MLS Supporters' Shield
The Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield is the annual Major League Soccer (MLS) award to the team with the highest points in the regular season. The award has been given since 1998 and is comparable to the Presidents' Trophy of the National Hockey League .
background
As in most other North American professional leagues such as the National Basketball Association or the National Football League , the championship in the MLS is decided by a playoff round. The fans of the MLS clubs, however, wanted an honor for the team that would win the championship in the traditional way: the team that had collected the most points after the regular season . Thus the MLS Supporters' Shield was introduced, which was first awarded after the 1998 season. The awards were made retrospectively for the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
Even if it is an unofficial honor, the Supporters' Shield is recognized by the MLS. In February 2006 the MLS decided that the winner of the Supporters' Shields and the winner of the MLS Cup would represent the USA in what was then the CONCACAF Champions Cup . In the meantime, both teams have been seeded for the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League .
mode
In MLS there are three points per game for a win and one point for a draw. The team that collects the most points during the regular season is the winner. If two or more teams finish the season with equal points, the direct comparison between these teams applies first. First, the number of points scored, then the goal difference and then the number of goals scored are used. If there is still a tie, this procedure will be repeated with the away games. If there is still a tie, the home games will be used. If there is still a tie, the team with the fewer “Disciplinary Points” wins. In the end, a coin toss decides.
Previous title holder
| season | winner | Points ¹ | Playoffs | Second | Points ¹ | Playoffs | MLS master | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 58 (61) | Semifinals | LA Galaxy | 49 (53) | final | DC United | ||
| 1997 | DC United | 55 (59) | master | Kansas City Wizards | 49 (51) | Quarter finals | DC United | ||
| 1998 | LA Galaxy | 68 (70) | Semifinals | DC United | 58 (61) | final | Chicago Fire | ||
| 1999 | DC United | 57 (60) | master | LA Galaxy | 54 (58) | final | DC United | ||
| 2000 | Kansas City Wizards | 57 | master | Chicago Fire | 57 | final | Kansas City Wizards | ||
| 2001 | Miami Fusion | 53 | Semifinals | Chicago Fire | 53 | final | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| 2002 | LA Galaxy | 53 | master | San Jose Earthquakes | 51 | Quarter finals | LA Galaxy | ||
| 2003 | Chicago Fire | 53 | final | San Jose Earthquakes | 51 | master | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| 2004 | Columbus crew | 49 | Quarter finals | Kansas City Wizards | 49 | final | DC United | ||
| 2005 | San Jose Earthquakes | 64 | Quarter finals | New England Revolution | 59 | final | LA Galaxy | ||
| 2006 | DC United | 55 | Semifinals | FC Dallas | 52 | Quarter finals | Houston Dynamo | ||
| 2007 | DC United | 55 | Semifinals | CD Chivas USA | 53 | Semifinals | Houston Dynamo | ||
| 2008 | Columbus crew | 57 | master | Houston Dynamo | 51 | Quarter finals | Columbus crew | ||
| 2009 | Columbus crew | 49 | Quarter finals | LA Galaxy | 48 | final | Real Salt Lake | ||
| 2010 | LA Galaxy | 59 | Semifinals | Real Salt Lake | 56 | Quarter finals | Colorado Rapids | ||
| 2011 | LA Galaxy | 67 | master | Seattle Sounders | 63 | Quarter finals | LA Galaxy | ||
| 2012 | San Jose Earthquakes | 66 | Quarter finals | Sporting Kansas City | 63 | Quarter finals | LA Galaxy | ||
| 2013 | New York Red Bulls | 59 | Quarter finals | Sporting Kansas City | 58 | master | Sporting Kansas City | ||
| 2014 | Seattle Sounders | 64 | Semifinals | LA Galaxy | 61 | master | LA Galaxy | ||
| 2015 | New York Red Bulls | 60 | Semifinals | FC Dallas | 60 | Semifinals | Portland Timbers | ||
| 2016 | FC Dallas | 60 | Quarter finals | Colorado Rapids | 58 | Semifinals | Seattle Sounders | ||
| 2017 | Toronto FC | 69 | master | Portland Timbers | 53 | Quarter finals | Toronto FC | ||
| 2018 | New York Red Bulls | 71 | Semifinals | Atlanta United | 69 | master | Atlanta United | ||
| 2019 | Los Angeles FC | 72 | Semifinals | New York City FC | 64 | Quarter finals |
¹ Until 1999 there were three points for a win, one point for a win after a shootout and no point for a loss. As of 2000 there are three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. The number of points in brackets for the seasons 1996 to 1999 shows how many points the teams would have scored if the rules from 2000 had been valid at that time.
Championship record and following seasons of Shield winners
Of the previous 17 Supporters' Shield winners, six subsequently also won the championship. A winner became runner-up.
Five Supporters' Shield winners missed the playoff round the following season. In 2001, the Miami Fusion won the Supporters' Shield, but were disbanded after the season. The 2005 winner San José Earthquakes was relocated after the season and replaced by Houston Dynamo .
Trivia
- five teams have won the Supporters' Shield more than once. DC United (1997, 1999, 2006, 2007), the LA Galaxy (1998, 2002, 2010, 2011), the Columbus Crew (2004, 2008, 2009), the San José Earthquakes (2005 and 2012) and the New York Red Bulls (2013, 2015).
- The Supporters' Shield has been won twelve times by teams in the Eastern Conference / Division. The Western Conference / Division was successful nine times. The former Central Division could not provide a winner.