Western Conference (MLS)

Western Conference
League	Major League Soccer
Sport	Soccer
Founded	1996
Teams
No. of teams	11
Championships
Most recent Western Conference champion(s)	Seattle Sounders FC; (1st title)
Most Western Conference titles	LA Galaxy; (8 titles)

Current MLS team locations; Western Conference teams are marked brown

The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences.

Members[edit]

Current[edit]

Team	City	Stadium
Colorado Rapids	Commerce City, CO	Dick's Sporting Goods Park
FC Dallas	Frisco, TX	Toyota Stadium
Houston Dynamo	Houston, TX	BBVA Compass Stadium
Los Angeles Galaxy	Carson, CA	StubHub Center
Minnesota United FC	Minneapolis, MN	TCF Bank Stadium
Portland Timbers	Portland, OR	Providence Park
Real Salt Lake	Sandy, UT	Rio Tinto Stadium
San Jose Earthquakes	San Jose, CA	Avaya Stadium
Seattle Sounders FC	Seattle, WA	CenturyLink Field
Sporting Kansas City	Kansas City, KS	Children's Mercy Park
Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Vancouver, BC	BC Place

Future[edit]

Team	City	Stadium	Joining
Los Angeles FC	Los Angeles, CA	Banc of California Stadium	2018

Conference Lineups[edit]

1996[edit]

Lineup for 1996[edit]

Changes from 1995[edit]

Creation of Major League Soccer

1997[edit]

Lineup for 1997[edit]

Changes from 1996[edit]

Kansas City changed their name from the Wiz to the Wizards

1998–99[edit]

Lineup for 1998–99[edit]

Changes from 1997[edit]

The Chicago Fire were added in the 1998 expansion

2000–01[edit]

Western Division[edit]

Lineup for 2000–01[edit]

Changes from 1999[edit]

The Western Conference changed to the Western Division with the creation of the new Central Division
The Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn moved into the new Central Division
San Jose Clash changed their nickname from the Clash to the Earthquakes

2002–04[edit]

Western Conference[edit]

Lineup for 2002–04[edit]

Changes from 2001[edit]

The Western Division changed back to the Western Conference following the contraction of the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny, resulting in the disbanding of the Central Division
The Dallas Burn moved in from the Central Division

2005[edit]

Lineup for 2005[edit]

Changes from 2004[edit]

Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake were added in the 2005 expansion
The Kansas City Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference
Dallas changed their name from the Dallas Burn to FC Dallas

2006–07[edit]

Lineup for 2006–07[edit]

Changes from 2005[edit]

The San Jose Earthquakes put on hiatus. Houston Dynamo join the league as new team.

2008[edit]

Lineup for 2008[edit]

Changes from 2007[edit]

The San Jose Earthquakes return to MLS from their hiatus

2009–10[edit]

Lineup for 2009–10[edit]

Changes from 2008[edit]

Seattle Sounders FC were added in the 2009 expansion

2011–14[edit]

Lineup for 2011–14[edit]

Changes from 2010[edit]

The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC were added in the 2011 expansion. Houston moved to the Eastern Conference.

2015–16[edit]

Lineup for 2015-16[edit]

Changes from 2014[edit]

Chivas USA ceases operation
Sporting Kansas City and Houston Dynamo move to Western Conference^[1]

2017[edit]

Lineup for 2017[edit]

Changes from 2016[edit]

Minnesota United FC will be added in the 2017 expansion.^[2]

Western Conference playoff champions by year[edit]

Note: The Conference finals were a best-of-three series through 2001 (including the MLS semifinals in 2000 and 2001, when a conference playoff format was not used). Matches tied after regulation were decided by a shootout. In 2002, a similar format was used except that draws were allowed and the team earning the most points advanced. From 2003 through 2011, the finals were a single match. Matches tied after regulation moved to extra time (Golden goal extra time was implemented for 2003 only), then a shootout if necessary. Beginning in 2012, the finals are a two-match aggregate series. The away goals rule for series that finished even on aggregate was first implemented in 2014. Extra time and shootouts are used if necessary.

