, the finals were a two-match aggregate series . The away goals rule for series that finished even on aggregate

1904-424: 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

2016-432: 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

2128-411: 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

2240-410: Is most often invoked in two-leg fixtures , where the initial result is determined by the aggregate score — i.e. the scores of both games are added together. In many competitions, the away goals rule is the first tie-breaker in such cases, with a penalty shootout as the second tie-breaker if each team has scored the same number of away goals. Rules vary as to whether the away goals rule applies only to

2352-446: Is sometimes used in round-robin competitions (that is, leagues or qualifying groups ), where it may be used to break ties involving more than two teams . For example, head-to-head away goals are the fourth tiebreaker in the group stage of both the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Conference League. This regulation remained in force even after UEFA abolished the use of the away goals rule in knockout matches. In Group C of

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2464-652: Is the most recent in a series of men's premier professional national soccer leagues established in 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

2576-553: 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

2688-413: The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals; Liverpool did eliminate Arsenal to advance to the semi-finals. Liverpool won the second game 4–2, making the aggregate score for the tie Liverpool 5–3 Arsenal, therefore, the away goal scored by Liverpool in the first leg was not required. Many commentators have described the importance of a team being able to score an away goal, even when losing that leg of

2800-462: The 2009–10 UEFA Champions League , Bayern Munich won both round of 16 and quarter-finals on the away goal rule after drawing 4–4 on aggregate, by winning 2–1 at home and losing 2–3 away, against Fiorentina and Manchester United respectively. In the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League semi-finals, despite losing 1–4 in the first leg to Borussia Dortmund , Real Madrid would have been able to advance if at home it managed to hold Dortmund to 3–0; during

2912-401: 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

3024-524: The 2019 MLS season , two-legged ties were eliminated in favour of a single-elimination knockout format throughout the entire playoffs. In the Liga MX , the away goals rule always applied to the playoff games until the 2020–21 season. This was also applied to the final games until the 1995–96 season where Necaxa beat Celaya F.C. In those games, Necaxa was able to pull a 1–1 tie in the game in Celaya, then

3136-692: 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

3248-732: 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

3360-523: The Copa do Brasil has developed its rules to avoid some anomalies, such as the above. In that Cup, if two teams share either the same stadium or the same home town, neither is considered the home club and thus the away goals rule does not apply. This exception was seen, for example, in the 2006 final between Flamengo and Vasco , when both legs were played at the Maracanã Stadium . More anomalous

3472-568: The FIFA World Cup or European Championships . From 2014 until 2018, Major League Soccer in the U.S. and Canada used the away goals rule in the MLS Cup Playoffs , in which the conference semi-finals and finals (the quarterfinals and semi-finals of the overall tournament) were two-legged. The rule was first applied in this competition when Seattle Sounders FC defeated FC Dallas in the 2014 Western Conference semi-finals. In

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3584-625: 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

3696-482: 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

3808-706: 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

3920-415: The Portland Timbers . – Eastern Conference team. As of the 2023 season, a total of fourteen different teams have competed in the Western Conference finals, and twelve of those teams have won at least once. In the table below, teams are ordered first by the number of appearances in a Western Conference finals, then by the number of wins, and finally by year. Note that this table does not include years that

4032-509: The San Siro , their shared stadium in Milan : With an aggregate of 1–1, AC Milan was declared the winner because they were the "away" side in the second game. In this example, as in many such cases, most tickets for each leg will be reserved for the "home" side's fans, so the designation was not totally arbitrary. Not all competitions with the away goals rule suffer from this anomaly, however:

4144-631: The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks forced the cancellation of the rest of the regular season. The MLS Cup playoffs began on September 20. In 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004, the Major League Soccer All-Star Game was contested between an all-star team from the Western Conference against an all-star team from the Eastern Conference . In total, the MLS West all-star team has 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses against

4256-471: 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

4368-439: 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

4480-599: The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup when Budapest Honvéd beat Dukla Prague in the second round in 1965–66 . It was introduced in the Fairs Cup in 1966–67 , and in the European Cup in 1967–68 for the first round, 1968–69 for the second round, and 1970–71 for later rounds. Previously, ties level on aggregate had gone to a playoff on neutral ground. On 24 June 2021, UEFA approved the proposal to abolish

4592-773: 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

Western Conference (MLS) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-552: The 1998 expansion. Changes from 1999 : The Western Conference renamed itself the Western Division upon the creation of the Central Division ; Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn moved into the new division; The San Jose Clash renamed to the Earthquakes . Changes from 2001 : The Western Division renamed back to Western Conference following the contraction of the Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny , resulting in

