The MLS Cup occurs each year in the American soccer calendar and sees the winning team of both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals go against one other in the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. It has existed since 1996 and since then has celebrated 15 different winners – here are the clubs that have won the most trophies.

LA Galaxy (5 wins)

Not only have LA Galaxy celebrated the most title wins, but they have also featured in the most finals (9). Despite reaching three finals without success (1996, 1999, and 2001), their first taste of glory came in 2002 with a 1-0 victory over New England Revolution. Another win in 2005 followed before the Galaxy began their so-called ‘dynasty’ categorized by their multiple high-profile players, such as Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, and David Beckham.

The Galaxy featured in four finals between 2009 and 2014, winning three of them. Keane scored in their most recent victory in 2014, while at the time his former side Liverpool came within two points of Premier League glory behind Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp’s side was among many bookmakers’ football betting tips to be up there again this season, however, a slow start to the campaign saw them enter the international break sixth in the league. The Reds could certainly do with Keane’s firepower up top, although his two years in Los Angeles beyond 2014 garnered no further trophies, as their last MLS Cup to date remains the 2014 edition.

D.C. United (4 wins)

While just below LA Galaxy in terms of title wins, D.C. United achieved that feat in just five finals. In fact, the inaugural MLS Cup actually featured a final between United and the Galaxy, the latter of whom threw away a two-nil lead before Eddie Pope eventually scored the golden goal to make it 3-2 and D.C. United is the tournament’s first-ever winner. This launched the beginning of a true dynasty in the late nineties and early noughties.

Under the management of American soccer legend Bruce Arena, United featured in each of the first four finals, losing only the 1998 edition. Three MLS Cups formed part of the eight major trophies won by Arena and co. before the turn of the millennium, marking the club’s most prolific period to date. Since then, United returned to celebrate their fourth MLS Cup in 2004, again by a 3-2 margin. The side from the capital has since struggled to replicate that form in the modern day, though, with their most recent major trophy coming in 2013.

Seattle Sounders (2 wins)

There are several teams that place third on this list with two wins to their name. Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City, Colombus Crew, and San Jose Earthquakes all boast a duo of titles, however, Seattle Sounders have been the most recently prolific side. The Sounders were only founded in 2007 – some 11 years after the first MLS Cup was formed – and didn’t come close to glory until 2014. Then, they won their first Supporters Shield, two years later playing in their first MLS Cup final.

The Sounders duly won that match on penalties against Toronto, before playing in three more finals between then and the present day (2017, 2019, and 2020). Their second taste of success came in the 2019 edition in what was a rematch of 2016 final. This time, goals from Kelvin Leerdam, Victor Rodriguez, and Raul Ruidiaz helped the Sounders to a 3-1 victory over their Canadian counterparts in regulation time. However, they then fell to a 3-0 defeat the following year to Columbus Crew, which is their most recent MLS Cup final to date.

As American football continues to grow, the competitive nature of the MLS Cup is steadily increasing. This is reflected in the high number of diverse winners, which is seeing the dynasties of the early years coming to an end. The glory is now shared between a wide selection of impressive sides, the most recent being Gareth Bale’s Los Angeles FC in November 2022.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame has announced the 22 names who will comprise the list of Veterans Candidates who made their Semi-Final round.

To be eligible for the National Soccer Hall of Fame Veteran Ballot, an individual must have met No. 1 and either No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4:

1. A player must have been retired for more than 10 full calendar years prior to the year of induction.
2. A player must have played at least 20 full international games for the United States Men’s National Team, Women’s National Team or Extended National Team (Paralympic, Beach & Futsal). This 20-game requirement is reduced to 10 games if the games were prior to 1990 and 5 games if the games were prior to 1960.
3. A player must have played at least five seasons in a United States first-division professional league* and been a postseason league all-star at least once. (Best XI)
4. A player must have played at least five seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League between the end of the NASL in 1984 and the end of the MISL in 1992 and been selected as a first-team postseason all-star in at least one of those seasons.

The 22 names are:

Chris Armas played for the L.A. Galaxy in his first two seasons, and played the rest of his career with the Chicago Fire (1998-07), after he was taken by the Fire in the Expansion Draft.  He appeared in 66 Games for the United States.

