The MLS Reserve League was a soccer league for the reserve teams of Major League Soccer with teams in both the United States and Canada.
It was inaugurated on April 9, 2005, with the first official reserve game being a 2–0 victory by Chivas USA over the host San Jose Earthquakes. The reserve division disbanded after the 2008 season but returned in 2011 with 18 clubs split into East, Central, and West divisions. Each club played ten games consisting of home-and-away matches versus each of its five divisional opponents.
In 2013, the schedule of the MLS Reserve League was integrated with the schedule of the USL Pro, with teams from each league playing each other.
Format
2005–2008 Each MLS franchise fielded a reserve division team and played a 12-game schedule (six home, six away). All teams played a minimum of seven opposing reserve division teams at least once throughout the year. The reserve division standings consisted of a single table with the team that finished in first place at the end of the regular season earning the title of reserve division champions and a $20,000 team bonus. A total of 20 eligible players for the home team and 20 players for the visiting team could be placed on a club's game roster for any Reserve Division game with each team permitted to make up to six substitutions. Suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued in Reserve Division games would only be imposed for future Reserve Division matches and not for games during the MLS regular season. Similarly, suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued during MLS regular season games would not apply to Reserve Division matches. Any player who received four yellow cards during the Reserve Division season would be suspended from the next Reserve Division game in which he could appear. No player could play more than 120 minutes in a Reserve Team match and any preceding match(es) that occur within a 60-hour period. Injury time is not considered a part of a player's maximum number of minutes played (e.g., if a player enters a game at halftime and the referee adds 2 minutes of stoppage time to the end of the second half, the player will be considered to have played 45 minutes since the 2 minutes of stoppage time is essentially added to make up for 'lost' time). A Reserve Division call-up or "Guest Player" with an MLS team could be eligible to appear in an MLS Reserve Division Game provided that he is properly registered with U.S. Soccer.
2011–2012 Teams face all but two conference opponents once at home and once away. The two matches with a USL Pro side count towards the 14 match season, therefore removing two games with MLS reserve sides. Teams may at their discretion schedule additional exhibition games for their reserve squads against non-MLS opponents. At the conclusion of the Reserve League season, the team with the most points out of all three conferences will be determined the Reserve League Champion. All players appearing on an MLS club's roster may represent their team in MLS Reserve League play; however, no player may play more than 120 minutes in a reserve team match and any preceding matches that occur within a sixty-hour period. Further, no player may play more than a combined total of 90 minutes in a Reserve Team Match and any preceding matches that occurred within 36 hours prior to such reserve team match. Clubs may also use up to five academy players per reserve game. A Reserve League call-up or "Trialist Player" with a club may appear in reserve league games provided that he is properly registered with US Soccer. A representative from the MLS Club must also certify that the trialist is a bona fide professional soccer player. Trialists may participate in a maximum of two games per club per season. Clubs may play up to a maximum of five non-MLS Roster players per Reserve League Game. Within the five non-MLS roster player limit, only three players may be trialist players.
2013–2014 In early 2013, MLS and USL reached an agreement to integrate the schedules of the Reserve League and USL Pro. Matches between teams of each league would be scheduled resulting in more games for all clubs. MLS Reserve teams recorded 6 wins, 9 draws, and 11 losses against USL Pro teams in 2013.
2014 was the final Reserve League season. Starting in 2015, MLS clubs must either affiliate with a USL Pro club or create their own team in the USL Pro. The LA Galaxy reserve team joined USL Pro as the LA Galaxy II in 2014 and finished third. MLS Reserve teams recorded 9 wins, 5 draws, and 14 losses against USL Pro teams in 2014.
