The first MLS Cup was held in 1996 and was known as the US Open Cup. The final tournament, in which the top teams from the American Soccer League and North American Soccer League competed, was the first time that the MLS Cup was contested.
The winner of the match is determined by a point system, with two points awarded for a win and one for a loss.
This was a single-game knockout style final between the San Jose Clash and the Dallas Burn. The match wasn’t streamed live, so only 1.3 million viewers watched the game.
A Brief History – The First MLS Cup
MLS started in 1996 and had its first season with less than ten teams. The D.C. United won the very first MLS Cup that season against the L.A. Galaxy.
How Do the MLS Cup Playoffs Work?
The MLS playoffs are a single-elimination style tournament played by the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference and the top six teams in the Western Conference. The MLS playoffs begin in mid-May and run through the first week of August.
The playoffs used to start with a single-game elimination. That means the teams are playing seven games to get to the Super Bowl. Today, teams play a total of four games, including one game in the NFL Divisional playoffs (or Conference Championship) and three games in the NFL Conference Championship games.
How Popular is the MLS Cup?
Since the MLS is a slow and sometimes difficult sport to watch, other entities, such as the NHL, NBA, MLB, and NFL, are gaining more popularity. This is causing many people to shift their fandom from watching soccer to watching other sports.
The 2021 MLS cup is expected to break the viewership record. The 2020 MLS cup had an average of 1.07 million people watch that game which is a record for the league.
How Does the MLS Cup Compare to Other Popular U.S. Sports?
*The MLS Cup Final averaged 1.14 million T.V. views this past weekend, which was up from the 2011 final between Colorado and Los Angeles that averaged 1.06 million. The ratings for the 2011 MLS Cup Final were up by about 16 percent from the 2009 final between Real Salt Lake and New York.
What MLS Team Has the Most Cups?
The Galaxy’s streak of five titles is the best in the league, and the record still stands despite the fact that it was broken by the Galaxy’s arch rivals and next-door neighbor, the San Jose Earthquakes, in 2018.
Is there a Name for the Cup?
MLS doesn’t give out titles, but the cup they give out is worth a lot. It’s a replica of the golden cup that was first given to the cup-winning team in the North American Soccer League (NASL) championship game in 1974 and is now the official trophy of the US National Football League (NFL). The award is named in memory of Phillip F. Anschutz. It is a solid silver trophy that weighs about 19 pounds. The cup is made of sterling silver and is decorated with six diamonds.
In 1975, the league decided to build an indoor arena which would be for soccer related events. They worked with a consortium with the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, the Kansas City Comets, the Sacramento Solons and the San Diego Jaws to build the LA sports palace.
Who Won the 2021 MLS Cup?
NYCFC’s win was a huge one since it was the first time for the team to win the MLS Cup. However, this was the debut of MLS Cup playoff format since the league only had one round of MLS Cup matches.
How is the MLS Cup Host Team Determined?
The team with the fewest regular-season points does not qualify for the playoffs. All teams are treated as equal in the playoff seeding. The team with the most regular-season points hosts the MLS cup.
When Does the MLS Cup Playoffs Take Place?
The MLS Cup ends in December each year. The league’s official website says that if the MLS Cup goes into overtime, “the winners are the team who scored the most goals during the regular season.” The regular season ended on September 9th and the playoffs have been going on since then.
What Stadium Gets to Host the MLS Cup Final?
In 2011, the game was played in Seattle instead of in the usual locations of New York and Los Angeles. Because of this, the MLS Cup was the first to begin to be played on a neutral site, and the first since 1996.
Although the 2012 games took place at Wembley Stadium, the 2013 games took place at Olympic Stadium. As the Olympics were in London, the Wembley was also unavailable.
What are the Conferences in MLS?
It was announced that in 2022, there will be 28 teams in Major League Soccer. There will be two conferences in the league, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
What is the Supporters’ Shield in MLS?
In 1999, the MLS champions received a bye into the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. That same year, the MLS champions were invited to the FIFA World Club Cup where they defeated A.F.C. Barcelona 2-1 on aggregate.
