Major League Soccer and Ivan Ribar: Difference between pages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Difference between pages)
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Read the MLS Cup article. It's labeled the league champion. This isn't ambiguous.
 
script-assisted date/terms audit; see mosnum, wp:overlink; lose flags
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox President
{{ infobox football league
| name = Major League Soccer
| name = Ivan Ribar
| logo = MajorLeagueSoccer.png
| image = Tito and Ivan Ribar in 1943.jpg
| caption = Ivan Ribar (standing) and [[Josip Broz Tito]] during the [[Battle of Sutjeska]], 1943.
| pixels =
| office = President of SFR Yugoslavia
| country = {{flagicon|USA}} [[United States Soccer Federation|United States]]<br>{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Canadian Soccer Association|Canada]]
| confed = [[CONCACAF]]
| order = 1st
| founded = [[1993 in football (soccer)|1993]]
| term_start = 2 December 1945
| First Season = [[1996 Major League Soccer season|1996]]
| term_end = 14 January 1953
| prime_minister = [[Josip Broz Tito]]
| Conferences = [[Eastern Conference (MLS)|Eastern]] & [[Western Conference (MLS)|Western]]
| teams = 14
| predecessor = ''Office established''
| successor = [[Josip Broz Tito]]
| domest_cup = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup|Lamar Hunt<br>U.S. Open Cup]]<br>{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Canadian Championship]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1881|1|21}}
| confed_cup = [[CONCACAF Champions League|CONCACAF<br>Champions League]]<br>[[North American SuperLiga|SuperLiga]]<br>[[Copa Sudamericana]]
| mlscupchamps = [[Houston Dynamo]]<br>([[MLS Cup 2006|2006]] & [[MLS Cup 2007|2007]])
| birth_place = [[Vukmanić]], [[Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia|Croatia-Slavonia]], [[Austria-Hungary]]
| nationality = [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] ([[Yugoslavs|Yugoslav]])
| shieldchamps = [[Columbus Crew]] ([[2008 Major League Soccer season|2008]])
| most_mlscups = [[D.C. United]] (4)
| religion = ''None'' ([[Atheist]])
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1968|6|11|1881|1|21}}
| most_shields = [[D.C. United]] (4)
| death_place = [[Zagreb]], [[Socialist Republic of Croatia|SR Croatia]], [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|SFR Yugoslavia]]
| tv = [[ESPN Major League Soccer|ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes]]<br />[[Fox Soccer Channel]], [[Fox Sports en Español]]<br />[[HDNet]]<br />[[TeleFutura]]<br />[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]<br />[[Rogers Sportsnet]]<br />[[The Score Television Network|The Score]]
| party = [[League of Communists of Yugoslavia|Communist Party of Yugoslavia]] (KPJ)
| website = [http://www.mlsnet.com MLSnet.com]
| current = [[2008 Major League Soccer season|2008 season]]
| spouse = [[Tonica Ribar]]
| children = [[Jurica Ribar]], [[Ivo Lola Ribar]]
}}
| occupation = [[Politician]]
| profession = [[Lawyer]]
|}}


'''Ivan Ribar''' (born on 21 January 1881, in [[Vukmanić]], [[Austria-Hungary]]; died on 11 June 1968, [[Zagreb]], [[Yugoslavia]]), was a [[Yugoslavia|Yugoslav]] politician of [[Croat]]ian descent.
'''Major League Soccer''' ('''MLS''') is the top-flight professional [[soccer]] league in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] with 14 teams, 13 in the U.S. and one in Canada. MLS represents the top tier of the [[American soccer pyramid|American]] and [[Canadian soccer pyramid|Canadian soccer pyramids]].


Ribar was born in Vukmanić near [[Karlovac]]. He had a [[PhD]] in law. In politics, Ribar was:
MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the bid for the United States to host the [[1994 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |title=About Major League Soccer |publisher=MLSnet |date=September 05, 2008 |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/about/ |accessdate=2008-09-05}}</ref> The first season took place in 1996, and the league began with 10 teams. Seasons run from late March or early April to November, with teams playing about 30 regular season games each. Eight teams from the league compete in the post-season [[MLS Cup Playoffs]], which culminate in [[MLS Cup]].
* President of the Royal Parliamentary Assembly, 1920 - 1922
* President of Executive Committee, Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation of Yugoslavia, 26 Oct 1942 - 4 Dec 1943
* Chairman of the Presidium of the Provisional People's Assembly, 4 Dec 1943 - 5 Mar 1945
* Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly, 2 Dec 1945 - 14 Jan 1953


Ivan Ribar lost his entire family during [[World War II]]: two sons [[Jurica Ribar]] and [[Ivo Lola Ribar]], as well as his wife Tonica. Both sons fought for the [[Yugoslav Partisans|Partisans]] against the Italian Fascists. Ivo Lola Ribar, his younger son, was in charge of the [[League of Young Communists of Yugoslavia]] (SKOJ) during the war, and was proclaimed posthumously a [[People's Hero of Yugoslavia]].
== Competition format ==


Ivan Ribar died in [[Zagreb]] at the age of 87.
The [[2008 Major League Soccer season]] will run from March 29 to October 26. The 14 teams in the league are divided into the [[MLS Eastern Conference|Eastern]] and [[MLS Western Conference|Western]] Conferences, each with seven teams. Each team plays 30 games over the course of 31 weeks, evenly divided between home and away matches. Each team plays every other team twice, home and away, for a total of 26 games. The remaining four games are intra-conference matches, often highlighting geographic and conference rivalries. The 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs will run from October 30 to November 23, culminating with [[MLS Cup 2008]] at [[The Home Depot Center]] in [[Carson, California|Carson]], [[California]].


