Portland MLS 2011 » history http://www.portlandmls2011.com Official Site of MLS Portland Timbers Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:55:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 MLS 101: Eastern Conference History http://www.portlandmls2011.com/2010/02/mls-101-eastern-conference-history/ http://www.portlandmls2011.com/2010/02/mls-101-eastern-conference-history/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:31:18 +0000 Marc Kostic http://www.portlandmls2011.com/?p=462

First developed in the winter of 1993, Major League Soccer came to life on June 15, 1994, when the league announced its first seven teams to compete in the league – Boston, Columbus, New Jersey, New York (Long Island), San Jose and Washington D.C. Since its first player signing (Tab Ramos) in 1995, MLS has evolved into the top flight of soccer in both the United States and Canada and a league recognized around the world.

As it enters its 15th season in 2010, MLS features 16 clubs across North America with additional clubs in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., set to join the league in 2011. MLS teams play a 30-game regular-season schedule from late March to October, supplemented by exhibition matches, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament and MLS All-Star Game. Ten MLS clubs play in a stadium built specifically for soccer, opening in 2010 are the new homes of the Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls.

Entering the 2009 season, the MLS player pool represented 51 different countries, showing how far MLS has reached around the globe.

In the second installment of “MLS 101,” we provide a brief summary of team and player history for the existing eastern conference clubs…

Eastern Conference:

Chicago Fire – Achieving a rare feat, the Chicago Fire captured the MLS Cup in their inaugural season in Major League Soccer in 1998. The club was named after the Great Chicago Fire that struck the city in 1871. In its first 11 seasons, the Fire have won five domestic titles, including the U.S. Open Cup in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006, and the MLS Supporters Shield in 2003. In 2009, Chicago reached the Eastern Conference championship match, but fell to eventual MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake. With international players from around the globe, including Poland, Colombia, and Costa Rica, the team has been a melting pot of talent throughout the years.

Located in Bridgeview, Ill., the Fire play their home matches at Toyota Park, a soccer-specific venue, which opened in 2006.

Notable players: Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Ante Razov, C.J Brown, Peter Nowak, Jon Busch, Zach Thornton, Chris Rolfe, DaMarcus Beasley, Chris Armas

Columbus Crew – Columbus was introduced as one of Major League Soccer’s inaugural clubs on June 15, 1994. Nearly five years later, the Crew made their mark on American sports history by opening Columbus Crew Stadium on May 15, 1999 – the country’s first major league stadium build specifically for soccer. Columbus has been one of the top clubs in recent seasons, posting the best regular-season record in both 2008 and 2009, winning the Supporters Shield both seasons. In 2008, the Crew claimed their first championship, defeating the New York Red Bulls 3-1 in the MLS Cup that season. Additionally, the Crew won the U.S. Open Cup in 2002.

Notable players:, Jeff Cunningham, Brian McBride, Edson Buddle, Robert Warzycha, Ezra Hendrickson, Guillermo Barros Schelotto

D.C. United – The most accomplished club in Major League Soccer, D.C. United is also the most successful professional soccer organization in U.S. Soccer history. United is four-time MLS Cup Champions (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004) and winners of the 1996 and 2008 U.S. Open Cup, the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the 1998 Interamerican Cup and the 1997, 1999, 2006 and MLS Supporters Shield. United became the first MLS club to establish a hall-of-fame, and John Harkes became the club’s first inductee into their “Hall of Tradition” in 2003.

One of MLS’ original franchises, D.C. United is stationed in the nation’s capitol and plays its home matches at RFK Stadium.

Notable players: John Harkes, Jeff Agoos, Raúl Díaz Arce, Jaime Moreno, Marco Etcheverry, Ben Olsen, Tony Sanneh, Freddy Adu, Eddie Pope, Nick Rimando

Kansas City Wizards – Kansas City was introduced as one of 10 charter members of Major League soccer on June 6, 1995. First known as the “Wiz,” the Wizards will play their 15th season in 2010, and the club continues its planning and preparation for their new soccer-specific stadium. Kansas City assembled their best MLS campaign to date in 2000, winning both the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup that season. The club won their second domestic title in 2004, winning the U.S. Open Cup. Former midfielder Preki, who now is the head coach for MLS’ Toronto FC, is the club’s all-time career leader in goals scored with 71.

