Read on for the odds, preview and best bets for this pair of MLS playoff games. Reigning Supporters' Shield winners Union take on reigning MLS Cup champs Crew in MLS Season kickoff - PHILLY SPORTS NETWORK. After the regular season, the campaign culminated with the MLS Cup Playoffs, en route to the postseason championship match, the MLS Cup. All you have to do is ask the New York Red Bull fans that shed a few tears and found no solace in their Supporters’ Shield. In the event of an end-of-season tie in total accumulated points, the following tie-breakers will be used: These are standard MLS regulations for breaking ties in point totals.[6]. When Houston finally scored in extra time, people around me were in tears, frustrated, and cursing quite profoundly. [8] Is winning an MLS Cup in the first 3 years a realistic expectation? The following season, they finished 10th overall in the league, beginning a four-season streak of failing to make the playoffs. [1][2], The following year, another group led by soccer enthusiast Sam Pierron tried to revive the idea by giving an award to the regular season champions. When Major League Soccer had its inaugural season in 1996, the league resembled its contemporary North American leagues. Before 2006, Shield winners were not guaranteed a berth into CONCACAF competitions. Now here’s where the issue arises, which championship means more? Kick off Historic Crew Stadium is set for 5:30 p.m. According to DeAndre Yedlin, member of the Seattle Sounders – winners of the Supporters’ Shield as of yesterday – he values it more than MLS Cup: “I honestly think the Supporters Shield is more important than an MLS Cup championship. [4], On October 17, 2020, Major League Soccer announced that, following a decision made by the ISC, the Supporters' Shield would not be awarded at the end of the 2020 regular season, largely in part due to the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic had had on the league. Sunday's loss to Columbus was just Philadelphia's second in its past eight games, but it cost the club dearly. In February 2006, USSF decided that the Supporters' Shield winner and the MLS Cup winner would represent the United States in the CONCACAF Champions League, formerly the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. That’s only because the Dynamo have already won the Cup twice in my lifetime, and I kind of want to celebrate a new type of trophy. With the fund raising complete, in early 2013 the new Supporter's Shield was created. It seems as if every single season there is an ongoing debate on whether the Supporters’ Shield means more than the MLS Cup. Seven times in the league's history has the same club pulled off the double: winning both the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup. The Black & Gold don’t get an easy competitor coming to historic Crew Stadium to start the new Major League Soccer season in last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners, the Philadelphia Union.. First contested in 1996, the MLS Cup was originally hosted by a predetermined … Kenosha, Wisconsin, shooting: … For the first time in MLS’s 26-year history, the reigning MLS Cup champions and Supporters’ Shield winners will meet on the field to begin the season. This is not an easy decision to make. In Spain, England, Italy and most everywhere else around the World, except for nations like Mexico, Australia, and a couple of others, a champion is not decided via a playoff system but by which team ends the season with the best record. Orlando now has MLS Cup odds of +430, while New England is still a lengthy +2300. Until this day Major League Soccer still advertises the MLS Cup over any other game in the league with probably the exception of the All-Star game. It often times seems like only the winners of the Supporters’ Shield tend to argue the loudest about how much more important it is than MLS Cup, but when it comes down to it, if they don’t win the MLS Cup they’ll be more disappointed than they’ll let on. The thing is that I understand why some people may not see the Shield as a viable option for the season championship, and that’s because the MLS currently has an unbalanced schedule that sees some teams facing other teams more than others. Olivier Mbaizo, left, battles for the ball against Lucas Zelarayan during the Union's game at the Columbus Crew last November 1. The Colombian averaged 2.93 tackles and 2.45 blocks per 90 minutes last season and is brilliantly robust when it comes to his defensive work, while he keeps LAFC ticking with his calmness in possession and precision passing. It echoes the practice of the top European leagues in which the team with the best record is the champion. Throughout the early to mid-2000s, the Shield received little praise or recognition from MLS or the general public,[citation needed] as the league awarded the MLS Cup winner and runner-up with spots in continental tournaments. In 2011, the league announced that the Shield winner's opponent in the MLS Cup quarterfinals would be the lowest-seeded team remaining. Supporters’ Shield winner Philadelphia Union begins playoff quest against New England Revolution. Both the MLS Cup champion and Supporters' Shield winner qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League, contested by the champions of CONCACAF leagues in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. 