Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league with teams in both the United States and Canada. The league is sanctioned by the professional divisions of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), which are both members of FIFA The International Federation of Football Association. 14 teams currently participate in Major League Soccer, and the league will expand to 16 clubs by 2010 and 18 by 2012. The league is divided into both the Eastern and Western conferences.

Major League Soccer was founded in 1993, and the first games were played in 1996 between 10 original teams. The league has faced financial difficulty throughout its existence and has lower television ratings than other major American sports leagues, including Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. Since 2006, however, the league has grown in popularity, leading to the expansion of the league. Seven teams have won the MLS championship: DC United, the San Jose Earthquakes, the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Houston Dynamo, the Chicago Fire, Kansas City Wizards and the Columbus Crew.

Eastern Conference

Columbus Crew

Chicago Fire

New England Revolution

D.C. United

Toronto FC

Kansas City Wizards

New York Red Bulls

Western Conference

LA Galaxy

Houston Dynamo

Seattle Sounders FC

Chivas USA

Colorado Rapids

Real Salt Lake

FC Dallas

San Jose Earthquakes

• Soccer By Ives: http://www.soccerbyives.net

• MLS Rumors: http://www.mls-rumors.net

• Goal: http://www.goal.com

• Soccer Insider: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/socc...

• Du Nord: http://dunord.blogspot.com/

• Soccer America: http://www.socceramerica.com/

• Yanks Abroad: http://www.yanks-abroad.com/

• The 90th Minute: http://the90thminute.com

• Major League Soccer Talk: http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com

• Futbol USA: http://www.futbolusa.net/

• Formed on December 17, 1993

• 1996: Inaugural season with ten teams

• 1996: D.C. United win the inaugural MLS Cup

• 1998: League adds two expansion teams, Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion

• 2001: Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny disband from league

• 2004: League expands again, adding Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA

• 2007: MLS adds the Toronto FC