A trophy given to the Major League Soccer club with the best regular season record. Soccer purists consider the Shield winner the true champion of MLS for that season; however, the league likes to the MLS Cup winner is the champion that season.
The incentives for winning the Shield are nearly identical to the MLS Cup. Both teams are rewarded with Group Stage spots in the CONCACAF Champions League the following year.
Past Shield winners include:
1996 - Tampa Bay Mutiny
1997 - DC United
1998 - Los Angeles Galaxy
1999 - D.C. United
2000 - Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting KC)
2001 - Miami Fusion
2002 - Los Angeles Galaxy
2003 - Chicago Fire
2004 - Columbus Crew
2005 - San Jose Earthquakes
2006 - D.C. United
2007 - D.C. United
2008 - Columbus Crew
2009 - Columbus Crew
2010 - Los Angeles Galaxy
The incentives for winning the Shield are nearly identical to the MLS Cup. Both teams are rewarded with Group Stage spots in the CONCACAF Champions League the following year.
Past Shield winners include:
1996 - Tampa Bay Mutiny
1997 - DC United
1998 - Los Angeles Galaxy
1999 - D.C. United
2000 - Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting KC)
2001 - Miami Fusion
2002 - Los Angeles Galaxy
2003 - Chicago Fire
2004 - Columbus Crew
2005 - San Jose Earthquakes
2006 - D.C. United
2007 - D.C. United
2008 - Columbus Crew
2009 - Columbus Crew
2010 - Los Angeles Galaxy
Although the Colorado Rapids won the MLS Cup title, many consider the Los Angeles Galaxy to be the true MLS champions since they won the Supporters Shield
by jonnigga January 20, 2011