{{start box}}
With its win in [[MLS Cup 2007]], the [[Houston Dynamo]] qualified for the final [[CONCACAF Champions League|CONCACAF Champions' Cup]]. [[D.C. United]] also qualified for the [[2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup]] by winning the [[MLS Supporters' Shield]] in 2007.
{{s-off}}

{{succession box |
Four teams from MLS are also playing in the [[CONCACAF Champions League]], which will replace the Champions' Cup, from [[CONCACAF Champions League 2008–09|late 2008 and early 2009]]. The 2007 MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo, 2007 Supporters' Shield winning D.C. United, [[2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup]] winning and 2007 MLS Cup runner-up [[New England Revolution]], and 2007 Supporters' Shield runner-up [[Club Deportivo Chivas USA|Chivas USA]] are participating in the tournament.<ref>{{cite news |last=Butler |first=Dylan |title=Champions League format unveiled |publisher=MLSnet |date=May 14, 2007 |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080514&content_id=158061&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp |accessdate=2008-05-14}}</ref> D.C. United and the Houston Dynamo were automatically seeded into the group stage, while New England and Chivas USA were required to play in the preliminary round.
before= [[Peter II of Yugoslavia|King Peter II (First Yugoslavia)]] |

title= [[List of Heads of State of Yugoslavia|President of Yugoslavia]] |
The [[North American SuperLiga|SuperLiga]], an MLS-[[Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación|FMF]] competition, entered its second season. The top four overall teams from the 2007 MLS season were D.C. United, Chivas USA, the Houston Dynamo, and the New England Revolution, and they competed in the [[2008 North American SuperLiga|2008 SuperLiga]] from July to August.
years= 1945&ndash;1953 |

after= [[Josip Broz Tito]]
== History ==
}}
=== Early years ===
{{end box}}

In 1996, Major League Soccer's original ten teams, the [[Columbus Crew]], [[D.C. United]], the [[New England Revolution]], the [[Red Bull New York|NY/NJ MetroStars]], the [[Tampa Bay Mutiny]], the [[Colorado Rapids]], the [[FC Dallas|Dallas Burn]], the [[Kansas City Wizards|Kansas City Wiz]], the [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] and the [[San Jose Earthquakes|San Jose Clash]] began play. The early years of the league gave rise to the [[Bruce Arena]]-led dynasty of D.C. United, which won MLS Cups in three of the league's first four seasons. It took the expansion [[Chicago Fire (soccer)|Chicago Fire]] in 1998 to end United's stranglehold on MLS Cup.

After its first season, MLS suffered from a decline in attendance. The league's quality was cast into doubt when the [[United States men's national soccer team|U.S. men's national team]], made up largely of MLS players, was eliminated in the first round of the [[1998 FIFA World Cup|1998 World Cup]] and finished in last place.

The league began to market itself on the talents of American players, both experienced veterans and fresh talents. Breakout stars like [[DaMarcus Beasley]] and [[Landon Donovan]] began making names for themselves in MLS before breaking into and starring for the U.S. national team, while established players such as [[Brian McBride]] and [[Clint Mathis]] continued to prove their value to both their MLS clubs and the U.S. national team.

The league's ongoing financial problems led to the departure of Commissioner [[Doug Logan]] after the end of the 1998 season. [[Don Garber]], a former [[National Football League|NFL]] International chief, was hired in his place and his leadership became instrumental to shoring up the league's future. Construction of [[Soccer-specific stadium|"soccer-specific" stadiums]] for the league's teams, largely funded by financiers such as [[Lamar Hunt]] and [[Phil Anschutz]], became a point of emphasis to bring fiscal health and ensure the league's survival. Hunt's [[Columbus Crew Stadium]], built in 1999, is often cited as a league model.

On the field, the early wave of international players who had joined MLS at its inception drifted into retirement or moved on to clubs elsewhere in the world. The run-up to the [[2002 World Cup]] saw a gradual shift in the league's philosophy toward the development of American talent, a move that would eventually lead to success for U.S. Soccer.

=== Resurgence ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin-left:1em;float:right"
|+'''MLS Major Trophy Winners'''
!width="75"|Season
!width="150"|[[MLS Cup]]<br>League Champions
!width="150"|[[MLS Supporters' Shield|Supporters' Shield]]<br>Regular Season Champions
|-
|align=center|[[2008 Major League Soccer season|2008]]
|[[2008 MLS Cup Playoffs|TBD]]
|[[Columbus Crew]]
|-
|align=center |[[2007 Major League Soccer season|2007]]
|[[Houston Dynamo]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|-
|align=center |[[2006 Major League Soccer season|2006]]
|[[Houston Dynamo]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|-
|align=center |[[2005 Major League Soccer season|2005]]
|[[Los Angeles Galaxy]]
|[[San Jose Earthquakes]]
|-
|align=center |[[2004 Major League Soccer season|2004]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|[[Columbus Crew]]
|-
|align=center |[[2003 Major League Soccer season|2003]]
|[[San Jose Earthquakes]]
|[[Chicago Fire (soccer)|Chicago Fire]]
|-
|align=center |[[2002 Major League Soccer season|2002]]
|[[Los Angeles Galaxy]]
|[[Los Angeles Galaxy]]
|-
|align=center |[[2001 Major League Soccer season|2001]]
|[[San Jose Earthquakes]]
|[[Miami Fusion]]
|-
|align=center |[[2000 Major League Soccer season|2000]]
|[[Kansas City Wizards]]
|[[Kansas City Wizards]]
|-
|align=center |[[1999 Major League Soccer season|1999]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|-
|align=center |[[1998 Major League Soccer season|1998]]
|[[Chicago Fire (soccer)|Chicago Fire]]
|[[Los Angeles Galaxy]]
|-
|align=center |[[1997 Major League Soccer season|1997]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|-
|align=center |[[1996 Major League Soccer season|1996]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|[[Tampa Bay Mutiny]]
|}

The 2002 World Cup, in which the [[United States]] unexpectedly made the quarterfinals through wins against [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]] and [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]], triggered a resurgence in American soccer and MLS. At [[MLS Cup 2002]], held four months after the 2002 World Cup final, set an attendance record as a sellout crowd at [[Gillette Stadium]] saw the Los Angeles Galaxy win their first title.

MLS drew international attention in 2004 with the debut of 14-year-old [[Freddy Adu]] for D.C. United, who entered the league with much fanfare and was heralded as one of the top prospects in American soccer history.

MLS underwent a significant transition in the years leading up to the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]]. After marketing itself on the talents of American players, the league saw some of its homegrown stars depart for more prominent leagues in [[Europe]]. [[Tim Howard]], goalkeeper for the [[Red Bull New York|MetroStars]], was sold to [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history. DaMarcus Beasley of the Chicago Fire left for [[PSV]], while Landon Donovan, on loan from [[Bayer 04 Leverkusen|Bayer Leverkusen]], was recalled back to Germany. Donovan's stint in Germany was brief; before the start of the [[2005 Major League Soccer season|2005 MLS season]] he was sold back to MLS to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Many more American players, though they factored little in the U.S. national team picture, did make an impact in MLS. In 2005, [[Jason Kreis]] of the expansion team [[Real Salt Lake]] became the first player to score at least 100 career MLS goals. In 2005, the [[MLS Reserve Division]] was created, with each reserve squad playing 12 games, providing valuable playing time to develop non-starters on team rosters.

