Founded | June 21, 2021 |
---|---|
First season | 2022 |
Country | United States |
Other club(s) from | Canada |
Confederation | CONCACAF |
Number of teams | 29 |
Level on pyramid | 3 |
Domestic cup(s) | U.S. Open Cup |
Current champions | Austin FC II (2023) |
Current regular season title | Colorado Rapids 2 (2023) |
TV partners | MLS Season Pass YouTube |
Website | mlsnextpro.com |
Current: 2024 MLS Next Pro season |
MLS Next Pro (MLSNP) is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and now comprises 27 reserve sides of MLS clubs and 2 independent clubs. MLS Next Pro is classified as part of the third tier of the United States soccer league system. [1]
On June 21, 2021, Major League Soccer announced the creation of a new professional league which would begin play in 2022. MLS has applied to the United States Soccer Federation for the league to be sanctioned as a Division III professional league, the same level currently occupied by USL League One and the National Independent Soccer Association and one level below the USL Championship. [2] MLS announced that Next Pro would start with at least 20 teams, many of them owned by Major League Soccer and development teams between their first-teams and their youth academies. [2] All MLS clubs with reserve teams in the USL Championship or USL League One initially planned to move those sides to MLS Next Pro by 2023. D.C. United's formerly owned-and-operated reserve team was sold to independent buyers. [2]
The inaugural match of MLS Next Pro was played on March 25, 2022, at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis. St. Louis City SC 2 defeated Rochester New York FC 2–0. Wan Kuzain scored the first ever goal in the 20th minute. [3] [4] [5]
The league makes use of unique rules such as all regular season draws being decided by penalty shootouts and the addition of concussion substitutions. On July 6, 2022, new rules for the league were introduced in the middle of the season. This included an off-field treatment rule meant to curb gamesmanship and timewasting and a new rule for red card suspensions: The suspension a player gets for getting a red card or two yellow cards in the same game will be served by the player when next playing against the same opponent. [6]
The league runs from spring to fall with the first season kicking off in March. Each team plays 28 regular-season games, which will be followed by an 14-team playoff tournament. The league is divided into Eastern and Western Conferences. [7]
Unlike Major League Soccer, MLS Next Pro does not feature a salary cap, and player contracts are held by the teams and not by the league. Team rosters can have up to 24 professional players (not including amateur academy players) with a maximum of seven international players. [8] An MLS Next Pro club's active roster contains up to 35 players, all of whom are eligible for selection to each official match roster during the MLS Next Pro season. [9]
Team [37] | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joining | Affiliate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connecticut United FC | Bridgeport, Connecticut | New Waterfront Stadium | 10,000 | 2024 | 2025 [38] | Independent |
Jacksonville Armada FC | Jacksonville, Florida | New Eastside Stadium | 2,500 | 2013 | 2025 | |
Cleveland Pro Soccer | Cleveland, Ohio | TBD | 2022 | 2026 [39] |
Club | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Last season | Affiliate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rochester New York FC | Brighton, New York | John L. DiMarco Field | 1,500 [40] | 1996 | 2022 | 2022 | Independent |
League memberFormer memberFuture memberOther leagues
Season | Playoff champions | Regular season champions |
---|---|---|
2022 | Columbus Crew 2 | Columbus Crew 2 |
2023 | Austin FC II | Colorado Rapids 2 |
Year | Winner | Score | Runner-Up | Venue | MVP | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Columbus Crew 2 | 4–1 | St. Louis City SC 2 | Lower.com Field | Marco Micaletto (CC2) | 7,446 | [41] |
2023 | Austin FC II | 3–1 | Columbus Crew 2 | Lower.com Field | Valentin Noël (AU2) | 7,500 | [42] |
Major League Soccer has expanded several times since the league began play in 1996. Major League Soccer was established as the top level of professional soccer in the United States in 1993 with 10 teams and began play in 1996. It has expanded several times since 1998 into new markets across the United States and, since 2006, Canada.
The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at Providence Park since 2011, when the team began play as an expansion team in the league.
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North Texas Soccer Club is a professional soccer club playing in the MLS Next Pro, a third division league of American soccer. The team is owned by, and operates as the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club FC Dallas. While the senior club is based, and plays, in Frisco, Texas, North Texas SC as of 2020 is based in Arlington, Texas, 38 miles / 70km south of Toyota Stadium Frisco, at Choctaw Stadium. The team was announced as a founder member of League One on November 2, 2018.
Marco Micaletto is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club New Mexico United.
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Columbus Crew 2 is a professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that competes in the MLS Next Pro league, the third division of American soccer. The team is owned by, and operates as the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew. The team plays home matches at Historic Crew Stadium. The team was announced as a member of MLS Next Pro on December 6, 2021.
The 2022 MLS Next Pro season was the inaugural season of MLS Next Pro, the reserve league of Major League Soccer. It is the first season since 2014 where MLS had a standalone reserve league, the previous season being the MLS Reserve League. Including both MLS Next Pro and the MLS Reserve League, it is the ninth season of a reserve league operated by MLS. The league is sanctioned as a third division league by U.S. Soccer.
The 2022 North Texas SC season was the club's fourth season. The first three seasons North Texas SC competed in USL League One, including their championship year in the inaugural 2019 season. In December 2021, North Texas SC announced that they would compete in the inaugural MLS Next Pro season, a new division three league in American soccer.
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The 2023 North Texas SC season was the club's fifth season. The first three seasons North Texas SC competed in USL League One, including their championship year in the inaugural 2019 season. In December 2021, North Texas SC announced that they would compete in the inaugural MLS Next Pro season, a new division three league in American soccer.
The 2023 MLS Next Pro season was the second season of MLS Next Pro, the reserve league of Major League Soccer. It featured 27 clubs—an increase of seven from the inaugural 2022 season. Atlanta United 2, New York Red Bulls II and LA Galaxy II joined the league from the USL Championship. The expansion teams include Austin FC II, Crown Legacy FC, Huntsville City FC, and Los Angeles FC 2. Rochester New York FC withdrew. The regular season ran from March 24 to September 24.
The 2023 Austin FC II season was the club's first season in MLS Next Pro, the third tier of soccer in the United States. They played in the league's Western Conference. The club finished the regular season 4th in the Western Conference and 8th overall in the regular season, qualifying for the MLSNP play-offs. In the four play-off games, Austin FC II only allowed one goal on their way to the MLS Next Pro Cup.
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