4816-494: The 2009 expansion. Changes from 2010 : The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC were added in the 2011 expansion; Houston Dynamo moved to the Eastern Conference . Changes from 2014 : Chivas USA ceases operations; Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo move in from the Eastern Conference. Changes from 2016 : Minnesota United FC was added in the 2017 expansion. Changes from 2017 : Los Angeles FC

4928-547: 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

5040-430: The 2022 season, then in all AFC club competitions from the 2023–24 season. Example A In this example, the aggregate score is 1–1, but as neither team scored an away goal, the match will progress to the next tie-breaker, extra time . Example B In this example, the aggregate score is 2–2. However, because Team A scored an away goal in the second leg while Team B, in the first leg, did not, Team A will progress to

5152-668: The Dutch referee Laurens van Raavens ordered a penalty shootout, which Sporting won 3–0. Rangers appealed the loss, however, because Van Raavens should not have ordered the shootout, since the Rangers goal in extra time in Lisbon gave them a lead of three away goals to two. Rangers won the appeal and went on to win the Cup Winners' Cup that season. CONCACAF used a different rule for its CONCACAF Champions League , employing away goals at

5264-406: The Eastern Conference. Changes from 2022 : Nashville SC moved back to the Eastern Conference as expansion side St. Louis City SC was added to the Western Conference. Note: The conference finals were a best-of-three series through 2001 (including the MLS semifinals in 2000 and 2001, when a conference playoff format was not used). Matches tied after regulation were decided by a shoot-out . In 2002,

5376-737: 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,

5488-462: 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

5600-410: The UEFA Champions League 2000–01 , Olympique Lyonnais took the second qualifying spot ahead of Olympiacos on head-to-head away goals. Because other tiebreakers take precedence, the away goals rule is rarely invoked in such tournaments; for example World Cup qualification . However, the away goals rule was not used in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification . The away goals rule was first applied in

5712-544: 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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5824-433: The away goals rule does not apply in extra time, and the match will progress to a penalty shootout. Example E In the first leg, the final score is: Team A (Home) 1–0 Team B (Away). In the second leg, the final score goes as follows: In this example, the aggregate score is 1–1, but as neither team scored an away goal, the match will progress to the next tie-breaker, extra time . Since no further goals are scored there,

5936-479: The away goals rule even though both legs were played in the Bahamas. There has been at least one case of a wrong application of the away goals rule by a referee in an international club tournament. It happened in a second-round tie in the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup between Rangers and Sporting Clube de Portugal . This fixture had the following scorelines: Since the teams were now level 6–6 on aggregate,

6048-414: The away goals rule in all club competitions from the 2021–22 season. After that, AFC followed the suit starting from the 2023–24 season. If the two clubs contesting a two-legged fixture share the same stadium, each club may be the home club in one leg, and the rule may still apply. For example, the 2003 UEFA Champions League semi-finals drew Inter Milan and AC Milan together. Both legs were played at

6160-405: The away goals rule. Both legs of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League round of 16 contest between Porto and Juventus were played without fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Porto won the first leg 2–1 at home and trailed the second leg by the same score after regulation. Both teams scored a goal in extra time and Porto went through, 2–1, on away goals. In the same 2020–21 season,

6272-500: The away goals rule; if the result was still tied, the penalty shootout was used. The finals became the only exception to the away goals and extra time. In Latin America, an example of a tournament that used the away goal rule was the Copa do Brasil (Brazil Cup) until the 2017 edition. The Football League Cup semi-finals, when previously played over two legs, would apply the away goals rule only after extra time. The away goals rule

6384-498: 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

6496-419: The case with more widely available modes of transportation and ease of travel for supporters. Another more unsportsmanlike reason is the fact that, in the event of extra time at the end of the second leg, the away team unfairly benefits from extra time to score a more valuable away goal. The away goals rule was abolished in all UEFA club competitions from the 2021–22 season, all CONMEBOL club competitions from

6608-496: The championship by away goals) but it went to extra time and a penalty shootout where Toluca beat Atlas 5–3 to win the championship. In CONMEBOL competitions before 2005, for example the Copa Libertadores , neither away goals rule nor extra time were used. Ties that were level on aggregate went to an immediate penalty shootout. From 2005 until 2021, two-legged ties were decided on points, followed by goal difference and

6720-401: 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

6832-465: 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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6944-497: 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