Until their new stadium is complete, the Wizards play their home matches at Community America Ballpark.

Notable players: Preki, Chris Henderson, Kerry Zavagnin, Jimmy Conrad, Tony Meola, Mo Johnston, Chris Klein, Josh Wolff, Chris Brown, Alexi Lalas, Nick Garcia, Claudia Lopez

New England Revolution – As one of Major League Soccer 10 founding clubs, the New England Revolution was born on Oct. 17, 1995. The Revs opened MLS play with former U.S. National Team members Alexi Lalas and Mike Burns leading the charge, and have played all 14 MLS seasons at Foxoboro Stadium – also the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots. The Revolution reached the Eastern Conference finals each season from 2003-07, and played in the MLS Cup in three straight seasons from 2005-07, but continues to search for its first MLS Cup championship. The franchise’s best season came in 2005, posting a 17-7-8 record and clinching the Eastern Conference title.

New England features the longest tenured head coach in MLS, Steve Nichol. Guiding the club since November 2002, he has recorded 107 victories in seven seasons at the helm.

Notable players: Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Matt Reis, Jay Heaps, Pat Noonan, Clint Dempsey, Shalrie Joseph, Rusty Pierce, Eric Wynalda, Jamar Beasley, Alexi Lalas

New York Red Bulls – An original member of Major League Soccer, the New York Red Bulls have undergone more identity changes than any other club in the league. Founded as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, they carried that name through 1997, but were then simply known as “MetroStars” from 1998-2005. In 2006, the club was sold to Red Bull GmbH, and the organization’s name was changed to its current moniker. New York anticipates the opening of its new facility, Red Bull Arena, in 2010. The new state-of-the-art venue was fashioned after some of the great European soccer stadiums. The Red Bulls reached the 2008 MLS Cup as the Western Conference champ, and also made an appearance in the 2003 U.S. Open Cup final.

The New York franchise played its first 14 seasons at Giants Stadium, at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J. Their new facility is stationed in Harrison, N.J.

Notable players: Chris Henderson, Giovanni Savarese, Juan Pablo Angel, Clint Mathis, Tony Meola, Jeff Parke, Mike Petke, Tim Howard, John Wolyniec, Jozy Altidore, Claudio Reyna, Chris Albright

Philadelphia Union – Major League Soccer unveiled its 16th team on Feb. 28, 2008, and the Philadelphia Union will begin play in 2010. Led by the ownership group of Keystone Sports and Entertainment, LLC, the Union will play their home matches in a newly constructed, state-of-the-art facility in Chester, Pa. After the city’s historical background, the name “Union” alludes to the Union of the 13 Colonies, of which Philadelphia was the first capitol. The club’s name and crest incorporate Philadelphia’s rich colonial history and vital role in the creation of our nation. Philadelphia was also the host city for the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, and they selected Oregon State University’s Danny Mwanga as the No. 1 overall pick.

Notable players: Alejandro Moreno, Chris Seitz, Danny Califf, Shavar Thomas, Jordan Harvey, Fred, Michael Orozco

Toronto FC – One of the newest members of Major League Soccer, Toronto FC joined as an expansion team in 2007, and became the league’s first Canadian franchise. The club’s name incorporates the acronym “FC” (football club), which is synonymous with soccer and great clubs around the world who choose to emphasized their cities’ names. Toronto FC’s red and white colors display the same colors as the Canadian flag. Toronto FC, nicknamed “the Reds,” plays at BMO Field – the first soccer-specific stadium in Canada and home to the Canadian National teams. The facility is owned by the City of Toronto and has a winter bubble which supports year round usage by community.

Notable players: Dwayne De Rosario, Jim Brennan, Danny Dichio, Marvell Wynne, Maurice Edu, Greg Sutton, Jeff Cunningham, Andrew Boyens, Conor Casey, Tyrone Marshall

]]> http://www.portlandmls2011.com/2010/02/mls-101-eastern-conference-history/feed/ 0 MLS 101: Western Conference History http://www.portlandmls2011.com/2010/02/mls-western-conference-history/ http://www.portlandmls2011.com/2010/02/mls-western-conference-history/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:35:51 +0000 Marc Kostic http://www.portlandmls2011.com/?p=440 First developed in the winter of 1993, Major League Soccer came to life on June 15, 1994, when the league announced its first seven teams to compete in the league – Boston, Columbus, New Jersey, New York (Long Island), San Jose and Washington D.C. Since its first player signing (Tab Ramos) in 1995, MLS has evolved into the top flight of soccer in both the United States and Canada and a league recognized around the world.