=== 2006-present ===
Since 2006, Major League Soccer's leadership has taken steps to "''internationalize''" the league in an effort to raise the level of play. Among the first moves in this regard was the [[Designated Player Rule]], which helped MLS bring international stars into the league, despite the relatively meager MLS salary cap, and the creation of the [[North American SuperLiga|SuperLiga]], which pits the best of MLS against top Mexican clubs in an effort to provide more meaningful competition for both leagues. MLS changed the rules regarding foreign players in the league to allow more of them.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Steve |title=Desire to maintain quality drives foreign player rule |publisher=ESPNsoccernet |date=December 26, 2007 |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=493683&cc=4716 |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref> However, despite the increasing number of foreign players in MLS, the Houston Dynamo were able to establish a domestic dynasty, winning both the 2006 and 2007 titles with mostly American and Canadian talent.

The [[2006 Major League Soccer season|2006 season]] confirmed Major League Soccer as a stable entity within both American and international soccer. [[Bob Bradley]], whose reputation was scarred by disappointing results when coaching the MetroStars, turned around second-year [[Chivas USA]], who in their inaugural season had finished last among all teams in the league.

The [[2007 Major League Soccer season|2007 season]] saw the MLS debut of [[David Beckham]], whose signing has been seen as a coup for American soccer. Beckham's signing by the Los Angeles Galaxy was made possible by the Designated Player Rule. [[Marcelo Gallardo]] of [[Paris Saint-Germain]] transferred to D.C. United, [[Cuauhtémoc Blanco]] of [[Club América]] signed for the Chicago Fire, and [[Juan Pablo Ángel]], who moved from [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] to the [[Red Bull New York|New York Red Bulls]], are just some of the Designated Players who have made major contributions to their clubs.

The departures of [[Clint Dempsey]] to [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] and [[Jozy Altidore]] to [[Villarreal C.F.|Villarreal]], coupled with the return of former U.S. national team stars [[Claudio Reyna]] and [[Brian McBride]] to New York and Chicago, respectively, highlight the exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans for MLS. Several other well-known foreign players have followed Beckham and Blanco to MLS, including [[Guillermo Barros Schelotto]] to Columbus and [[Luciano Emilio]] to D.C.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lalas |first=Greg |title=Foreign exchange program |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=[[2007-04-17]] |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/greg_lalas/04/17/mls.signings/index.html |accessdate=2007-04-22}}</ref>

[[Toronto FC]], who joined the league for the [[2007 Major League Soccer season|2007 season]], were the league's first entrant from Canada.

In the inaugural [[2007 North American SuperLiga|2007 SuperLiga]], which was the product of the league's marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing, the Los Angeles Galaxy lost on penalty kicks to [[Pachuca C.F.|Pachuca]], as the league attempted to translate the traditional rivalry between the U.S. and [[Mexico national football team|Mexican]] national teams to the club level. Though it has only two seasons of existence, the tournament has been declared a success for both leagues.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Steve |title=SuperLiga and Beckham add zest to July |publisher=ESPNsoccernet |date=July 30, 2007 |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=448831&root=mls&cc=4716 |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref>

== Organization ==

Recently "''expansion''," "''contraction''," and "''rebranding''" have become buzzwords for the league and its fans. The league has renewed its emphasis on improving the quality of play by its teams via initiatives such as the Designated Player Rule and the creation of a league-wide youth development system.<ref name= youth>{{cite news |title=MLS launches Youth Development Initiative |publisher=Major League Soccer Communications |date=November 10, 2006 |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_events_news.jsp?ymd=20061110&content_id=78269&vkey=mlscuppr2006&fext=.jsp}}</ref>

===Game First===

The 2007 MLS offseason has been considered by some to be the most productive in the history of the league,<ref>{{cite news |last=Martin |irst=Pat |title=MLS comes out of the gates strong in '07 |publisher=monstersandcritics.com |date=May 4, 2007 |url=http://www.monstersandcritics.com/sport/soccer/article_1300505.php/MLS_comes_out_of_the_gates_strong_in_07 |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref> and there were a number of changes made to the league, which have brought about an increase in the league's ability to compete financially as well as on the field. The league announced a youth development initiative,<ref name= youth /> which will require youth development programs for all of the league's teams. The hope is that by being able to sign up to two of its own youth players to the senior team each year that the league's teams will have an incentive to improve the quality of the league's talent in an organic way that will also benefit the league through transfer fees for outgoing players. Perhaps the first example of a success in "''home-grown''" talent development was New York's [[Jozy Altidore]], who rose to prominence as one of the league's most skilled young strikers before fetching the league's record transfer fee in his move to [[Villarreal C.F.|Villarreal]] in 2008.

Furthering the development of the league was the decision to create the Designated Player Rule, which allows for clubs to pay up to two players a salary beyond that covered in the salary cap at their own expense. A host of veteran players including [[Cuauhtémoc Blanco]], [[Juan Pablo Ángel]], [[Guillermo Barros Schelotto]], and [[David Beckham]] joined MLS and improved the league's level of play and the game's overall profile in the U.S. and the league's profile abroad.

The league also announced "''Game First''," a series of initiatives aimed at improving the league in several ways. One of the most immediate changes is that [[United States Soccer Federation|U.S. Soccer]] hired the first full-time professional referees in league history.<ref>{{cite news |title='Game First' initiatives enhance on-field product |publisher=Major League Soccer Communications |date=April 2, 2007 |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070402&content_id=87043&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref> Another part of "''Game First''" was the creation of an official league anthem similar to other competitions from around the world. There are two versions of the MLS Anthem, an [http://web.mlsnet.com/media/player/mp_tpl.jsp?w=mms%3A//a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2007/audio/04/040607_mls_anthem_full.wma&w_id=6903&catCode=gen_audio&type=a_free&_mp=1 orchestral version] that is performed before every regular season game and an [http://web.mlsnet.com/media/player/mp_tpl.jsp?w=mms%3A//a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2007/audio/11/mls_final_90_vox_sting_end.wma&w_id=15059&catCode=gen_audio&type=a_free&_mp=1 orchestral chorus version with a chorus] that is played before the [[Major League Soccer All-Star Game|MLS All-Star Game]] and [[MLS Cup]].

