1996 Major League Soccer season

The 1996 Major League Soccer season was the inaugural season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 84th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, and the 18th with a national first-division league in the United States.

Overview

Preparation for first season

Major League Soccer had originally intended to begin competitive action in 1995. Various difficulties forced the league to postpone its first season until 1996. In preparation for its first season, the league began signing what it called marquee players, beginning with Tab Ramos on January 3, 1995. Beginning in October 1995, the league apportioned the marquee players in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Allocations. Each team received two national team and two foreign players in the allocation. The league then invited about 250 players to a tryout the second week of January 1996 on the campus of UC Irvine. On February 6 and 7, 1996, the league held its 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft in which the ten teams selected 160 players over sixteen rounds. The Columbus Crew selected Brian McBride with the first pick of the draft. On March 4, 1996, the league then held the 1996 MLS College Draft followed by the 1996 MLS Supplemental Draft later that day. Despite the numerous drafts, the teams were not obligated to sign only players from the drafts.

Preseason

The preseason began the first week of March. The teams reduced their rosters to twenty-two players by March 25 and had to make a final roster reduction to eighteen by April 15. The teams had a $1,200,000 salary cap with no player allowed to receive more than $192,500. In order to promote American players, teams were limited to five foreigners on the roster.

Season

The teams played thirty-two games each. Each regulation win was worth three points, a loss counted for zero and a shootout win earned a team one point. Fear of alienating fans with tied games had led the league to adopting the shootout when games ended even. The league also adopted a countdown clock instead of running clock, unlike IFAB's standards, but did it away starting with MLS Cup 1999. The league also divided the teams equally into two conferences – Eastern and Western. The league began its first season on Saturday, April 6, 1996, when the San Jose Clash hosted D.C. United at Spartan Stadium. ESPN carried the game live which the Clash won on a goal by Eric Wynalda. That goal was selected as the 1996 MLS Goal of the Year. The regular season ended on September 22. The playoffs began two days later.

Stadiums

Standings

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Overall standings

MLS Cup Playoffs

Bracket

* Best of Three series winners will advance.

Conference semifinals

Eastern Conference

* D.C. United wins series 2–1, advances to Conference finals.

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* Tampa Bay Mutiny wins series 2–1, advances to Conference finals.

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Western Conference

* Kansas City Wiz wins series 2–1, advances to Conference finals.

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* Los Angeles Galaxy wins series 2–1, advances to Conference finals.

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

* D.C. United wins series 2–0, advances to MLS Cup '96.

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Western Conference

* Los Angeles Galaxy wins series 2–0, advances to MLS Cup '96.

MLS Cup

* D.C. United and Los Angeles Galaxy earn a berth to the 1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

Player awards

Weekly awards

Monthly awards

End-of-season awards

Player statistics

Top goal scorers

Goalkeeping leaders

(Minimum 1,000 minutes)

Attendance

Coaches

Eastern Conference

*Columbus Crew: Timo Liekoski and Tom Fitzgerald
* D.C. United: Bruce Arena
*New England Revolution: Frank Stapleton
*New York/New Jersey MetroStars: Eddie Firmani and Carlos Queiroz
* Tampa Bay Mutiny: Thomas Rongen

Western Conference

*Colorado Rapids: Bob Houghton and Roy Wegerle
* Dallas Burn: Dave Dir
* Kansas City Wiz: Ron Newman
*Los Angeles Galaxy: Lothar Osiander
* San Jose Clash: Laurie Calloway

References

External links

1996 MLS Regular Season stats

{{Major League Soccer seasons

Major League Soccer seasons
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