That's A Lot of Trophies!

Among the many things that I find fascinating about professional soccer is the various competitions that go on throughout the seasons.  In the Big 4 American leagues, the only truly noteworthy accomplishments stem from playoff results.  For the NBA, as an example, there are banners hung for having a better record than the rest of your division in the regular season, but they may as well be participation ribbons as compared to the conference crowns or NBA Championship won through the post-season.  In Major League Soccer, there are four different achievements up for grabs every year.  FOUR.  That's in addition to MLS Cup Playoff positions, conference titles, and spots in the CONCACAF Champions' League.

#1 - The MLS Cup awarded to the winner of the MLS Playoffs
#2 - The Supporters' Shield given to the team with the best regular season record
#3 - The CONCACAF Champions' League, which features four MLS teams as well as the best teams from Central America, the Caribbean, and the rest of the North America
#4 - The US Open Cup awarded to the winner of a knockout tournament of all professional soccer teams in the United States

The MLS season begins in March.  Since each team only plays 34 games, there is a premium on results right from the get-go with the Supporters' Shield at stake.  The regular season matters well beyond post-season seeding, as is the prize for the Big 4 leagues.  Winning your conference gives you home field advantage in the playoffs, just like in other sports, but it also secures a Champions' League berth.  In May, the United States Open Cup tournament begins.  Think of a larger version of March Madness chock full of Cinderella teams in the making and you'll have a good vision of the US Soccer Open.  MLS teams get automatic byes to the fourth round because it is considered heads above the other seven leagues involved.  Similar to England's FA Cup, the US Open is not the most important trophy, but it is still very prestigious.  It's straight knockout format (lose once and go home) makes it unique and also widens the field to success beyond MLS Cup (the American soccer equivalent to the NBA title).  Only 3 teams in MLS history have won both the US Open and MLS Cup (the '96 DC United, the '98 Chicago Fire, and the '05 LA Galaxy).

Seattle wins US Open Cup

Once the championship game of the US Open has been played in September, the regular season marches on to its final months through October, during which time MLS teams begin to push for the Supporters' Shield.  Professional soccer is very different from other leagues.  Of the major team sport associations, it is the only one to have been cultivated outside of the United States.  As such, it is unique in ways that many Americans have a hard time wrapping their collective heads around.  In the last blog entry, I talked about the advantage that MLS has over the English Premier League (and the majority of the world soccer's first divisions) because of its playoff system.  My pen pals abroad scoffed.  You see, winning the regular season title in Europe is one of soccer's highest honors.  So, in an effort to borrow from that which has made soccer the "world's game," MLS created the Supporters' Shield as a way of honoring the team that was the best through 34 games played.  Contrary to the general American sporting mindset, it is a considerable achievement.

New York Red Bull 2013 Supporters' Shield

CONCACAF Champions' League (formerly the Champions' Cup) has been won only twice by American teams - the 1998 DC United and 2000 Los Angeles Galaxy.  It is nowhere near the prestigious level of Europe's UEFA Champions' League, the championship of which is arguably the world's most coveted prize, but it's importance is becoming more pronounced as the United States is becoming more excited about soccer.  Mexico, our greatest soccer rival, has dominated the CONCACAF club scene.  In the last six Champions' Leagues, our neighbors to the south won each title; they also have five of the six runner-ups.  Why?  The detailed reasons can wait for another day, but near the top of the list is that MLS plays a different schedule than the rest of the world (and the CCL) - from March until late November/early December instead of the traditional August to May.  Within a decade, I'm guessing that MLS desire to win the CCL will triple and the fans will make it a ratings draw.

DC United win CCL '98

Though there is a frequent sense of a "trophy is a trophy" amongst the league from what I've gathered in my two months of closely following it, with teams happy to win any of the four, MLS Cup is the most coveted by each franchise.

Colorado wins MLS Cup

Three of the Big 4 leagues, with the NFL as the exception, have regular seasons that last far too long.  Even children recognize it. When I was a kid, for instance, I had my own imaginary "basketball league."  It was extensive, with me playing the roles of each "player" with my driveway as the "arena."  Chad's Basketball Association, the CBA, had multiple "titles" at stake each year.  The regular season was too monotonous, so not only was there the CBA Playoffs to crown the league champion, but there was also a CBA version of the ACC Tournament (8 teams) and NCAA Tournament (16 teams).  It kept me entertained and mentally stimulated to feel like there was always something at stake.  So, you can imagine that the numerous trophies available to MLS teams throughout the season resonates with me, as a sports fan.