Atlanta received the 22nd franchise in MLS on Wednesday. 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.
Here’s an MLS primer for those who may not pay as much attention to soccer in the United States, but want to now that Atlanta has a team.
How old is it? The league recently began its 19th season. It is the oldest professional soccer league in the United States.
How many teams are in the league? There are 19 this season, stretching from Vancouver to Los Angeles to Houston to New York to Toronto. More are coming. New York will add a second team in 2015, joined by Orlando that season. David Beckham is leading a group trying to add a team in Miami (pending completion of a stadium deal), as the 23rd team. Commissioner Don Garber wants the league to have 24 teams by 2020.
When is the league's season? This year's started March 8 and will culminate in December with the championship game. The regular season concludes at the end of October, and each team plays 34 games (17 at home, 17 on the road). MLS crowns its champion with playoffs and a championship game. Sporting Kansas City (Eastern) defeated Real Salt Lake (Western) for the 2013 MLS Cup.
Is it structured likes leagues in Europe? No, there is no single standings. There is an Eastern Conference of 10 teams and a Western Conference with nine teams. There is no relegation system either.
What is a Designated Player? MLS 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, MLS tweaked its rules to allow Designated Players to receive larger salaries. That's how 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 MLS 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 are televised regularly in more than 100 countries via international TV partners. The league is 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 biggest stars from the United States playing in MLS. Dempsey plays for Seattle, and Bradley plays for Toronto. Landon Donovan and Ireland's Robbie Keane play for Los Angeles. 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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