Gregg Berhalter played most of his career in Europe, but the Defenseman did play his last three years as a pro with the Galaxy.  He also appeared in 44 Games for the U.S., including the 2002 World Cup.

Chico Borja spent the early part of his career with the New York Cosmos of the NASL and again with the Cosmos of MISL.  He also played indoor soccer for Las Vegas, Wichita and Albany, and for the U.S. in 11 Games.

Sean Bowers had a long career in indoor soccer, playing 20 years combined for San Diego, Detroit, Sacramento, Anaheim and Baltimore.  He also was in the MLS for four years with Kansas City.

Marco Etcheverry played for D.C United from 1996 to 2003 and internationally represented Bolivia.

Linda Hamilton represented the U.S. in 82 Games, and was part of the team that won the first Women’s World Cup.

Mary Harvey played for the United States Women’s Team in 27 Games.

Frankie Hejduk began his pro career with Tampa Bay of theMLS before going to Germany for five years.  He returned to MLS with Columbus in 2003, where the midfielder played for eight years.  He was on the U.S. Men’s Team in 83 Games, and played on the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as well as the 1998 and 2002 World Cup.

Angela Hucles played for three Boston based teams in three different women’s leagues over a nine-year period.  She represented the United States in 109 Games, including two Gold Medal winning teams in two different Olympics.

Eddie Lewis began his pro career with the San Jose Clash, where the Left Wing played four years before departing to England, where he stayed nine years.  Lewis returned to MLS with the Galaxy for three years.  Representing the United States, Lewis appeared in 82 Games and was in the 2002 and 2006 World Cup.

Clint Mathis played most of career in the MLS, with stints with the Galaxy, the MetroStars, Real Salt Lake and Colorado. He represented the U.S. in 46 Games, including the 2002 World Cup.

Shep Messing played for New York, Boston and Oakland in the NASL and the Goalie also played for the New York Arrows, New York Cosmos, Pittsburgh Spirit and New York Express in the Indoor League.  He also played for the U.S. in the 1972 Olympics.

Victor Nogueira was a Goalie in the NASL for three years (Atlanta & Montreal), Chicago in the NASL, and the Goalie also played indoor soccer for 20 years with Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee and San Diego.  He is already a member of the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame.

John O’Brien played most of his career with Ajax in the Eredivisie and would appear in 32 Games representing the United States.

Steve Ralston competed for Tampa Bay and New England in MLS, with 36 Games played for the United States.

Tony Sanneh played most of his career in the MLS, serving time with D.C. United, Columbus, Chicago, Colorado and Los Angeles.  He also played for the United States in 43 Games.

Kate Sobrero Markgraf played ten years in women’s pro soccer, and for the USWNT she played in three Olympics (two Gold and one Silver) and three World Cups (one Gold and two Bronze).

Lindsay Tarpley won two Olympic Gold Medals and a Bronze at the World Cup representing the United States Women’s Team.

Tatu, a Brazillian star who played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in both the NASL and Indoor League.  He also played 20 more years of indoor soccer with the Dallas Sidekicks.

Taylor Twellman, a nine-year veteran of the New England Revolution and 30-game player with the USMNT.

Tisha Venturini-Hoch represented the U.S. in 132 Games, and won Gold in the 1996 Olympics and 1999 World Cup.

Slavisa “Steve” Zungul earned the nickname of the “Lord of the Indoors”, after playing for New York, Golden Bay, San Diego and Tacoma.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the 22 candidates who made it this far.

The Supporters’ Shield is given out to Major League Soccer’s best team over the course of the regular season. In Europe’s top soccer leagues, team play a full season schedule with the team at the top of the league standings at the campaign’s end being crowned the champion. In MLS, like other sports leagues in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, a playoff structure is used to crown the league’s overall champion. 

The MLS season is headed towards its climax with the MLS Cup kicking off in December. For the best sportsbooks bonuses and reviews for bookies in Illinois, visit US Bookies ahead of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The New England Revolution are the 2021 MLS Supporters’ Shield winners – their first-ever Supporters’ Shield trophy win. The problem is that winning the Supporters’ Shield doesn’t mean the Revolution will win the more glamorous MLS Cup trophy. 

