Supporters' Shield

The **Supporters' Shield** is an annual award gien tae the Major League Soccer team wi the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield haes been annually awairdit at the MLS Supporters' Summit syne 1999 (wi the winners atween 1996 and 1998 awairdit retroactively), and haes been recognized as a major trophy by the league. It echoes the practice o the tap European leagues in which the team wi the best record is the champion. Syne 2006, the Supporters' Shield winner haes earned a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup if they are an American-based team.

D.C. United and LA Galaxy, wi fower Supporters' Shields each, hae won the maist shields o ony MLS team. FC Cincinnati are the 2023 holders o the Supporters' Shield, winning it for the first time.

## History

### Conception and fundraising

Whan Major League Soccer had its inaugural saison in 1996, the league resemblit its contemporary North American leagues. Efter the regular saison, the campaign culminatit wi the MLS Cup Playoffs, en route tae the postseason championship match, the MLS Cup. The club wi the best regular saison record received naething mair than the tap seed in the playoffs.

In 1997, fitba fan Nick Lawrus on a listserv proponed the notion o a "Supporters' Scudetto", as a result o the Tampa Bay Mutiny earnin the best regular saison record but failin tae win the 1996 MLS Cup Final. A committee composed o members o aw MLS teams' supporters changit the name tae "Supporters' Shield" but, due tae disagreements atween members o the committee, the proposal failed tae come tae fruition.

The follaein year, anither group led by fitba enthusiast Sam Pierron tried tae revive the idea by giein an award tae the regular saison champions. Since MLS refused tae fund the idea, Pierron began fundraising tae purchase a trophy wi the help o supporters fae various MLS clubs. Fundraising was boosted wi donations fae ESPN commentator Phil Schoen and MLS commissioner Doug Logan. In the end, nearly $3,000 wis donated tae commission the trophy, which wis a chevron made by airtist Paula Richardson oot o sterling siller sheet metal, for $2,200.

The process tae create and purchase the Supporters' Shield wis no completed until the tail end o the 1999 saison. Altho D.C. United wur the first MLS club tae win the award, the first-place finishes atween 1996 and 1998 hae aw been awairdit the honor retroactively, wi their names includit on the shield at the time o its creation.

Throu the early tae mid-2000s, the Shield received little praise or recognition frae MLS or the general public, as the league awairdit the MLS Cup winner an runner-up wi spots in continental tournaments.

### First Shield incentives arrive

In Februar 2006, USSF decidit that the Supporters' Shield winner an the MLS Cup winner would represent the Unitit States in the CONCACAF Champions League, formerly the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. If the Supporters Shield winner also wins the MLS Cup, the team wi the seicont heichest regular saison point total qualifies as weel.
Whan the Champions Cup became the CONCACAF Champions League, the Unitit States Soccer Federation gied the Supporters' Shield winner an the MLS Cup winner baith direct Group stage spots intae the tournament.

On aucht occasions (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2008, 2011, 2017, an 2022) the winner o the Supporters' Shield won the MLS Cup that same year. In 2011, the league announced that the Shield winner's opponent in the MLS Cup quarterfinals wad be the laichest-seedit team remainin.

### Redesign

As the Shield began tae become mair prized an grow in significance alang wi "supporter culture" growin throu the league, the idea o creating a new Supporters' Shield began at the MLS Supporters Summit durin the 2010 MLS Cup in Toronto. The idea continued tae gain traction at the then recently formed Independent Supporters Council (ISC) the follaein twa years in Los Angeles an Portland, Oregon. The Supporter's Shield Foundation wis created oot o the ISC meeting in Portland in 2012 wi a mission tae fund the creation o a new shield an tae promote an manage the trophy gaun forward. The cost o the new Shield wis quotit at $18,000 wi a majority o the funds raised throu the "I Support the Shield" scarf drive that culminatit in the sale o 2000 supporter scarves. 

Wi the fundraising complete, in early 2013 the new Supporter's Shield wis created. The new shield weighs  an is made o sterling siller an stainless steel. The ootside o the shield contains a Telstar foot ba' design while the middle o the shield pays homage.

## Winners

Sixteen different teams hae won at least ae Supporters' Shield, wi the LA Galaxy and D.C. United level wi the maist wins at fower each. Seiven teams hae gone on tae win the MLS Cup efter winnin the Supporters' Shield, wi baith the Galaxy and D.C. achievin this double twice. While three teams hae secured a Supporters' Shield and U.S. Open Cup double, nae American team haes won aw three major domestic trophies (the Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup). Hooever, in the 2017 saison, Toronto FC managed the Canadian version o this achievement, liftin the Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup and Canadian Championship.

