As we start the countdown to the 2015 MLS season, we take a look back at some of the other MLS Cup finals that have taken place. We have already given you reflections on the 2002 and 2005 finals, but now it’s time for us to rewind all the way to the first season of Major League Soccer. This is part of an ongoing series leading to the start of the 20th season of North America’s premier association football competition.
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Fresh off the heels of the 1994 World Cup, Major League Soccer was formed in 1995 after failed attempts to create a viable Division 1 professional league failed in the North American Soccer League (now the designated Division 2 league) and the American Professional Soccer League (now defunct). There were some hiccups along the way, but the start would be pushed back to 1996, when 10 teams were founded. Those teams: Columbus Crew, D.C. United, New England Revolution, NY/NJ MetroStars (now the New York Red Bulls), Tampa Bay Mutiny, Colorado Rapids, Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas), Kansas City Wiz (now Sporting Kansas City), Los Angeles Galaxy, and San Jose Clash (now San Jose Earthquakes).
The View from Avalon
Furthermore, ESPN and ABC Sports would win the English-language television rights, while Univision, and its sister networks Galavision and UniMas, would brooadcast matches in Spanish. These are the networks that broadcast most MLS matches to this day in the United States, aside from local networks and TSN/RDS/TVA Sports in Canada. In addition, MLS established itself as a single entity to prevent the insolvency and issues that plagued the former NASL.
D.C. United, under Bruce Arena, now the manager of the Los Angeles Galaxy, would be the first major dynasty in the league. Back in the early days, MLS did not follow the Laws of the Game in full, using the shootout, issuing zero points for a loss, and instituting a countdown clock rather than a running clock. These rules, along with other unique postseason procedures, would be in place for a decade.
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Champions of the Eastern Conference, D.C. United prevailed in a best-of-three series in the conference semifinals over the MetroStars before taking down the Mutiny in the Eastern Conference Championship. As for the Galaxy, they took down the Clash, winning two of three in the conference semis before sweeping the Wiz in the Western Conference Championship.
D.C. won the first-ever MLS Cup on a cold and rainy afternoon at the old Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. on Oct. 20, 1996, defeated the Galaxy, then managed by Lothar Osiander. Down 2-0 after goals from Eduardo Hurtado (5′) and Chris Armas (56′), United sparked a massive rally with goals from Tony Sanneh (72′) and Shawn Medved (81′) before Eddie Pope scored the game winner in the 94th minute of play. In addition, D.C. would be the first Major League Soccer team to secure a MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup double.