List of MLS club post-season droughts
These are lists of active and all-time Major League Soccer (MLS) club post-season series win, MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup droughts up to and including the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Those teams which have never made it in club history are listed by the season that they entered the league.
Among the current 20 MLS teams, 10 have never won the MLS Cup. Additionally, of the current MLS teams, 11 have never won the MLS Supporters' Shield. Today, the longest MLS Cup title drought is that of the Chicago Fire, who have not won the post-season honor in 18 years, winning the 1998 MLS Cup. The longest Supporters' Shield drought is Sporting Kansas City, who last won the season-title 16 years back, in 2000.
The only team that has never qualified for the post-season tournament is Orlando City SC, who debuted in 2015.
Longest active droughts
MLS Cup Playoffs
Club | Last appearance in post-season |
Post-season drought |
---|---|---|
Chicago Fire | 2012 | 4 seasons |
San Jose Earthquakes | 2012 | 4 seasons |
Houston Dynamo | 2013 | 3 seasons |
Orlando City SC | Never (club entered MLS in 2015) | 2 seasons |
Columbus Crew SC | 2015 | 1 season |
New England Revolution | 2015 | 1 season |
Portland Timbers | 2015 | 1 season |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2015 | 1 season |
MLS Cup Final
- teams currently completing in the 2016 MLS Cup playoffs.
Club | Last appearance in MLS Cup final |
MLS Cup Final drought |
---|---|---|
Chicago Fire | 2003 | 13 seasons |
D.C. United | 2004 | 12 seasons |
San Jose Earthquakes | 2003 | 11 seasons* |
Toronto FC | never (club entered MLS in 2007) | 10 seasons |
New York Red Bulls | 2008 | 8 seasons |
Philadelphia Union | never (club entered MLS in 2010) | 7 seasons |
Colorado Rapids | 2010 | 6 seasons |
FC Dallas | 2010 | 6 seasons |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | never (club entered MLS in 2011) | 6 seasons |
Montreal Impact | never (club entered MLS in 2012) | 5 seasons |
Houston Dynamo | 2012 | 4 seasons |
Real Salt Lake | 2013 | 3 seasons |
Sporting Kansas City | 2013 | 3 seasons |
New York City FC | never (club entered MLS in 2015) | 2 season |
Orlando City SC | never (club entered MLS in 2015) | 2 season |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 2014 | 2 season |
New England Revolution | 2014 | 2 season |
Portland Timbers | 2015 | 1 season |
Columbus Crew | 2015 | 1 season |
- Does not count the two years the Earthquakes were on hiatus.
MLS Cup droughts
Updated through 2015 Major League Soccer season
- teams currently completing in the 2016 MLS Cup playoffs.
Club | Last MLS Cup | Subsequent MLS Cup Final losses |
MLS Cup drought |
---|---|---|---|
New York Red Bulls | never (club entered MLS in 1996) | 1 : 2008 | 20 seasons |
FC Dallas | never (club entered MLS in 1996) | 1 : 2010 | 20 seasons |
New England Revolution | never (club entered MLS in 1996) | 5 : 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014 | 20 seasons |
Chicago Fire | 1998 | 2 : 2000, 2003 | 17 seasons |
D.C. United | 2004 | 11 seasons | |
San Jose Earthquakes1 | 2003 | 10 seasons | |
Toronto FC | never (club entered MLS in 2007) | 9 seasons | |
Houston Dynamo | 2007 | 2: 2011, 2012 | 8 seasons |
Columbus Crew SC | 2008 | 1: 2015 | 7 seasons |
Seattle Sounders FC | never (club entered MLS in 2009) | 7 seasons | |
