Despite each receiving FIFA-affiliated status in 1913, both the United States and Canada have lacked a consistent, multi-division soccer system until recently. Consequently, the determination of champions has been problematic at times. The United States did not have a truly national top flight league until the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association and the "outlaw" National Professional Soccer League, which had a network television contract, merged in November 1967 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL). The NASL considered the two pre-merge forerunner leagues as part of its history.
Before 1967, there were several regional and city leagues of various levels of quality. For example, the first and second incarnations of the American Soccer League constituted the premier level of professional soccer in the Northeastern United States, but they and teams from the St. Louis Soccer League would regularly defeat the best the other had to offer. These are only two of the most notable leagues of the regional era, as there were professional and amateur competitions in Chicago, California, the greater Western United States, Ontario, and Western Canada, among several other regions.
While the creation of the NASL in 1968 brought bonafide top-flight competition to the U.S. and Canada, its collapse in 1984 saw a temporary return to the fragmented regional structure. The merger of the Western Soccer League and third iteration of the American Soccer League created a national second division in the U.S. known as the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) in 1990. The APSL later absorbed the Canadian Soccer League, which at the time was an attempt at a wholly first division within Canada.
It was not until the establishment of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996 as part of FIFA's agreement to award the United States the 1994 World Cup that there was again a truly national, sanctioned first division in either country. Top Canadian teams resided at the second division until MLS expanded to Canada in 2007.
Given the tumultuous history of professional soccer in the United States and Canada, there is a broad history of champions of various kinds in both countries, both in leagues that comprised both nations and cups that were held in only one. This article takes into account all these competitions to compile an accurate listing of American and Canadian soccer champions with an eye towards maintaining continuity.
For teams in the United States and Canada, there are three major domestic trophies. [1] [2]
The primary focus is the league championship, a postseason knockout tournament held between the best teams from the regular season. This is presently determined via the MLS Cup. American and Canadian sports leagues typically have such playoff systems. These have their roots in long travel distances common in U.S. and Canadian sports; to cut down on travel, leagues are typically aligned in geographic divisions and feature unbalanced schedules with teams playing more matches against opponents in the same division. Due to the unbalanced schedule typical in U.S. and Canadian leagues, not all teams face the same opponents, and some teams may not meet an even number of times during a regular season, if at all. This results in teams with identical records that have faced different opponents differing numbers of times, making team records alone an imperfect measure of league supremacy. The playoffs allow for head-to-head elimination-style competition between teams to counterbalance this.
Secondary is the recognition of the best regular season record (an accomplishment known as the league premiership in Australia and New Zealand, countries with similar league structure to the U.S. and Canada). [1] The MLS team with the highest point total during the regular season is awarded the Supporters' Shield.
Thirdly, there are the two countries' respective domestic cup competitions: the U.S. Open Cup and the Canadian Championship. These tournaments are unique to soccer among professional sports in the U.S. and Canada, as no other major team sport conducts competition outside of regular league play.
Additionally, American and Canadian clubs participate in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a continental club competition in which the United States is allocated four qualification spots and Canada one. For American clubs, the winners of the MLS Cup, Supporters' Shield, and U.S. Open Cup all qualify, along with the regular season conference champion that does not win the Shield. The lone Canadian berth is determined by the Canadian Championship. Finally, there is the world championship as determined by the FIFA Club World Cup, a berth to which is earned by winning the Champions Cup.
American and Canadian soccer clubs exist in a franchise system, rather than a promotion and relegation system. As a result, teams do not systematically move between levels each season. This is standard among American and Canadian major and minor sports leagues and is part of the franchise rights granted by the leagues. Recently, a trend has developed where a club from the lower divisions may be "promoted" via an expansion franchise awarded by Major League Soccer.
The results in this article come from the United States Soccer Federation, [3] the Canadian Soccer Association, [4] the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation, [5] and the American Soccer History Archives. [6]
At various times, Canadian clubs have competed in the top-tier of American soccer, either in place of or alongside a Canadian top-tier league. Currently, three Canadian clubs compete in Major League Soccer.
