Major League Soccer - Teams

Teams

Revolution Red Bulls Impact Union D.C. United Toronto FC Rapids Sporting Crew FC Dallas Dynamo Fire Real Salt Lake Sounders Earthquakes Galaxy Chivas USA Whitecaps Timbers

The 19 MLS clubs are divided among the Eastern and Western Conference. Each club is allowed up to 30 players on its first team roster. All 30 players are eligible for selection to each 18-player game-day squad during the regular season and playoffs.

Before its maiden season and inaugural draft, MLS allocated four marquee players across the initial ten teams. These inaugural allocations consisted of key U.S. national team and international players such as Eric Wynalda and Hugo Sánchez. By the 1998 season, the league added its first two expansion teams while the 2000 season saw the league reorganize from two conferences into three divisions: the Eastern, Western, and Central Division.

However, following the 2001 season, MLS contracted its two Florida franchises and returned to ten teams in two conferences. The league waited three more seasons before it continued its growth. Since the 2005 season, MLS has expanded by eight new clubs. This period of expansion saw Los Angeles become the first two-team market, the league's push into Canada, a renewed interest in original NASL-era names, and a growing national presence. League executives are currently entertaining expansion offers for a 20th team in the near future.

As of the 2012 season, MLS has seen twenty one different clubs over the years with nine having won at least one MLS Cup, and eight winning at least one Supporters' Shield. Of the league's sixteen completed seasons, only six have seen the same club win both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup.

For the 2012 season, teams are aligned as follows:

Team City Stadium Joined Head Coach
Eastern Conference
Chicago Fire Bridgeview, IL Toyota Park 1998 Frank Klopas
Columbus Crew Columbus, OH Columbus Crew Stadium 1996 Robert Warzycha
D.C. United Washington, D.C. RFK Stadium 1 1996 Ben Olsen
Houston Dynamo Houston, TX BBVA Compass Stadium 2006 Dominic Kinnear
Montreal Impact Montreal, QC Saputo Stadium 2012 Vacant
New England Revolution Foxborough, MA Gillette Stadium 1 1996 Jay Heaps
New York Red Bulls Harrison, NJ Red Bull Arena 1996 Vacant
Philadelphia Union Chester, PA PPL Park 2010 John Hackworth
Sporting Kansas City Kansas City, KS Livestrong Sporting Park 1996 Peter Vermes
Toronto FC Toronto, ON BMO Field 2007 Paul Mariner
Western Conference
C.D. Chivas USA Carson, CA The Home Depot Center 2005 Vacant
Colorado Rapids Commerce City, CO Dick's Sporting Goods Park 1996 Óscar Pareja
FC Dallas Frisco, TX FC Dallas Stadium 1996 Schellas Hyndman
Los Angeles Galaxy Carson, CA The Home Depot Center 1996 Bruce Arena
Portland Timbers Portland, OR Jeld-Wen Field 2011 Caleb Porter
Real Salt Lake Sandy, UT Rio Tinto Stadium 2005 Jason Kreis
San Jose Earthquakes Santa Clara, CA Buck Shaw Stadium 2 1996 Frank Yallop
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle, WA CenturyLink Field 1 2009 Sigi Schmid
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver, BC BC Place1 2011 Martin Rennie
Notes
  1. Not a soccer-specific stadium / Shared facility
  2. To be replaced by a soccer-specific stadium
Team City Stadium Years Active
Defunct Clubs
Miami Fusion Fort Lauderdale, FL Lockhart Stadium 1998 – 2001
Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium 1996 – 2001

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