Atlanta is expected to soon receive Major League Soccer’s 22nd franchise. An announcement is scheduled on April 16 at a to-be-determined location downtown. Falcons owner Arthur Blank will be the team’s owner. The team will begin play in 2017, which is when the new downtown stadium is scheduled to open.
So, what is Major League Soccer? Here’s a primer for those who may not pay as much attention to soccer in the U.S., but want to now that Atlanta will have a team.
All about Major League Soccer:
How old is it? The league recently began its 19th season. It is the oldest professional soccer league in the U.S.
Who is the commissioner? Don Garber.
How many teams are in the league? There are 19, stretching from Vancouver to Los Angeles to Houston to New York to Toronto. There are more coming. New York will add a second team in 2015. Orlando will follow as the 21st team, also in 2015. David Beckham is leading a group to add a team in Miami. There are numerous other cities that are trying to land the 24th team.
When is the league's season? This year's started on March 8 and will culminate in December with the championship game.
How many games do they play during the regular season? 34, 17 at home and 17 on the road.
Is it structured likes leagues in Europe? No, there is no single table. There is an Eastern Conference of 10 teams and a Western Conference with nine teams.
There is no relegation system either.
Major League Soccer crowns its champion with playoffs and a championship game. Sporting Kansas City defeated Real Salt Lake for the 2013 MLS Cup.
What is a Designated Player? Major League Soccer operates under a single-ownership umbrella in which the league, not the clubs, owns the rights to players. The clubs, however, pay most of the player's salaries under a salary cap. To lure bigger names to the league, Major League Soccer tweaked its rules to allow some players to receive larger salaries. That's how David Beckham played for Los Angeles and how U.S. stars Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley recently rejoined the league after successful stints with clubs in Europe.
Could Atlanta have a DP? Teams aren't required to have a Designated Player. It depends upon the owner. Every team this year has at least one DP.
Is Major League Soccer financially healthy? It didn't use to be but it appears that it is finding its footing. After dropping to 10 teams in 2002, the league began to expand again in 2005. Its average attendance this year is 19,035 (through April 3). Fourteen of the league's 19 teams own their own stadiums, which is an important component to financial solvency. Expansion fees have increased from $7.5 million in 2005 to $100 million recently agreed to by New York.
Are the games shown on TV? Yes. MLS has four national partners in ESPN, NBC, Univision, TSN and RDS. The games televised regularly in more than 100 countries via international TV partners. The league is currently negotiating a new TV deal.
Which are the most successful franchises? Los Angeles and D.C. United have won four championships each, but United has struggled in recent years. Houston, Sporting Kansas City and San Jose have won two each.
Who are the best players? You'll now find some of the U.S.' biggest stars playing in MLS. Dempsey plays for Seattle and Bradley, Brazil's Julio Cesar and England's Jermain Defoe play for Toronto. Landon Donovan and Ireland's Robbie Keane play for Los Angeles. Eddie Johnson plays for D.C. United. Kansas City's recent success is built on U.S. internationals Graham Zusi and Matt Besler. New York features France's Thierry Henry and Australia's Tim Cahill.
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