Western Conference (MLS)
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The Western Conference is one of
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
's two conferences, along with the Eastern Conference. As of 2023, the Western Conference contains fourteen teams. The conference has produced eleven Supporters' Shield champions and seventeen
MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
winners in Major League Soccer's first 27 seasons. In 2000 and 2001, the conference was referred to as the ''Western Division'' when Major League Soccer briefly reorganized into three divisions.


2023 standings


Members


Current


Conference lineups by year


1996 (5 teams)

''Changes from 1995'': Creation of the Major League Soccer.


1997 (5 teams)

''Changes from 1996'': Kansas City changed their name from ''Wiz to ''Wizards''.


1998–99 (6 teams)

''Changes from 1997'': The Chicago Fire was added in the 1998 expansion.


2000–01 (as ''Western Division'') (4 teams)

''Changes from 1999'': The Western Conference renamed itself the Western Division upon the creation of the Central Division; Chicago Fire and
Dallas Burn Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...
moved into the new division; The San Jose Clash renamed to the ''Earthquakes''.


2002–04 (5 teams)

''Changes from 2001'': The Western Division renamed back to Western Conference following the contraction of the
Miami Fusion The Miami Fusion was a professional soccer team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for four seasons, from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one of the league's first two expansion teams, their best seas ...
and the
Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. They were a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and played from 1996 to 2001. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium. The ...
, resulting in the disbanding of the Central Division; Dallas Burn moved in from the Central Division.


2005 (6 teams)

''Changes from 2004'':
Chivas USA Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. Guada ...
and
Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 20 ...
were added in the 2005 expansion; Kansas City Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference; The
Dallas Burn Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...
renamed to ''FC Dallas''.


2006–07 (6 teams)

''Changes from 2005'': The
San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...
was put on hiatus; The
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
joined the league as an expansion franchise.


2008 (7 teams)

''Changes from 2007'': The San Jose Earthquakes return to MLS after its hiatus.


2009–10 (8 teams)

''Changes from 2008'': Seattle Sounders FC were added in the 2009 expansion.


2011–14 (9 teams)

''Changes from 2010'': The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC were added in the 2011 expansion; Houston Dynamo moved to the Eastern Conference.


2015–16 (10 teams)

''Changes from 2014'':
Chivas USA Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. Guada ...
ceases operations;
Sporting Kansas City Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and t ...
and the
Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establi ...
move in from the Eastern Conference.


2017 (11 teams)

''Changes from 2016'':
Minnesota United FC Minnesota United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that plays in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. The club began play in 2017 as the league's 22nd club, and replaced the North American Socc ...
was added in the 2017 expansion.


2018–19 (12 teams)

''Changes from 2017'': Los Angeles FC was added in the 2018 expansion.


2020 (12 teams)

''Changes from 2019'':
Nashville SC Nashville Soccer Club is a Major League Soccer team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team began play in the league in 2020 as a continuation of the USL club of the same name and plays its home matches at Geodis Park. It is principally owned ...
was added in the 2020 expansion, but moved to the Eastern Conference since the
MLS is Back Tournament The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League Soccer teams, 24 participated in the tour ...
up to the end of the 2020 season.


2021 (13 teams)

''Changes from 2020'': Nashville SC moved to the Eastern Conference;
Austin FC Austin FC is an American professional soccer club based in Austin, Texas. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 2018, the club began play in the 2021 season. Their home stadium is Q2 ...
was added in the 2021 expansion; Houston Dynamo added "FC" to their name.


2022 (14 teams)

''Change from 2021'': Nashville SC moved in from the Eastern Conference.


2023 (14 teams)

''Changes from 2022'': Nashville SC moved back to the Eastern Conference as expansion side St. Louis City SC was added to the Western Conference.


Western Conference playoff champions by year

Note: The Conference Finals were a best-of-three series through 2001 (including the MLS semifinals in 2000 and 2001, when a conference playoff format was not used). Matches tied after regulation were decided by a shoot-out. In 2002, a similar format was used except that draws were allowed and the team earning the most points advanced. From 2003 through 2011, the Finals were a single match. Matches tied after regulation went to
extra time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played onl ...
(
Golden goal The golden goal or golden point is a rule used in association football, lacrosse, field hockey, and ice hockey to decide the winner of a match (typically a knock-out match) in which scores are equal at the end of normal time. It is a type of sud ...
extra time was implemented for 2003 only), then a shoot-out if necessary. Beginning in 2012, the finals were a two-match aggregate series. The
away goals The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
rule for series that finished even on aggregate was first implemented in 2014. Extra time and shoot-outs were used if necessary, although away goals did not apply in extra time. In 2019, the playoffs returned to a single match, single elimination format (including the Conference Finals), which were hosted by the higher placed team in the regular season. From 2015 to 2021, the Western Conference was represented in the MLS Cup by either
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...
or the
Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at P ...
. E – Eastern Conference team.


Western Conference Champion counts by team

As of the 2020 season, a total of 13 different teams have competed in the Western Conference Finals, and 11 of those teams have won at least once. In the table below, teams are ordered first by the number of appearances in a Western Conference Finals, then by the number of wins, and finally by year. Note that this table does not include years that a Western Conference team appeared in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs (such as
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
), and it does include appearances by Eastern Conference teams.
Chivas USA Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional soccer team based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club played from 2005 to 2014 in Major League Soccer (MLS) and was a subsidiary of Mexican club C.D. Guada ...
(defunct),
Nashville SC Nashville Soccer Club is a Major League Soccer team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team began play in the league in 2020 as a continuation of the USL club of the same name and plays its home matches at Geodis Park. It is principally owned ...
and the
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
have never made it to the Western Conference Finals.


Western Conference regular season champions by year

^ – MLS did not have draws until the 2000 season.
† – The LA Galaxy were declared winners of the Western Division in 2001 after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks forced the cancellation of the rest of the regular season. The MLS Cup Playoffs began on September 20.


See also

*
Eastern Conference (MLS) The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences, along with the Western Conference. As of 2023, the Eastern Conference contains fifteen teams. The conference has produced sixteen Supporters' Shield champions and ten M ...
*
Central Division (MLS) The MLS Central Division was one of Major League Soccer's three divisions, existing in 2000 and 2001. Division lineups 2000–2001 Lineup for 2000–2001 * Chicago Fire *Columbus Crew *Dallas Burn *Tampa Bay Mutiny Changes from 1999 *The n ...


References


External links


Complete MLS History
{{MLS Conference Champions Major League Soccer Sports in the Western United States Divisions of sports leagues