=== Stadiums ===
<!--FOR THE LAST TIME, the plural of stadium is BOTH stadiums and stadia. This article is based on a sports league in America, and American English more commonly uses "stadiums". Please consult WP:ENGVAR if your aversion to American English is THAT strong. -Roehl Sybing -->

When the league began, most clubs played in stadiums built specifically for [[National Football League|professional]] or [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|college]] [[American football]]. This was based on the record attendances from the 1994 World Cup. However, this policy turned out to be a considerable expense to the league because of modest attendances from the league's second season on and poor leasing deals. To provide better facilities and control revenue for the stadium, a major goal of MLS is to build its own stadiums, which are often called [[soccer-specific stadium]]s, or SSSs.

Since 1999, the league has overseen the construction and completion of six venues specifically designed for soccer. Lamar Hunt broke new ground in this endeavour by financing the construction of [[Columbus Crew Stadium]]. The Los Angeles Galaxy followed four years later with the opening of [[The Home Depot Center]] in [[2003 Major League Soccer season|2003]]. Chivas USA has shared this venue with the Galaxy since their expansion season in [[2004 Major League Soccer season|2004]]. It also played host to two consecutive MLS Cups, until FC Dallas opened [[Pizza Hut Park]] in [[2005 Major League Soccer season|2005]] and hosted the next two championships. The Chicago Fire began playing their home games in [[Toyota Park (Bridgeview)|Toyota Park]] in [[2006 Major League Soccer season|2006]]. [[2007 Major League Soccer season|2007]] saw the opening of [[Dick's Sporting Goods Park]] for the Colorado Rapids and [[BMO Field]] for the expansion Toronto FC. Near the end of the [[2008 Major League Soccer season|2008 season]], [[Rio Tinto Stadium]] became the new home of Real Salt Lake.

Other stadiums are currently under construction. [[Red Bull Arena (MLS)|Red Bull Arena]], the new home of Red Bull New York, began construction in December 2007 with the goal of beginning play there at some point in 2009. D.C. United, the Kansas City Wizards, the Houston Dynamo, the New England Revolution,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1014772 |title=Revolution’s the goal: Somerville talks stadium with Krafts |author=Scott Van Voorhis |publisher=[[Boston Herald]] |date=2007-08-02}}</ref> and the San Jose Earthquakes are actively searching for ways to finance and build their respective stadiums.

Seattle Sounders FC will play at [[Qwest Field]], home of the [[Seattle Seahawks]], but the owners have pledged that only the lower portion of the stadium will be used in order to create a better atmosphere for soccer. The Philadelphia franchise plans to play in the new [[Chester Stadium]] when they enter the league in 2010.

The move to soccer-specific stadiums has been seen by many as essential to building up attendance and fan support for MLS. So far, every club that has built its own stadium has not only seen its game attendance rise, but also has helped MLS achieve profitability. Thanks to their new stadium, the Los Angeles Galaxy became the first club to make a profit, followed in 2006 by FC Dallas.

=== Media coverage ===

At the outset, MLS signed deals for coverage on [[ESPN]], [[ESPN2]] and [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]], while [[Univision]], [[Galavision]], and [[Telemundo]] broadcasted matches in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. The original Univision deal lapsed after a few years, leaving only the ABC/ESPN family of networks as the league's national broadcasters. [[Fox Soccer Channel|Fox Sports World]] (later rebranded as [[Fox Soccer Channel]] in 2005), [[Fox Sports en Español]] and [[HDNet]] began airing matches in 2003. The 2007 MLS season was the first season, however, for which television rights were sold to networks at a profit. Previously, MLS paid networks to broadcast its games. It is estimated MLS will receive about $30 million from TV revenue alone within the next eight years.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/cup2002/2002-06-26-usa-next.htm USAToday.com], Sponsors, TV contracts next on USA's agenda. [[June 26]], [[2002]], retrieved [[May 1]], [[2008]].</ref>

With the addition of Toronto FC, coverage of MLS expanded into Canada in 2007. The [[CBC Television|CBC]], [[The Score Television Network|The Score]] and [[Rogers Sportsnet]] all broadcast Toronto matches nationwide.

The league's [[MLS Direct Kick]] package, which broadcasts out-of-market matches, has been expanded to ensure that every league match is broadcast. Univision and its family of networks resumed MLS broadcasts in 2007 as well, with most matches airing on TeleFutura and [[Galavisión (USA)|Galavision]] on Sunday afternoons and evenings.

The 2007 season was the first in the league's history in which every regular season match was telecast live, and many games were shown on national television. [[MLS Primetime Thursday]] on ESPN networks featured a live match for the first time on Thursdays each week, and Fox Soccer Channel's ''MLS Saturday'' expanded to a 3-hour format, with both a pregame and postgame show wrapped around the featured match each week. Additionally, Fox Soccer Channel produces their own news on MLS and special original programs on players, such as ''Beckham Unwrapped'', a biographical update for summer 2007 on the Galaxy's David Beckham.

Major League Soccer also offers streaming live video of some matches via its website.

=== "Profitability" ===

Major League Soccer has lost more than $350 million since its founding, according to a report by ''[[BusinessWeek]]'' in 2004.<ref name=profit>{{cite news |last=Holmes |first=Stanley |title=Soccer: Time To Kick It Up A Notch |publisher=Businessweek |date=November 22, 2004 |url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_47/b3909099.htm?campaign_id=search%20Soccer:%20Time%20To%20Kick%20It%20Up%20A%20Notch |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref> However, there are positive signs for profitability in the near future. As soccer-specific stadiums are built, ownership expands and television coverage increases, MLS has managed to see their revenues increase while costs are kept to a minimum. The 2003 season saw the Los Angeles Galaxy make a profit in their first season at the [[Home Depot Center]],<ref name=profit/> while FC Dallas turned a profit in similar fashion after moving into [[Pizza Hut Park]] in 2005.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}