As it enters its 15th season in 2010, MLS features 16 clubs across North America with additional clubs in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., set to join the league in 2011. MLS teams play a 30-game regular-season schedule from late March to October, supplemented by exhibition matches, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament and MLS All-Star Game. Ten MLS clubs play in a stadium built specifically for soccer, opening in 2010 are the new homes of the Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls.

Entering the 2009 season, the MLS player pool represented 51 different countries, showing how far MLS has reached around the globe.

In the first installment of “MLS 101,” we provide a brief summary of team and player history for the existing western conference clubs…

Western Conference:

Chivas USA – Founded on Aug. 2, 2004, Club Deportivo Chivas USA took flight in Major League Soccer’s 2005 season. Simply known as Chivas USA, the club is the only Mexican-owned major professional sports franchise in the United States. As it enters its sixth season in MLS in 2010, Chivas USA has quickly made its presence known around the league, successfully reaching the postseason in each of the last four seasons. As a sister team of Mexican side Club Deportivo Guadalajara (more popularly known as Chivas), Chivas USA’s uniform bears the same vertical red-and-white stripes worn with blue shorts and blue socks.

Chivas USA is based in Los Angeles, Calif., and shares its home turf at the Home Depot Center with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The rivalry between Chivas USA and Galaxy is called the SuperClasico.

Notable Players: Francisco Mendoza, Jonathan Bornstein, Ante Razov, Sacha Kljestan, Brad Guzan, Claudio Suarez, Jesse Marsch, Maykel Galindo, Juan Pablo Garcia, Zach Thornton

Colorado Rapids – One of the 10 founding franchises of Major League Soccer, the Colorado Rapids were introduced on Oct. 17, 1995. In their 14-year history, the Rapids have reached the postseason nine times. While still looking for the club’s first MLS Cup title, Colorado isn’t short on achievements. They reached the 1997 MLS Cup, played in the 1999 U.S. Open Cup finals, and made back-to-back Western Conference championship appearances in 2005 and 2006. The Rapids played the last professional sporting event held in Denver’s Mile High Stadium on Sept. 8, 2001. Roughly six months later, the club opened Invesco Field at Mile High in front of 25,000 fans.

Based in Commerce City, Colo., the Rapids moved into their own facility – Dick Sporting Goods Park – in 2007.

Notable players: Chris Henderson, Paul Bravo, John Spencer, Carlos Valderrama, Pablo Mastroeni, Marcelo Balboa, Mark Chung, Marcus Hahnemann, Connor Casey, Dominic Kinnear, Joe Cannon

FC Dallas – A charter member of Major League Soccer, FC Dallas played its first game on April 14, 1996, defeating San Jose in front of 27,779 fans at the Cotton Bowl. FC Dallas is the third-most winning team in MLS history, and racked up 148 wins in its first 10 seasons of existence. Nicknamed the “Hoops” after the horizontal red and white stripes on the home kit, FC Dallas has advanced to the postseason nine times and captured the 1997 U.S. Open Cup. From its inception in 1996 through the 2004 season, the club was known as the Dallas Burn. As part of the rebranding of the club, FC Dallas’ current logo includes a picture of a bull, the kind of Texas cattle driven along north Texas trails throughout the 19th century.

Based in Frisco, Texas, FC Dallas is owned by the Hunt Sports Group and plays its home matches at Pizza Hut Park.

Notable players: Jason Kries, Kenny Cooper, Dante Washington, Dario Sala, Matt Jordan, Bobby Rhine, Eddie Johnson, Carlos Ruiz, Ronnie O’Brien, Jeff Cunningham, Brian Dunseth

Houston Dynamo – Despite entering just its fifth Major League Soccer season in 2010, the Houston Dynamo have already staked their claim as one of MLS’ top clubs. In December 2005, the franchise – including players and coaches – moved to Houston from San Jose, Calif. Houston fans didn’t have to wait long for the Dynamo to find success, becoming the second team in league history to capture back-to-back championships by winning the MLS Cup in each of its first two seasons in 2006 and 2007. Houston has won 11 or more games in each of their first four seasons and have reached the playoffs each year.

