2017 Major League Soccer season
22nd season of Major League Soccer
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The 2017 Major League Soccer season was the 22nd season of Major League Soccer, top division of soccer in the United States and Canada. The regular season began on March 3, 2017 and concluded on October 22, 2017. The MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 25, 2017 and concluded with MLS Cup 2017 on December 9, 2017.
Season2017
Dates
- March 3 – October 22
(regular season) - October 25 – December 9
(Playoffs)
Teams22
MLS CupToronto FC (1st title)
| |
| Season | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Dates |
|
| Teams | 22 |
| MLS Cup | Toronto FC (1st title) |
| Supporters' Shield | Toronto FC (1st shield) |
| 2019 Champions League (United States) | Sporting Kansas City[a] |
| 2018 Champions League (Canada) | Toronto FC[b] |
| Matches | 374 |
| Goals | 1,110 (2.97 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Nemanja Nikolić (24 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Stefan Frei (13 shutouts) |
| Biggest home win | 7 goals: ATL 7–0 NE (Sep 13) |
| Biggest away win | 5 goals: MIN 1–6 ATL (Mar 12) |
| Highest scoring | 8 goals: DAL 6–2 RSL (Jun 3) LA 2–6 RSL (Jul 4) TOR 3–5 MTL (Sep 20) |
| Longest winning run | 6 games: Toronto FC (Apr 21 – May 13) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 13 games: Seattle Sounders FC (Jun 17 – Sep 23) |
| Longest winless run | 10 games: LA Galaxy (Jun 24 – Aug 27) |
| Longest losing run | 6 games: D.C. United (Jun 24 – Jul 29) |
| Highest attendance | 71,874 ATL 2–2 TOR (Oct 22) |
| Lowest attendance | 10,165 NYC 1–1 HOU (Sep 23 at East Hartford) |
| Total attendance | 8,269,919 |
| Average attendance | 22,112 |
← 2016 2018 →
| |
Two new clubs joined the league as expansion franchises: Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC. The two franchises were the 21st and 22nd teams in the league.[1]
Seattle Sounders FC were the defending MLS Cup champions, while FC Dallas were the defending Supporters' Shield champions. Toronto FC became the first Canadian team to win the Cup and Shield. Toronto's win of the Canadian Championship in the same year earned them the first domestic treble by an MLS side.
Teams
Stadiums and locations
|
|
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- ^ Non-soccer specific stadium and artificially reduced capacity.
- ^ Due to construction delays to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta United FC played its home matches at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium during the first half of the season.[2]
Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All teams use Adidas as kit manufacturer.
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy |
Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Dynamo |  Wade Barrett (interim) |
End of interim period | October 28, 2016 | Pre-season |  Wílmer Cabrera |
October 28, 2016 |
| LA Galaxy | Bruce Arena |
Signed by United States | November 22, 2016 | Curt Onalfo |
December 13, 2016 | |
| Real Salt Lake | Jeff Cassar |
Mutual consent | March 20, 2017 | 10th in West, 19th overall | Daryl Shore (interim) |
March 20, 2017 |
| Daryl Shore (interim) |
End of interim period | March 29, 2017 | 9th in West, 19th overall | Mike Petke |
March 29, 2017 | |
| San Jose Earthquakes | Dominic Kinnear |
Fired | June 25, 2017 | 5th in West, 12th overall | Chris Leitch |
June 25, 2017 |
| LA Galaxy | Curt Onalfo |
Fired | July 27, 2017 | 9th in West, 19th overall |  Sigi Schmid |
July 27, 2017 |
| Colorado Rapids | Pablo Mastroeni |
Fired | August 15, 2017 | 10th in West, 20th overall |  Steve Cooke (interim) |
August 15, 2017 |
| New England Revolution | Jay Heaps |
Fired | September 18, 2017 | 8th in East, 16th overall | Tom Soehn (interim) |
September 18, 2017 |
Regular season
Format
Current teams: Each team in the league (except for expansion teams Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC) played 17 home and 17 away games (for a total of 34 games) using the following format:[4]
- 2 games (home and away) against 10 teams in its conference (20 games).
- 1 extra game against 3 of its conference rivals (3 games).
- 1 game against 11 teams in the other conference (11 games).
Expansion teams: As expansion teams to the league in 2017, Atlanta United and Minnesota United played 17 home and 17 away games (for a total of 34 games) in a secondary format:
- 2 games (home and away) against 10 teams in its conference (20 games).
- 1 extra game against 2 of its conference rivals (2 games).
- 1 game against 10 teams in the other conference (10 games).
- 2 games (1 home and 1 away) against each other (2 games).
