Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league that features teams from around the world. There are currently 20 teams in the league, but this number may increase in the future. Eventually, there could be up to 32 teams. The season of Major League Soccer begins in May and runs through November. The schedule of games and MLS Cup Playoffs are available here.
2022 Major League Soccer season schedule
The 2022 Major League Soccer season schedule will be the first of its kind. The season begins in February, two months earlier than usual, and will end on Decision Day, October 9. The season will feature 34 weeks of action. Each team will play 17 home games and eight non-conference games. Games will be played on Saturdays and Sundays.
The 2022 MLS season schedule will feature games from all teams. The season runs from February 26 to October 9. Each team plays 34 games. The team with the best record at the end of the regular season wins the Supporters’ Shield.
Tickets to MLS games are available through Ticketmaster. Additionally, on August 10 in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MLS will host the All-Star Game. The match will feature the best players in MLS and international soccer.
In addition to the regular season, the 2022 Major League Soccer season schedule also features the playoffs. The playoffs will begin on Oct. 9 and end on November 5. A few teams will also be playing in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In addition to these games, the MLS schedule will feature midweek games in June, July, and August.
Players cannot play two midweek games back-to-back. The league also plans to realign its conference structure after adding new teams in the coming years. In 2022, Charlotte FC will join the Eastern Conference while Nashville SC will join the Western Conference.
The 2022 Major League Soccer season schedule will feature two new clubs, the New England Revolution and Charlotte FC. Each team is looking to build on their stellar season from last season and win the Supporters’ Shield. Charlotte FC will make its MLS debut on February 26, 2022 against DC United at Audi Field. You can watch most MLS games live through FuboTV, YouTube Live, and Amazon Prime. ESPN and FOX will also be offering some 2022 MLS games.
The 2022 MLS season schedule is packed with exciting new additions. Nashville SC is adding a new soccer-specific stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition, the league’s 2022 season schedule will feature the largest national broadcasts in league history. The season schedule is expected to feature a variety of different games and events across the country.
In 2022, the MLS season schedule will include 48 matches. Network television will carry MLS action nine times in 2022. ABC will also carry a full slate of MLS matches. In addition, ESPN and ESPN2 will have coverage of MLS games.
Additionally, FOX will show 34 matches, with 27 matches airing on FS1 and seven on FOX. In addition, all 34 matches will be broadcast in Spanish on FOX Deportes. Univision and UniMas will also air some 2022 MLS matches.
In addition to the regular season, MLS will feature playoff games. The playoffs traditionally take place in November and December. The 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs will kick off earlier than usual, beginning November 21. The MLS Cup final will take place on November 5. New York City FC won its first MLS Cup in 2021, beating the Portland Timbers on penalty kicks.
Schedule of MLS Cup Playoffs
In recent years, the MLS Cup Playoffs have taken on a different format. The seven top teams from each conference advance to the postseason. The top seed in the Western Conference and Eastern Conference advances to the conference semifinals. The bottom two seeds advance to a single-elimination Round 1 to decide which teams will move on to the next round.
The schedule for the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs includes 13 single-elimination matches. The first round will consist of six games. Teams will compete against each other to determine which teams advance to the MLS Cup final on December 11. Points will be awarded based on the teams’ record in their conference. A win earns three points, a tie earns one point, and a loss earns zero.
In case of ties in the playoffs, each team will play extra time until a winner is determined. If a tie continues to exist, sudden death kicks will be played from the penalty mark to decide the winner. If there are more ties, the winner of each conference advances to the MLS Cup.
The Portland Timbers are one of the most intriguing teams in the MLS, and they are a favorite to win. However, the Timbers have lost more games this season than they have won. That means that the playoffs are a good opportunity for the Timbers to win the Cup. The team must be prepared to play the Minnesota Timbers, who have reached the MLS Cup four times in five years. To win, the Portland Timbers must contain Emanuel Reynoso and Sebastian Blanco.
The MLS Cup Playoffs typically last through November and December. However, due to the World Cup, the playoffs will start earlier than normal in 2022. The World Cup starts on November 21, 2022. The MLS Cup Final will be held on December 11, at 2:00 pm CT. This event will be broadcast on ABC in the U.S. and in nearly 190 countries around the world.
The MLS Cup Playoffs will feature seven teams in a single-elimination bracket. The playoffs will take place between November and December, and the final will take place on Dec. 11. All matches will be broadcast live on ABC. The dates of the MLS Cup Finals will be announced after MLS Decision Day on Nov. 7.
In 2021, the Portland Timbers will play New York City FC in the MLS Cup final. The Timbers won the Western Conference in 2015 and won the league. The game will be broadcast live on ABC and UniMas. Those living in the US can also watch the final on FuboTV.
MLS salary cap
The MLS salary cap for the soccer season is a yearly cap set by the league that a team can use for all of its senior roster players. The cap, currently set at $4.9 million, will rise to $7 million by 2027. Teams can use this amount to pay 18 players on their senior roster. They can also spend the rest of their salary budget on their reserve team.
The salary cap is designed to create a level playing field between teams. Each team has $4.9 million in budget space, which is used to pay players and other expenses. Some players can be paid more, including designated players. There is also a mechanism to adjust budget charges. If a player’s salary is over the cap, they only count $150,000 toward their cap.
The salary cap is impacted by the new MLS contract and revenue share agreement. In 2021, players will receive 12.5 percent of net media revenue growth, which will rise to 25 percent by 2025.
This money goes into the salary cap and the general allocation money. The new CBA also loosened free agent rules for players. Previously, players could only sign free agent deals if they were 28 years old and had spent eight years in the league.
There are two Designated Player positions in the MLS salary cap. Each team can sign up to two Designated Players. However, teams cannot trade the Designated Player slots. In the 2010 season, the New York Red Bulls received $70,000 in allocation money for their second Designated Player spot. In addition, teams may pay a $250,000 “luxury tax” for the right to sign a third Designated Player. This money would be shared equally among all MLS teams.
The MLS salary cap is a flexible tool to encourage teams to spend more money on their top players. As a result, players can earn more money and make more money. Some players are making over $5 million per season, while others earn under $2 million. As long as the teams are profitable, this salary cap may increase the level of wages.
Teams may also use General Allocation Money (TAM) to sweeten trades and sign new players. This money is also available to buy-down the salary of designated players. Using TAM, teams can sign better international talent and attract more attention to the league. However, they are not allowed to sell this money outside of the league.
In 2012, the MLS changed the rules for signing younger players. The changes were announced in August 2011 and were made after clubs voiced concerns about the risks of signing young players from other countries without guarantees. Those players who are under the age of 21 or 20 years old will now count as $150,000 against the club’s salary budget.
A Major League Soccer club’s active roster is comprised of up to 30 players. These players are eligible to be selected for game-day matches during the regular season and the playoffs. MLS clubs can also spend additional funds on player compensation, including money from the League-wide allocation pool and discretionary amounts of Targeted Allocation Money. Additionally, some teams can spend money on their Supplemental Roster (Slots 21-30).