Year | Champions | Runners-up | Regular season | Runners-up | Leading goalscorer(s) | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | Los Angeles Wolves | Washington Whips | Washington Whips | Los Angeles Wolves | Roberto Boninsegna (Chicago Mustangs) | 10 |
Year | Champions | Runners-up | Regular season | Runners-up | Leading goalscorer(s) | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1967 | Oakland Clippers | Baltimore Bays | Oakland Clippers | Baltimore Bays | Yanko Daucik (Toronto Falcons) | 20 |
Year | Champions (tot) | Score (if applicable) | Runners–up |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | Montreal Impact | Round-robin | Toronto FC |
2009 | Toronto FC | Vancouver Whitecaps | |
2010 | Toronto FC (2) | Vancouver Whitecaps | |
2011 | Toronto FC (3) | 1–1 2–1 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2012 | Toronto FC (4) | 1–1 1–0 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2013 | Montreal Impact (2) | 0–0 2–2 (a) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2014 | Montreal Impact (3) | 1–1 1–0 | Toronto FC |
2015 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2–2 2–0 | Montreal Impact |
2016 | Toronto FC (5) | 1–0 1–2 (a) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2017 | Toronto FC (6) | 1–1 2–1 | Montreal Impact |
2018 | Toronto FC (7) | 2–2 5–2 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
2019 | Montreal Impact (4) | 1–0 0–1 (3–1 p) | Toronto FC |
2020 | Toronto FC (8) | 1–1 (5–4 p) [11] | Forge FC |
2021 | CF Montréal (5) | 1–0 | Toronto FC |
2022 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2) | 1–1 (5–3 p) | Toronto FC |
2023 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC (3) | 2–1 | CF Montréal |
2024 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC (4) | 0–0 (4–2 p) | Toronto FC |
In 2017, Toronto FC completed a treble of Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup and Canadian Championship, the first treble of any kind achieved by either an American or Canadian club since the beginning of Major League Soccer in 1996.
Year | Club (number of trebles) | Honors |
---|---|---|
2017 | Toronto FC | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup, Canadian Championship |
Listed here are the teams to achieve two major accomplishments in one season since 1968.
Year | Club (number of doubles) | Honors |
---|---|---|
1972 | New York Cosmos | Best regular season record, NASL Final |
1974 | Los Angeles Aztecs | Best regular season record, NASL Final |
1978 | Cosmos (2) | Best regular season record, Soccer Bowl |
1980 | New York Cosmos (3) | Best regular season record, Soccer Bowl |
1982 | New York Cosmos (4) | Best regular season record, Soccer Bowl |
1984 | Chicago Sting | Best regular season record, NASL Finals |
1996 | D.C. United | MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup |
1997 | D.C. United (2) | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup |
1998 | Chicago Fire | MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup |
1999 | D.C. United (3) | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup |
2000 | Kansas City Wizards | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup |
2002 | Los Angeles Galaxy | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup |
2003 | Chicago Fire (2) | U.S. Open Cup, Supporters' Shield |
2005 | Los Angeles Galaxy (2) | U.S. Open Cup, MLS Cup |
2008 | Columbus Crew | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup |
2011 | Los Angeles Galaxy (3) | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup |
2014 | Seattle Sounders FC | U.S. Open Cup, Supporters' Shield |
2016 | FC Dallas | U.S. Open Cup, Supporters' Shield |
2022 | Los Angeles FC | Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup |
Defunct franchises: †.
Before the 1976 season, the American Soccer League placed its first teams on the west coast, going national. For the first time, the United States and Canada had a national-level second-division league. For 2017 the USSF granted provisional D2 status for both the NASL and the USL.
The American Soccer League was the most prominent soccer league in the United States during the early 20th century. [13] Some modern sources consider it to have been a major professional league. [14]
The Lewis Cup was an American soccer trophy originally given to the champion of the Blue Mountain League of northwestern Pennsylvania and later awarded to the winners of the American Soccer League's League Cup.