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto FC | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 74 | 37 | +37 | 69 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 2 | New York City FC | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 56 | 43 | +13 | 57 | |
| 3 | Chicago Fire | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 62 | 48 | +14 | 55 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 4 | Atlanta United FC | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 70 | 40 | +30 | 55 | |
| 5 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 53 | 49 | +4 | 54 | |
| 6 | New York Red Bulls | 34 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 53 | 47 | +6 | 50 | |
| 7 | New England Revolution | 34 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 45 | |
| 8 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 42 | |
| 9 | Montreal Impact | 34 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 52 | 58 | −6 | 39 | |
| 10 | Orlando City SC | 34 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 39 | 58 | −19 | 39 | |
| 11 | D.C. United | 34 | 9 | 20 | 5 | 31 | 60 | −29 | 32 |
Source: MLS
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Timbers | 34 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 53 | MLS Cup Conference Semifinals |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 52 | 39 | +13 | 53 | |
| 3 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 52 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 4 | Houston Dynamo | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 50 | |
| 5 | Sporting Kansas City | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 40 | 29 | +11 | 49 | |
| 6 | San Jose Earthquakes | 34 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 39 | 60 | −21 | 46 | |
| 7 | FC Dallas | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 46 | |
| 8 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 48 | 56 | −8 | 45 | |
| 9 | Minnesota United FC | 34 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 47 | 70 | −23 | 36 | |
| 10 | Colorado Rapids | 34 | 9 | 19 | 6 | 31 | 51 | −20 | 33 | |
| 11 | LA Galaxy | 34 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 45 | 67 | −22 | 32 |
Source: MLS
Overall standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto FC (C, S) | 34 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 74 | 37 | +37 | 69 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 2 | New York City FC | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 56 | 43 | +13 | 57 | |
| 3 | Chicago Fire | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 61 | 47 | +14 | 55 | |
| 4 | Atlanta United FC | 34 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 70 | 40 | +30 | 55 | |
| 5 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 53 | 49 | +4 | 54 | |
| 6 | Portland Timbers | 34 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 53 | |
| 7 | Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 52 | 39 | +13 | 53 | |
| 8 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 52 | |
| 9 | New York Red Bulls | 34 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 53 | 47 | +6 | 50 | |
| 10 | Houston Dynamo | 34 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 50 | |
| 11 | Sporting Kansas City | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 40 | 29 | +11 | 49 | CONCACAF Champions League |
| 12 | San Jose Earthquakes | 34 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 39 | 60 | −21 | 46 | |
| 13 | FC Dallas | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 46 | |
| 14 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 49 | 55 | −6 | 45 | |
| 15 | New England Revolution | 34 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 53 | 61 | −8 | 45 | |
| 16 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 42 | |
| 17 | Montreal Impact | 34 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 52 | 58 | −6 | 39 | |
| 18 | Orlando City SC | 34 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 39 | 58 | −19 | 39 | |
| 19 | Minnesota United FC | 34 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 47 | 70 | −23 | 36 | |
| 20 | Colorado Rapids | 34 | 9 | 19 | 6 | 31 | 51 | −20 | 33 | |
| 21 | D.C. United | 34 | 9 | 20 | 5 | 31 | 60 | −29 | 32 | |
| 22 | LA Galaxy | 34 | 8 | 18 | 8 | 45 | 67 | −22 | 32 |
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) disciplinary points; 6) away goals scored; 7) away goal differential; 8) coin toss or drawing of lots
(C) MLS Cup Champion; (S) Supporters' Shield
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) disciplinary points; 6) away goals scored; 7) away goal differential; 8) coin toss or drawing of lots
(C) MLS Cup Champion; (S) Supporters' Shield
MLS Cup Playoffs
Bracket
| Knockout round | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | MLS Cup December 9 – Toronto, Ontario | ||||||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Columbus Crew | 4 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| October 26 – Atlanta, Georgia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | New York City FC | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Atlanta United FC | 0 (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Columbus Crew (p) | 0 (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E5 | Columbus Crew | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Toronto FC | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| E6 | New York Red Bulls | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| October 25 – Bridgeview, Illinois | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Toronto FC | 2 | 0 | 2 (a) | |||||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Chicago Fire | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E6 | New York Red Bulls | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Toronto FC | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Houston Dynamo | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| October 26 – Houston, Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Portland Timbers | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Houston Dynamo (a.e.t.) | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W4 | Houston Dynamo | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||