7056-628: 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

7168-468: The conference was referred to as the Western Division when Major League Soccer briefly reorganized into three divisions. Western Conference member Eastern Conference member Central Division member Changes from 1995 : Creation of the Major League Soccer. Changes from 1996 : Kansas City changed their name from Wiz to Wizards . Changes from 1997 : The Chicago Fire was added in

7280-449: 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

7392-614: The disbanding of the Central Division; Dallas Burn moved in from the Central Division. Changes from 2004 : Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake were added in the 2005 expansion; Kansas City Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference ; The Dallas Burn renamed to FC Dallas . Changes from 2005 : The San Jose Earthquakes was put on hiatus; The Houston Dynamo joined the league as an expansion franchise. Changes from 2007 : The San Jose Earthquakes return to MLS after its hiatus. Changes from 2008 : Seattle Sounders FC were added in

7504-643: The east. Major League Soccer Major League Soccer ( MLS ) 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

7616-518: The end of extra time, the away team, Timbers, began to celebrate, assuming their away goal in extra time would break the tie; but the tournament did not apply the away goals rule to extra time goals, leading to a penalty shootout (which Timbers won 4–2). The away goals rule can also apply to forfeited matches. Celtic lost their away tie to Legia Warsaw 4–1 in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round . In their home leg, Legia brought on an ineligible player which automatically gave Celtic

7728-429: The end of normal time of the second leg, or applies in extra time as well. It was first introduced by UEFA in the 1965–66 European Cup Winners' Cup . Since the early 2020s in association football , the application of the away goals rule has been repeatedly scrutinized and ultimately abolished in numerous competitions. There is empirical evidence that the away goals rule reduces the total number of goals scored during

7840-491: The end of regulation of the second leg but not applying the rule at the end of extra time. It has since abolished extra time in that tournament with penalty kicks used if teams are even on goals and away goals after both legs. MLS adopted this version of the rule for its playoffs in 2014. For example, the semifinal of the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League between Cruz Azul and the Puerto Rico Islanders had

7952-402: 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

8064-528: 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,

8176-442: 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

8288-548: 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

8400-403: The fact that in extra time, the home team has the advantage of playing the extra 30 minutes at home. In addition, usually, the home team had made a better campaign in the group stage, which would naturally give it some advantage over the away team. Anecdotal evidence suggests that most teams feel an away goal puts them in the driving seat, such as Liverpool being able to draw 1–1 at Arsenal in

8512-432: The final score over the two legs remained in absolute parity, which could remain even after a third game tie breaker. The away goals rule is intended to encourage the away team to be more aggressive. In football, at least, it can lead to a nervous first leg: the home team is unwilling to commit large numbers of players to attack to avoid conceding an away goal, whilst the away team attempts to snatch an away goal to aid them in

8624-704: 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

8736-448: 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

8848-459: The following scorelines: Since CONCACAF does not apply the away goals rule for goals scored in extra time, the game went to a penalty shootout, which Cruz Azul won 4–2. A similar situation occurred in the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs , in the second leg of Seattle Sounders FC vs Portland Timbers . After both legs went 2–1, for a 3–3 aggregate (with equal away goals) after regulation time, the game went to extra time. In extra time, both teams scored. At

8960-403: The game more exciting as normally one goal can only make the difference between losing and drawing, or between drawing and winning, but with the away goals rule, one goal can make the difference between losing and winning. There is also the issue that if extra time is played in the second leg, the away team gets an extra 30 minutes to take advantage of the away goals rule. This can be countered by

9072-465: The lead on aggregate (4–2), but Barcelona responded with two goals to level the aggregate score at 4–4 while taking the lead on away goals (2–1). Chelsea scored again, though, to advance on aggregate, 5–4. In the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League semi-finals between Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax , Ajax led the tie from the 15th minute of the first leg (in a 1–0 away victory in London) until the 95th minute of

9184-561: 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

9296-500: 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

9408-472: 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

9520-470: 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

9632-584: 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,

9744-403: 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

9856-650: 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. Away goals The away goals rule

9968-411: The match and benefits visiting teams in the second leg due to the different perceptions of risk in the first leg and the second leg. There are two other commonly cited reasons for the abandonment of the rule. One is the fact of away goals being an anachronism of 1960s football when the allocation of stadium capacity specifically for travelling away supporters did not exist as a practice, which is no longer

10080-467: The match will progress to a penalty shootout. Example F In this example, the aggregate score is 2–2. However, because Team A has scored more away goals than Team B, Team A will progress to the next stage of the competition. Originally, the away goal rule was introduced in football as an expedited way of doing away with playoffs or tie breakers on neutral grounds to resolve a logistical, physical and calendar problem when two teams were so closely matched

