MLS Next Pro
 | |
| Founded | June 21, 2021 |
|---|---|
| First season | 2022 |
| Country | United States |
| Other club(s) from | Canada |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Number of teams | 21 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Domestic cup(s) | U.S. Open Cup (independent teams only) |
| Website | mlsnextpro.com |
| Current: 2022 MLS Next Pro season | |
MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It will launch in 2022 with 21 teams, of which 20 are reserve sides for MLS clubs and the independent Rochester New York FC. The league is classified as part of the third tier of the United States soccer league system.[1]
History[]
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] It was announced by the league that will first start with 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 USL Championship or USL League One will be moving to MLS Next Pro by 2023.[2]
Competition format[]
The league will run from spring to fall with the first season kicking off in March. Each team will play 24 regular season games which will be followed by an 8-team playoff tournament. The league will be divided into an Eastern and Western Conference.[3]
Unlike Major League Soccer, MLS Next Pro will not feature a salary cap and player contracts will be held by 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.[4] A MLS Next Pro club's active roster contains up to 35 players, all of whom are eligible for selection to each official match during the MLS Next Pro season.[5]
Teams[]
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
future club
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach | Affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | |||||||
| Northeast Division | |||||||
| New England Revolution II | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium | 20,000 | 2019 | 2022 | Clint Peay | New England Revolution |
| New York City FC II | New York City, New York | Belson Stadium | 2,168 | 2021 | 2022 | Matt Pilkington | New York City FC |
| Philadelphia Union II | Chester, Pennsylvania | Subaru Park | 18,500 | 2015 | 2022 | Marlon LeBlanc | Philadelphia Union |
| Rochester New York FC | Brighton, New York | John L. DiMarco Field | 1,500 | 1996 | 2022 | Bruno Baltazar | |
| Toronto FC II | Toronto, Ontario | York Lions Stadium | 4,000 | 2014 | 2022 | Gianni Cimini | Toronto FC |
| Central Division | |||||||
| Chicago Fire FC II | Bridgeview, Illinois | SeatGeek Stadium | 20,000 | 2021 | 2022 | Ludovic Taillandier | Chicago Fire FC |
| Columbus Crew 2 | Columbus, Ohio | Historic Crew Stadium | 19,968 | 2021 | 2022 | Laurent Courtois | Columbus Crew |
| FC Cincinnati 2 | Highland Heights, Kentucky | NKU Soccer Stadium | 1,000 | 2021 | 2022 | Tyrone Marshall | FC Cincinnati |
| Inter Miami CF II | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | DRV PNK Stadium | 18,000 | 2019 | 2022 | Darren Powell | Inter Miami CF |
| Orlando City B | Kissimmee, Florida | Osceola County Stadium | 5,400 | 2015 | 2022 | Martín Perelman | Orlando City SC |
| Western Conference | |||||||
| Frontier Division | |||||||
| Colorado Rapids 2 | Commerce City, Colorado | 2021 | 2022 | Erik Bushey | Colorado Rapids | ||
| Houston Dynamo 2 | Houston, Texas | Aveva Stadium | 4,000 | 2021 | 2022 | Kenny Bundy | Houston Dynamo FC |
| Sporting Kansas City II | Lawrence, Kansas | Rock Chalk Park Swope Soccer Village (Kansas City, MO) |
2,500 3,500 |
2015 | 2022 | Benny Feilhaber | Sporting Kansas City |
| Minnesota United FC 2 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Allianz Field National Sports Center (Blaine) |
19,400 10,000 |
2021 | 2022 | Cameron Knowles | Minnesota United FC |
| North Texas SC | Arlington, Texas | Choctaw Stadium | 48,114 | 2018 | 2022 | Pa-Modou Kah | FC Dallas |
| St. Louis City SC 2 | St. Louis, Missouri | Hermann Stadium Ralph Korte Stadium (Edwardsville, IL) |
6,050 4,000 |
2021 | 2022 | John Hackworth (interim) | St. Louis City SC |
| Pacific Division | |||||||
| Portland Timbers 2 | Hillsboro, Oregon | Hillsboro Stadium | 7,600 | 2014 | 2022 | Shannon Murray | Portland Timbers |
| Real Monarchs | Herriman, Utah | Zions Bank Stadium | 5,000 | 2014 | 2022 | Jámison Olave | Real Salt Lake |
| San Jose Earthquakes II | San Jose, California | PayPal Park | 18,000 | 2021 | 2022 | Alex Covelo | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Tacoma Defiance | Tacoma, Washington | Cheney Stadium Starfire Sports Complex (Tukwila) |
6,500 4,500 |
2014 | 2022 | Wade Webber | Seattle Sounders FC |
| Whitecaps FC 2 | Burnaby, British Columbia | Swangard Stadium | 5,228 | 2021 | 2022 | Nick Dasovic | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
Future teams[]
| Team[3] | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joining | Current league | Affiliate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United 2 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Fifth Third Bank Stadium | 8,318 | 2017 | 2023 | USL Championship | Atlanta United FC |
| Austin | TBD | TBD | – | – | none | Austin FC | |
| Charlotte | TBD | TBD | – | – | none | Charlotte FC | |
| LA Galaxy II | Carson, California | Dignity Health Sports Park | 5,000 | 2014 | USL Championship | LA Galaxy | |
| Los Angeles | TBD | TBD | – | – | none | Los Angeles FC | |
| Loudoun United FC | Leesburg, Virginia | Segra Field | 5,000 | 2018 | USL Championship | D.C. United | |
| Nashville | TBD | TBD | – | – | none | Nashville SC | |
| New York Red Bulls II | Montclair, New Jersey | MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field | 5,000 | 2015 | USL Championship | New York Red Bulls |
See also[]
- MLS Next
- MLS Reserve League (2005–2014)
References[]
- ^ Straus, Brian (December 6, 2021). "MLS Next Pro Adds Another Element to U.S. Soccer's Ever-Evolving Lower Club Tier". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Bonagura, Kyle (June 21, 2021). "Major League Soccer to launch development league in 2022". ESPN. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
- ^ a b "MLS NEXT Pro unveils 21 clubs for inaugural season starting March 2022". mlssoccer. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Rueter, Jeff (January 14, 2022). "MLS Next Pro to have no salary cap, other key differences from MLS structure, sources say". The Athletic. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "2022 MLS NEXT PRO Roster Guidelines". MLS Next Pro. January 31, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
External links[]
Major League Soccer | |
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- Major League Soccer
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- MLS Next Pro