| October 25 – Vancouver, British Columbia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| W2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| W6 | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Knockout round
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | ||||
| Chicago Fire (E3) | 0–4 | New York Red Bulls (E6) | ||
| Atlanta United FC (E4) | 0–0 (1–3 p) |
Columbus Crew SC (E5) | ||
| Western Conference | ||||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC (W3) | 5–0 | San Jose Earthquakes (W6) | ||
| Houston Dynamo (W4) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Sporting Kansas City (W5) | ||
Conference semifinals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | ||||
| New York Red Bulls (E6) | 2–2 (a) | Toronto FC (E1) | 1–2 | 1–0 |
| Columbus Crew SC (E5) | 4–3 | New York City FC (E2) | 4–1 | 0–2 |
| Western Conference | ||||
| Houston Dynamo (W4) | 2–1 | Portland Timbers (W1) | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC (W3) | 0–2 | Seattle Sounders FC (W2) | 0–0 | 0–2 |
Conference finals
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | ||||
| Columbus Crew SC (E5) | 0–1 | Toronto FC (E1) | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| Western Conference | ||||
| Houston Dynamo (W4) | 0–5 | Seattle Sounders FC (W2) | 0–2 | 0–3 |
MLS Cup
Attendance
Average home attendances
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
| Pos. | Team | GP | Cumulative | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta United FC | 17 | 819,404 | 71,874 | 42,511 | 48,200 |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 17 | 742,314 | 51,796 | 40,182 | 43,666 |
| 3 | Toronto FC | 17 | 470,005 | 29,203 | 25,200 | 27,647 |
| 4 | Orlando City SC | 17 | 425,477 | 25,527 | 23,018 | 25,028 |
| 5 | New York City FC | 17 | 379,455 | 33,679 | 10,165* | 22,321 |
| 6 | LA Galaxy | 17 | 378,128 | 25,667 | 17,404 | 22,243 |
| 7 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 17 | 364,073 | 25,083 | 17,368 | 21,416 |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls | 17 | 359,977 | 25,219 | 16,213 | 21,175 |
| 9 | Portland Timbers | 17 | 359,448 | 21,144 | 21,144 | 21,144 |
| 10 | Minnesota United FC | 17 | 349,138 | 35,043 | 17,491 | 20,538 |
| 11 | Montreal Impact | 17 | 340,783 | 34,373 | 16,005 | 20,046 |
| 12 | San Jose Earthquakes | 17 | 337,873 | 50,617 | 17,256 | 19,875 |
| 13 | Sporting Kansas City | 17 | 332,121 | 20,933 | 18,648 | 19,537 |
| 14 | New England Revolution | 17 | 329,233 | 33,767 | 10,487 | 19,367 |
| 15 | Real Salt Lake | 17 | 319,284 | 20,348 | 16,434 | 18,781 |
| 16 | D.C. United | 17 | 304,369 | 41,418 | 11,972 | 17,904 |
| 17 | Houston Dynamo | 17 | 297,507 | 22,115 | 14,148 | 17,500 |
| 18 | Chicago Fire | 17 | 295,511 | 21,891 | 11,244 | 17,383 |
| 19 | Philadelphia Union | 17 | 285,797 | 18,619 | 15,107 | 16,812 |
| 20 | Columbus Crew SC | 17 | 262,469 | 20,391 | 10,318 | 15,439 |
| 21 | Colorado Rapids | 17 | 260,476 | 17,648 | 13,102 | 15,322 |
| 22 | FC Dallas | 17 | 257,077 | 16,291 | 14,016 | 15,122 |
| – | Total | 374 | 8,269,919 | 71,874 | 10,165 | 22,112 |
- game played at East Hartford
Highest attendances
Regular season
| Rank | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Date | Week | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta United FC | 2–2 | Toronto FC | 71,874 | October 22, 2017 | 33 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 2 | Atlanta United FC | 3–3 | Orlando City SC | 70,425 | September 16, 2017 | 28 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| 3 | Atlanta United FC | 1–2 | New York Red Bulls | 55,297 | March 5, 2017 | 1 | Bobby Dodd Stadium |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–1 | Portland Timbers | 51,796 | August 27, 2017 | 25 | CenturyLink Field |
| 5 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2–1 | LA Galaxy | 50,617 | July 1, 2017 | 18 | Stanford Stadium |
| 6 | Seattle Sounders FC | 4–0 | FC Dallas | 48,478 | October 15, 2017 | 32 | CenturyLink Field |
| 7 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1–0 | Portland Timbers | 47,362 | May 27, 2017 | 13 | CenturyLink Field |
| 8 | Atlanta United FC | 1–3 | D.C. United | 46,011 | April 30, 2017 | 9 | Bobby Dodd Stadium |
| 9 | Atlanta United FC | 4–0 | Chicago Fire | 45,922 | March 18, 2017 | 3 | Bobby Dodd Stadium |
| 10 | Seattle Sounders FC | 3–1 | New York Red Bulls | 45,600 | March 19, 2017 | 3 | CenturyLink Field |
Player statistics
Goals
|
Assists
|
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Josef Martínez | Atlanta United FC | Minnesota United FC | 6–1 | March 12 |
 Erick Torres | Houston Dynamo | New York Red Bulls | 4–1 | April 1 |
| C. J. Sapong | Philadelphia Union | New York Red Bulls | 3–0 | May 6 |
 Justin Meram | Columbus Crew SC | Montreal Impact | 3–2 | May 13 |
 Gerso | Sporting Kansas City | Seattle Sounders FC | 3–0 | May 17 |
 Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United FC | Houston Dynamo | 4–1 | May 20 |
 Roland Lamah | FC Dallas | Real Salt Lake | 6–2 | June 3 |
 David Accam | Chicago Fire | Orlando City SC | 4–0 | June 24 |
 David Villa | New York City FC | New York Red Bulls | 3–2 | August 6 |
 Kei Kamara | New England Revolution | Orlando City SC | 4–0 | September 2 |
| Josef Martínez | Atlanta United FC | New England Revolution | 7–0 | September 13 |
| Josef Martínez | Atlanta United FC | Orlando City SC | 3–3 | September 16 |
| Patrick Mullins4 | D.C. United | San Jose Earthquakes | 4–0 | September 23 |
| Justin Morrow | Toronto FC | New York Red Bulls | 4–2 | September 30 |
 Nemanja Nikolić | Chicago Fire | Philadelphia Union | 3–2 | October 15 |
4 Scored 4 goals
Awards
Player of the Month
| Month | Player | Club | Stats | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | Josef Martínez |
Atlanta United FC | 5G | [8] |
| April | Joe Bendik |
Orlando City SC | 2SO | [9] |
| May | Nemanja Nikolić |
Chicago Fire | 6G, 1A | [10] |
| June | David Villa |
New York City FC | 3G | [11] |
| July |  Daniel Royer |
New York Red Bulls | 6G, 1A | [12] |
| August |  Ignacio Piatti |
Montreal Impact | 7G, 1A | [13] |
| September | Josef Martínez |
Atlanta United FC | 9G | [14] |
Player and Team of the week
- Bold denotes player of the week.
