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Revision as of 07:13, 29 September 2002 by Rgable (talk | contribs) (added some content; made minor edits)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Major League Soccer (MLS) is the name of the highest level men's professional soccer league in the United States. Players are mostly professionals from the United States but players from around the world are in the league, especially those from Latin America.
The league was formed in 1996, after several professional soccer leagues had failed in the United States and Canada. The Chicago Fire and the Miami Fusion joined in 1998. In 1999, the city of Columbus, Ohio built Columbus Crew Stadium, the first stadium ever built specifically for soccer in the United States. The Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion left the league after the 2001 season.
Attendance was strong the first season, declined for several years, and has recently stabilized.
Quality of play is generally seen to have greatly improved since the birth of the league. Similarly, the United States Men's National Team's success in the 2002 soccer World Cup is partly attributed to skills built through play in the league.
Unlike in other professional sports leagues in the United States, MLS is organized as a "single-entity" organization where the league contracts directly with the players, in an effort to control spending and maximize exposure. Each team has an owner/investor and the league allows an owner to have more than one team.
Current Member Teams
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
- Colorado Rapids
- Dallas Burn
- Kansas City Wizards
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- San Jose Earthquakes, formerly the San Jose Clash