Supporters' Shield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Supporters' Shield |
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| Given for | Major League Soccer team with the best record in the regular season |
| Presented by | The Supporters' Shield Foundation |
| History | |
| First award | 1999, 1996 (retroactively) |
| Most wins | D.C. United LA Galaxy (4 shields each) |
| Most recent | Inter Miami CF (1st shield) |
The Supporters' Shield is a special award given every year to the Major League Soccer (MLS) team that has the very best record during the regular season. This means they earned the most points before the playoffs start. The Supporters' Shield has been given out since 1999. However, teams that won the best regular season record between 1996 and 1998 also got the award later.
This award is a big deal in MLS. It's like how top soccer leagues in Europe celebrate the team with the best record as their champion. Since 2006, the team that wins the Supporters' Shield also gets a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which is a big tournament for teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
D.C. United and LA Galaxy have won the Supporters' Shield more than any other team, with four wins each. Inter Miami CF won the Supporters' Shield in 2024 for the first time. They also set a new record for the most points in a regular season, earning 74 points in the 2024 season.
Contents
History of the Shield
How the Idea Started
When Major League Soccer first began in 1996, the league was set up like other sports leagues in North America. After the regular season, teams would play in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The team with the best record in the regular season didn't get a special trophy, just the top spot in the playoffs.
In 1997, a soccer fan named Nick Lawrus suggested creating an award for the regular season champion. This idea came after the Tampa Bay Mutiny had the best record in 1996 but didn't win the final championship, the MLS Cup. A group of fans from different MLS teams liked the idea and decided to call it the "Supporters' Shield."
Making the Trophy Happen
The next year, another fan named Sam Pierron worked to make the award a reality. MLS didn't want to pay for the trophy, so Sam and other fans started raising money. They got help from people like ESPN commentator Phil Schoen and MLS commissioner Doug Logan. They raised almost $3,000 to create the trophy.
The first Supporters' Shield was made by an art student named Paula Richardson. It was shaped like a chevron and made of shiny silver. The trophy was finished in 1999. Even though D.C. United was the first team to officially win it, the teams that had the best records from 1996 to 1998 were also added to the Shield later.
For many years, the Supporters' Shield didn't get much attention from MLS or the public. The league focused more on the MLS Cup winner.
New Reasons to Win the Shield
Things changed in 2006. The U.S. Soccer Federation decided that both the Supporters' Shield winner and the MLS Cup winner would get to represent the United States in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. This made the Shield much more important. If the Shield winner also won the MLS Cup, or if a Canadian team won one of the spots, the next best U.S. team would get to go.
Later, when the Champions Cup became the CONCACAF Champions League, both the Supporters' Shield winner and the MLS Cup winner got direct spots in the group stage of the tournament.
Sometimes, a team wins both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup in the same year. This has happened eight times, including in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2017, and 2022. In 2011, the league also decided that the Shield winner would play against the lowest-ranked team in the MLS Cup playoffs.
A New Look for the Shield
As the Supporters' Shield became more important, fans wanted a new, bigger trophy. The idea for a new Shield started at a fan meeting in 2010. A group called the Supporters' Shield Foundation was created in 2012 to raise money for a new trophy. They raised $18,000, mostly by selling 2,000 special scarves.
The new Supporters' Shield was ready in early 2013. It weighs about 35 pounds (16 kg) and is made of silver and stainless steel. The outside looks like a classic soccer ball, and the middle has the chevron shape from the original trophy. The middle part can be expanded so that the names of future winners can be added each year. The New York Red Bulls were the first team to receive the new Shield in 2013.
The 2020 Season Challenge
On October 17, 2020, MLS announced that the Supporters' Shield would not be given out for the 2020 season. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it hard for fans to attend games. The Supporters' Shield Foundation said that without fans in the stadiums, it didn't feel right to give out the award.
However, many people, including coaches and players, were upset by this decision. Just a few days later, on October 23, the Supporters' Shield Foundation changed its mind. The Shield was brought back for the 2020 season. The Philadelphia Union won it that year. Because of shipping delays, they used a temporary trophy that looked like Captain America's shield with a special cover.