{| class="wikitable" style=float:right
|-
|+ colspan="4"|Shirt sponsorships
|-
!Team
!Sponsor
![http://branddunk.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/mls-jersey-sponsorship-deals/ Value]
|-
|[[Chicago Fire (soccer)|Chicago Fire]]
|[[Best Buy]]
|[http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3ibd29ae66455c7a70d458cd1b6cac6d90 $7.5M over 3 years]
|-
|[[Chivas USA]]
|[[Comex]]
|[http://chivas.usa.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20070516&content_id=93797&vkey=pr_cdc&fext=.jsp&team=t120 $2M per year]
|-
|[[Columbus Crew]]
|[[Glidden (paints)|Glidden]]
|[http://www.glidden.com/press/CrewRelease.pdf $1M per year]
|-
|[[D.C. United]]
|[[Volkswagen of America|Volkswagen]]
|[http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3ibd29ae66455c7a70d458cd1b6cac6d90 $14M over 5 years]
|-
|[[Houston Dynamo]]
|[[Amigo Energy]]
|[http://houston.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20070815&content_id=111551&vkey=pr_hou&fext=.jsp&team=t200 $1.9M per year]
|-
|[[Los Angeles Galaxy]]
|[[Herbalife]]
|[http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20070323&content_id=86353&vkey=pr_lag&fext=.jsp&team=t106 $4M-$5M per year]
|-
|[[Real Salt Lake]]
|[[XanGo]]
|[http://www.xango.com/misc/real_salt_lake.html $500K-$1M per year]
|-
|[[Red Bull New York|New York Red Bulls]]
|[[Red Bull GmbH|Red Bull]]
|[http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20060309&content_id=53501&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp Part of $100M deal for team and stadium]
|-
|[[Seattle Sounders FC]] (2009)
|[[Microsoft|Xbox 360 Live]]
|[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121194248966725139.html $20M over 5 years]
|-
|[[Toronto FC]]
|[[Bank of Montreal|BMO]]
|[http://www2.bmo.com/news/article/0,1083,contentCode-6330_divId-4_langId-1_navCode-116,00.html $1M-$1.5M per year]
|}Television coverage has consistently expanded throughout the league's history, as MLS brokered a deal with ESPN in 2006 for rights fees and a greater presence across its networks. The 2007 season saw the return of MLS to Univision and its Spanish-language networks. They joined Fox Soccer Channel and HDNet as the U.S. national outlets, and the league has mandated that every league game receive television coverage either nationally or locally in one or both teams' cities for broadcast on its ''Direct Kick'' package.

In 2007, MLS teams started selling ad space on the front of jerseys to go along with the league-wide sponsorship partners who had already been advertising on the back of club jerseys, following the practice of international sport, specifically soccer. The league has established a floor of $500,000 per shirt sponsorship, with the league receiving a flat fee of $200,000 per deal.<ref>{{cite news |last=Weinbach |first=John |title=Major League Soccer to sell ad space on jerseys |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=September 28, 2006 |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06271/725842-28.stm |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref> Online gambling and hard liquor sponsorships are prohibited. As of July 2008, ten of the league's fifteen teams (including Seattle Sounders FC, who will begin play in 2009) have signed sponsorship deals to have company logos placed on the front of their team jerseys.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber said on May 11, 2006 that he expects the league's clubs to be profitable by 2010 overall. He reported that FC Dallas and the L.A. Galaxy are already profitable, with several other clubs nearing profitability. A year later, he revealed that the Chicago Fire, the Colorado Rapids, and Toronto FC were on track for profitibility by 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last=Longman |first=Jere |title=Beckham Arrives to Find a Sport Thriving in Its Own Way |publisher=''The New York Times'' |date=July 8, 2007 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/sports/soccer/08beckham.html?ex=1186372800&en=8ac84814e27d5891&ei=5070 |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref>

=== Ownership ===

MLS operates under a single-entity structure in which teams are centrally controlled by the league. In order to keep costs under control, revenues are shared throughout the league, player contracts are negotiated by the league, and ultimately players are contracted not with individual teams but with the league itself. The league fought a bitter legal battle with its players over its economic system, but this was eventually resolved with the players gaining some improved benefits in return for accepting the single entity structure. A court had also ruled that even absent their [[collective bargaining agreement]], players could opt to play in other leagues if they were unsatisfied.

The league's cost-controlling measures have attracted new ownership that have injected more money into the league, improving it and focusing the league's resources on fewer clubs. Examples include the [[Anschutz Entertainment Group]]'s sale of the MetroStars to [[Red Bull]], for an "excess of $100 million," according to the ''New York Times''. Commissioner Garber said to the ''Los Angeles Times'' that "the sale was part of a plan to have AEG decrease its holdings in MLS. We're pushing Hunt Sports to do the same thing."

Commissioner Garber has stated that having multiple clubs owned by a single owner was a necessity in the first 10 years of MLS, but now that the league appears to be on the brink of overall profitability and has significant expansion plans, he wants each club to have a distinct owner. In order to help bring this about, the league is now giving more incentive to be an individual club owner, with all owners now having the rights to a certain number of players they develop through their club's academy system each year, sharing the profits of [[Soccer United Marketing]], MLS' media and marketing arm, and being able to sell individual club jersey sponsorships.

At one time AEG owned six teams in MLS, and have since sold the Colorado Rapids, the MetroStars, D.C. United and the Chicago Fire to new owners. AEG's remaining teams are the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chicago Fire sold to Andell Holdings |publisher=Chicago Fire Media Relations |date=September 6, 2007 |url=http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070906&content_id=115581&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp |accessdate=2008-05-11}}</ref> The other major owner-investor in MLS has been [[Lamar Hunt#Major League Soccer|Hunt Sports]], which owns the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas, having sold the Kansas City Wizards in to a [[OnGoal|local ownership group]] in 2006. The league now has 14 owners for their 16 clubs.

=== Rule changes ===

MLS experimented with deviations from [[Laws of the Game|IFAB rules and standards]] in its early years, some of which had been used in the [[North American Soccer League|NASL]] and continue to be used in [[college soccer]] and many [[National Federation of State High School Associations|high school associations]].

Among them was the use of a countdown clock, rather than a standard progressive clock, with time paused for dead ball situations at a referee's discretion. Halves ended when the clock reached 0:00, rather than at the whistle of the referee as was customary elsewhere.

Also implemented was the use of shootouts to resolve tie games. These best-of-five contests placed a player 35 yards from goal with five seconds to put the ball past the opposing goalkeeper; if needed the shootout progressed into extra frames. A winning team received one standings point (as opposed to three for the regulation win).

While [[International Football Association Board|IFAB]] rules allow teams to substitute three players during games, MLS allowed a fourth, goalkeeper-only substitute. MLS discarded the rule after 2003 and adopted the IFAB standard, prompted in part by a match in which then MetroStars coach and current U.S. national team manager [[Bob Bradley]] used a loophole to insert an outfield player as a fourth substitute.

MLS eventually conceded that the rules changes, particularly the shootout, had alienated some traditional soccer fans while failing to draw new American sports fans as hoped. The shootout and countdown clock were eliminated after the 1999 season.

MLS continued to experiment with the settling of tie games in regular season play. In 2000, a 10-minute [[golden goal]] period replaced the shootout for tied games. It was abandoned after 2003. The golden-goal overtime remained through 2004 for playoff matches, where it had been used since the league's inception.

