Can You Match The Logo To The MLS Team?
- by D_Lamoureux
- – on
- in Sports
Major League Soccer is one of the fastest rising leagues in professional football. While the Chinese Super League (the other next biggest growing sports league) pumps out astronomical transfer fees for skilled players, MLS is growing in popularity due its ability to attract big names who are past their prime. The first big name to come overseas was David Beckham, although he did much more for marketing the league than he played on the pitch for his team. Recently, UEFA Champions League winners Didier Drogba, Kaka, and World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger have continued the trend, except they’ve been great on field as well as off of it.
As the only major sports league aside from MLB that has its season take place over the summer, there are lots of opportunity for the league to make strides in the US mainstream. Both TV viewership numbers, and especially attendance numbers seem to go up every season.
As with all major soccer leagues, there is more than one trophy a team can win over the course of a year. While European leagues award the league title to whoever has the most points at the regular season, MLS awards that team the “Supporters Shield.” To win the MLS Cup, you have to qualify for and win the MLS playoffs, something unique to North American soccer. The other major trophy up for grabs depends on what country your team is in. American teams play for the U.S. Open Cup, while Canadian teams compete for the Voyageur Cup.
There are 22 teams currently in the MLS, with another set to join in 2018. Do you know them all? Scroll down to begin the quiz!
Which MLS team is this?
Despite only joining MLS in 2016, this team already has a massive, loyal fan base. They set the all-time MLS attendance record on September 16, 2017 with over 70,000 fans inside their newly built Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they share with an NFL franchise. This is not only a high number for a North American club. The 70,425 people ranked 4th highest in the entire world that weekend, behind Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Borussia Dortmund, and ahead of clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, and AC Milan.
Which MLS team is this?
This team is named after The Great Fire of 1871 that is one of the thing that defines the city. The logo itself is based on the shape of its fire department’s crest, also known as a Florian’s Cross. The reference goes even further, as the original uniforms were meant to replicate a fireman’s jacket. It worked pretty well; the team won both the U.S. Open Cup, and the MLS Cup in their inaugural season. It’s hard to imagine a team having a better expansion season than that.
Which MLS team is this?
This team is a part of City Football Group, which is a company owned by the same people who bought Manchester City FC in 2008. They also have teams in the Spanish La Liga, the Australian League, Uruguayan Segunda División, and the Japanese J1 League. The purpose of this is to build an identifiable brand with soccer clubs across all continents, who all play the same style of possession-based attacking football under the same banner. So far the parent club has fared the best, as no other men’s team has won their league.
Which MLS team is this?
This franchise has peaked in recent years, making their first MLS Cup Final in 2016, and capturing their first ever MLS Supporters Shield as the team with the most regular season points in 2017. This has been their logo ever since they joined the league in 2007. At the time they were the first Non-American team in MLS. Since then, two other franchises have been added. The red maple leaf at the top of the logo represents their Canadian roots.
Which MLS team is this?
This team was one of the original ten teams when Major League Baseball formed in 1996. The didn’t win a major MLS trophy until their Supporters Shield in 2004. Without a doubt though, their best year was 2008, where they won both the Supporters Shield, and their only MLS Cup. In 2014 the club redesigned their logo, and added “SC” (soccer club) to the end of their name. I have to say, I did like the previous logo much better.
Which MLS team is this?
This team most recently updated their logo in 2015. The previous logo had been used since 1997, but to be fair to traditionalists, it did not change much. The eagle’s head was changed from facing left to facing right (WOW!), the eagle’s body contained a soccer ball with a star around it, but now it’s just three horizontal lines and stars (They’re crazy for this!), and the wings extend beyond the confines of the shield (Thinking outside the box!). Also the red is darker.
Which MLS team is this?
This team was also one of the ten teams to play in MLS in its first season in 1996, although they’ve never been able to capture the title. They reached their first MLS Cup final in 2003 when they were still known as the Metrostars. In 2006 the club re-branded with a different name when they were bought by an energy drink company. They’d go on to make another final in 2008, but lost that too. Not even Arsenal’s all-time top goalscorer could get them to the top.
