The 2022 Major League Soccer season was the 27th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The league had 28 clubs following the addition of Charlotte FC as an expansion team.
The regular season began on February 26 and concluded on October 9. The playoffs began on October 15 and concluded with MLS Cup 2022 on November 5, fifteen days prior to the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. New York City FC entered the season as defending champions, having defeated the Portland Timbers in MLS Cup 2021, while the New England Revolution entered the season as the reigning Supporters' Shield winners. Western Conference regular season and playoff champions, Los Angeles FC won their second Supporters' Shield and their first MLS Cup, defeating the Eastern Conference regular season and playoff champions, the Philadelphia Union, in a penalty shoot-out.
A total of 476 matches were played over the course of the regular season and drew an average attendance of 21,038. Total attendance reached a record 10 million, but most teams in the league saw a decline in attendance since the 2019 season. In addition, this was the first season where all stadiums were open to full capacity since the 2019 season.
Teams Stadiums and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Atlanta United FC Mercedes-Benz Stadium 42,500 Austin FC Q2 Stadium 20,738 Charlotte FC Bank of America Stadium 40,000 Chicago Fire FC Soldier Field 24,955 FC Cincinnati TQL Stadium 26,000 Colorado Rapids Dick's Sporting Goods Park 18,061 Columbus Crew Lower.com Field 20,011 FC Dallas Toyota Stadium 20,500 D.C. United Audi Field 20,000 Houston Dynamo FC PNC Stadium 22,039 LA Galaxy Dignity Health Sports Park 27,000 Los Angeles FC Banc of California Stadium 22,000 Minnesota United FC Allianz Field 19,400 Inter Miami CF DRV PNK Stadium 18,000 CF Montréal Saputo Stadium 19,619 Nashville SC Geodis Park 30,000 New England Revolution Gillette Stadium 20,000 New York City FC Yankee Stadium 30,321 New York Red Bulls Red Bull Arena 25,000 Orlando City SC Exploria Stadium 25,500 Philadelphia Union Subaru Park 18,500 Portland Timbers Providence Park 25,218 Real Salt Lake America First Field 20,213 San Jose Earthquakes PayPal Park 18,000 Seattle Sounders FC Lumen Field 37,722 Sporting Kansas City Children's Mercy Park 18,467 Toronto FC BMO Field 28,351 Vancouver Whitecaps FC BC Place 22,120
Personnel and sponsorships
Team Head coach Captain Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor Atlanta United FC American Family Insurance Piedmont Hospital Austin FC Yeti Netspend Charlotte FC (interim) Ally Centene Chicago Fire FC Motorola CIBC FC Cincinnati Mercy Health Kroger Colorado Rapids — Columbus Crew (until October 10) Nationwide Tipico D.C. United XDC Network EagleBank FC Dallas MTX Group AdvoCare Houston Dynamo FC (interim) MD Anderson— Inter Miami CF XBTO Xmanna LA Galaxy Herbalife Honey Los Angeles FC Flex Target Minnesota United FC Target Bell Bank CF Montréal Bank of Montreal — Nashville SC Renasant Bank Hyundai New England Revolution UnitedHealth Santander New York City FC (interim) Etihad Airways Dude Wipes New York Red Bulls Red Bull OANDA Orlando City SC Orlando Health Exploria Philadelphia Union Bimbo Bakeries USA Subaru Portland Timbers Alaska Airlines TikTok Real Salt Lake LifeVantage KeyBank, Ford San Jose Earthquakes Alex Covelo (interim) Intermedia PayPal, Adobe Seattle Sounders FC Zulily Emerald Queen Casino Sporting Kansas City Compass Minerals— Toronto FC Bank of Montreal GE Appliances Vancouver Whitecaps FC Bell Canada —
Coaching changes Team Outgoing coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming coach Date of appointmentHouston Dynamo FC Tab RamosFiredNovember 4, 2021Pre-season Paulo NagamuraJanuary 3, 2022Los Angeles FC Bob BradleyMutual consentNovember 18, 2021 Steve CherundoloJanuary 3, 2022Toronto FC Javier PérezNovember 23, 2021 Bob BradleyNovember 24, 2021Chicago Fire FC Frank Klopas (interim)End of interim periodNovember 24, 2021 Ezra HendricksonNovember 24, 2021FC Dallas Marco Ferruzzi (interim)December 2, 2021 Nico EstévezDecember 2, 2021FC Cincinnati Tyrone Marshall (interim)December 14, 2021 Pat NoonanDecember 14, 2021San Jose Earthquakes Matías AlmeydaMutual consentApril 18, 202214th in West, 28th overall Alex Covelo (interim)April 18, 2022D.C. United Hernán LosadaFiredApril 20, 202214th in East, 25th overall Chad Ashton (interim)April 20, 2022Charlotte FC Miguel Ángel RamírezMay 31, 20228th in East, 18th overall Christian Lattanzio (interim)May 31, 2022New York City FC Ronny DeilaSigned by Standard LiègeJune 13, 20221st in East, 2nd overall Nick Cushing (interim)June 13, 2022D.C. United Chad Ashton (interim) End of interim period July 12, 2022 13th in East, 25th overall Wayne Rooney July 12, 2022Houston Dynamo FC Paulo NagamuraFired September 5, 2022 14th in West, 27th overall Kenny Bundy (interim) September 5, 2022Columbus Crew Caleb Porter October 10, 2022 Post-season TBD TBD
Regular season Format Each team played 34 matches, including 17 home games and 17 away games.
