Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer). The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada. MLS represents the top tier of both the American and Canadian soccer pyramids. Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Unique for a major sports league, MLS operates under a single-entity structure, where each team is owned by the league and operated by its investors. The first season took place in 1996 beginning with 10 teams. Seasons presently run from March to December, with each team playing 34 games in the regular season. Ten teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs culminating in the championship game, MLS Cup. Major League Soccer's regular season runs from March to October with its 19 teams playing 34 games in an unbalanced schedule. Teams are divided into the Eastern and Western...