Which MLS team is this?
Although they've won just one MLS title, this west coast team has spent a lot of time at the top of the MLS standings ever since one of USA’s international stars joined the club. Clint Dempsey came to this club from Tottenham in 2012, and has scored nearly a goal every other game (44 in 91). The tower in their logo is one of the city’s most easily identifiable landmarks, and their colours match those of the other two major sports franchises in the city. This should be a simple one.
Which MLS team is this?
This team has changed its name twice in their history, and I think they might need to change it again. They went from the “Wiz” (bad), to the “Wizards” (also not great), to “Sporting”. Sporting is a popular name for a football club in Europe, but usually clubs named “Sporting” actually have more than one sport. For example, Sporting Lisbon has 37 sports, including soccer, tennis, rugby, capoeira, and various martial arts, while this club, as far as I know, only has soccer. That’s a soccer club, not a sporting club.
Which MLS team is this?
This logo was revealed during the club’s NASL days, and since they wanted to make a lasting brand, it probably won’t change anytime soon. The Fleur De Lis represents the city’s French heritage, which is a huge part of their culture. That same symbol is one of the four main symbols on the city’s Coat of Arms. As you can see, the team slogan is also in French. The team made massive waves when they signed the French-speaking Didier Drogba in 2015. Although he only played one season, he sits third among the club’s all-time goalscorers.
Which MLS team is this?
This California team was nicknamed the Clash when they were a part of the founding ten teams of the MLS. Frankly, I like that name more than the one they currently have. Earthquakes are nothing to joke about, and if that fault just outside California does end up slipping, there is going to be massive damage done. Not only will the team might have to change its name out of respect for what’s lost, they might have to change cities as well. At least, according to the movies...
Which MLS team is this?
This team plays out of BBVA Compass Stadium, and if you know where that is: good for you because I didn’t think it was going to be a huge hint. The only other teams that play out of there is the city’s women’s soccer team, the Dash, and the Texas Southern Tigers. This team began playing in the MLS in 2006 after the San Jose Earthquakes relocated, and not only won the MLS Cup that year, they went on to win the year after.
Which MLS team is this?
This team is probably most responsible for the trend of bringing big name European stars to the United States. The $250 million they gave English midfielder David Beckham after his contract expired with Real Madrid was the league’s first major signing. Although he didn't play much, he gave the league some credibility on a worldwide scale. After all, Beckham went from two of the largest club’s in the world, to this one. The hope was that he’d inspire the youth of America to be a better footballing nation. So far, it actually looks like he succeeded.
Which MLS team is this?
This is yet another charter club that changed its name. When MLS formed, teams were named like most other North American sports teams; you had the name of the city, followed by the team’s nickname. Back when football clubs were being established in the late 19th and early 20th century, they did it a little more complicated. Because there were so many different teams from the same place, they’d just differentiate by putting F.C. for “football club”, while the rugby team would be “R.C.”, and so forth. That’s what this team changed its name to in 2005.
Which MLS team is this?
This team has had two logos since entering the MLS in 2011, one main and one secondary. Really the only thing that separates the two is that the secondary logo has the team’s name overtop of the axe’s handle, while the main does not. Interestingly, the logo with the team’s name was the main logo until 2015, when it was swapped with the then secondary logo. The logo represents the old franchise from 1975 (same name, different owners/franchise) with its circular crest, which symbolises unity, wholeness, and the pursuit of perfection.
Which MLS team is this?
This team entered MLS in 2010, and has made the playoffs just twice. Since there’s not too much about their play to go on about, let’s discuss the logo, which is pretty badass. The snake is based off Ben Franklin’s “Join, or Die” cartoon from the 1750s. The thirteen stars represent the Thirteen Colonies of the union during the American Revolution, which this city was the capital of. The light blue is not a part of the team's colours, rather it’s to honour the supporters’ club Sons of Ben, who took the colours from the city flag.