Real Salt Lake | 2009 | 1: 2013 | 6 seasons |
Philadelphia Union | never (club entered MLS in 2010) | 6 seasons | |
Colorado Rapids | 2010 | 6 seasons | |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | never (club entered MLS in 2011) | 5 seasons | |
Montreal Impact | never (club entered MLS in 2012) | 4 seasons | |
Sporting Kansas City | 2013 | 2 season | |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 2014 | 1 season | |
Orlando City SC | never (club entered MLS in 2015) | 1 season | |
New York City FC | never (club entered MLS in 2015) | 1 season | |
Portland Timbers | 2015 | - | |
- 1 Does not include the two seasons San Jose was dormant
MLS Supporters' Shield
Club | Last Supporters' Shield won | MLS Supporters' Shield drought |
---|---|---|
Colorado Rapids | never (club entered MLS in 1996, runners-up in 2016) | 21 seasons |
New England Revolution | never (club entered MLS in 1996, runners-up in 2005) | 21 seasons |
Sporting Kansas City | 2000 | 16 seasons |
Chicago Fire | 2003 | 14 seasons |
Real Salt Lake | never (club entered MLS in 2005, runners-up in 2010) | 12 seasons |
Houston Dynamo | never (club entered MLS in 2006, runners-up in 2008) | 11 seasons |
Toronto FC | never (club entered MLS in 2007) | 10 seasons |
D.C. United | 2007 | 10 seasons |
Columbus Crew SC | 2009 | 8 seasons |
Philadelphia Union | never (club entered MLS in 2010) | 7 seasons |
Portland Timbers | never (club entered MLS in 2011) | 6 seasons |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | never (club entered MLS in 2011) | 6 seasons |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 2011 | 5 seasons |
Montreal Impact | never (club entered MLS in 2012) | 5 seasons |
San Jose Earthquakes | 2012 | 4 seasons |
Seattle Sounders FC | 2014 | 3 seasons |
New York City FC | never (club entered MLS in 2015) | 2 seasons |
Orlando City SC | never (club entered MLS in 2015) | 2 seasons |
New York Red Bulls | 2015 | 1 season |
FC Dallas | 2016 | - |
CONCACAF Champions League
Club | Last Champions League Qualification |
Champions League drought |
---|---|---|
Chicago Fire | 2003 | 12 seasons |
New England Revolution | 2008 | 7 seasons |
Philadelphia Union | never* | 6 seasons |
Colorado Rapids | 2010 | 5 seasons |
Columbus Crew SC | 2010 | 5 seasons |
Toronto FC | 2011 | 4 seasons |
Houston Dynamo | 2012 | 3 seasons |
San Jose Earthquakes | 2012 | 3 seasons |
Note: The Philadelphia Union entered MLS in 2010.
Longest all-time droughts
Post-season appearances
The list only includes MLS clubs that failed to make the playoffs for three or more consecutive seasons.
Club | Previous post-season appearance |
Next post-season appearance |
Post-season drought |
---|---|---|---|
Toronto FC | never (club entered MLS in 2007) | 2015 | 8 seasons |
Chivas USA | 2009 | never* | 5 seasons |
San Jose Clash/Earthquakes | 1996 | 2001 | 4 seasons |
D.C. United | 2007 | 2012 | 4 seasons |
Philadelphia Union | 2011 | 2016 | 4 seasons |
Chicago Fire | 2012 | 4 seasons | |
San Jose Earthquakes | 2012 | 4 seasons | |
D.C. United | 1999 | 2003 | 3 seasons |
Real Salt Lake | never (club entered MLS in 2005) | 2008 | 3 seasons |
Columbus Crew | 2004 | 2008 | 3 seasons |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 2005 | 2009 | 3 seasons |
Colorado Rapids | 2006 | 2010 | 3 seasons |
New England Revolution | 2009 | 2013 | 3 seasons |
Houston Dynamo | 2013 | 3 seasons |
Note: Chivas USA's final season was 2014.