Bold	MLS Cup Champions

Season	Champions	Score	Runners Up
1996	LA Galaxy	2 matches to 0	Kansas City Wizards
1997	Colorado Rapids	2 matches to 0	Dallas Burn
1998	Chicago Fire	2 matches to 0	LA Galaxy
1999	LA Galaxy	2 matches to 1	Dallas Burn
2000	No conference playoffs
2001	No conference playoffs
2002	LA Galaxy	6 points to 0	Colorado Rapids
2003	San Jose Earthquakes	3–2 (aet)	Kansas City Wizards
2004	Kansas City Wizards	2–0	LA Galaxy
2005	LA Galaxy	2–0	Colorado Rapids
2006	Houston Dynamo	3–1	Colorado Rapids
2007	Houston Dynamo	2–0	Kansas City Wizards
2008	New York Red Bulls^E	1–0	Real Salt Lake
2009	LA Galaxy	2–0 (aet)	Houston Dynamo
2010	FC Dallas	3–0	LA Galaxy
2011	LA Galaxy	3–1	Real Salt Lake
2012	LA Galaxy	4–2 agg.	Seattle Sounders FC
2013	Real Salt Lake	5–2 agg.	Portland Timbers
2014	LA Galaxy	2–2 away goals	Seattle Sounders FC
2015	Portland Timbers	5–3 agg.	FC Dallas
2016	Seattle Sounders FC	3–1 agg	Colorado Rapids

^E – Eastern Conference team.

Western Conference regular season first place teams by year[edit]

Bold	MLS Supporters' Shield Champions

Year	Team	Record	Playoffs result
1996	LA Galaxy	19–13–0^ (+10)	Lost MLS Cup Finals
1997	Kansas City Wizards	21–11–0^ (+6)	Lost Conference Semifinals
1998	LA Galaxy	24–8–0^ (+41)	Lost Conference Finals
1999	LA Galaxy	20–12–0^ (+20)	Lost MLS Cup Finals
2000	Kansas City Wizards	16–7–9 (+18)	Won MLS Cup Finals
2001	LA Galaxy†	14–7–5 (+16)	Lost Semifinals
2002	LA Galaxy	16–9–3 (+11)	Won MLS Cup Finals
2003	San Jose Earthquakes	14–7–9 (+10)	Won MLS Cup Finals
2004	Kansas City Wizards	14–9–7 (+8)	Lost MLS Cup Finals
2005	San Jose Earthquakes	18–4–10 (+22)	Lost Conference Semifinals
2006	FC Dallas	16–12–4 (+4)	Lost Conference Semifinals
2007	Chivas USA	15–7–8 (+18)	Lost Conference Semifinals
2008	Houston Dynamo	13–5–12 (+13)	Lost Conference Semifinals
2009	LA Galaxy	12–6–12 (+5)	Lost MLS Cup Finals
2010	LA Galaxy	18–7–5 (+18)	Lost Conference Finals
2011	LA Galaxy	19–5–10 (+20)	Won MLS Cup Finals
2012	San Jose Earthquakes	19–6–9 (+29)	Lost Conference Semifinals
2013	Portland Timbers	14–5–15 (+21)	Lost Conference Finals
2014	Seattle Sounders FC	20–10–4 (+15)	Lost Conference Finals
2015	FC Dallas	18–10–6 (+13)	Lost Conference Finals
2016	FC Dallas	17–8–9 (+10)	Lost Conference Semifinals

^ – MLS did not have draws until the 2000 season.
† – The LA Galaxy were declared winners of the Western Division in 2001 after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks forced the cancellation of the rest of the regular season. The MLS Cup Playoffs began on September 20.

MLS Cup Champions produced[edit]

References[edit]

^ "MLS announces new strategy for Los Angeles market, 2015 conference alignment". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
^ "Atlanta to join Eastern Conference in 2017, Minnesota to compete in West". Major League Soccer. August 20, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.

External links[edit]

Complete MLS History

[Chivas_USA_gone.2C_realignment-1] "MLS announces new strategy for Los Angeles market, 2015 conference alignment". mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved October 27, 2014.

[2] "Atlanta to join Eastern Conference in 2017, Minnesota to compete in West". Major League Soccer. August 20, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2016.

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