}(Pts/Gm)}}
! rowspan="2" |Playoffs result
! rowspan="2" |Coach
|-
!Games
!width=40|Won
!width=40|Lost
!Tied
|-
| 1996
| 10
| Tampa Bay Mutiny
| 32 || 20 || 12 || —
| 58 (1.81)
| Lost  Finals (DC)
| Thomas Rongen
|-
| 1997
| 10
| bgcolor=#CFECEC| D.C. United
| 32 || 21 || 11 || —
| 55 (1.72)
| Won MLS Cup
| Bruce Arena
|-
| 1998
| 12
| Los Angeles Galaxy
| 32 || 24 || 8 || —
| 68 (2.12)
| Lost  Finals (CHI)
| Octavio Zambrano
|- 
| 1999
| 12
| bgcolor=#CFECEC| D.C. United (2)
| 32 || 23 || 9 || —
| 57 (1.78)
| Won MLS Cup
| Thomas Rongen
|-
| 2000
| 12
| bgcolor=#CFECEC| Kansas City Wizards
| 32 || 16 || 7 || 9
| 57 (1.78)
| Won MLS Cup
| Bob Gansler
|-
| 2001
| 12
| Miami Fusion
| 26 || 16 || 5 || 5
| 53 (2.04)
| Lost Semifinals (SJO)
| Ray Hudson
|- 
| 2002
| 10
| bgcolor=#CFECEC| Los Angeles Galaxy (2)
| 28 || 16 || 9 || 3
| 51 (1.82)
| Won MLS Cup
| Sigi Schmid
|-
| 2003
| 10
| bgcolor=#ADFF2F| Chicago Fire
| 30 || 15 || 7 || 8
| 53 (1.77)
| Lost MLS Cup (SJO)
| Dave Sarachan
|-
| 2004
| 10
| Columbus Crew
| 30 || 12 || 5 || 13
| 49 (1.63)
| Lost  Semifinals (NE)
| Greg Andrulis
|-
| 2005
| 12
| San Jose Earthquakes
| 32 || 18 || 4 || 10
| 64 (2.00)
| Lost  Semifinals (LA)
| Dominic Kinnear
|-
| 2006
| 12
| D.C. United (3)
| 32 || 15 || 7 || 10
| 55 (1.72)
| Lost  Finals (NE)
| Piotr Nowak
|-
| 2007
| 13
| D.C. United (4)
| 30 || 16 || 7 || 7
| 55 (1.83)
| Lost  Semifinals (CHI)
| Tom Soehn
|- 
| 2008
| 14
| bgcolor=#CFECEC| Columbus Crew (2)
| 30 || 17 || 7 || 6
| 57 (1.90)
| Won MLS Cup
| Sigi Schmid
|-
| 2009
| 15
| Columbus Crew (3)
| 30 || 13 || 7 || 10
| 49 (1.63)
| Lost  Semifinals (RSL)
| Robert Warzycha
|-
| 2010
| 16
| Los Angeles Galaxy (3)
| 30 || 18 || 7 || 5
| 59 (1.97)
| Lost  Finals (DAL)
| Bruce Arena
|- 
| 2011
| 18
| bgcolor=#CFECEC| Los Angeles Galaxy (4)
| 34 || 19 || 5 || 10
| 67 (1.97)
| Won MLS Cup
| Bruce Arena
|-
| 2012
| 19
| San Jose Earthquakes (2)
| 34 || 19 || 6 || 9
| 66 (1.94)
| Lost  Semifinals (LA)
| Frank Yallop
|-
| 2013
| 19
| New York Red Bulls
| 34 || 17 || 9 || 8
| 59 (1.74)
| Lost  Semifinals (HOU)
| Mike Petke
|- 
| 2014
| 19
| bgcolor=#ADFF2F| Seattle Sounders FC
| 34 || 20 || 10 || 4
| 64 (1.88)
| Lost  Finals (LA)
| Sigi Schmid
|-
| 2015
| 20
| New York Red Bulls (2)
| 34 || 18 || 10 || 6
| 60 (1.76)
| Lost  Finals (CLB)
| Jesse Marsch
|-
| 2016
| 20
| bgcolor=#ADFF2F| FC Dallas
| 34 || 17 || 8 || 9
| 60 (1.76)
| Lost  Semifinals (SEA)
| Óscar Pareja
|-
| 2017
| 22
| bgcolor=#ECCFEC| Toronto FC
| 34 || 20 || 5 || 9 || 69 (2.02)
| Won MLS Cup
| Greg Vanney
|-
| 2018
| 23
| New York Red Bulls (3)
| 34 || 22 || 7 || 5
| 71 (2.09)
| Lost  Finals (ATL)
| Chris Armas
|-
| 2019
| 24
| Los Angeles FC
| 34 || 21 || 4 || 9
| 72 (2.12)
| Lost  Finals (SEA)
| Bob Bradley
|-
| 2020
| 26
| Philadelphia Union
| 23 || 14 || 4 || 5
| 47 (2.04)
| Lost first round (NE)
| Jim Curtin
|-
| 2021
| 27
| New England Revolution
| 34 || 22 || 5 || 7
| 73 (2.15)
| Lost  Semifinals (NYC)
| Bruce Arena
|-
| 2022
| 28
| bgcolor=#CFECEC| Los Angeles FC (2)
| 34 || 21 || 9 || 4
| 67 (1.97)
| Won MLS Cup
| Steve Cherundolo
|-
| 2023
| 29
| FC Cincinnati
| 34 || 20 || 5 || 9
| 69 (2.03)
| TBD
| Pat Noonan
|}

## References

## Freemit airtins
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