The 2022 MLS Next Pro season was the inaugural season of MLS Next Pro, the reserve league of Major League Soccer. It is the first season since 2014 where MLS had a standalone reserve league, the previous season being the MLS Reserve League. Including both MLS Next Pro and the MLS Reserve League, it is the ninth season of a reserve league operated by MLS. The league is sanctioned as a third division league by U.S. Soccer.
A total of 21 clubs, 20 MLS reserve teams and one independent team (Rochester New York FC) participated in the 2022 season. The regular season began on March 25 and was concluded on September 18, 2022.
Columbus Crew 2 defeated St. Louis City 2 4–1 in the inaugural MLS Next Pro Cup final on October 8.
Teams Stadiums and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Chicago Fire FC II SeatGeek Stadium 20,000 FC Cincinnati 2 NKU Soccer Stadium 1,000 Colorado Rapids 2 Denver Soccer Stadium 2,000 Columbus Crew 2 Historic Crew Stadium 19,968 Houston Dynamo 2 Aveva Stadium 4,000 Inter Miami CF II DRV PNK Stadium 18,000 Minnesota United FC 2 Allianz Field 19,400 National Sports Center 10,000 New England Revolution II Gillette Stadium 20,000 New York City FC II Belson Stadium 2,168 North Texas SC Choctaw Stadium 48,114 Orlando City B Osceola County Stadium 5,400 Philadelphia Union II Subaru Park 18,500 Portland Timbers 2 Hillsboro Stadium 7,600 Real Monarchs Zions Bank Stadium 5,000 Rochester New York FC John L. DiMarco Field 1,500 San Jose Earthquakes II PayPal Park 18,000 Sporting Kansas City II Rock Chalk Park 2,500 Swope Soccer Village 3,500 St. Louis City 2 Hermann Stadium 6,050 Ralph Korte Stadium 4,000 Toronto FC II York Lions Stadium 4,000 Tacoma Defiance Cheney Stadium 6,500 Starfire Sports Complex 4,500 Whitecaps FC 2 Swangard Stadium 5,288
Personnel and sponsorship
Team Head coach Chicago Fire FC II FC Cincinnati 2 Colorado Rapids 2 Columbus Crew 2 Houston Dynamo 2 Inter Miami CF II Minnesota United FC 2 New England Revolution II New York City FC II North Texas SC Orlando City B Philadelphia Union II Portland Timbers 2 Real Monarchs Rochester New York FC San Jose Earthquakes II (interim) Sporting Kansas City II St. Louis City 2 (interim) Toronto FC II Tacoma Defiance Whitecaps FC 2
Regular season The regular season will feature 24 matches in a mostly regionalized schedule. Teams will play two or three games against teams in their conference. Only four matches total will be played between teams in opposite conferences. Each conference will be divided into divisions of five or six teams for scheduling.
Conference standings Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Overall table
Player statistics
Goals RankPlayerClubGoals1 Jacen Russell-RoweColumbus Crew 2212 Bernard KamungoNorth Texas SC163 Jack LynnOrlando City B154 Shanyder BorgelinInter Miami CF II14 John DenisNew York City FC II6 Gibran RayoRochester New York FC137 Rudi CastroSan Jose Earthquakes II12 Marlon VargasTacoma Defiance9 Aziel JacksonMinnesota United FC 210 Jonathan JimenezNew York City FC II
Hat-tricks +PlayerForAgainstScoreDate Beto AvilaHouston Dynamo 2Sporting Kansas City II 0–3 (A)April 10 Jack LynnOrlando City BInter Miami CF II 6–0 (H)May 21 Joshua PennChicago Fire FC IIToronto FC II 2–6 (A)May 27 Rauf SalifuSporting Kansas City IINorth Texas SC 4–2 (H)July 2 Gibran RayoRochester New York FCPhiladelphia Union II 3–0 (H)July 7 John DenisNew York City FC IINew England Revolution II 0–4 (A)July 10 Victor BezerraChicago Fire FC IIOrlando City B 3–4 (H)July 17 Thomas WilliamsonMinnesota United FC 2Colorado Rapids 2 3–3 (H)August 6 Shanyder BorgelinInter Miami IINew England Revolution II 4–2 (H)August 7 Jacen Russell-RoweColumbus Crew 2FC Cincinnati II 9–0 (H)4September 18