Past winners Season Winners Runners-up 2005 D.C. United Reserves MetroStars Reserves 2006 Colorado Rapids Reserves Kansas City Reserves 2007 Colorado Rapids Reserves Chivas USA Reserves 2008 Houston Dynamo Reserves Kansas City Reserves 2009–2010 Reserve League on hiatus 2011 Columbus Crew Reserves Seattle Sounders Reserves 2012 Columbus Crew Reserves Montreal Impact Reserves 2013No Championship game, Houston (East)& LA Galaxy (West) won their divisions. 2014 Chicago Fire Reserves Seattle Sounders Reserves
Winners table TeamTitlesColorado Rapids2Columbus Crew2D.C. United1Houston Dynamo1Chicago Fire Reserves1
Final standings by year
2005 Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1D.C. United Reserves (C)128402621 +5242MetroStars Reserves125341612 +4192New England Revolution Reserves125342018 +2192FC Dallas Reserves1265124240195Colorado Rapids Reserves125432922 +7185Chicago Fire Reserves125432420 +4185San Jose Earthquakes Reserves125432320 +3185Kansas City Wizards Reserves125431917 +2189Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves124532028−81510Real Salt Lake Reserves124622934−51411Columbus Crew Reserves124711925−61312Chivas USA Reserves122911523−87
2006 Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Colorado Rapids Reserves (C)129302414 +10272Kansas City Wizards Reserves127322516 +9233Houston Dynamo Reserves127502417 +7213Real Salt Lake Reserves126332320 +3215D.C. United Reserves126512211 +11196FC Dallas Reserves124352013 +7177New York Red Bulls Reserves125611525−10168Chivas USA Reserves124531823−5159Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves124622019 +1149Chicago Fire Reserves114521618−21411Columbus Crew Reserves123811423−91012New England Revolution Reserves11074931−224
2007 Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Colorado Rapids Reserves (C)10703228 +14242Chivas USA Reserves116322523 +2202New England Revolution Reserves126422014 +6204Kansas City Wizards Reserves126512219 +3195D.C. United Reserves124351612 +4176FC Dallas Reserves124441718−1167Columbus Crew Reserves114431714 +3157New York Red Bulls Reserves95401415−1157Real Salt Lake Reserves115601917 +21510Toronto FC Reserves123541419−51311Houston Dynamo Reserves123631621−51212Chicago Fire Reserves112631219−7913Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves112721429−158
2008 Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Houston Dynamo Reserves (C)129123315 +18292Kansas City Wizards Reserves118123113 +18263Real Salt Lake Reserves127323124 +7234Chicago Fire Reserves125522522 +3175D.C. United Reserves105411921−2165Toronto FC Reserves105411219−7167Chivas USA Reserves124531921−2157San Jose Earthquakes Reserves124531822−4157FC Dallas Reserves124531924−51510Columbus Crew Reserves11452131301411Colorado Rapids Reserves124621621−51412New York Red Bulls Reserves123721623−71113New England Revolution Reserves102621116−5814Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves121831523−86
2011
Eastern
Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Columbus Crew Reserves (C)109102910+19272D.C. United Reserves105142114+7193New England Revolution Reserves104511422−8134New York Red Bulls Reserves92521020−1095Toronto FC Reserves92521515086Philadelphia Union Reserves10271917−87
Central/Mountain
Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Chicago Fire Reserves (C)107211910+9222Houston Dynamo Reserves10640115+6182FC Dallas Reserves106401821−3184Sporting K.C. Reserves103521114−3115Colorado Rapids Reserves103611211+1106Real Salt Lake Reserves10370101009
Western
Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Seattle Sounders Reserves (C)108112111+10252Portland Timbers Reserves106222416+8203Chivas USA Reserves103341821−3134San Jose Earthquakes Reserves93511112−1105Vancouver Whitecaps Reserves102621014−586Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves91621120−95
2012
Eastern
Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Columbus Crew Reserves (C)10721219+12222Montreal Impact Reserves107211910+9223Philadelphia Union Reserves1044220200144New York Red Bulls Reserves103521416−2115D.C. United Reserves9351919-10106New England Revolution Reserves10253915−697Toronto FC Reserves92521316−38
Central/Mountain
Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Houston Dynamo Reserves (C)106221911+8202FC Dallas Reserves106311711+6183Colorado Rapids Reserves105411210+2164Chicago Fire Reserves104601215−3125Real Salt Lake Reserves103521017−7116Sporting K.C. Reserves10262816−88
Western
Pos Club Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts1Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves (C)106312211+11192San Jose Earthquakes Reserves105321512+3173Seattle Sounders Reserves104511819-1133Portland Timbers Reserves104511718-1135Chivas USA Reserves1034321210126Vancouver Whitecaps Reserves103521122−1111
2013
East
West
USL Pro Beginning in 2013, MLS teams could elect to affiliate with a USL Pro team rather than fielding an MLS Reserve League team. MLS club USL Pro affiliate D.C. United Richmond Kickers New England Revolution Rochester Rhinos Philadelphia Union Harrisburg City Islanders Sporting Kansas City Orlando City
2014
USL Pro In 2014, the number of MLS teams electing to affiliate with USL Pro teams (rather than fielding an MLS Reserve League team) increased and the LA Galaxy moved their reserve team to compete directly in the USL Pro league. MLS club USL Pro affiliate Columbus Crew Dayton Dutch Lions D.C. United Richmond Kickers Houston Dynamo Pittsburgh Riverhounds LA Galaxy LA Galaxy II New England Revolution Rochester Rhinos Philadelphia Union Harrisburg City Islanders Portland Timbers Sacramento Republic San Jose Earthquakes Sacramento Republic Sporting Kansas City Oklahoma City EnergyOrlando City SC Toronto FC Wilmington Hammerheads Vancouver Whitecaps FC Charleston Battery
External links MLS 2014 Reserve League page Reserve League Handbook
References