MLS Cup final
Only lists teams with droughts lasting at least six seasons
Club | Previous MLS Cup appearance |
Next MLS Cup appearance |
MLS Cup final drought |
---|---|---|---|
Dallas Burn/FC Dallas | 1996* | 2010 | 14 seasons |
Columbus Crew | 1996* | 2008 | 12 seasons |
NY/NJ Metrostars / NY Red Bulls | 1996* | 2008 | 12 seasons |
Colorado Rapids | 1997 | 2010 | 12 seasons |
Chicago Fire | 2003 | 12 seasons | |
D.C. United | 2004 | 11 seasons | |
C.D. Chivas USA | 2005* | 2014*** | 10 seasons |
San Jose Earthquakes1 | 2003 | 10 seasons | |
Toronto FC | 2007* | 9 seasons | |
KC Wizards/Sporting Kansas City | 2004 | 2013 | 8 seasons |
New York Red Bulls | 2008 | 7 seasons | |
Seattle Sounders FC | 2009* | 7 seasons | |
New England Revolution | 1996* | 2002 | 6 seasons |
Tampa Bay Mutiny | 1996* | 2001** | 6 seasons |
New England Revolution | 2007 | 2014 | 6 seasons |
Columbus Crew | 2008 | 2015 | 6 seasons |
Philadelphia Union | 2010* | 6 seasons | |
* Indicates team's first year of existence
**Tampa Bay Mutiny folded after 2001 season (they did not reach the MLS Cup final)
*** Chivas USA folded after 2014 season (they did not reach the MLS Cup final)
1 Does not include the two seasons San Jose was dormant
MLS Cup championships
Only lists teams with droughts lasting at least five seasons
Club | Last championship | Next championship | Championship drought |
---|---|---|---|
Dallas Burn/FC Dallas | 1996* | none | 20 seasons |
MetroStars/New York Red Bulls | 1996* | none | 20 seasons |
New England Revolution | 1996* | none | 20 seasons |
Chicago Fire | 1998 | none | 17 seasons |
Colorado Rapids | 1996* | 2010 | 14 seasons |
Columbus Crew | 1996* | 2008 | 12 seasons |
Kansas City Wizards/Sporting Kansas City | 2000 | 2013 | 12 seasons |
D.C. United | 2004 | none | 11 seasons |
Chivas USA | 2005* | none*** | 10 seasons |
San Jose Earthquakes 1 | 2003 | none | 10 seasons |
Toronto FC | 2007* | none | 9 seasons |
Houston Dynamo | 2007 | none | 8 seasons |
Columbus Crew SC | 2008 | none | 7 seasons |
Seattle Sounders FC | 2009* | none | 7 seasons |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 1996* | 2002 | 6 seasons |
Tampa Bay Mutiny | 1996* | none** | 6 seasons |
Philadelphia Union | 2010* | none | 6 seasons |
Real Salt Lake | 2009 | none | 6 seasons |
San Jose Clash/Earthquakes | 1996* | 2001 | 5 seasons |
Colorado Rapids | 2010 | none | 5 seasons |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2011* | none | 5 seasons |
* Indicates team's first year of existence
** Tampa Bay Mutiny folded after 2001 season (they did not achieve a championship)
*** Chivas USA folded after 2014 season (they did not achieve a championship)
1 Excludes the two seasons that San Jose was on hiatus.
Cities/regions awaiting first MLS Cup
This list only includes cities that have a club playing in MLS.
City | Seasons waited |
MLS Cup Final appearances |
Current MLS team |
---|---|---|---|
Boston | 20 | 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014 | New England Revolution |
Dallas | 20 | 2010 | FC Dallas |
New York | 20 | 2008 | New York Red Bulls, New York City FC |
Toronto | 9 | never | Toronto FC |
Seattle | 7 | never | Seattle Sounders FC |
Philadelphia | 6 | never | Philadelphia Union |
Vancouver | 5 | never | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
Montreal | 4 | never | Montreal Impact |
Orlando | 1 | never | Orlando City SC |
See also
- Major League Soccer
- List of Major League Baseball franchise post-season droughts
- List of National Basketball Association franchise post-season droughts
- List of National Football League franchise post-season droughts
- List of National Hockey League franchise post-season droughts