Winners of the Shield
Sixteen different teams have won the Supporters' Shield. The LA Galaxy and D.C. United have won it the most times, with four wins each. Seven teams have won both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup in the same year.
| Ed. | Season | Teams | Winner | Record | Points (PPG) |
Playoffs result | Coach | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Tied | |||||||
| 1 | 1996 | 10 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 32 | 20 | 12 | — | 58 (1.81) | Lost Conf Finals (DC) | Thomas Rongen |
| 2 | 1997 | 10 | D.C. United | 32 | 21 | 11 | — | 55 (1.72) | Won MLS Cup | Bruce Arena |
| 3 | 1998 | 12 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 32 | 24 | 8 | — | 68 (2.12) | Lost Conf Finals (CHI) | Octavio Zambrano |
| 4 | 1999 | 12 | D.C. United (2) | 32 | 23 | 9 | — | 57 (1.78) | Won MLS Cup | Thomas Rongen |
| 5 | 2000 | 12 | Kansas City Wizards | 32 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 57 (1.78) | Won MLS Cup | Bob Gansler |
| 6 | 2001 | 12 | Miami Fusion | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 53 (2.04) | Lost Semifinals (SJO) | Ray Hudson |
| 7 | 2002 | 10 | Los Angeles Galaxy (2) | 28 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 51 (1.82) | Won MLS Cup | Sigi Schmid |
| 8 | 2003 | 10 | Chicago Fire | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 53 (1.77) | Lost MLS Cup (SJO) | Dave Sarachan |
| 9 | 2004 | 10 | Columbus Crew | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 49 (1.63) | Lost Conf Semifinals (NE) | Greg Andrulis |
| 10 | 2005 | 12 | San Jose Earthquakes | 32 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 64 (2.00) | Lost Conf Semifinals (LA) | Dominic Kinnear |
| 11 | 2006 | 12 | D.C. United (3) | 32 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 55 (1.72) | Lost Conf Finals (NE) | Piotr Nowak |
| 12 | 2007 | 13 | D.C. United (4) | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 55 (1.83) | Lost Conf Semifinals (CHI) | Tom Soehn |
| 13 | 2008 | 14 | Columbus Crew (2) | 30 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 57 (1.90) | Won MLS Cup | Sigi Schmid |
| 14 | 2009 | 15 | Columbus Crew (3) | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 49 (1.63) | Lost Conf Semifinals (RSL) | Robert Warzycha |
| 15 | 2010 | 16 | Los Angeles Galaxy (3) | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 59 (1.97) | Lost Conf Finals (DAL) | Bruce Arena |
| 16 | 2011 | 18 | Los Angeles Galaxy (4) | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 67 (1.97) | Won MLS Cup | Bruce Arena |
| 17 | 2012 | 19 | San Jose Earthquakes (2) | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 66 (1.94) | Lost Conf Semifinals (LA) | Frank Yallop |
| 18 | 2013 | 19 | New York Red Bulls | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 59 (1.74) | Lost Conf Semifinals (HOU) | Mike Petke |
| 19 | 2014 | 19 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 64 (1.88) | Lost Conf Finals (LA) | Sigi Schmid |
| 20 | 2015 | 20 | New York Red Bulls (2) | 34 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 60 (1.76) | Lost Conf Finals (CLB) | Jesse Marsch |
| 21 | 2016 | 20 | FC Dallas | 34 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 60 (1.76) | Lost Conf Semifinals (SEA) | Óscar Pareja |
| 22 | 2017 | 22 | Toronto FC | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 69 (2.02) | Won MLS Cup | Greg Vanney |
| 23 | 2018 | 23 | New York Red Bulls (3) | 34 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 71 (2.09) | Lost Conf Finals (ATL) | Chris Armas |
| 24 | 2019 | 24 | Los Angeles FC | 34 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 72 (2.12) | Lost Conf Finals (SEA) | Bob Bradley |
| 25 | 2020 | 26 | Philadelphia Union | 23 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 47 (2.04) | Lost first round (NE) | Jim Curtin |
| 26 | 2021 | 27 | New England Revolution | 34 | 22 | 5 | 7 | 73 (2.15) | Lost Conf Semifinals (NYC) | Bruce Arena |
| 27 | 2022 | 28 | Los Angeles FC (2) | 34 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 67 (1.97) | Won MLS Cup | Steve Cherundolo |
| 28 | 2023 | 29 | FC Cincinnati | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 69 (2.03) | Lost Conf Finals (CLB) | Pat Noonan |
| 29 | 2024 | 29 | Inter Miami CF | 34 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 74 (2.18) | Lost first round (ATL) | Gerardo Martino |
Records
Teams with Most Wins
Here's a list of teams that have won the Supporters' Shield, and how many times they've been runners-up (finished second).
