The 2023 MLS Next Pro season was the second season of MLS Next Pro, the reserve league of Major League Soccer. It featured 27 clubs—an increase of six from the inaugural 2022 season. Atlanta United 2, New York Red Bulls II and LA Galaxy II joined the league from the USL Championship. The expansion teams include Austin FC II (representing Austin FC), Crown Legacy FC (Charlotte FC), Huntsville City FC (Nashville SC), and Los Angeles FC 2 (Los Angeles FC). Rochester New York FC withdrew. The regular season ran from March 24 to September 24.
Teams Stadiums and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Atlanta United 2 Fifth Third Bank Stadium 8,318 Austin FC II Parmer Field 1,000 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 Crown Legacy FC Sportsplex at Matthews 5,000 Houston Dynamo 2 SaberCats Stadium 3,200 Huntsville City FC Joe W. Davis Stadium 6,000 Inter Miami CF II DRV PNK Stadium 18,000 Alt URL LA Galaxy II Dignity Health Sports Park Track & Field Stadium 2,000 Los Angeles FC 2 Titan Stadium 10,000 Minnesota United FC 2 Allianz Field 19,600 National Sports Center 5,500 New England Revolution II Gillette Stadium 20,000 New York City FC II Belson Stadium 2,168 New York Red Bulls II MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field 5,000 North Texas SC Choctaw Stadium 48,114 Orlando City B Osceola County Stadium 5,300 Philadelphia Union II Subaru Park 18,500 Portland Timbers 2 Providence Park 25,218 Real Monarchs Zions Bank Stadium 5,000 San Jose Earthquakes II PayPal Park 18,000 Sporting Kansas City II Rock Chalk Park 2,500 Swope Soccer Village 1,500 St. Louis City 2 CityPark 22,423 Toronto FC II York Lions Stadium 4,000 Tacoma Defiance Starfire Sports Complex 4,500 Whitecaps FC 2 Swangard Stadium 5,288
Personnel and sponsorship
Team Head coach Atlanta United 2 Austin FC II Chicago Fire FC II FC Cincinnati 2 Colorado Rapids 2 Columbus Crew 2 Crown Legacy FC Houston Dynamo 2 Huntsville City FC Inter Miami CF II LA Galaxy II Los Angeles FC 2 Minnesota United FC 2 New England Revolution II New York City FC II New York Red Bulls II North Texas SC Orlando City B Philadelphia Union II Portland Timbers 2 Real Monarchs San Jose Earthquakes II Sporting Kansas City II St. Louis City 2 Toronto FC II Tacoma Defiance Whitecaps FC 2
Regular season During the regular season, teams played 28 matches each in a mostly regionalized schedule. Each conference was divided into divisions of six or seven teams for scheduling.
Conference standings Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Overall table
Player statistics
Goals RankPlayerClubGoals1 Rémi CabralColorado Rapids 219 Jack LynnOrlando City B MD MyersNew York City FC II4 Nicolas FirminoAtlanta United 2165 Ibrahim KasuleNew York Red Bulls II15 Braudílio RodriguesTacoma Defiance7 Aaron BiboutLA Galaxy II14 Papa NdoyeHouston Dynamo 29 Yosuke HanyaColorado Rapids 213 John KleinSt. Louis City 2
Hat-tricks +PlayerForAgainstScoreDate Aaron BiboutLA Galaxy IIWhitecaps FC 2 3–4 (A)April 16 Esmir BajraktarevicNew England Revolution IIPhiladelphia Union II 3–4 (A)May 21 Jeremy RafanelloPhiladelphia Union IIColumbus Crew 2 3–2 (H)May 28 Papa NdoyeHouston Dynamo 2Real Monarchs 3–5 (A)July 28 Papa NdoyeHouston Dynamo 2Sporting Kansas City II 3–1 (H)August 6 Braudílio RodriguesTacoma DefianceSporting Kansas City II 3–1 (H)August 9 Diego GutierrezPortland Timbers 2LA Galaxy II 6–1 (H)August 9 MD MyersNew York City FC IIInter Miami CF II 5–0 (H)August 10 Alenis VargasSporting Kansas City IIPortland Timbers 2 6–1 (H)August 13 Azaad LiadiHuntsville City FCPhiladelphia Union II 5–2 (H)August 19 Gibran RayoColumbus Crew 2Inter Miami CF II 0–5 (A)September 3 Faysal BettacheSt. Louis City 2Houston Dynamo 2 1–3 (A)September 3 Leonardo FloresLos Angeles FC 2Portland Timbers 2 4–0 (H)September 15 Rémi CabralColorado Rapids 2Minnesota United FC 2 4–2 (H)September 24
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Marlon VargasColorado Rapids 2102 Yosuke HanyaColorado Rapids 293 Josh CoanSporting Kansas City II8 Oliver LarrazColorado Rapids 2 Chris OlneyPhiladelphia Union II6 Jonathan JiménezNew York City FC 27 Max SchneiderSt. Louis City 28 Jordan Adebayo-SmithNew England Revolution II6 Diogo PachecoMinnesota United FC 2 Kemy AmicheHuntsville City FC Noah FusonColumbus Crew 2 Luka PrpaChicago Fire FC II Omari GlasgowChicago Fire FC II Adrián GonzálezLA Galaxy II Jhon SolísOrlando City B Isaiah LeFloreHouston Dynamo 2 Ollie WrightHuntsville City FC Tyshawn RoseNorth Texas SC
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Damian LasAustin FC II132 AJ MarcucciNew York Red Bulls II73 Brady ScottColumbus Crew 264 Isaac WalkerCrown Legacy FC5 Stanislav LapkesColumbus Crew 26 Fernando DelgadoReal Monarchs4 Antonio CarreraNorth Texas SC Eric De La CerdaSan Jose Earthquakes II Nico CampuzanoNew England Revolution II Alex RandoNew York City FC II Jeffrey GalChicago Fire FC II Abraham RodriguezColorado Rapids 2 Vicente ReyesAtlanta United 2 Emmanuel OchoaSan Jose Earthquakes II
Playoffs Format Top seven teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs, with the best record in each conference earning a first round bye. The second and third seeds in each conference were able to choose which of the remaining teams they would play. The top seed in the conference semifinals were also allowed to choose their opponent from the remaining teams.
Bracket
Conference Quarterfinals Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Conference Semifinals Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Conference Finals Eastern Conference
Western Conference
2023 MLS Next Pro Cup Final
Most Valuable Player: Valentin Noël (Austin FC II)
League awards Individual awards AwardWinnerTeamReasonGolden Boot Rémi Cabral Colorado Rapids 219 goals Jack Lynn Orlando City B MD Myers New York City FC IIGoalkeeper of the Year Damian Las Austin FC II 12 clean sheets; 0.74 Goals Against AverageCoach of the Year Erik Bushey Colorado Rapids 2 Lead team to the Regular Season titleMost Valuable Player Jack Lynn Orlando City B 19 goals; Best XI
MLS Next Pro Best XI GoalkeeperDefendersMidfieldersForwardsRef Damian Las (AU2) Abdoulaye Cissoko (TAC) Joe Hafferty (AU2) João Pedro (CRN) Nicolas Firmino (AT2) Yosuke Hanya (CR2) Ibrahim Kasule (NYR) Oliver Larraz (CR2) Rémi Cabral (CR2) Jack Lynn (OCB) MD Myers (NY2)
Weekly awards