Western Soccer Alliance | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer | ||||
1985 | San Jose Earthquakes (1) | Victoria Riptides | |||||
1986 | Hollywood Kickers (1) | F.C. Portland | Brent Goulet | ||||
1987 | San Diego Nomads (1) | F.C. Seattle | Joe Mihaljevic | ||||
1988 | F.C. Seattle Storm (1) | San Diego Nomads | Scott Benedetti | ||||
1989 | San Diego Nomads (2) | San Francisco Bay Blackhawks | Steve Corpening |
Lone Star Soccer Alliance | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer | ||||
1987 | Dallas Express (1) | Houston Dynamos | |||||
1988 | Dallas Mean Green (2) | Houston Dynamos | |||||
1989 | Austin Thunder (1) | F.C. Dallas | |||||
1990 | Oklahoma City Spirit (1) | F.C. Dallas | |||||
1991 | F.C. Dallas (3) | Austin Thunder | Louis Morales | ||||
1992 | Dallas Inter (4) | America F.C. | David Gordon |
American Soccer League III | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer | ||||
1988 | Washington Diplomats (1) | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | Jorge Acosta | ||||
1989 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1) | Boston Bolts | Ricardo Alonso Mirko Castillo |
Year | Champions | Runners-up | Regular season | Runners-up | Leading goalscorer | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Bay Area CyberRays | Atlanta Beat | Atlanta Beat | Bay Area CyberRays | Tiffeny Milbrett (New York Power) | 16 |
2002 | Carolina Courage | Washington Freedom | Carolina Courage | Philadelphia Charge | Kátia (San Jose CyberRays) | 15 |
2003 | Washington Freedom | Atlanta Beat | Boston Breakers | Atlanta Beat | Marinette Pichon (Philadelphia Charge) Dagny Mellgren (Boston Breakers) | 14 |
Year | Champions | Runners-up | Regular season | Runners-up | Leading goalscorer | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Sky Blue FC | Los Angeles Sol | Los Angeles Sol | St. Louis Athletica | Marta (Los Angeles Sol) | 9 |
2010 | FC Gold Pride | Philadelphia Independence | FC Gold Pride | Boston Breakers | Marta (FC Gold Pride) | 19 |
2011 | Western New York Flash | Philadelphia Independence | Western New York Flash | Philadelphia Independence | Christine Sinclair (WNY Flash) Marta (WNY Flash) | 10 |
Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Dallas Lightning | 2–1 | Sacramento Storm |
1997 | Dallas Lightning (2) | [A] | Sacramento Storm |
1998 | Ajax America (3) | 5–0 | Dallas Lightning |
1999 | Auto Trader San Diego | 14–0 | Patrick Real Wyckoff |
2000 | Ajax America (4) | 2–1 | Detroit Rocker Hawks |
2001 | Detroit Rocker Hawks | 1–0 | SoCal Blues |
2002 | SoCal Blues | 5–0 | Peninsula Aztecs |
2003 | Ajax America (5) | [B] | |
2004 | Ajax America (6) | 2–1 | Detroit Jaguars |
2005 | FC Indiana | 4–0 | DCS Titans |
2006 | Dallas Roma F.C. | [B] | |
2007 | Ajax America (7) | 2–1 | FC Indiana |
2008 | FC Indiana (2) | [C] | |
2009 | Chicago Eclipse Select | 3–1 | NYAC |
2010 | NYAC | 2–0 (OT) | Dallas Premier |
2011 | J.B. Marine S.C. | 2–1 (OT) | Sparta United WSC |
2012 | Chicago Red Stars | 3–2 | NYAC |
2013 | Houston Aces | [D] | Kansas City Dynamos |
2014 | NYAC | 2–1 | ASA Chesapeake Charge |
2015 | Olympic Club | [D] | ASA Chesapeake Charge |
2016 | Olympic Club | 2–0 | United FC |
Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | A.S. Blainville | 3–0 | AS Laval | Laval, Quebec |
2023 | Whitecaps FC Girls Elite | 5–0 | PEF Québec | Langley Township, British Columbia |
Year | Type | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1971 | 4-team tournament | Dallas Tornado (1) | Rochester Lancers | Mike Renshaw Jim Benedek Dragan Popović | 2 |
1975 | 16-team tournament | San Jose Earthquakes (1) | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Paul Child | 14 |
1976 | 12-team tournament | Tampa Bay Rowdies (1) | Rochester Lancers | Julie Veee | 8 |