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Year(s) won | Year(s) runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Galaxy | 4 | 4 | 1998, 2002, 2010, 2011 | 1996, 1999, 2009, 2014 |
| D.C. United | 4 | 1 | 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007 | 1998 |
| Columbus Crew | 3 | 1 | 2004, 2008, 2009 | 2024 |
| New York Red Bulls | 3 | 0 | 2013, 2015, 2018 | |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2 | 2 | 2005, 2012 | 2002, 2003 |
| Los Angeles FC | 2 | 0 | 2019, 2022 | |
| Sporting Kansas City | 1 | 4 | 2000 | 1997, 2004, 2012, 2013 |
| Chicago Fire | 1 | 2 | 2003 | 2000, 2001 |
| FC Dallas | 1 | 2 | 2016 | 2006, 2015 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | 1 | 2014 | 2011 |
| Toronto FC | 1 | 1 | 2017 | 2020 |
| Philadelphia Union | 1 | 1 | 2020 | 2022 |
| New England Revolution | 1 | 1 | 2021 | 2005 |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | 1 | 0 | 1996 | |
| Miami Fusion | 1 | 0 | 2001 | |
| FC Cincinnati | 1 | 0 | 2023 | |
| Inter Miami CF | 1 | 0 | 2024 | |
| Colorado Rapids | 0 | 2 | 2016, 2021 | |
| New York City FC | 0 | 2 | 2017, 2019 | |
| Chivas USA | 0 | 1 | 2007 | |
| Houston Dynamo | 0 | 1 | 2008 | |
| Real Salt Lake | 0 | 1 | 2010 | |
| Atlanta United FC | 0 | 1 | 2018 | |
| Orlando City SC | 0 | 1 | 2023 |
- Teams that no longer exist are shown in italics.
Shield Winners in International Tournaments
Winning the Supporters' Shield also gives teams a chance to play against other top teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (now called the CONCACAF Champions League).
Before 2006, Shield winners didn't automatically get a spot in these international tournaments. Usually, the MLS Cup champion and runner-up would go. But since 2007, the Supporters' Shield winner has earned a spot.
Toronto FC and Los Angeles FC are the only Shield winners to reach the final of a CONCACAF tournament. However, Toronto FC is a Canadian team, so they qualified by winning the Canadian Championship, not just the Supporters' Shield.
Here's how Shield winners have done in these international competitions:
| Season | Shield winner | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Did not qualify | ||
| 1998 | |||
| 1999 | Los Angeles Galaxy | QR1 | |
| 2000 | D.C. United | SF | |
| 2002 | Kansas City Wizards | SF | |
| 2003 | Los Angeles Galaxy | QF | |
| 2004 | Chicago Fire | SF | |
| 2005 | Did not qualify | ||
| 2006 | |||
| 2007 | D.C. United | SF | |
| 2008 | D.C. United | SF | |
| 2008–09 | D.C. United | GS | |
| 2009–10 | Columbus Crew | QF | |
| 2010–11 | Columbus Crew | QF | |
| 2011–12 | Los Angeles Galaxy | QF | |
| 2012–13 | Los Angeles Galaxy | SF | |
| 2013–14 | San Jose Earthquakes | QF | |
| 2014–15 | New York Red Bulls | GS | |
| 2015–16 | Seattle Sounders FC | QF | |
| 2016–17 | New York Red Bulls | QF | |
| 2018 | Toronto FC | F | |
| 2019 | New York Red Bulls | QF | |
| 2020 | Los Angeles FC | F | |
| 2021 | Philadelphia Union | SF | |
| 2022 | New England Revolution | QF | |
| 2023 | Los Angeles FC | F | |
| 2024 | FC Cincinnati | R16 | |
| 2025 | Inter Miami CF | SF | |
See also
In Spanish: Supporters' Shield para niños
- List of American and Canadian soccer champions
- CPL Shield, a Canadian Premier League trophy having the same function as the MLS Supporters' Shield
- Presidents' Trophy, an NHL trophy having the same function as the MLS Supporters' Shield
- Maurice Podoloff Trophy, an NBA trophy having the same function as the MLS Supporters' Shield
- NWSL Shield, a National Women's Soccer League trophy having the same function as the MLS Supporters' Shield
- Minor premiership, a similar concept in Australian sports leagues
- Major League Soccer's Wooden Spoon award