In 2005 the league adopted a playoff extra time structure that followed new IFAB standards for such situations: two full 15-minute periods, followed by penalty kicks if necessary. The [[away goals rule]] is not used in any playoff round.

== Teams ==
{{MLS Labelled Map|float=right}}

There are 14 MLS teams divided between the [[MLS Eastern Conference|Eastern]] and [[MLS Western Conference|Western]] Conferences. Each club is allowed 28 players on their full roster. This is further divided to an 18 player senior roster and 10 player developmental roster. All 28 players are eligible for selection to the game-day squad.

Before its maiden season and [[1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft|inaugural draft]], MLS [[allocation (MLS)|allocated]] four marquee players across the initial ten teams. These [[1996 MLS Inaugural Allocations|inaugural allocations]] consisted of key U.S. national team and international players such as [[Eric Wynalda]] and [[Hugo Sánchez]].

The league added its first two [[expansion team]]s for the [[1998 Major League Soccer season|1998 season]]: the Chicago Fire and [[Miami Fusion F.C.]] However, following the [[2001 Major League Soccer season|2001 season]], Miami and the [[Tampa Bay Mutiny]] were disbanded and MLS returned to ten teams. Following the [[2004 Major League Soccer season|2004 season]], the league has expanded with four new teams: [[Real Salt Lake]] and Chivas USA in [[2005 Major League Soccer season|2005]], [[Toronto FC]] in [[2007 Major League Soccer season|2007]], and the [[San Jose Earthquakes]] return in [[2008 Major League Soccer season|2008]]. Although the San Jose Earthquakes relocated to Houston and became the Dynamo, the Earthquakes name and history were not transferred, making the Dynamo an expansion team.

As of 2008, MLS has had sixteen different clubs over the years, but only six have won [[MLS Cup]].

For the 2008 season, teams are aligned as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style=background-color:blue colspan=7 | <font size=3 font color=white>[[MLS Eastern Conference|Eastern Conference]]</font>
|-
! Team
! Stadium
! Founded
|-
| '''[[Chicago Fire (soccer)|Chicago Fire]]'''
| [[Toyota Park (Bridgeview)|Toyota Park]]
| align=center | 1997
|-
| '''[[Columbus Crew]]'''
| [[Columbus Crew Stadium]]
| align=center | 1994
|-
| '''[[D.C. United]]'''
| [[RFK Stadium]]<sup>1</sup>
| align=center | 1995
|-
| '''[[Kansas City Wizards]]'''
| [[CommunityAmerica Ballpark]]<sup>1 2</sup>
| align=center | 1995
|-
| '''[[New England Revolution]]'''
| [[Gillette Stadium]]<sup>1</sup>
| align=center | 1995
|-
| '''[[Red Bull New York|New York Red Bulls]]'''
| [[Giants Stadium]]<sup>1 2</sup>
| align=center | 1995
|-
| '''[[Toronto FC]]'''
| [[BMO Field]]
| align=center | 2006
|-
! style=background-color:orange colspan=7 | <font size=3 font color=white>[[MLS Western Conference|Western Conference]]</font>
|-
| '''[[Club Deportivo Chivas USA|Chivas USA]]'''
| [[The Home Depot Center]]
| align=center | 2004
|-
| '''[[Colorado Rapids]]'''
| [[Dick's Sporting Goods Park]]
| align=center | 1995
|-
| '''[[FC Dallas]]'''
| [[Pizza Hut Park]]
| align=center | 1996
|-
| '''[[Houston Dynamo]]'''
| [[Robertson Stadium]]<sup>1</sup>
| align=center | 2005
|-
| '''[[Los Angeles Galaxy]]'''
| [[The Home Depot Center]]
| align=center | 1995
|-
| '''[[Real Salt Lake]]'''
| [[Rio Tinto Stadium]]
| align=center | 2004
|-
| '''[[San Jose Earthquakes]]'''
| [[Buck Shaw Stadium]]<sup>2 3</sup>
| align=center | 1995
|}

<sup>1</sup> '''''Not''''' a soccer-specific stadium<br>
<sup>2</sup> To be replaced by a soccer-specific stadium<br>
<sup>3</sup> Select "big" games played at [[Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum]]<br>

; Former teams

* [[Miami Fusion F.C.]] (1998–2001)
* [[Tampa Bay Mutiny]] (1996–2001)

; Future teams

* [[Seattle Sounders FC]] (2009)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=480678&cc=5901 |accessdate=2008-01-20 |title=Seattle to get expansion MLS franchise for 2009 |publisher=ESPNsoccernet |date=2007-11-09}}</ref>
* [[Major League Soccer Philadelphia 2010|Philadelphia]] (2010)<ref>MLS to make major announcement in Philly: http://www.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080227&content_id=140899&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp</ref>

=== Expansion ===
{{Main|Expansion of Major League Soccer}}

MLS plans on expanding to 18 teams by 2011. However, only two of those four teams have been officially chosen and announced. During the week of [[MLS Cup 2007]] MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that the first of these teams will begin play in 2009 when [[Seattle Sounders FC]] enters the league. Seattle's primary ownership group includes the USL's [[Seattle Sounders (USL)|Sounders]] owner [[Adrian Hanauer]], [[Seattle Seahawks]] owner [[Paul Allen]], comedian [[Drew Carey]], and Hollywood producer [[Joe Roth]]. The team will play its home games at [[Qwest Field]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20071113&content_id=129230&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp |title=MLS announces expansion in Seattle |accessdate=2008-07-24 |publisher=MLSnet.com |date=2007-11-13 }}</ref>

At a February 28, 2008 press conference, Garber announced the 16th franchise would be granted to [[Major League Soccer Philadelphia 2010|Philadelphia]]. Joining the league in the 2010 season, the [[Philadelphia]] club will play in a 20,000-seat stadium to be built just west of the [[Commodore Barry Bridge]] in [[Chester, Pennsylvania|Chester]], [[Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20080228&content_id=140965&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp |title=MLS awards Philadelphia 2010 expansion team |accessdate=2008-07-24 |publisher=MLSnet.com |date=2008-02-28 }}</ref> No name for the team has been announced, but well before MLS awarded Philadelphia a franchise, a dedicated supporters group dubbed "''[[Sons of Ben (MLS supporters association)|The Sons of Ben]]''" was formed in the hopes of attracting a team.

