When is the MLS Cup Final 2021?

The 2021 MLS Cup Final will be played on December 11th at 2 pm. The finalists aren´t defined yet, the Conference Finals are about to be played this week. Four teams are fighting for his ticket to reach the final but just two of them will get it. In the West Conference Final, Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake will face each other on Saturday, December 4th at 5:30 pm in Providence Park while Philadelphia Union will host New York City for the East Conference Final on Sunday, December 5th at 2 pm.

For the 2021 MLS Cup Final, the team with the most points during the season will host the final, in this case, Portland Timbers had 55 points, Philadelphia Union 54 points, New York City 51 points, and Real Salt Lake 48 points. The only team that can´t host the final is Real Salt Lake, the other teams, depending on the Conference winners, will be able to host the final.

MLS History

The 2021 MLS Cup Final will be the 26th edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Major League Soccer officially started in 1995 and was played with only 10 teams. In 1998 grew to 12 teams. Even though MLS experienced difficulties in its first seasons, right now are the third sport with the highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S. only behind National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) with 20,000 per game. MLS currently has 27 teams but with expansion plans. The league wants 30 teams planning the addition of Charlotte FC in 2022 and Sacramento Republic FC and St. Louis in 2023.

MLS Champions

The most winning team in the MLS is Los Angeles Galaxy winning the Cup 5 times in the years 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2014, followed by D.C. United with 4 championships in the years 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004. Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, and Columbus Crew have won the cup two times. And to complete the list, the teams with at least one Cup are Chicago Fire, Real Salt Lake, Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers, Toronto FC, and Atlanta United.

Conference Finalists

Between the current teams who are looking for the finals, the ones that compete in the West Conference, are the only ones that have won the league one time each team but for the teams of the East Conference, they have never been in the MLS Cup Final, so for Philadelphia Union and New York City, these instances are unknown.

About the trophy

The MLS Cup has had three versions, the first and the original one was called Alan I. Rothenberg in honor of this man and was awarded until 1999. After this year, the trophy had a redesign in honor of Philip Anschutz, and in 2008 the trophy again suffer modifications, keeping the name but with a new design and is the one that is awarded in the present.