How MLS is played, the competition that Alexis Sánchez is joining to play for Montreal

Alexis Sánchez is changing scenery. The 'Niño Maravilla' is leaving Europe and, to a large extent, it is a surprise. After a stint of ups and downs at Sevilla, he chooses to lower the demands and joins Montreal, one of the teams that makes up the American MLS. The caveat is that it is one of the Canadian teams in the competition. The others are Toronto FC (where Benjamín Kuscevic plays) and the Vancouver Whitecaps, where Pedro Morales shone.

The forward trained at Cobreloa will have to adapt to several elements. Starting with the low temperatures, especially in autumn and winter. Then, to an environment that uses a format absolutely different from what the Chilean is used to for defining its champions. The inspiration is almost obvious: the models of the NBA, the NFL, and the MLB, the strongest competitions in that part of the world.

How is the MLS played, the competition that Alexis Sánchez is arriving at to defend Montreal?

In the MLS, 26 teams compete. However, unlike what happens in most leagues in the world, the season is divided into two phases: a regular season and the playoffs, perhaps the hallmark of American team sports.

The teams are divided into two conferences, another part of the structure characteristic of the leagues in that region. The Eastern Conference is made up of 14 teams. The Western Conference brings together 12 teams. In that part of the calendar, each club must play 34 matches. That is to say, it faces all the teams in its conference as home and away. The rest of the matches are played against teams from the opposite conference, which are chosen by a draw.

The next stage is the most exciting: the playoffs. The top seven from each conference enter the first stage. However, the first place in the regular phase receives a prize for its consistency: it enters directly into the semifinals. In that stage, the teams are ordered according to the positions they occupied in the general table. Thus, the first faces the seventh. The following ones are organized according to the same criteria.

The regular season starts in February. The final is played in December. In the MLS, there is no relegation.

Titles and classifications

The winners of the respective brackets play the conference final, in a single match. The respective winners obtain the ticket to the big showdown: the MLS Cup. That trophy rewards the champion of the season. The final is played in a single match: the home field advantage is exercised by the team that occupied the highest position in the regular season.

The MLS Cup is not the only trophy contested during the year. The MLS Supporter’s Shield is also at stake, which distinguishes the team that accumulates the most points during the regular season, considering both conferences.

Both titles grant the right to participate in the CONCACAF Champions League. The first spot is awarded to the MLS Cup champion, the second to the winner of the MLS Supporter’s Shield; and the third ticket to the team with the most points in the regular season but from the conference opposite to the winner of the MLS Supporter’s Shield. The goal is to have representatives from both sectors.

There is even the possibility that a fifth MLS team goes to the top international competition: the governing body of soccer in North America and the Caribbean grants a spot to the winner of the Canadian Championship, where the three teams from the country that participate in the MLS intervene. The last space is for the winner of the US Open Cup. This last tournament is foundational. It could be compared to the FA Cup or, in the local case, to the Copa Chile. It is contested by the 23 MLS teams, the 25 from the USL Championship, the six from the USL League One, and the 11 from the USL League Two. 11 MLS teams enter in the third round. The other 12, in the following stage.

Economic balance

A fundamental factor is economic balance. In that context, considering that salaries are not paid by the respective teams, but by the league, a salary cap is established, which this season is set at US$ 803,125.

However, there is a special category, which is the one used to attract players of the stature of Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, or Alexis Sánchez himself: the so-called Designated Player. Each team has the prerogative to use three spots in this category, which allows them to exceed the cap. In those cases, the MLS pays a cap of US$ 400,000. The rest must be financed by the club.

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