| Team of the week | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Goalkeeper | Defender | Midfielder | Forward | Bench | Coach |
| 1 [15][16] |
Bendik (ORL) |
 Sjöberg (COL) Spector (ORL) Jungwirth (SJ) Lima (SJ) |
Acosta (DAL) Valeri (POR) Godoy (SJ) |
Accam (CHI) Adi (POR) Quioto (HOU) |
Melia (SKC) Hedges (DAL) Felipe (NY) Jones (PHI) Davies (VAN) Torres (HOU) Larin (ORL) |
Wílmer Cabrera (HOU) |
| 2 [17][18] |
Howard (COL) |
Garza (ATL) Kappelhof (CHI) Hedges (DAL) |
Piatti (MTL) McCarty (CHI) Godoy (SJ) Almirón (ATL) |
Torres (HOU) Martínez (ATL) Villa (NYC) |
 Gleeson (POR) Lima (SJ) Alex (HOU) Felipe (NY) Lletget (LA) Moralez (NYC) Elis (HOU) |
Gerardo Martino (ATL) |
| 3 [19][20] |
Steffen (CLB) |
Garza (ATL) Crognale (CLB) Spector (ORL) |
Valeri (POR) Bernier (MTL) Guzmán (POR) Feilhaber (SKC) |
Urruti (DAL) Martínez (ATL) Larin (ORL) |
Bendik (ORL) Kallman (MIN) Burch (COL) Grana (DAL) Roldan (SEA) Wallace (NYC) Altidore (TOR) |
Gregg Berhalter (CLB) |
| 4 [21][22] |
Van Oekel (RSL) |
Tierney (NE) Long (NY) Afful (CLB) |
 Fagúndez (NE) Nguyen (NE) Higuaín (CLB) Artur (CLB) Blanco (POR) |
Agudelo (NE) Kamara (NE) |
Robles (NY) Maund (VAN) Phillips (RSL) Adams (NY) Trapp (CLB) Valeri (POR) Adi (POR) |
Jay Heaps (NE) |
| 5 [23][24] |
Hamid (DC) |
Farfan (POR) Delamea (NE) Svensson (SEA) |
Meram (CLB) Roldan (SEA) Laba (VAN) Schweinsteiger (CHI) |
Techera (VAN) Torres (HOU) Ramirez (MIN) |
Bono (TOR) Crognale (CLB) Edwards (TOR) Artur (CLB) Manotas (HOU) Tabla (MTL) Villa (NYC) |
Adrian Heath (MIN) |
| 6 [25][26] |
González (DAL) |
Boswell (DC) Opara (SKC) Delamea (NE) |
 Alessandrini (LA) McCarty (CHI) Espinoza (SKC) Rusnák (RSL) Barrios (DAL) |
 Movsisyan (RSL) Villalba (ATL) |
Hamid (DC) Redding (ORL) Nagbe (POR) Almirón (ATL) Acosta (DC) Agudelo (NE) |
Óscar Pareja (DAL) |
| 7 [27][28] |
Melia (SKC) |
Matarrita (NYC) Spector (ORL) Næss (CLB) Opara (SKC) |
Meram (CLB) Ilie (SKC) Johnson (ORL) |
Montero (VAN) Nikolić (CHI) Solignac (CHI) |
Bendik (ORL) Parker (VAN) McCarty (CHI) Schweinsteiger (CHI) Muyl (NY) Molino (MIN) Villa (NYC) |
Mike Petke (RSL) |
| 8 [29][30] |
Bendik (ORL) |
Long (NY) Toia (ORL) Zavaleta (TOR) |
Almirón (ATL) Bradley (TOR) Gruezo (DAL) Lodeiro (SEA) |
Dempsey (SEA) Giovinco (TOR) Larin (ORL) |
Shuttleworth (MIN) Jones (SEA) Johnson (ORL) Muyl (NY) Vázquez (TOR) Morris (SEA) Jackson-Hamel (MTL) |
Jason Kreis (ORL) |
| 9 [31][32] |
Hamid (DC) |
Edwards (TOR) Jungwirth (SJ) Zusi (SKC) |
Gerso (SKC) Jacobson (VAN) Acosta (DC) Harrison (NYC) |
Agudelo (NE) Altidore (TOR) Urruti (DAL) |
Blake (PHI) Sutter (ORL) Alonso (SEA) Herrera (NYC) Delgado (TOR) Cato (SJ) Adi (POR) |
Not awarded |
| 10 [33][34] |
Blake (PHI) |
Hedges (DAL) Jungwirth (SJ) Morrow (TOR) |
Alex (HOU) Higuaín (CLB) Ibarra (MIN) Ring (NYC) |
Sapong (PHI) Wallace (NYC) Wondolowski (SJ) |
Shuttleworth (MIN) Ciman (MTL) Næss (CLB) Accam (CHI) Manotas (HOU) Giovinco (TOR) Villa (NYC) |
Greg Vanney (TOR) |
| 11 [35][36] |
Johnson (NYC) |
Onyewu (PHI) Van Damme (LA) Hairston (COL) |
Fagúndez (NE) Meram (CLB) Alex (HOU) Medunjanin (PHI) Accam (CHI) |
Ricketts (TOR) Nikolić (CHI) |
Bono (TOR) Vincent (CHI) Gressel (ATL) Gashi (COL) Alessandrini (LA) Badji (COL) Blessing (SKC) |
Greg Vanney (TOR) |
| 12 [37][38] |
Melia (SKC) |
Vincent (CHI) Bernárdez (SJ) Parker (VAN) |
Fagúndez (NE) Piatti (MTL) Almirón (ATL) Medunjanin (PHI) Gerso (SKC) |
Villa (NYC) Nikolić (CHI) |
Hamid (DC) Gaddis (PHI) Rusnák (RSL) Bolaños (VAN) Accam (CHI) G. dos Santos (LA) Sapong (PHI) |
