Western Conference (MLS)

The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences, along with the Eastern Conference. As of 2023, the division of the Conferences broadly follows the path of the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, with clubs on, or west of the River in the Western Conference.

As of 2023, the Western Conference contains fourteen teams. The conference has produced eleven Supporters' Shield champions and seventeen MLS Cup winners in Major League Soccer's first 27 seasons. In 2000 and 2001, the conference was referred to as the Western Division when Major League Soccer briefly reorganized into three divisions.

Timeline
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1996 (5 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• Dallas Burn

• Kansas City Wiz

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• San Jose Clash Changes from 1995: Creation of the Major League Soccer.

1997 (5 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• Dallas Burn

• Kansas City Wizards

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• San Jose Clash Changes from 1996: Kansas City changed their name from Wiz to Wizards''.

1998–99 (6 teams)
• Chicago Fire

• Colorado Rapids

• Dallas Burn

• Kansas City Wizards

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• San Jose Clash Changes from 1997: The Chicago Fire was added in the 1998 expansion.

2000–01 (as Western Division) (4 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• Kansas City Wizards

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• San Jose Earthquakes Changes from 1999: The Western Conference renamed itself the Western Division upon the creation of the Central Division; Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn moved into the new division; The San Jose Clash renamed to the Earthquakes.

2002–04 (5 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• Dallas Burn

• Kansas City Wizards

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• San Jose Earthquakes Changes from 2001: The Western Division renamed back to Western Conference following the contraction of the Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, resulting in the disbanding of the Central Division; Dallas Burn moved in from the Central Division.

2005 (6 teams)
• Chivas USA

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes Changes from 2004: Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake were added in the 2005 expansion; Kansas City Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference; The Dallas Burn renamed to FC Dallas.

2006–07 (6 teams)
• Chivas USA

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• Real Salt Lake Changes from 2005: The San Jose Earthquakes was put on hiatus; The Houston Dynamo joined the league as an expansion franchise.

2008 (7 teams)
• Chivas USA

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes Changes from 2007: The San Jose Earthquakes return to MLS after its hiatus.

2009–10 (8 teams)
• Chivas USA

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC Changes from 2008: Seattle Sounders FC were added in the 2009 expansion.

2011–14 (9 teams)
• Chivas USA

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC Changes from 2010: The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC were added in the 2011 expansion; Houston Dynamo moved to the Eastern Conference.

2015–16 (10 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Sporting Kansas City

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC Changes from 2014: Chivas USA ceases operations; Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo move in from the Eastern Conference.

2017 (11 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo

• Los Angeles Galaxy

• Minnesota United FC

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Sporting Kansas City

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC Changes from 2016: Minnesota United FC was added in the 2017 expansion.

2018–19 (12 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo

• LA Galaxy

• Los Angeles FC

• Minnesota United FC

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Sporting Kansas City

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC Changes from 2017: Los Angeles FC was added in the 2018 expansion.

2020 (12 teams)
• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo

• LA Galaxy

• Los Angeles FC

• Minnesota United FC

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Sporting Kansas City

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC Changes from 2019: Nashville SC was added in the 2020 expansion, but moved to the Eastern Conference since the MLS is Back Tournament up to the end of the 2020 season.

2021 (13 teams)
• Austin FC

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo FC

• LA Galaxy

• Los Angeles FC

• Minnesota United FC

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Sporting Kansas City

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Changes from 2020: Nashville SC moved to the Eastern Conference; Austin FC was added in the 2021 expansion; Houston Dynamo added "FC" to their name.

2022 (14 teams)
• Austin FC

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo FC

• LA Galaxy

• Los Angeles FC

• Minnesota United FC

• Nashville SC

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Sporting Kansas City

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Change from 2021: Nashville SC moved in from the Eastern Conference.

2023–24 (14 teams)
• Austin FC

• Colorado Rapids

• FC Dallas

• Houston Dynamo FC

• LA Galaxy

• Los Angeles FC

• Minnesota United FC

• Portland Timbers

• Real Salt Lake

• San Jose Earthquakes

• Seattle Sounders FC

• Sporting Kansas City

• St. Louis City SC

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Changes from 2022: Nashville SC moved back to the Eastern Conference as expansion side St. Louis City SC was added to the Western Conference.

Western Conference playoff champions by year
Note: The conference finals were a best-of-three series through 2001 (including the MLS semifinals in 2000 and 2001, when a conference playoff format was not used). Matches tied after regulation were decided by a shoot-out. In 2002, a similar format was used except that draws were allowed and the team earning the most points advanced. From 2003 through 2011, the Finals were a single match. Matches tied after regulation went to extra time (Golden goal extra time was implemented for 2003 only), then a shoot-out if necessary. Beginning in 2012, the finals were a two-match aggregate series. The away goals rule for series that finished even on aggregate was first implemented in 2014. Extra time and shoot-outs were used if necessary, although away goals did not apply in extra time. In 2019, the playoffs returned to a single match, single elimination format (including the conference finals), which were hosted by the higher placed team in the regular season.

From 2015 to 2021, the Western Conference was represented in the MLS Cup by either Seattle Sounders FC or the Portland Timbers.

E – Eastern Conference team.

Western Conference Champion counts by team
As of the 2023 season, a total of fourteen different teams have competed in the Western Conference finals, and twelve of those teams have won at least once. In the table below, teams are ordered first by the number of appearances in a Western Conference finals, then by the number of wins, and finally by year. Note that this table does not include years that a Western Conference team appeared in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs (such as 2010), and it does include appearances by Eastern Conference teams. Chivas USA (defunct), Nashville SC, St. Louis City SC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC have never made it to the Western Conference finals.

Western Conference regular season champions by year
^ – MLS did not have draws until the 2000 season.

† – The LA Galaxy were declared winners of the Western Division in 2001 after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks forced the cancellation of the rest of the regular season. The MLS Cup Playoffs began on September 20.

MLS West at the MLS All-Star Game
In 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004, the Major League Soccer All-Star Game was contested between an all-star team from the Western Conference against an all-star team from the Eastern Conference. In total, the MLS West all-star team has 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses against the east.