Can Sporting KC Pull Off the U.S. Pro Soccer Trifecta?

No MLS team has won all three titles — the MLS Cup, the U.S. Open Cup, and the MLS Supporters’ Shield (the MLS regular season title-most points) — in the same season. It is a streak of 16 years, MLS began play in 1996. Sporting KC may end up chasing U.S. pro soccer history this season. One team came close to winning the trifecta. In 2002, the LA Galaxy won both the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield, but they lost in the U.S. Open Cup final to the Columbus Crew. The MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield have been won in the same year a few times. As mentioned above, it was done by the Galaxy in 2002 and again last season, in 2011. D.C. United, like the Green Bay Packers of the NFL’s early history, was a dominant team early in MLS history. They accomplished the feat twice in 1997 and 1999. The now-defunct Kansas City Wizards did it in 2000 and the Columbus Crew in their glory year of 2008 also accomplished the feat. The MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup have been won in the same year only...