Fun Facts About Major League Soccer (MLS)
- There were only 10 teams when MLS began in the year 1996. The teams were distributed in Eastern Conference and Western Conference. Now it has 19 teams and 4 more teams will be added by the year 2017.
- The first-ever MLS Cup was won by DC United.
- The first-ever MLB player selected in an MLB draft was Brian McBride for the Columbus Crew. McBride became the star of the US national soccer team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
- Carlos Valderrama of Tampa Bay Mutiny became the first MVP of Major League Soccer. Valderrama also won the ‘coolest hair’ title.
- Freddy Adu is the youngest pro athlete in American sports history. He gained this distinction when he joined DC United when he was just 14. Although he did not play many games in the first season, then he certainly became one of the star soccer players in the USA and in the world too.
- Landon Donovan has scored the most number of goals in the history of Major League Soccer. Donovan played for the San Jose Earthquakes and became one of the most popular players of the MLS.
- Clint Mathis holds the record for scoring the most number of goals in a match. He scored 5 out of 6 goals for the New York MetroStars against Dallas in 2000.
- In an All-Star game in the year 2000, East won the game by 9-4.
- DC United and LA Galaxy have won the MLS Cup 4 times, most than any other teams in the history of MLS.
- DC United is the first team to win both MLS and US Open Cup in the same year. They did this in the year 1996.
- The average attendance in the MLS has set a new record in 2013 when it recorded an attendance of 18, 611 fans in 2013, which is more than of the NBA and the NHL.
- 10 teams out of 19 current MLS teams are making profits before cutting the interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
- An average Major League Soccer team is worth US$ 103 million, according to a Forbes article, published in the year 2013.
- When Major League Soccer started average worth of the teams was US$ 37 million and each team was making losses.