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team4 – Scored 4 goals
Assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Romeo BeckhamInter Miami CF II10 Mohamed FarsiColumbus Crew 23 Hope AvayevuNorth Texas SC94 Aziel JacksonMinnesota United FC 27 Akil WattsSt. Louis City 2 El Mahdi YoussoufiNew York City FC II7 Maximilian ArfstenSan Jose Earthquakes II6 Selmir MiscicPortland Timbers 2 Sergio OregelChicago Fire FC II Marlon VargasTacoma Defiance
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 CaíqueRochester New York FC82 Patrick SchulteColumbus Crew 273 Xavier ValdezHouston Dynamo 264 Chris BradyChicago Fire FC II5 Luka GavranToronto FC II Jacob JacksonNew England Revolution II Alex RandoNew York City FC II Brady ScottColumbus Crew 29 Antonio CarreraNorth Texas SC4 Wallis LapsleyTacoma Defiance Javier OteroOrlando City B
Playoffs There was an eight-team playoff, where the top finisher in each division qualified, along with the next two top finishers in each conference. Seeding within each conference was based on conference standings, regardless of being division champions.
Qualifying teams
Eastern Conference Columbus Crew 2 - Central Division Winner Toronto FC II - Northeast Division Winner Philadelphia Union II - Conference Wild Card #1 Rochester New York FC - Conference Wild Card #2
Western Conference St. Louis City 2 - Frontier Division Winner Tacoma Defiance - Pacific Division Winner Houston Dynamo 2 - Conference Wild Card #1 North Texas SC - Conference Wild Card #2
Bracket
Conference Semifinals Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Conference Finals Eastern Conference
Western Conference
2022 MLS Next Pro Cup
Most Valuable Player: Marco Micaletto (Columbus Crew 2)
League awards Individual awards AwardWinnerTeamReasonGolden Boot Jacen Russell-Rowe Columbus Crew 2 21 goalsGoalkeeper of the Year Patrick Schulte Columbus Crew 2 1.00 goals against average; 10 wins; 7 clean sheetsCoach of the Year Laurent Courtois Columbus Crew 2 Won regular season titleGoal of the Year Ryan Lima New England Revolution II vs FC Cincinnati 2Save of the Year Antonio Carrera North Texas SC vs Houston Dynamo 2Most Valuable Player Jacen Russell-Rowe Columbus Crew 2 21 goals in 19 starts; 5 assists; 5 multi-goal games
MLS Next Pro Best XI GoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwardsRef Patrick Schulte (CC2) Mohamed Farsi (CC2) Kyle Hiebert (STL) Talen Maples (HD2) Pedro Dolabella (RNY) Aziel Jackson (MU2) Isaiah Parente (CC2) Marlon Vargas (TAC) Bernard Kamungo (NTX) Jack Lynn (OCB) Jacen Russell-Rowe (CC2)
Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the Month Team of the MonthCoach of the MonthGoalkeeper of the Month Player Club Position Club Player Club Keeper ClubMarch/April Alfonso Ocampo-ChavezTacoma DefianceForwardHouston Dynamo 2 Kenny BundyHouston Dynamo 2 Javier OteroOrlando City BMay Jacen Russell-RoweColumbus Crew 2MidfielderRochester New York FC Bruno BaltazarRochester New York FC Jacob JacksonNew England Revolution IIJune Jacen Russell-RoweColumbus Crew 2MidfielderSt. Louis City 2 John HackworthSt. Louis City 2 CaíqueRochester New York FCJuly John DenisNew York City FC IIMidfielderTacoma Defiance Wade WebberTacoma Defiance Luka GavranToronto FC IIAugust KlaussSt. Louis City 2ForwardSt. Louis City 2 John HackworthSt. Louis City 2 Patrick SchulteColumbus Crew 2
See also 2022 Major League Soccer season
References
External links MLS Next Pro