While the cities for the 17th and 18th franchises have not been announced, during the build-up to the 2008 MLS All-Star game MLS announced a list of candidate cities that had been revised from the list that had been released many months before. The cities in the running for the next two MLS franchises are [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], a second team in the [[New York metro area]] more adjacent to downtown [[New York City, New York|New York City]], and [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] in the U.S., as well as [[Montreal]], [[Ottawa, Ontario|Ottawa]], and [[Vancouver, British Columbia|Vancouver]] in Canada. Apart from that list of cities, [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]] is also in contention for a team having narrowly missed out on the franchise that was awarded to Philadelphia.<ref>http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=557330&sec=mls&cc=5901</ref> The expansion fee is expected to be in the region $40 million.

=== Team names ===

{{Main|Football club names}}
: ''For more information on MLS team names, see the individual team entries.''

Originally, in the style of other U.S. sports, teams were given nicknames at their creation such as the Columbus Crew, San Jose Clash, or Tampa Bay Mutiny. D.C. United and Miami Fusion FC were the two exceptions that adopted more traditional names. However, new teams such as Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC have adopted names similar to European clubs, and [[Dallas FC]] changed its name from the Dallas Burn.

[[Club Deportivo Chivas USA|Chivas USA]] is the only MLS team whose name does not specify a specific city, state or region. The club is named after the Mexican side [[Club Deportivo Guadalajara|Guadalajara]], who are often known by their nickname "''Chivas''," which translates to "''Goats''." The Mexican club (based in [[Guadalajara, Jalisco|Guadalajara]], Mexico) and Chivas USA share the same ownership. Though [[Real Salt Lake]] was not originally affiliated with [[Real Madrid]], in 2006 the two clubs signed an agreement to play friendly matches every two years, and to co-sponsor a soccer academy and training facility in Utah.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060902/ai_n16711063 Real Madrid will be back in '08]</ref> The beverage company [[Red Bull]] owns both [[Red Bull New York]] and the Austrian club [[Red Bull Salzburg]].

Some of the MLS team names have their origins in defunct American professional soccer leagues like the [[North American Soccer League|NASL]], such as the [[San Jose Earthquakes (NASL)|San Jose Earthquakes]] and the [[Seattle Sounders (NASL)|Seattle Sounders]].

=== Rivalries and 2-team cup competitions ===

* Chivas USA — Los Angeles Galaxy ([[Honda SuperClasico]])
* Chicago Fire — FC Dallas ([[Brimstone Cup]])
* D.C. United — New York Red Bulls ([[Atlantic Cup]])
* Columbus Crew — Toronto FC ([[Trillium Cup]])
* Colorado Rapids — Real Salt Lake ([[Rocky Mountain Cup]])
* Los Angeles Galaxy — San Jose Earthquakes ([[California Clasico]]/[[Interstate 5 Rivalry]])
* FC Dallas — Houston Dynamo ([[El Capitan Clasico]]/[[Texas Derby]])
* Columbus Crew — FC Dallas ([[Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup]], pre-season)

== Players ==
'''''Bold''' indicates active MLS players''

{{col-begin}}
{{col-4}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ <big>'''Goals'''</big><br/><small>''Regular Season only''</small>
!Rank
!Player
!G
|-
|align=center|1
|{{flagicon|BOL}} '''[[Jaime Moreno]]'''
|align=center|122
|-
|align=center|2
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Ante Razov]]'''
|align=center|114
|-
|align=center|3
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jason Kreis]]
|align=center|108
|-
|align=center|4
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jeff Cunningham]]'''
|align=center|104
|-
|align=center|5
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Taylor Twellman]]'''
|align=center|98
|-
|align=center|6
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Roy Lassiter]]
|align=center|88
|-
|align=center|7
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Landon Donovan]]'''
|align=center|83
|-
|rowspan="2" align=center|8
|{{flagicon|SLV}} [[Raúl Díaz Arce]]
|align=center|82
|-
|{{flagicon|GUA}} '''[[Carlos Ruíz]]'''
|align=center|82
|-
|align=center|10
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Preki]]
|align=center|79
|}
{{col-4}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ <big>'''Goals Against Average'''</big><br><small>''Regular Season only, 1500+ minutes''</small>
!Rank
!Player
!GAA
|-
|align=center|1
|{{flagicon|CAN}} '''[[Pat Onstad]]'''
|align=center|1.08
|-
|align=center|2
|{{flagicon|SEN}} '''[[Bouna Coundoul]]'''
|align=center|1.17
|-
|align=center|3
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jon Busch]]'''
|align=center|1.19
|-
|align=center|4
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Troy Perkins]]
|align=center|1.22
|-
|align=center|5
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Kevin Hartman]]'''
|align=center|1.23
|-
|align=center|6
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Will Hesmer]]
|align=center|1.28
|-
|align=center|7
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Joe Cannon]]'''
|align=center|1.29
|-
|rowspan="2" align=center|8
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Zach Thornton]]'''
|align=center|1.30
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Matt Reis]]'''
|align=center|1.30
|-
|align=center|10
|{{flagicon|ARG}} '''[[Darío Sala]]'''
|align=center|1.31
|}
{{col-4}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ <big>'''Games Played'''</big><br><small>''Regular Season only''</small>
!Rank
!Player
!GP
|-
|align=center|1
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Steve Ralston]]'''
|align=center|358
|-
|align=center|2
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chris Henderson]]
|align=center|317
|-
|align=center|3
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Cobi Jones]]
|align=center|306
|-
|align=center|4
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jason Kreis]]
|align=center|305
|-
|align=center|5
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Kevin Hartman]]'''
|align=center|301
|-
|align=center|6
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jesse Marsch]]'''
|align=center|296
|-
|align=center|7
|{{flagicon|BOL}} '''[[Jaime Moreno]]'''
|align=center|293
|-
|align=center|8
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Chris Klein]]'''
|align=center|291
|-
|rowspan="2" align=center|9
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jeff Cunningham]]'''
|align=center|287
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jay Heaps]]'''
|align=center|287
|}
{{col-4}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ <big>'''Minutes Played'''</big><br><small>''Regular Season only''</small>
!Rank
!Player
!MINS
|-
|align=center|1
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Steve Ralston]]'''
|align=center|31,600
|-
|align=center|2
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Kevin Hartman]]'''
|align=center|26,955
|-
|align=center|3
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chris Henderson]]
|align=center|26,242
|-
|align=center|4
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jason Kreis]]
|align=center|25,242
|-
|align=center|5
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Cobi Jones]]
|align=center|25,157
|-
|align=center|6
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jay Heaps]]'''
|align=center|25,013
|-
|align=center|7
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Chris Klein]]'''
|align=center|24,518
|-
|align=center|8
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mark Chung]]
|align=center|24,470
|-
|align=center|9
|{{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jesse Marsch]]'''
|align=center|23,612
|-
|align=center|10
|{{flagicon|BOL}} '''[[Jaime Moreno]]'''
|align=center|23,584
|}
{{col-4}}
{{col-end}}