 Veljko Paunovic (CHI) |
| 13 [39][40] |
Hamid (DC) |
Vincent (CHI) Calvo (MIN) Marshall (SEA) Ford (COL) |
Almirón (ATL) Vázquez (TOR) Sunny (RSL) João Pedro (LA) Alessandrini (LA) |
G. dos Santos (LA) |
Deric (HOU) González Pírez (ATL) Lawrence (NY) Gressel (ATL) Felipe (NY) Roldan (SEA) Plata (RSL) |
Curt Onalfo (LA) |
| 14 [41][42] |
Bendik (ORL) |
Rowe (NE) Opara (SKC) Waston (VAN) Spector (ORL) |
Lamah (DAL) Higuaín (CLB) Alonso (SEA) Valeri (POR) Nguyen (NE) |
Urruti (DAL) |
Melia (SKC) Ford (COL) Donadel (MTL) Fagúndez (NE) Meram (CLB) Villa (NYC) Torres (HOU) |
Jay Heaps (NE) |
| 15 [43][44] |
Gleeson (POR) |
Meira (CHI) Olum (POR) Abdul-Salaam (SKC) |
Asprilla (POR) Valeri (POR) Schweinsteiger (CHI) Accam (CHI) |
Adi (POR) Nikolić (CHI) Gerso (SKC) |
Melia (SKC) Vytas (POR) Grana (DAL) Polster (CHI) Ilie (SKC) de Leeuw (CHI) Urruti (DAL) |
Veljko Paunovic (CHI) |
| 16 [45][46] |
Robles (NY) |
Harvey (VAN) Figueroa (DAL) Opara (SKC) |
Plata (RSL) Alessandrini (LA) Bradley (TOR) Almirón (ATL) |
Piatti (MTL) Villa (NYC) Wright-Phillips (NY) |
Shuttleworth (MIN) Saeid (COL McCarty (CHI) Pérez García (ORL) Verón (NY) Meram (CLB) Giovinco (TOR) |
Gerardo Martino (ATL) |
| 17 [47][48] |
Blake (PHI) |
Sweat (NYC) Opara (SKC) Moor (TOR) Polster (CHI) |
Accam (CHI) Herrera (NYC) Higuaín (CLB) Bedoya (PHI) Hoesen (SJ) |
McBean (LA) |
Hamid (DC) González Pírez (ATL) Roldan (SEA) Schweinsteiger (CHI) Manneh (CLB) Kamara (CLB) Martínez (ATL) |
Veljko Paunovic (CHI) |
| 18 [49][50] |
Howard (COL) |
Onyewu (PHI) Parkhurst (ATL) Polster (CHI) |
Johnson (ORL) Džemaili (MTL) Ring (NYC) Hairston (COL) |
Nikolić (CHI) Villa (NYC) Badji (COL) |
Bingham (SJ) Aja (ORL) Harrison (NYC) Doyle (COL) Wondolowski (SJ) Urruti (DAL) |
Óscar Pareja (DAL) |
| 19 [51][52] |
McCarthy (PHI) |
Hollingshead (DAL) Palmer-Brown (SKC) Nerwinski (VAN) |
Fagúndez (NE) Rusnák (RSL) Barrios (DAL) Savarino (RSL) |
Dempsey (SEA) Martínez (ATL) Giovinco (TOR) |
Robles (NY) Machado (HOU) Ulloa (DAL) Medranda (SKC) Lamah (DAL) Manotas (HOU) Altidore (TOR) |
Brian Schmetzer (SEA) |
| 20 [53][54] |
Guzan (ATL) |
Acosta (RSL) Brillant (NYC) Crognale (CLB) |
Royer (NY) Kljestan (NY) Roldan (SEA) Alex (HOU) |
Plata (RSL) Colmán (DAL) Villa (NYC) |
Gleeson (POR) Leerdam (SEA) Felipe (NY) Salazar (MTL) Bunbury (NE) Meram (CLB) Ebobisse (POR) |
Jesse Marsch (NY) |
| 21 [55][56] |
Cropper (NE) |
Toia (ORL) Moor (TOR) Parker (VAN) |
Royer (NY) Valeri (POR) Bradley (TOR) Molino (MIN) |
O. Kamara (CLB) K. Kamara (NE) Giovinco (TOR) |
Robles (NY) Mavinga (TOR) Thiesson (MIN) Rowe (NE) Kljestan (NY) Villalba (ATL) Montero (VAN) |
 Carl Robinson (VAN) |
| 22 [57][58] |
McCarthy (PHI) |
Doody (CHI) Opare (DC) DeLaGarza (HOU) |
Lodeiro (SEA) Džemaili (MTL) Ilsinho (PHI) Thompson (SJ) |
Villa (NYC) Sapong (PHI) Dempsey (SEA) |
Johnson (NYC) Powell (POR) Marshall (SEA) Roldan (SEA) Kljestan (NY) Wright-Phillips (NY) Ureña (SJ) |
Jim Curtin (PHI) |
| 23 [59][60] |
Johnson (NYC) |
Morrow (TOR) Marshall (SEA) Abubakar (CLB) Murillo (NY) |
Piette (MTL) Džemaili (MTL) Beckerman (COL) Delgado (TOR) Elis (HOU) |
Villa (NYC) |
Howard (COL) Leerdam (SEA) Hedges (DAL) Ring (NYC) Piatti (MTL) Meram (CLB) Sánchez (HOU) |
Greg Vanney (TOR) |
| 24 [61][62] |
Hamid (DC) |
Besler (SKC) Marshall (SEA) Zusi (SKC) |
Piatti (MTL) Džemaili (MTL) Delgado (TOR) Reyna (VAN) Valeri (POR) |
Lewis (NYC) Jackson-Hamel (MTL) |
