With Major League Soccer’s monumental 20th season upon us, this column examines each year of the league’s history in the form of an info-graphic. What trophies were won and by which clubs? Were there any doubles, or trebles maybe? Which franchises re-branded, packed up and left town or just folded all together? I’ll spotlight key events in the league’s history such as the David Beckham signing and the Designated Player movement. I’ll also examine the effectiveness with which MLS clubs have built soccer specific stadiums around the country and how that has impacted attendance figures. The goal is to make each tile informative, interesting and easy to digest. I was only 10 years old when the first MLS match was played, so I am educating myself as much as my readers.

The first tile (each year will be represented by an info-graphic I am referring to as a tile) will span four years from the league’s founding in ’93 through the MLS Cup Championship of the inaugural ’96 season. Each of the other tiles in the series will cover one year apiece. Each tile will provide a quick summary of the year’s action.  In addition to the infographic tiles, I’ll include write-ups for each season that go into more detail about the most significant happenings on the year.

To begin your MLS time traveling experience, simply scroll your mouse or finger towards the “MLS Timeline Series” tab and look for the drop down menu. This menu provides a list of chronologically ordered links for an easy look at any MLS season you like (eventually). Click on the tile to get a quick and easy visual breakdown of each season’s action. For more detail, check out the season write-ups posted on the same page as the tile. I have always wanted to bring an MLS timeline to life but I had not figured out how to do it. This is a daunting project, but there is no point in doing it if it is going to suck. I’ll be seeking constructive criticism from any and all readers to make this a top notch addition to the site. So please, leave comments.

***The MLS Timeline Series is a work in progress***