Meet Major League Soccer: Soccer's Best Hope in America Since 1993
Daniel Wise
Since 1996, MLS has fostered the growth of soccer in America. But there have been challenges along the way.
Picture via Wikimedia Commons
When Major League Soccer kicked off its inaugural season in 1996, there were feelings of excitement, doubt, and gritty determination all simmering together in a soup of athletic competition. Fans were raring to introduce a sport of working-class grit to the North American sports landscape. Journalists had either a passing interest in the novelty of an upstart league or felt trepidation for its success. The players and coaches just wanted to show what they could do on the field and add legitimacy to the sport. It was an interesting time with the united states having just hosted a World Cup. But did the sport having staying power?
Considering that the league kicked off it’s 2019 season a full 23 years since its first season started a revolution, the league is doing fine. However, it’s still a sport that lacks a wider mainstream appeal. Is this the blog post that will bring that appeal to light? Absolutely… not. But for my small corner of the internet, I’m happy to get a few more eyes focused on the teams and the players. My friends in DC know that I will evangelize my hometown team until the day they dissolve or I die. And even then, I will let the memory of this team live on through this blog. Generally speaking, though, I will aggrandize any team to any potential fan just so they can have a reason to follow this wonderful sport.
How does the MLS season work?
Every March, the teams of MLS start their long 30 some-odd week campaign to eventually haul the MLS championship trophy to their hallowed halls. The season culminates at the MLS Championship on October 6, when the top two teams who survive the playoffs compete for glory. But before we get to that, there are two legs to every MLS season. There is the regular season and then the playoffs.
The pageantry and glory of the MLS championship final is something every player and supporter dreams about.
Picture via Marc Berry Reid, Flickr
The regular season works similarly to most other soccer leagues around the world while retaining some familiarity with other sports in North America. It’s a Frankenstein’s monster of a format, but it’s easy-ish enough to understand. The regular season consists of 24 teams within two conferences (East and West) who will compete against their conference rivals and teams from the other conference. That’s the familiar aspect. The unfamiliar aspect is how teams reach the top spots of their respective conferences. In soccer, it’s not about the games a team wins, it’s about the points they accrue from wins and ties. Three points are awarded to winners, and one point is awarded to the two teams competing when the result is a tie.
At the end of the regular season two things happen. The team with the overall points lead wins what’s called the Supporters’ Shield, which commemorates their regular season success. For the post-season, there are two playoff brackets formed and as of this season, the top seven teams from each conference are placed in two playoff brackets for the eastern and western conferences. Also, as of this season, the playoff format is a one-game elimination. In past seasons, playoff games were a two-game series so that each team could have a home and away playoff game. This, according to MLS, favors a shorter playoff format. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up for debate.
What Teams Are Involved?
Western Conference
Seattle Sounders FC | Minnesota United FC | LA Galaxy | Los Angeles FC | Colorado Rapids | Portland Timbers | FC Dallas | Huston Dynamo | Real Salt Lake | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | San Jose Earthquakes | Sporting Kansas City
Eastern Conference
Toronto FC | DC United | Montreal Impact | New York City FC | Orlando City SC | Columbus Crew SC | New England Revolution | New York Red Bulls | Chicago Fire | Philadelphia Union | Atlanta United FC | FC Cincinnati
Click here to view the full standings and links to team information.
How Can I Watch MLS?
Picture via Major League Soccer
If you’re lucky to live in or near one of the cities listed above, the best way to experience these teams is to attend their games. If you’re not near these teams, it can be hard to become vested. That’s the difficulty of soccer in America, because this gigantic country is a logistical nightmare. However, there are cable and streaming options available. Local coverage can be spotty, so ESPN is the best option for catching live games.
Click here to view a weekly roundup of games coverage for the 2019 MLS season.
Click here to view a general guide for catching MLS games on TV or online streaming.
I’ll rep my hometown heroes until the day I die. Vamos United.
Major League Soccer is a league that I hold near and dear to my heart. To me, it’s a huge reason why the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga is catching on here in the states. When the first iteration of professional soccer, the National American Soccer League, tried to sway hearts and minds in the 1970s, it did so without its own identity. The thinking at the time was that bringing international greats like Pele and Johan Cruyff to the states would be the star power needed to make the league great. The NASL floundered, so a new approach was used in 1996 to make the sport intrinsically American. While the league still utilized international star power, a greater emphasis was placed on home grown talent. Teams have dedicated academies and greater presence in local communities through philanthropy and service programs. Teams also partner with local supporter groups to help bring more fans to game day activities.
That’s not to say that there are no problems with MLS, and the league still has to mature in order to become legitimate in a mainstream sense. There is still a barrier to entry with some youth academies that have a certain walled garden approach that keeps marginalized people on the outside looking in. There are problems with how the league walls itself off from lower leagues in the United States regarding promotion and relegation. This has fostered an ugly division of haves and have-nots where a team’s inclusion in MLS is based on the millionaire or billionaire status of its owners. But this is still an exciting time for the sport! I am genuinely surprised by how many minor league supporters have found communal pockets in this big country. Moreover, watching soccer is easier now than ever before with the advent of online streaming. It’s a bright future for soccer in America, and I hope this helps you find a deeper appreciation for the sport. There’s so much more to write about soccer in America, so I hope you’ll continue following this journey. As always, live well and watch more soccer.