Steffen (CLB) Franklin (DC) Opara (SKC) Bradley (TOR) Vako (SJ) Villa (NYC) Montero (VAN) |
Mauro Biello (MTL) |
| 25 [63][64] |
Hamid (DC) |
Waston (VAN) Mensah (CLB) Glad (RSL) |
Vázquez (TOR) Valeri (POR) Canouse (DC) Rusnák (RSL) |
Danladi (MIN) Giovinco (TOR) Silva (RSL) |
Bono (TOR) Vytas (POR) Abu (CLB) Bradley (TOR) Plata (RSL) Torres (HOU) Kamara (CLB) |
Mike Petke (RSL) |
| 26 [65][66] |
Robles (NY) |
Long (NY) Steres (LA) Polster (CHI) |
Kljestan (NY) Nguyen (NE) Jones (LA) Ulloa (DAL) Alessandrini (LA) |
Kamara (NE) Zardes (LA) |
Cropper (NE) Romney (LA) Caldwell (NE) Juninho (CHI) Barrios (DAL) Muyl (NY) Piatti (MTL) |
Jay Heaps (NE) |
| 27 [67][68] |
Johnson (NYC) |
 Beitashour (TOR) González Pírez (ATL) Moor (TOR) Nerwinski (VAN) |
Almirón (ATL) J. dos Santos (LA) Vázquez (TOR) Alessandrini (LA) |
Sapong (PHI) Altidore (TOR) |
Melia (SKC) Romney (LA) Ford (COL) Adams (NY) Aigner (COL) Yotún (ORL) Reyna (VAN) |
Greg Vanney (TOR) |
| 28 [69][70] |
Blake (PHI) |
Vincent (CHI) Glad (RSL) Waston (VAN) |
Manneh (CLB) Rusnák (RSL) Vázquez (TOR) Bradley (TOR) Almirón (ATL) |
Dwyer (ORL) 'Martínez (ATL) |
Johnson (NYC) Yueill (SJ) Trapp (CLB) Asad (ATL) Reyna (VAN) Rubio (SKC) Ricketts (TOR) |
Greg Vanney (TOR) |
| 29 [71][72] |
Rimando (RSL) |
Tierney (NE) Glad (RSL) Williams (CLB) |
Asad (ATL) Savarino (RSL) Valeri (POR) Nguyen (NE) Arriola (DC) |
Mullins (DC) Ramirez (MIN) |
Shuttleworth (MIN) González Pírez (ATL) Chará (POR) Larentowicz (ATL) Higuaín (CLB) Pontius (PHI) Reyna (VAN) |
Mike Petke (RSL) |
| 30 [73][74] |
Blake (PHI) |
Morrow (TOR) Waston (VAN) Parkhurst (ATL) Adams (NY) |
Meram (CLB) Yotún (ORL) Mihailovic (CHI) Elis (HOU) |
Nikolić (CHI) Altidore (TOR) |
González (DAL) Hedges (DAL) Bernárdez (SJ) Kaká (ORL) Vako (SJ) Lodeiro (SEA) Sánchez (HOU) |
Greg Vanney (TOR) |
| 31 [75][76] |
González (DAL) |
Lawrence (NY) Kallman (MIN) Hedges (DAL) Adams (NY) |
Molino (MIN) Aigner (COL) Ilie (SKC) Kljestan (NY) Morales (DAL) |
Danladi (MIN) |
Robles (NY) Opara (SKC) Felipe (NY) Gruezo (DAL) Carmona (ATL) Martin (MIN) Gatt (COL) |
Jesse Marsch (NY) |
| 32 [77][78] |
Deric (HOU) |
Adams (NY) Sjöberg (COL) Powell (POR) |
Blanco (POR) Fagúndez (NE) Larentowicz (ATL) Valeri (POR) Alessandrini (LA) |
Bruin (SEA) Nikolić (CHI) |
Guzan (ATL) Nerwinski (VAN) Long (NY) Trapp (CLB) Mihailovic (CHI) J. dos Santos (LA) Reyna (VAN) |
Caleb Porter (POR) |
| 33 [79][80] |
Knighton (NE) |
Leonardo (HOU) Torres (SEA) Murillo (NY) |
Picault (PHI) Ilsinho (PHI) Díaz (DAL) Lodeiro (SEA) Lamah (DAL) |
Wondolowski (SJ) Villa (NYC) |
Steffen (CLB) Jungwirth (SJ) Alex (HOU) Higuaín (CLB) Arriola (DC) Sapong (PHI) Hoesen (SJ) |
Chris Leitch (SJ) |
Goal of the Week
| Goal of the Week | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Week | Player | Club | Ref |
| 1 | Romell Quioto |
Houston Dynamo | [81] |
| 2 | Miguel Almirón |
Atlanta United FC | [82] |
| 3 | Josef Martínez |
Atlanta United FC | [83] |
| 4 | Not awarded | ||
| 5 | Diego Valeri |
Portland Timbers | [84] |
| 6 | Nicolás Lodeiro |
Seattle Sounders FC | [85] |
| 7 | Anthony Jackson-Hamel |
Montreal Impact | [86] |
| 8 | Darlington Nagbe |
Portland Timbers | [87] |
| 9 | Andrew Jacobson |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | [88] |
| 10 | Alberth Elis |
Houston Dynamo | [89] |
| 11 | Shkëlzen Gashi |
Colorado Rapids | [90] |
| 12 | Miguel Almirón |
Atlanta United FC | [91] |
| 13 | Héctor Villalba |
Atlanta United FC | [92] |
| 14 | Blerim Džemaili |
Montreal Impact | [93] |
| 15 | Not awarded | ||
