In 1998 , as a way to increase the reach of the Major League Soccer, the competition added Chicago Fire to the Western Conference and Miami Fusion to the Eastern Conference. This was the first step of an aggressive expansion, which brought the total number of teams to 12. The league was reformed in 2000 into three conferences: Eastern, Central, and Western. All the MLS squads are available to wager at the 1xBet – best sports betting Zambia website. Some of the teams that became part of the Central division included:
- Chicago Fire;
- Dallas Burn;
- Columbus Crew;
- and Tampa Bay Mutiny.
However, due to the league’s financial difficulties, Doug Logan, who was the commissioner at the time, resigned by the end of 1998. In his place, Don Garber, a former NFL executive, was appointed, and his leadership became a tool for securing the league’s future. The best sports betting Zambia 1xBet website allows betting on this competition.
New venues
To ensure the league’s financial stability and future, the construction of soccer stadiums for the league’s teams became a priority. The first venue of this kind was the impressive Mapfre Stadium, which opened in 1999 and served as the stadium for Columbus Crew until 2021. The Toyota Park in Chicago, the StubHub Center in Los Angeles, and a slew of other magnificent stadiums followed. The impressive venues feature several matches that can be wagered on at the 1xBet app download for Android devices.
However, it should be said that at that moment the competition wasn’t financially stable. Therefore, it was decided to dissolve the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny squads in order to bring some stability. The league had returned to its previous two-conference format, with the Chicago Fire in the Eastern Conference. In this current form, it is possible to wager on the MLS by using the 1xBet app for Android download in all kinds of gadgets.
Unexpected success
The United States’ surprising quarterfinal milestone in the 2002 FIFA World Cup fueled a renaissance in the sport in the country. The 2002 MLS Cup final at Gillette Stadium established a new attendance record, with LA Galaxy winning their first championship. All matches of MLS can be wagered on the https://1xbet.com.zm/line website.
In 2004, Real Salt Lake and C.D. Chivas USA entered the league. As a consequence of the two new teams being allocated to the Western Conference, Sporting Kansas City was relocated to the Eastern Conference. Real Salt Lake earned its name because its owner is a Real Madrid fan who has done business with the Spanish club on many occasions. The owner of Guadalajara from México formed Chivas USA. To bet on 1xBet on these teams is totally possible.
