Major League Soccer (MLS). The league, like other sports leagues in the United States and Canada, has a set membership, making it one of the world's few soccer leagues that does not employ promotion and relegation, a process unusual in the two nations. The headquarters of the MLS are in New York City. The league was founded on March 14, 1996, by Doug Logan and Larry Schmittou.
The owners decided to establish their base in New York City because of its international reputation as a hub for sports and entertainment. They also wanted to have close proximity to European clubs and the NFL team New England Patriots.
The owners selected Bruce Arena as the first manager of the new franchise, who had just won the 1994 World Cup with the United States national team. He signed a three-year contract worth $750,000 per year.
The MLS begins play with ten teams in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington D.C. The original franchises were:
Atlanta Hawks - National Hockey League (NHL) club
Chicago Fire - NHL club
Dallas Burn - Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) club
Colorado Rapids - Major Indoor Football League (MIFFL) club
Major League Soccer (MLS), the North American professional football (soccer) league with the highest level of competition on the continent, began play in 1996. MLS has expanded from its original 10 teams to include 32 clubs in 2017, and is the most popular sport in the United States. The regular season runs from March to October; the post-season begins early in the fall and continues through November and December.
The current champions are Toronto FC, who won their first title in 2017. Club de Regatas Toronto (CRT) was founded in 1976 and initially played only in the Canadian National Soccer League before joining the new MLS in 1996. The club is owned by the City of Toronto which provides it with a budget for player salaries and other costs per year. Toronto is the only team that has never been relegated from the MLS; it has also never had a losing season.
Houston Dynamo are the most successful franchise in MLS history, having won the 2006 MLS Cup and earning $100 million along the way. They are also the only team to have earned back-to-back titles after winning in 2005. Dyanmoise Athletic Club was established in 2002 and originally played in the USL A-League before moving up to MLS in 2007.
The current season The New York City Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in New York City, New York. They participate in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top level of American soccer, as part of the league's Eastern Conference. New York City joined the league as the league's sixteenth expansion franchise in 2015. The club plays its home games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
New York City FC are the newest addition to Major League Soccer and will be playing their first season this year. The team is owned by New York City Football Club LLC, a joint venture between MLS club owners Jason Klarman of Manchester United and Alec Gores of Arsenal. The team was announced on December 17, 2014 and will begin play in March 2016.
They will be playing their home games at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The stadium has a capacity of 50,000 people and is the largest venue used by a single MLB team. The team is led by Patrick Vieira who was appointed as manager in October 2014 after previously managing Nice in France. NYCFC will be playing in the East since the other three teams in their conference are all from the West: Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps.
New York City has a long history with soccer. The original New York Cosmos played from 1969 to 1980 in the North American Soccer League (NASL). From 1996 to 1999 the MetroStars were one of eight teams in the English Premier League.
In each corner of the field, a 5 foot (1.5 meter) flagpost is erected. A quarter circle with a 1-meter radius from the flagpost is drawn inside the field of play at each corner. Where can I find the current Major League Soccer (MLS) soccer stadiums?
The MLS website contains a list of all 20 MLS teams and their respective stadiums. The site also includes a section with information about the league itself.
Stadiums range in size from 18,000 to 20,000 seats with an average capacity of 19,000. There are two types of stadiums: open-air and domed. Eight of the 20 stadiums are open-air; the other 12 are dome stadiums.
The MLS began as a successful American professional soccer league that operated from 1996 to 2004. The original twelve teams were located in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.
During its existence, the MLS was considered one of the most competitive leagues in North America. Many famous players have had success in the MLS including Landon Donovan, Carlos Valderrama, and Brian McBride.
Donovan was the MVP of the MLS three times while playing for D.C. United. He currently plays for Los Angeles Donovan scored over 100 goals in his career and has been called the best player in the history of the American game.
The United Soccer Competition (USL) is an American and Canadian professional men's soccer league. The USL is the second-highest division of American soccer, behind only Major League Soccer.
The first season began on March 27, 2011 and ended on December 14, 2011. Eleven teams participated in the regular season, with each team playing all others twice for a total of 33 games played per team. The top six teams made the playoffs. The Atlanta Silverbacks were the only new franchise added to the league in its first year. They joined existing teams Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Sacramento Republic FC, and San Antonio Scorpions.
The 2012 season started on March 17, 2012 and finished on October 15, 2012. 12 teams participated in the regular season, with each team playing all others twice for a total of 36 games played per team. The Houston Dynamo were the only new franchise added to the league in its second year. They joined existing teams Austin Aztex, Charleston Battery, Colorado Rapids, Indy Eleven, Louisville City FC, Memphis Meats, New York Red Bulls, Oklahoma City Energy, Orlando City B, Puerto Rico Islanders, Rochester Rhinos, Saint Louis Scotties, San Francisco Deltas, and Tampa Bay Rowdies.
There are now four professional soccer clubs in the New York City area: the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC, both of which compete in Major League Soccer's top tier. The New York Red Bulls II, the Red Bulls' reserve squad, competes in the USL Championship, while a second version of the New York Cosmos is in the works. They will all play their home games at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
The New York Cosmos were one of the most successful teams in American soccer during their original era from 1977 to 1984. They won the North American Soccer League (now known as the NASL) title in 1979 and 1980 and played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds. The Cosmos disbanded after the 1984 season when they could not agree on a new ownership group after being sold by its founders, Iranian immigrants Shimon and Moses Pelieros, who wanted to move the club into other sports such as basketball and tennis.
In May 2010, it was announced that a franchise would be entering Major League Soccer for the 2010 season. The New York Red Bulls became the first franchise in the league's history to be owned by a corporation - the Golisano family - with links to another major sport's franchise. The family also owns the Buffalo Bills football team.
The New York Red Bulls have been very successful since their inception; they have won the MLS Supporters' Shield twice and the MLS Cup once as of 2017. They have also appeared in five MLS Finals, winning three of them.
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