| 16 | Miguel Almirón |
Atlanta United FC | [94] |
| 17 | Ike Opara |
Sporting Kansas City | [95] |
| 18 | Blerim Džemaili |
Montreal Impact | [96] |
| 19 | Ian Harkes |
D.C. United | [97] |
| 20 | Héctor Villalba |
Atlanta United FC | [98] |
| 21 | Nicolás Mezquida |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | [99] |
| 22 | Diego Valeri |
Portland Timbers | [100] |
| 23 | Luis Silva |
Real Salt Lake | [101] |
| 24 | Yordy Reyna |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | [102] |
| 25 | Darlington Nagbe |
Portland Timbers | [103] |
| 26 | Not awarded | ||
| 27 | Greg Garza |
Atlanta United FC | [104] |
| 28 | Kevin Kratz |
Atlanta United FC | [105] |
| 29 | Héctor Villalba |
Atlanta United FC | [106] |
| 30 | Kaká |
Orlando City SC | [107] |
| 31 | Not awarded | ||
| 32 | Nemanja Nikolić |
Chicago Fire | [108] |
| 33 | Paul Arriola |
D.C. United | [109] |
End-of-season awards
| Award | Winner (club) | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers) | [110] |
| Defender of the Year | Ike Opara (Sporting Kansas City) | [111] |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Tim Melia (Sporting Kansas City) | [112] |
| Coach of the Year | Greg Vanney (Toronto FC) | [113] |
| Rookie of the Year | Julian Gressel (Atlanta United FC) | [114] |
| Newcomer of the Year | Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United FC) | [115] |
| Comeback Player of the Year | Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC) | [116] |
| Golden Boot | Nemanja Nikolić (Chicago Fire) | [117] |
| Fair Play Player Award | DaMarcus Beasley (Houston Dynamo) | [118] |
| Fair Play Team Award | Seattle Sounders FC | [118] |
| Humanitarian of the Year | Ryan Hollingshead (FC Dallas) | [119] |
| Referee of the Year | Allen Chapman | [120] |
| Assistant Referee of the Year | Corey Parker | [120] |
| Goal of the Year | Héctor Villalba (Atlanta United FC) | [121] |
| Save of the Year | Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC) | [122] |
MLS Best XI
| Year | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 [123] |
Tim Melia, Sporting KC |
Justin Morrow, Toronto Ike Opara, Sporting KC Kendall Waston, Vancouver |
Diego Valeri, Portland Miguel Almirón, Atlanta Victor Vázquez, Toronto |
Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto Josef Martínez, Atlanta Nemanja Nikolić, Chicago David Villa, New York City |
Player contracts
Highest-paid players
| Rank | Player | Team | Salary (US)[124] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaká |
Orlando City | $7.2m |
| 2 | Sebastian Giovinco |
Toronto FC | $7.1m |
| 3 | Michael Bradley |
Toronto FC | $6.5m |
| 4 | Andrea Pirlo |
New York City FC | $5.9m |
| 5 | David Villa |
New York City FC | $5.6m |
Allocation ranking
The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a player who is in the MLS allocation list. The MLS allocation list contains select U.S. National Team players and players transferred outside of MLS garnering a transfer fee of at least $500,000. The allocations will be ranked in reverse order of finish for the 2016 season, taking playoff performance into account.[125] Two expansion teams will take the top spots.[126]
Once the club uses its allocation ranking to acquire a player, it drops to the bottom of the list. A ranking can be traded provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club's ranking. At all times each club is assigned one ranking. The rankings reset at the end of each MLS season.
