The Western Conference will now feature the last five MLS Cup champions.
Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo are making the jump to the Western Conference in 2015. MLS announced that the two teams would be moved over from the Eastern Conference as part of realignment to balance out the two conferences.
The Eastern Conference had 10 teams in 2014, compared to the Western Conference's nine. That divide would have grown bigger in 2015, with New York City FC and Orlando City joining the league to make a 12-team East, while Chivas USA folded, taking the West down to eight teams. But with Kansas City and Houston hopping over, the conferences will have 10 teams each.
The move makes sense for the Dynamo, who used to be in the West. Now they are in the same conference as FC Dallas, allowing more opportunities for them to play, especially in the playoffs, which is key to the growth of the rivalry.
It will also make for a brutal Western Conference, which was already the tougher of the two, and now is getting a strong Sporting club, while dropping a dreadful Chivas one. The last five MLS Cup champions are all in the West now and the gap in quality between the two conferences looks like it is only going to get bigger.
In addition to realignment, MLS announced that they will play a 34-match schedule again. Each team will play every team in their conference at least twice and the teams in the other conference once.
Eastern Conference
- Chicago Fire
- Columbus Crew
- D.C. United
- Montreal Impact
- New England Revolution
- New York City FC
- New York Red Bulls
- Orlando City
- Philadelphia Union
- Toronto FC
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- Sporting Kansas City
- LA Galaxy
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders
- Vancouver Whitecaps