2012: The Supporters’ Shield made its way to San Jose for the second time in 2012, while the Earthquakes followed it with a semifinal loss in the MLS Cup Playoffs to the Galaxy. This is obviously not the way American sports usually award championships, the NBA title doesn’t go to the team with the best record but to the team that manages to get through a few series of best of games. In the end, nearly $3,000 was donated to commission the trophy, which was a chevron made by artist Paula Richardson out of sterling silver sheet metal, for $2,200. "[9], This decision caused a great amount of backlash from the MLS community, and was criticized by several members of MLS clubs, including Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney (whose team was top of the Supporters' Shield standings at the time of the decision). Nine teams have gone on to win the MLS Cup after winning the Supporters' Shield, with both the Galaxy and D.C. achieving this double twice. By contrast, when the Houston Dynamo have made it to the MLS Cup thousands of fans have traveled to Dallas, Washington D.C., and to Los Angeles twice. After the regular season, the campaign culminated with the MLS Cup Playoffs, en route to the postseason championship match, the MLS Cup. However, that’s my personal preference and it wouldn’t be the case if we hadn’t already won the Cup. The middle of the trophy was designed to be expandable as its winners' names are added to it annually around the chevron. In six of the last nine Major League Soccer seasons, Colorado Rapids have failed to reach the playoffs. The newly designed shield was first awarded to the New York Red Bulls on the final day of the 2013 MLS season. Truth is that any stat that I give you is meaningless compared to the fan base reaction I mentioned earlier. The outside of the shield contains a Telstar soccer ball design while the middle of the shield pays homage to the chevron design of the original trophy. Here's a short taste, you can read more of … Think about it. D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls hold the record for the earliest exit in a CONCACAF competition as the Shield winners, being eliminated from the group stage in the 2008–09 and 2014–15 editions of the Champions League, respectively. Drew Farmer July 17, 2016 Colorado Rapids, Leagues: Major League Soccer No Comments. [3][4], The process to create and purchase the Supporters' Shield was not completed until the tail end of the 1999 season. The Supporter's Shield Foundation was created out of the ISC meeting in Portland in 2012 with a mission to fund the creation of a new shield and to promote and manage the trophy going forward. It seems more chaotic, but at least it is a chaos that makes sense and has already been accepted in other sports that American watch. ET. Auch wenn es sich um eine inoffizielle Ehrung handelt, wird das Supporters' Shield von der … In an official announcement, the Supporters' Shield Foundation stated, "After much consideration and discussion, the Supporters' Shield Foundation has decided to forego awarding the Supporters' Shield for the 2020 season. The club with the best regular season record received nothing more than the top seed in the playoffs. In the playoffs, at least you’re divided by conference, have games that include aggregate scores, and the MLS Cup is held among the winners of their respective conferences. Reigning MLS Cup and Supporters Shield winners draw 0-0 in Columbus Crew's MLS opener Jacob Myers, The Columbus Dispatch 3 hrs ago. Next MLS match: Sunday vs. New England, 3:30 p.m. Why you may ask? The Cup is the goal, the Shield is positioned as a trophy a level below MLS Cup. The way this season worked out, the winner of that match would clinch, so it was as close to a final as the Supporters’ Shield can experience. In 1997, soccer fan Nick Lawrus on a listserv proposed the notion of a "Supporters' Scudetto", as a result of the Tampa Bay Mutiny earning the best regular season record but failing to win the 1996 MLS Cup Final. Here are my reasons: To win more games than anyone in the season shows you how amazing the team is. [13], Annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, Toronto FC participated in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League by virtue of their, Due to the restructuring of the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League, the United States' berths were allocated to the 2017 and 2018 MLS Cup winners and the 2017 and 2018, List of American and Canadian soccer champions, "From internet message board to valued prize: How the Supporters' Shield got its start", "Jeepers, Some Wishes Really Do Come True! In 2008, with the arrival of the newly formatted CONCACAF Champions League, the Shield winner, along with the MLS Cup winner both earned direct byes into the group stage of the Champions League. I mean, who cares if they got the important championship already, right? On seven occasions (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2011 and 2017) the winner of the Supporters' Shield also won the MLS Cup that same year. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. USA Beats Mexico, Qualifies for World Cup, Valiant Trinidad and Tobago Falls to Mexico in Extra Time, Houston Dynamo lose on a pair of penalty kicks, Houston earned third draw in three MLS matches under Barrett, Houston Dynamo gain another road point in 1-1 draw at Dallas, Wenger earns MLS Player of the Week honors, 5 Dark-Horse Contenders to Watch During the 2016 MLS Season, Horst: the Glue that Keeps the Houston Dynamo Dominating. Others however, saw FC Dallas as the favorites for the match, as they had finished the regular season with only four losses, and knocked off the Supporters Shield winners, Los Angeles Galaxy, in stunning fashion. The new shield weighs 35 pounds (16 kg) and is made of sterling silver and stainless steel. 2019 finalist Toronto FC starts bid for a fourth MLS Cup final appearance in five years against Nashville. Last year, when I was in New York for the Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls Eastern Conference semi-final second leg, New York were the current holders of the Supporters’ Shield. After Supporters' Shield, sights turn to MLS Cup Union: After securing Supporters' Shield club has eyes on MLS Cup By Matthew DeGeorge mdegeorge@21st-centurymedia.com @sportsdoctormd on Twitter Some analysts as early as August predicted Dallas to win the entire MLS Cup final. It began as an idea among fans to award a “championship” in the vein as most European leagues. Now, I’m going to make a few points why I don’t honestly believe that he thinks this and is either running a great public relations scheme or trying to ease pressure off of himself and the rest of the team as they enter the MLS Cup playoffs. 