[http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/history/alltime_leaders.jsp Last Updated October 12, 2008]

== MLS commissioners ==

* [[Doug Logan]] (1996-99)
* [[Don Garber]] (1999-present)

== MLS awards ==
{{Prose|date=September 2008}}

* [[Major League Soccer MVP Award]]
* [[MLS Best XI]]
* [[MLS Coach of the Year Award]]
* [[MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award]]
* [[MLS Cup#MLS Scudetto|MLS Scudetto]]
* [[MLS Defender of the Year Award]]
* [[MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award]]
* [[MLS Golden Boot]]
* MLS Newcomer of the Year Award
* [[MLS Rookie of the Year Award]]
* [[MLS Scoring Champion Award]]
* [[MLS All-Time Goal Scorers]]

== References ==

{{refs|3}}

== See also ==

* [[United States men's national soccer team|US Men's National Team]]
* [[Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada]]
* [[ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002]]
* [[ESPN MLS GameNight]]
* [[ESPN MLS/Soccer Broadcast Teams]]
* [[Generation Adidas]]
* [[Index of Professional Sports teams in the United States and Canada]]
* [[List of current MLS players]]
* [[List of current MLS players with national team caps]]
* [[List of foreign MLS players]]
* [[List of MLS seasons]]
* [[Major League Soccer records and statistics]]
* [[MLS Direct Kick]]
* [[MLS ExtraTime]]
* [[MLS Expansion]]
* [[MLS Primetime Thursday]]
* [[MLS Soccer Saturday]]
* [[Carolina Challenge Cup]]
* [[MLS Wrap]]
* [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]]
* [[Sueño MLS]]
* [[World Series of Football]]

== External links ==


{{Yugoslav Head of State}}
<!-- Do not add fan sites/forums -->
*[http://www.mlsnet.com/ Major League Soccer official site]
*[http://www.ussoccer.com/ U.S. Soccer official site]
*[http://multimedia.foxsports.com/soccer/major-league-soccer.htm Major League Soccer Video at FoxSports Video Archive]
{{Division 1 Soccer | Prev=[[American Professional Soccer League|APSL]] | Years=1996-Present | Next=Current League}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Ribar, Ivan}}
{{fb start}}
[[Category:1881 births]]
{{Major League Soccer}}
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
{{USSoccer}}
[[Category:Yugoslav communists]]
{{Canada Soccer}}
[[Category:Yugoslav politicians]]
{{CONCACAF Leagues}}
[[Category:Croatian politicians]]
{{fb end}}
[[Category:Croatian people of World War II]]


{{Croatia-politician-stub}}
[[Category:1995 establishments]]
[[Category:American soccer competitions]]
[[Category:Major League Soccer]]
[[Category:National football (soccer) premier leagues]]
[[Category:Professional sports leagues]]
[[Category:Soccer in Canada]]
[[Category:Soccer in the United States]]
[[Category:Summer football (soccer) leagues]]


[[ca:Major League Soccer]]
[[bs:Ivan Ribar]]
[[de:Major League Soccer]]
[[de:Ivan Ribar]]
[[es:Major League Soccer]]
[[dsb:Ivan Ribar]]
[[eo:Grandliga Futbalo]]
[[fr:Ivan Ribar]]
[[fr:Major League Soccer]]
[[hr:Ivan Ribar]]
[[mk:Иван Рибар]]
[[ko:메이저 리그 사커]]
[[hr:Major League Soccer]]
[[no:Ivan Ribar]]
[[id:Major League Soccer]]
[[pl:Ivan Ribar]]
[[it:Major League Soccer]]
[[sh:Ivan Ribar]]
[[he:MLS]]
[[sl:Ivan Ribar]]
[[lt:Major League Soccer]]
[[sr:Иван Рибар]]
[[sv:Ivan Ribar]]
[[hu:Észak-amerikai labdarúgó-bajnokság (első osztály)]]
[[nl:Major League Soccer]]
[[ja:メジャーリーグサッカー]]
[[no:Major League Soccer]]
[[nn:Major League Soccer]]
[[pl:Major League Soccer]]
[[pt:Major League Soccer]]
[[ru:Major League Soccer]]
[[simple:Major League Soccer]]
[[fi:Major League Soccer]]
[[sv:Major League Soccer]]
[[th:เมเจอร์ลีกซอกเกอร์]]
[[tr:Major League Soccer]]
[[zh:美國職業足球大聯盟]]

Revision as of 03:05, 13 October 2008

Ivan Ribar
Ivan Ribar (standing) and Josip Broz Tito during the Battle of Sutjeska, 1943.
1st President of SFR Yugoslavia
In office
2 December 1945 – 14 January 1953
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byJosip Broz Tito
Personal details
Born(1881-01-21)21 January 1881
Vukmanić, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary
Died11 June 1968(1968-06-11) (aged 87)
Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
NationalityYugoslavia (Yugoslav)
Political partyCommunist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ)
SpouseTonica Ribar
ChildrenJurica Ribar, Ivo Lola Ribar
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionLawyer

Ivan Ribar (born on 21 January 1881, in Vukmanić, Austria-Hungary; died on 11 June 1968, Zagreb, Yugoslavia), was a Yugoslav politician of Croatian descent.

Ribar was born in Vukmanić near Karlovac. He had a PhD in law. In politics, Ribar was:

  • President of the Royal Parliamentary Assembly, 1920 - 1922
  • President of Executive Committee, Anti-Fascist Council of People's Liberation of Yugoslavia, 26 Oct 1942 - 4 Dec 1943
  • Chairman of the Presidium of the Provisional People's Assembly, 4 Dec 1943 - 5 Mar 1945
  • Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly, 2 Dec 1945 - 14 Jan 1953

Ivan Ribar lost his entire family during World War II: two sons Jurica Ribar and Ivo Lola Ribar, as well as his wife Tonica. Both sons fought for the Partisans against the Italian Fascists. Ivo Lola Ribar, his younger son, was in charge of the League of Young Communists of Yugoslavia (SKOJ) during the war, and was proclaimed posthumously a People's Hero of Yugoslavia.

Ivan Ribar died in Zagreb at the age of 87.

Political offices
Preceded by President of Yugoslavia
1945–1953 		Succeeded by
Stub icon

This article about a Croatian politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_League_Soccer&oldid=244908266"