What is the Supporters’ Shield?

As previously written, the MLS Supporters’ Shield is given out to the team with the best regular season points total in the league after 34 regular season matches. Despite the league being split into an Eastern and Western Conference, the Supporters’ Shield is given to the team with the most points if all 27 teams were place in a single league table format. 

The Supporters’ Shield was originally handed out at the end of the MLS season. However, after fans of traditional European soccer wanted MLS to be more like the leagues overseas, it created the Supporters’ Shield trophy. Although the league’s first season was 1996, the Supporters’ Shield wasn’t given out until 1999.

Is the Supporters’ Shield important?

The 2021 MLS season is its 26^th overall. While the 2021 season isn’t complete as yet, history is not on the New England Revolution’s side for winning the MLS Cup. Just seven of the previous 25 Supporters’ Shield winners went onto win the MLS Cup. The last team to do the Supporters’ Shield-MLS Cup double was Toronto FC in 2017. Three seasons have now passed since the Reds pulled off the double. 

The Supporter Shield winning teams’ inability to win the MLS Cup over the last three seasons diminishes the accomplishment of collecting the most points during the regular season. As long as a team can qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs, anyone can win it and the Supporters’ Shield winner should not be looked at as the favourite. Only 28% of the team has a team done the league and cup double. 

The Los Angeles Galaxy and DC United have won the joint-most MLS Supporters’ Shield trophies. The Galaxy’s last shield was won in 2011. DC United’s most recent shield was won in 2007. It has been years since either of those teams claimed the trophy. 

The Supporters’ Shield’s importance in MLS is overblown. Just seven times have teams won the trophy and the MLS Cup. Fans shouldn’t expect the New England Revolution to pull off the league trophy and cup double this December as history doesn’t bode well for both pieces of silverware to be won. 

The MLS (Major League Soccer) is constantly being compared to the English Premier League, and the truth is, on many accounts, it can’t compete. The Premier League has better players, is viewed around the world, and is a financial powerhouse. However, that’s not to say that the MLS doesn’t have some amazing qualities. Here are six things that the MLS does better than the Premier League. 

No Hooliganism

Hooliganism has been associated with soccer in England for decades. It became particularly bad in the 1980s but is still a part of the game today. The MLS doesn’t have that problem, though. The people behind the MLS have aimed at fostering a family-friendly environment. That’s not to say that the MLS doesn’t attract passionate fans, though. 

Spending Limits

The MLS has a salary cap on players, which creates a level playing field for clubs. This creates a competitive environment that allows every club to have a shot at the title. The downside of the MLS’s salary cap is that the best American players end up playing for European clubs. In European leagues, the spending is completely out of control, with players earning massive wages and clubs competing on spending power. 

Playoffs

The MLS is set up differently from every other soccer league in the world. Instead of a total points-based system, it has playoffs (like other American sports). It works like this - the 34 MLS teams are split into two conferences (the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference). Each team plays every other team in their conference twice. The top seven teams in each conference then get entered into a knock-out style tournament to lift the MLS cup. This isn’t as competitive as the Premier League, but it makes the end of the season far more exciting. 

Respect

Soccer in Europe is extremely competitive. Unfortunately, this level of competition sometimes turns into a culture of disrespect. Players argue with referees, fans throw things at players, players make obscene gestures at fans… you get the picture. In the MLS, this sort of behavior is very rare. 

Work Permits 

If you’re a foreign player wanting a chance to play in England, there is a difficult process of entry. This is designed to stop an influx of overseas talent taking all of the opportunities instead of English players. In the MLS, it’s easy for foreign players to get into the country. This allows a lot of South American players to get a chance at professional soccer. However, it doesn’t stop young American players from traveling to Europe with programs like Soccer to Football. The draw of European soccer is too strong for American players. 

No Relegation

In the English Premier League, the bottom three teams get relegated to the Championship (the 2nd tier league). That means professional soccer players get moved around from league to league, having their wages slashes and careers ruined. That’s not the case in the MLS. Once a team has been accepted into the league, they are there to stay. This provides more stability for players and fans.