All teams played every Conference opponent twice – home and away, plus eight cross-conference games against different opponents within the regular season.
Conference standings Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Overall table The leading team in this table wins the Supporters' Shield.
Results
MLS All-Star Game
MLS Cup playoffs
Bracket
MLS Cup
Player statistics Goals RankPlayerClubGoals1 Hany MukhtarNashville SC232 Sebastián DriussiAustin FC22 Dániel GazdagPhiladelphia Union4 BrennerFC Cincinnati18 Jesús FerreiraFC Dallas Javier HernándezLA Galaxy Brandon VázquezFC Cincinnati8 Jeremy EbobisseSan Jose Earthquakes179 Cristian ArangoLos Angeles FC16 Gonzalo HiguaínInter Miami CF Diego RubioColorado Rapids
Hat-tricks
+PlayerForAgainstScoreDate Carlos VelaLos Angeles FCColorado Rapids3–0 (H)February 26, 2022 Lewis MorganNew York Red BullsToronto FC4–1 (A)March 5, 2022 Jesús FerreiraFC DallasPortland Timbers4–1 (H)March 19, 2022 Leonardo CampanaInter Miami CFNew England Revolution3–2 (H)April 9, 2022 Valentín Castellanos4New York City FCReal Salt Lake6–0 (H)April 17, 2022 Cristian EspinozaSan Jose EarthquakesSeattle Sounders FC4–3 (H)April 23, 2022 Ronaldo CisnerosAtlanta United FCChicago Fire FC4–1 (H)May 7, 2022 BrennerFC CincinnatiNew York City FC4–4 (H)June 29, 2022 Taxiarchis FountasD.C. UnitedOrlando City SC5–3 (A)July 4, 2022 Julián CarranzaPhiladelphia UnionD.C. United7–0 (H)July 8, 2022 Gonzalo HiguaínInter Miami CFFC Cincinnati4–4 (H)July 30, 2022 Gyasi ZardesColorado RapidsMinnesota United FC4–3 (H)August 6, 2022 Julián CarranzaPhiladelphia UnionD.C. United6–0 (A)August 20, 2022 Dániel GazdagPhiladelphia UnionColorado Rapids6–0 (H)August 27, 2022 Hany MukhtarNashville SCColorado Rapids4–1 (H)August 31, 2022 Juanjo PurataAtlanta United FCToronto FC4–2 (H)September 10, 2022 BrennerFC CincinnatiSan Jose Earthquakes6–0 (H) Moussa DjittéAustin FCReal Salt Lake3–0 (H)September 14, 2022 Daniel Ríos4Charlotte FCPhiladelphia Union4–0 (H)October 1, 2022 BrennerFC CincinnatiD.C. United5–2 (A)October 9, 2022 Dániel GazdagPhiladelphia UnionToronto FC4–0 (H)
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team 4 Scored 4 goals
Assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Luciano AcostaFC Cincinnati192 Diego FagúndezAustin FC15 Kai WagnerPhiladelphia Union4 Cristian EspinozaSan Jose Earthquakes14 Carles GilNew England Revolution6 Santiago RodríguezNew York City FC137 Thiago AlmadaAtlanta United FC12 Lucas ZelarayánColumbus Crew9 Nicolás LodeiroSeattle Sounders FC11 Hany MukhtarNashville SC Mauricio PereyraOrlando City SC Emanuel ReynosoMinnesota United FC Xherdan ShaqiriChicago Fire FC Carlos VelaLos Angeles FC
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Andre BlakePhiladelphia Union152 Sean JohnsonNew York City FC143 Gabriel SloninaChicago Fire FC124 Zac MacMathReal Salt Lake105 Maxime CrépeauLos Angeles FC9 Pedro GalleseOrlando City SC Eloy RoomColumbus Crew Joe WillisNashville SC William YarbroughColorado Rapids10 Carlos CoronelNew York Red Bulls8 Maarten PaesFC Dallas Brad StuverAustin FC
Awards Team/Player of the Week Bold denotes League Player of the Week.