5 Reasons Colorado Rapids are MLS Supporters’ Shield contenders. ET and will be broadcast nationally on FS1 and Fox Deportes. The club with the best regular season record received nothing more than the top seed in the playoffs. When the Champions Cup became the CONCACAF Champions League, the United States Soccer Federation gave the Supporters' Shield winner and the MLS Cup winner both direct Group stage spots into the tournament. These fans didn’t look like they were a fan base that had already clinched or won a championship a couple of weeks before, they looked like a fan base that saw the MLS Cup slipping from their hands. Email. The MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew host our Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union tomorrow at 5:30 PM EST. ", MLS announces competition changes for 2006, "Supporters' Shield will not be awarded in 2020 following decision by ISC", "Vanney rips Supporters' Shield decision", "Supporters' Shield to be awarded in 2020 following reversal of decision", "Qualifying Format Unveiled for 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League", MLS performance in the CONCACAF Champions League, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Supporters%27_Shield&oldid=1009203295, Short description with empty Wikidata description, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Coin toss (two teams) or drawing of lots (three or more teams), This page was last edited on 27 February 2021, at 08:47. As of the 2014 season, new rules are in place for breaking ties. Eduard Atuesta is right up there among the best defensive midfielders in MLS right now, if not the best outright. This means that the path to the MLS Cup has to go through Philadelphia after they secured the Supporters’ Shield, their first title in their history. 2021 MLS Trophies Predictions Supporters’ Shield: LAFC MLS Cup: Portland over Columbus. As teams prepare for the final run to the playoffs, they've made one thing clear: nothing, not even the Supporters' Shield, is more important than winning MLS Cup. Decision day in MLS brought solid excitement and a new Supporters' Shield winners, the Philadelphia Union. The Columbus Crew officially begin the defense of the team’s MLS Cup title on Sunday. This isn’t far from the realm of possibility (and it’s a rerun of the 2015 Cup, actually). Philadelphia Union opens the 2021 Major League Soccer campaign on Sunday, April 18th as they face off against Columbus Crew SC. The idea continued to gain traction at the then recently formed Independent Supporters Council (ISC) the following two years in Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. Cup: The MLS Cup winners are regarded as the United States Major League Soccer Champions of the season after undergoing the season playoffs. Kick off from Historic Crew Stadium is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Philadelphia Union are the 2020 holders of the Supporters' Shield, winning it for the first time. News. I’m not in anyway stating that I don’t value the Supporters’ Shield, because the truth is that I want the Houston Dynamo to win it and prefer it over the MLS Cup. Fundraising was boosted with donations from ESPN commentator Phil Schoen and MLS commissioner Doug Logan. This is only one in a handful of …. The cost of the new Shield was quoted at $18,000 with a majority of the funds raised through the "I Support the Shield" scarf drive that culminated in the sale of 2000 supporter scarves. Major League Soccer’s opening week concludes with a huge Eastern Conference clash as the 2020 Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union take on defending MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew SC. The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. I think that the shield is as important as the MLS cup (shield = MLS cup). D.C. United and LA Galaxy, with four Supporters' Shields each, have won the most shields of any MLS team. They had won it just a couple of weeks prior, and many people from their fan base considered it a title that finally ended their championship drought. ET. Why winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield is overrated, and how it can be so much more Drew Farmer October 18, 2015 Leagues: Major League Soccer 10 Comments Only six times in Major League Soccer’s previous 19 seasons has a Supporters’ Shield winner won the MLS Cup. Although D.C. United were the first MLS club to win the award, the first-place finishes between 1996 and 1998 have all been awarded the honor retroactively, with their names included on the shield at the time of its creation.[5]. The Crew make it back, but Portland is a team that can gel at the right time, as we saw last year in the MLS is Back tournament. Some have called the Crew’s roster the best ever constructed going into an MLS season Viewed from top to bottom, it’s not hard to see why. Fans will have a variety of options to view the anticipated Supporters' Shield vs. MLS Cup match up. With Charlotte FC forming its first official team. There weren’t thousands of fans travelling for the final regular season that decided the winners of the Shield, and in the end that’s who really decides which championship is more important. [12], Toronto FC and Los Angeles FC are the only Shield winners to reach the final of a CONCACAF competition. In terms of the best team, this is the best team over a full season.”. MLS Cup vs Supporters Shield well explained. They fell out of the Champions League in the Quarterfinals. [7] If the Supporters Shield winner also wins the MLS Cup, the team with the second highest regular season point total qualifies as well. Timbers take it. But it doesn’t because playoffs give them a chance to hype the league, try and get better tv ratings and “appeal” to the North American sports fan with a championship game. First of all, if this championship is more important, does that mean they won’t go all out for the MLS Cup? While three teams have secured a Supporters' Shield and U.S. Open Cup double, no American team has won all three major domestic trophies (the Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup). The Supporters' Shield is probably the fairest way to crown the MLS champion, but there's little hope of that formally ever being the case.