| Original ranking |
Current ranking |
Club | Date allocation used (rank on that date) |
Player signed | Previous club | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | New England Revolution[D] | [127] | |||
| 2 | 2 | Minnesota United FC[A][B] | [128][129] | |||
| 8 | 3 | Orlando City SC | ||||
| 6 | 4 | San Jose Earthquakes[D] | [127] | |||
| 11 | 5 | Philadelphia Union | ||||
| 4 | 6 | Houston Dynamo[C] | [130] | |||
| 13 | 7 | Real Salt Lake | ||||
| 14 | 8 | Sporting Kansas City | ||||
| 15 | 9 | LA Galaxy | ||||
| 16 | 10 | New York City FC | ||||
| 17 | 11 | New York Red Bulls | ||||
| 18 | 12 | FC Dallas | ||||
| 19 | 13 | Montreal Impact | ||||
| 20 | 14 | Colorado Rapids | ||||
| 21 | 15 | Toronto FC | ||||
| 22 | 16 | Seattle Sounders FC | ||||
| 10 | 17 | Portland Timbers[E] | [131] | |||
| 1 | 18 | Atlanta United FC | January 26, 2017 (1) | Brad Guzan | Middlesbrough | [132] |
| 7 | 19 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC[B] | February 15, 2017 (1) | Fredy Montero (loan) |  Tianjin TEDA | [129] |
| 12 | 20 | D.C. United[C] | June 20, 2017 (1) | Deshorn Brown | Tampa Bay Rowdies | [130] |
| 3 | 21 | Chicago Fire[A][E] | December 23, 2016 (2) | Juninho (loan) | Tijuana | [128] |
| August 10, 2017 (6) | Richard Sánchez | UANL | [131] | |||
| 9 | 22 | Columbus Crew SC | August 10, 2017 (1) | Krisztián Németh |  Al-Gharafa | [133] |
- ^ On December 23, 2016, Chicago Fire acquired the number 2 allocation ranking from Minnesota United in exchange for the number 3 allocation ranking, a second-round selection (25th overall) in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, and general allocation money.
- ^ On February 15, 2017, Vancouver Whitecaps acquired the number 1 allocation ranking from Minnesota United in exchange for the number 5 allocation ranking, $100,000 in 2018 general allocation money, $125,000 in 2018 targeted allocation money, and a 2017 international roster spot.
- ^ On June 20, 2017, D.C. United acquired the number 1 allocation ranking from Houston Dynamo in exchange for the number 9 allocation ranking, $100,000 in general allocation money, $75,000 in targeted allocation money, and a 2018 international roster spot.
- ^ On July 3, 2017, New England Revolution acquired the number 2 allocation ranking and either $175,000 in 2018 targeted allocation money or $100,000 in 2018 general allocation money and $75,000 in 2018 targeted allocation money from San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for the number 5 allocation ranking and $175,000 in general allocation money.
- ^ On August 10, 2017, Chicago Fire acquired the number 6 allocation ranking from Portland Timbers in exchange for the number 19 allocation ranking and Chicago's natural third-round selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, which will be upgraded to Chicago's natural second-round selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft should Richard Sánchez appear in five or more games for the remainder of 2017 season.
Coaches
Eastern Conference
- Atlanta United FC: Gerardo Martino
- Chicago Fire: Veljko Paunović
- Columbus Crew SC: Gregg Berhalter
- D.C. United: Ben Olsen
- Montreal Impact: Mauro Biello
- New England Revolution: Jay Heaps and Tom Soehn
- New York City FC: Patrick Vieira
- New York Red Bulls: Jesse Marsch
- Orlando City SC: Jason Kreis
- Philadelphia Union: Jim Curtin
- Toronto FC: Greg Vanney
Western Conference
- Colorado Rapids: Pablo Mastroeni
- FC Dallas: Óscar Pareja
- Houston Dynamo: Wílmer Cabrera
- LA Galaxy: Curt Onalfo and Sigi Schmid
- Minnesota United FC: Adrian Heath
- Portland Timbers: Caleb Porter
- Real Salt Lake: Jeff Cassar and Mike Petke
- San Jose Earthquakes: Dominic Kinnear and Chris Leitch
- Seattle Sounders FC: Brian Schmetzer
- Sporting Kansas City: Peter Vermes
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Carl Robinson