Which MLS team is this?
This is one of the relatively newer MLS clubs, joining the league in 2015. They're probably best known for employing one of the great Brazilian midfielders in soccer history, Ricardo Kaka. The former Milan and Real Madrid star has scored 24 goals in 75 games, a pretty good number for an aging midfielder. When the 35 year-old retires at the end of the season, they still have some youngsters to look forward too. Canadian #9 Cyle Larin has great potential. At 22 the striker has almost exactly a goal every game.
Which MLS team is this?
This team's logo is in reference to the mountain range that runs rampant throughout the province. It's world-famous for its ski hills and resorts. As for the team itself, they've had some good results since joining Major League Soccer in 2011. Their first game was a 4-2 win over Toronto FC, and in 2012, they became the first Canadian team to earn a spot in the MLS playoffs. They also qualified for the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League, where they were knocked out in the group stage.
Which MLS team is this?
This club is owned by Bob Kraft, the man who also owns the New England Patriots. Saying they haven’t been as good as the Patriots really wouldn’t be saying much, but they’ve been much, much worse. They were one of two teams to not make the playoffs in the MLS’ inaugural 1996 season, and they have never won the MLS Cup or the Supporters Shield. They are, however, one of the few MLS teams to keep their original crest from 1996.
Which MLS team is this?
This logo is very reminiscent of this city’s hockey and lacrosse team, which makes sense considering they are all owned by the same group, Kroenke Sports Entertainment. It wasn’t always this way, the soccer club’s colours used to be green and blue as opposed to burgundy and sky blue. The old logo also featured waves, which fit the name of the team, instead of the mountains, which fit the city. The 96, as you could probably guess, is the date the club was established as one of the founding members of MLS.
Which MLS team is this?
This team joined MLS as an expansion franchise in 2005. Within their first nine years, they’ve won all three major trophies in the USA. They lifted the MLS Cup in 2009, won the Supporters Shield in 2010, and raised the U.S. Open Cup in 2013. The crown in the logo is a reference to the team’s nickname, “Real”, which is Spanish for “Royal”. The most popular football club named “Real” is Real Madrid. They were given that name in 1920 by King Alfonso XIII, this name was given by their owner, Dave Checketts. Not quite the same.
Which MLS team is this?
This team has just one year of MLS experience under its belt, and the first season hasn’t gone as well for them as it has for others. They currently sit 9th in the Western Conference, and will finish with the 4th worst record in the entire league. This team does definitely have the future in mind more than this season. They weren’t even supposed to join until 2018, but the expansion team in LA wasn’t ready. They’ll have a brand new soccer-specific stadium built for 2019, funded entirely by the club.
Which former MLS team is this?
This LA-based club entered MLS in 2005, and was owned by Jorge Vergara. Vergara was a Mexican Billionaire that also owned the popular and successful Mexican Club Deportivo Guadalajara. He kept control of the team until the league purchased it from him in 2014. The league had plans to try to sell the team to another owner and keep it in Los Angeles, and they did, but not in time to keep the franchise afloat. The LA team is set to rejoin MLS in 2018, with little to no connection to this club that came before it.
Which former MLS team is this?
When this team disbanded in 2002, they were a pretty terrible team. The season before they folded the team won just four of its 27 games. Because of this, they lost what fan support they had in the club’s beginnings, and the league had to cut their losses. The fall from grace was unexpected after their first season, where the team won the very first Supporters Shield and made it to the conference finals. Behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama they made the playoffs in four of their first five seasons.
Which MLS team is this?
Major League Soccer folded this franchise at the same time as the team from question #24. At the time it was generating the lowest amount of revenue in the entire league. It’s not all bad for soccer fans in this city. A new franchise co-owned by Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo, and Italian soccer legend Alessandro Nesta is making a name for itself in the NASL (2nd-tier league in North America), and is looking to make the city’s return to MLS.