The Dynamo, whose ownership group includes retired professional boxer Oscar De La Hoya, plays its home matches at Robertson Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston.

Notable players: Pat Onstead, Brian Mullan, Brian Ching, Dwayne de Rosario, Brad Davis, Stuart Holden, Wade Barrett, Richard Mulrooney, Paul Dalglish

Los Angeles Galaxy – Perhaps the most decorated club in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Galaxy are among the 10 founding clubs of Major League Soccer. Known around the world as the MLS home for soccer superstar David Beckham, the Galaxy are the 2009 Western Conference champions. Among the club’s many successes, the Galaxy have reached the postseason in 11 of its 14 seasons, claiming MLS Cup titles in 2002 and 2005 and the Supporters Shield (given to the team with the best regular-season record) in 1998 and 2005. Los Angeles is also a two-time winner of the U.S. Open Cup (2001, 2005). The Home Depot Center is the home venue for the Galaxy.

The Galaxy established a team milestone April 28, 2001, as former U.S. National Team star Cobi Jones scored the club’s 300th goal in a 3-2 win over Colorado.

Notable players: Carlos Ruiz, Cobi Jones, Eduardo Hurtado, Jorge Campos, Kevin Hartman, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Tyrone Marshall, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Chris Albright, Clint Mathis

Real Salt Lake – The 2009 MLS Cup champion, Real Salt Lake was welcomed into Major League Soccer in 2005, along with Chivas USA, as expansion club. When it joined the league, it became just the second major sports franchise in the state of Utah. Salt Lake has made a splash in the playoffs in recent seasons, advancing to the Western Conference finals in its first playoff appearance in 2008. Last year, they reached the title game, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy in a penalty-kick shootout to win their first piece of hardware. The club opened its new state-of-the-art facility, Rio Tinto Stadium, in October 2008, and the venue played host to the 2009 MLS All-Star Game.

The Utah MLS organization is owned and operated by long-time sports entrepreneur Dave Checketts and associates, representing Sports Capital Partners.

Notable players: Andy Williams, Chris Klein, Nick Rimando, Eddie Pope, Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Findley, Jason Kries, Jeff Cunningham, Chris Brown

San Jose Earthquakes – The San Jose Earthquakes were first established in 1994, becoming one of 10 charter members of Major League Soccer. First known as the Clash, the club adopted the Earthquakes moniker in 2000 – the same name of the NASL team that was popular in the Bay Area in the 1970s and early 1980s. The Earthquakes rose to the top of the league in the early 2000s, capturing the MLS Cup title in 2001 and 2003, and claimed the 2005 Supporters Shield. But, in December 2005, the franchise was relocated to Houston, where they now play as the Dynamo. The Earthquakes made a successful return as an expansion club in 2008, and recorded more wins (8), points (33 and goals (32) than any another expansion club between 1998-2008.

Notable  players: Richard Mulrooney, Ronald Cerritos, Landon Donovan, Dewayne De Rosario, Pat Onstad, Joe Cannon, Ian Russell, John Doyle, Eric Wynalda, Paul Bravo, Brian Ching, Jeff Agoos

Seattle Sounders FC – With a successful launch, Seattle Sounders FC played its first season in Major League Soccer in 2009. In its inaugural season, Seattle set multiple league attendance records averaging over 30,000 fans at Qwest Field. The club also saw successful results on the pitch in its first MLS campaign, winning the U.S. Open Cup and reaching the postseason. The club’s name was voted on by fans, which links the MLS franchise to the city’s soccer history. Fashioned after a European club models, Sounders FC season-ticket holders belong to an exclusive group called Sounders FC Alliance. This unique supporters group can vote on the direction of the franchise, including the fate of the general manager.

Entering the 2010 MLS season, Sounders FC capped their season-ticket holder base at 30,000 at Qwest Field.

Notable players: Kasey Keller, Freddie Ljungberg, Fredy Montero, Steve Zakuani, Tyrone Marshall, Nate Jaqua, Peter Vagenas

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