In the 1990s, interest in the FIFA World Cup led to return of professional soccer to the United States. Though the sport suffered initially from comparisons to the high standard of play in European football leagues, Major League Soccer has established itself as a thriving American sports organization.
Origins
In 1993, the United States lobbied hard to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup Finals. FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, chose the United States over rivals Morocco and Brazil. As one of the conditions of the bid, FIFA insisted that the country create a professional football league to expand interest in the sport. Major League Soccer chartered 10 teams for its new league from bids representing cities across the country. The initial teams represented the District of Columbia, New York and New Jersey, New England, Columbus, Tampa Bay, Colorado, Kansas City, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Jose.
First Season
Earlier U.S. professional soccer leagues failed to nurturing homegrown talent by focusing on European players. In response, Major League Soccer established a rule that a team could only field four foreign players. A draft occurred in February 1996. Teams chose from a selection of talented soccer players from minor leagues, members of the national World Cup team and athletes who had signed on with the teams of other countries. The first year of Major League Soccer saw the LA Galaxy and DC United dominate the league, with United taking the MLS Cup 3-2.
Financial Troubles
The early seasons of Major League Soccer were encouraging enough for the organization to charter two new clubs, Miami and Chicago, for the 1998 season. However, many clubs were not doing well financially, and the league was in danger of falling apart. The organization decided to disband Tampa Bay and Miami in 2001 and focus on increasing youth participation in soccer across the country. This allowed young American stars to rise to prominence in the sport, drawing in more fans and increasing attendance.
Growth
The renewed focus of the league paid off, as teams began to stabilize throughout the 2000s. The sport saw an upswing in attention in 2007, when English soccer legend David Beckham signed with the Galaxy, and other star players from other countries joined MLS under carefully crafted rules allowing the hiring of international stars. By 2010, the league stood at 18 teams, with another team set to join for the 2011 season.
References
- Sports Illustrated: MLS Teams in Tampa, Miami Cease Operations
- New York Daily News: Own Goal Spoils Opener Stars Debut in a Crowd at Stadium
- BleacherReport: Looking Back On 17 Years of Major League Soccer
- USA Today: World Cup and US Soccer History 1990-2002
- Columbus Crew: History
- LA Galaxy: David Beckham
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