10192-828: 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,

10304-562: The next stage of the competition as they scored more away goals than Team B. Example C In the first leg, the final score is: Team A (Home) 1–0 Team B (Away). In the second leg, the final score goes as follows: In this example, the aggregate score is 1–1 after 90 minutes in the second leg and neither team has scored an away goal, the match goes into extra time. The score remains level 2–2 on aggregate after extra time. However, Team A has now scored an away goal and competition rules count away goals after extra time, Team A will thus progress to

10416-504: The next stage of the competition, as they scored more away goals than Team B. Example D In the first leg, the final score is: Team A (Home) 1–0 Team B (Away). In the second leg, the final score goes as follows: In this example, the aggregate score is 1–1 after 90 minutes in the second leg and neither team has scored an away goal, the match goes into extra time. After extra time, the scores remain level 2–2 on aggregate, and Team A has now scored an away goal. However, unlike in example C,

10528-409: 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

10640-406: 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

10752-418: The quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain ended in a 3–3 draw on aggregate, but Paris Saint-Germain scored more away goals than Bayern Munich, 3–1, to qualify for the semi-finals. Below is a summary of the variations of rules and examples of current competitions using the away goals rule for two legged-ties. In most examples in the table below, a penalty shoot-out is used to determine

10864-567: The second leg (at that point still up 3–2 on aggregate), when Tottenham's Lucas Moura completed a hat-trick in Amsterdam that leveled the aggregate score at 3–3 while eliminating Ajax, 3–1, on away goals. The away goals rule is applied in many football competitions that involve two-leg fixtures, including the knockout stages of the CAF Champions League , CAF Confederation Cup , and any two-legged playoffs in qualification for

10976-463: The second leg Real Madrid scored two goals in the last ten minutes but were unable to score the third goal that would have sent them through to the final (Dortmund advanced 4–3 on aggregate). In the other semi-final, however, after Barcelona were defeated away by Bayern Munich 4–0, commentators considered Barcelona essentially eliminated because Bayern could seal the tie by scoring one away goal even if Barcelona managed to score five goals (Bayern managed

11088-459: The second leg. Such tactics arguably make the second leg more exciting, after a low-scoring first leg leaves both sides with a chance to win. There are sometimes debates over whether the away goals rule gives an unfair advantage to the team playing away first — with the other team squandering their home advantage in the first leg due to away goal fears — and this may be a factor in its somewhat patchy adoption for competitions. The rule can also make

11200-440: 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

11312-534: The team was able to hold a 0–0 tie in Azteca Stadium to win the championship. After that final, the away goals rule was removed from the final game and in case of a tie after the two games, it will go to extra time and a penalty shootout if needed, as happened in the Invierno 1999 season where Atlas F.C. and Deportivo Toluca were tied 5–5 (3-3 and 2-2) at the end of the second game (that would give Toluca

11424-424: 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

11536-437: The tie, as it mathematically does give that team a chance to redeem itself on home soil by leveling the tie on aggregate while using the away goal as a tiebreaker. For example, in the 2007 UEFA Champions League round of 16, while Bayern Munich lost the first leg 2–3 at Real Madrid, Bayern later won 2–1 at home to level the tie on aggregate, but it was Bayern's away goals scored during their first leg loss that let them advance. In

11648-488: 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

11760-655: Was a qualification play-off for the 1991 World Youth Championship between Australia and Israel: Australia won on away goals even though, due to security concerns arising from the First Intifada , Israel's "home" leg was played in Australia. The same situation occurred in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification tie between the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands , when the Bahamas advanced on

11872-414: Was added in the 2018 expansion. Changes from 2019 : Nashville SC was added in the 2020 expansion, but moved to the Eastern Conference since the MLS is Back Tournament up to the end of the 2020 season . Changes from 2020 : Nashville SC moved to the Eastern Conference; Austin FC was added in the 2021 expansion; Houston Dynamo added "FC" to their name. Change from 2021 : Nashville SC moved in from

11984-612: 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

12096-417: Was first implemented in 2014. Extra time and shoot-outs were used if necessary, although away goals did not apply in extra time. In 2019, the playoffs returned to a single match, single elimination format (including the conference finals), which were hosted by the higher placed team in the regular season. From 2015 to 2021, the Western Conference was represented in the MLS Cup by either Seattle Sounders FC or

12208-600: 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

12320-642: 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

12432-418: 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

12544-585: 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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