MLS Reserve League

Country	United States Canada
Founded	2005
Folded	2014
Last champions	Chicago Fire Reserves

The MLS Reserve League was a soccer league for the reserve teams of Major League Soccer with teams in both the United States and Canada.

It was inaugurated on April 9, 2005, with the first official reserve game being a 2–0 victory by Chivas USA over the host San Jose Earthquakes. The reserve division disbanded after the 2008 season, but returned in 2011 with 18 clubs split into East, Central, and West divisions. Each club played ten games consisting of home-and-away matches versus each of its five divisional opponents.

In 2013, the schedule of the MLS Reserve League was integrated with the schedule of the USL Pro League, with teams from each league playing each other.

In early 2013, USL and MLS reached an agreement to integrate USL league competition with MLS Reserves to increase the amount of exposure to real game situations by MLS team members who do not get much time in MLS competitions or provide a USL team at which future MLS players can develop. This multi-year deal is expected to lead to more games for both MLS Reserves and USL Pro teams.

MLS Reserve teams compiled a 6 Win, 9 Tie and 11 Loss record against USL Pro Teams in 2013.

2014 was the final Reserve League season. Starting in 2015, MLS clubs must either affiliate with a USL Pro club or create their own team in the USL Pro. The LA Galaxy Reserve Team joined USL Pro as the LA Galaxy II in 2014 and finished third.

MLS Reserve teams compiled a 9 Win, 5 Tie and 14 Loss record against USL Pro teams in 2014.

Beginning in 2013, MLS teams could elect to affiliate with a USL Pro team rather than fielding an MLS Reserve League team.

In 2014, the number of MLS teams electing to affiliate with USL Pro teams (rather than fielding an MLS Reserve League team) increased and the LA Galaxy moved their reserve team to compete directly in the USL Pro league.

...
Wikipedia