1978 | 4-team tournament | Tulsa Roughnecks (1) | Minnesota Kicks | Nino Zec Randy Garber Milan Dovedan | 5 |
1979 | 4-team tournament | Dallas Tornado (2) | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Jim Ryan | 7 |
1979–80 | 12-game season | Tampa Bay Rowdies (2) | Memphis Rogues | David Byrne | 23 |
1980–81 | 18-game season | Edmonton Drillers (1) | Chicago Sting | Karl-Heinz Granitza | 42 |
1981–82 | 18-game season | San Diego Sockers (1) | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Juli Veee | 51 |
1983 | 4-team grand prix | Tampa Bay Rowdies (3) | Montreal Manic | Laurie Abrahams Dale Mitchell | 12 |
1983–84 | 32-game season | San Diego Sockers (2) | New York Cosmos | Steve Zungul | 63 |
Year | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer |
---|---|---|---|
1978–79 | New York Arrows (1) | Philadelphia Fever | Fred Grgurev |
1979–80 | New York Arrows (2) | Houston Summit | Steve Zungul |
1980–81 | New York Arrows (3) | St. Louis Steamers | Steve Zungul |
1981–82 | New York Arrows (4) | St. Louis Steamers | Steve Zungul |
1982–83 | San Diego Sockers (3) | Baltimore Blast I | Steve Zungul |
1983–84 | Baltimore Blast I (1) | St. Louis Steamers | Mark Liveric |
1984–85 | San Diego Sockers (4) | Baltimore Blast I | Steve Zungul |
1985–86 | San Diego Sockers (5) | Minnesota Strikers | Erik Rasmussen |
1986–87 | Dallas Sidekicks (1) | Tacoma Stars | Tatu |
1987–88 | San Diego Sockers (6) | Cleveland Force | Hector Marinaro |
1988–89 | San Diego Sockers (7) | Baltimore Blast I | Preki |
1989–90 | San Diego Sockers (8) | Baltimore Blast I | Tatu |
MISL renamed Major Soccer League | |||
1990–91 | San Diego Sockers (9) | Cleveland Crunch | Tatu |
1991–92 | San Diego Sockers (10) | Dallas Sidekicks | Zoran Karic |
Season | Champion | Series | Runner-up | Top scorer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | Dallas Sidekicks (2) | 2–1 | San Diego Sockers | Tatu |
1994 | Las Vegas Dustdevils (1) | 2–1 | Dallas Sidekicks | Tatu |
1995 | Monterrey La Raza (1) | 2–1 | Sacramento Knights | Zizinho |
1996 | Monterrey La Raza (2) | 2–0 | Houston Hotshots | David Doyle |
1997 | Seattle SeaDogs (1) | 2–0 | Houston Hotshots | Paul Dougherty |
Season | Champion | Score / series | Runner-up | Top scorer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Dallas Sidekicks (3) | 6 to 2 | Sacramento Knights | Tatu |
1999 | Sacramento Knights (1) | 7 to 6 | Dallas Sidekicks | David Doyle |
2000 | Monterrey La Raza (3) | 6 to 5 (SO 3–1) | Dallas Sidekicks | Clint Regier |
2001 | Dallas Sidekicks (4) | 2–1 | San Diego Sockers | Ato Leone |
Year | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer |
---|---|---|---|
2001–2002 | Philadelphia KiXX (1) | Milwaukee Wave | Dino Delevski |
2002–2003 | Baltimore Blast (1) | Milwaukee Wave | Dino Delevski |
2003–2004 | Baltimore Blast (2) | Milwaukee Wave | Greg Howes |
2004–2005 | Milwaukee Wave (4) | Cleveland Force | Greg Howes |
2005–2006 | Baltimore Blast (3) | St. Louis Steamers | Greg Howes |
2006–2007 | Philadelphia KiXX (2) | Detroit Ignition | Jamar Beasley |
2007–2008 | Baltimore Blast (4) | Monterrey La Raza | Greg Howes |
Year | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer |
---|---|---|---|
2008–09 | Detroit Ignition* (1) | New Jersey Ironmen | Lucio Gonzaga |
Year | Winner (tot) | Runners-up | Top scorer |
---|---|---|---|
2008–09 | Baltimore Blast (5) | Rockford Rampage | Byron Alvarez |
NISL renamed Major Indoor Soccer League | |||
2009–10 | Monterrey La Raza (4) | Milwaukee Wave | Genoni Martinez |
2010–11 | Milwaukee Wave (5) | Baltimore Blast | Byron Alvarez |
2011–12 | Milwaukee Wave (6) | Baltimore Blast | Geison Moura |
2012–13 | Baltimore Blast (6) | Missouri Comets | Doug Miller |
2013–14 | Missouri Comets (1) | Baltimore Blast | Ian Bennett |
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