6 Facts About American Soccer

1. Major League American Soccer was more modest in ambition than NASL, being originally played in only 10 US cities, with greater emphasis on local players and a relatively tight salary cap.

2. North American Soccer leagues and tournaments saw an infusion of professional players in 1967, beginning with the wholesale importation of foreign teams to represent American cities.

3. Major League American Soccer was launched, providing the United States with its first Division I outdoor pro league since the North American Soccer League ceased operations in 1984.

4. Major League American Soccer has faced criticisms for this structure, as well as other deviations such as scheduling matches during time periods designated by the FIFA Calendar for international play.

5. Major League American Soccer is the professional first-division league in the United States.

6. Major League American Soccer launched in 1996, which helped develop American players in a way that was not possible without a domestic league.