LAFC Captures Supporters’ Shield and Earns Top Seed & Home-Field Advantage in Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs
October 2, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK – The Los Angeles Football Club have won the 2022 Supporters’ Shield, awarded by the supporters to the MLS team with the best overall regular season record, by virtue of a 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers today. With the honor, LAFC has secured the top seed and home-field advantage throughout the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs and will compete in the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League as the winner of the 2022 Supporters’ Shield.
LAFC has secured a first-round bye in the postseason and will begin their playoff journey on Oct. 20 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Led by first-year head coach Steve Cherundolo, LAFC showed tremendous year-to-year improvement, finishing at the top of league standings in 2022 after finishing ninth in the Western Conference in 2021. Sunday’s win over Portland improved the clubs record to 21-8-4 with one game remaining on their regular season schedule and set a record for wins by a first-year head coach in MLS.
Cherundolo’s first year in charge brought the best out of forward Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango as he scored a career-high 16 goals this season, while adding five assists. Star forward Carlos Vela also joined an elite group of MLS players this season as he became just the fifth player in league history to record 10 goals and 10 assists in three different seasons. He is tied for second alongside Jaime Moreno, Preki, and Sebastian Giovinco for the most such seasons and sits just one 10-goal, 10-assist campaign from tying Diego Valeri for most in league history.
Breakout seasons from budding stars Jose Cifuentes, Diego ‘Chiqui’ Palacios, and Kwadwo Opoku contributed to LAFC’s success in 2022. Both Cifuentes and Palacios emerged as integral members of a World Cup-bound Ecuador team this season with Cifuentes producing a career-high 14 goal contributions from midfield while Palacios was named to the 2022 MLS All-Star team at left back. Likewise, 21-year-old forward Kwadwo Opoku has started 20 games for the club and is tied with Cifuentes for the third-most goals for LAFC this season with seven in his first year as a starter.
The Supporters’ Shield, which uses points per game to determine a winner, returns to the Western Conference for the first time since 2019 when LAFC won it last. Below is the list of all-time Supporters’ Shield winners, as sorted in reverse chronological order.
The Supporters’ Shield, which uses points per game to determine a winner, returns to the Western Conference for the first time since 2019 when LAFC won it last. Below is the list of all-time Supporters’ Shield winners, as sorted in reverse chronological order.
Supporters’ Shield Winners
Season Club Points When Won Points per Game (ppg)
2022 LAFC 67 points* 2.03 ppg*
2021 New England Revolution 69 points 2.23 ppg
2020 Philadelphia Union 47 points 2.04 ppg
2019 LAFC 72 points 2.12 ppg
2018 New York Red Bulls 71 points 2.09 ppg
2017 Toronto FC 69 points 2.02 ppg
2016 FC Dallas 60 points 1.76 ppg
2015 New York Red Bulls 60 points 1.76 ppg
2014 Seattle Sounders FC 64 points 1.88 ppg
2013 New York Red Bulls 59 points 1.74 ppg
2012 San Jose Earthquakes 66 points 1.94 ppg
2011 LA Galaxy 67 points 1.97 ppg
2010 LA Galaxy 59 points 1.97 ppg
2009 Columbus Crew 49 points 1.63 ppg
2008 Columbus Crew 57 points 1.90 ppg
2007 D.C. United 55 points 1.83 ppg
2006 D.C. United 55 points 1.72 ppg
2005 San Jose Earthquakes 64 points 2.00 ppg
2004 Columbus Crew 49 points 1.63 ppg
2003 Chicago Fire 54 points 1.77 ppg
2002 LA Galaxy 51 points 1.82 ppg
2001 Miami Fusion 53 points 2.04 ppg
2000 Kansas City Wizards 57 points 1.78 ppg
1999 D.C. United 57 points 1.78 ppg
1998 LA Galaxy 68 points 2.12 ppg
1997 D.C. United 55 points 1.72 ppg
1996 Tampa Bay Mutiny 58 points 1.81 ppg
*With one game remaining
Additionally, LAFC clinched a berth in the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League as the winner of the 2022 Supporters’ Shield. They will join the Philadelphia Union who qualified as the top team in the Eastern Conference standings, 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion Orlando City SC, and 2022 Canadian Championship winner Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League – Qualified MLS Clubs
2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League – Qualified MLS Clubs
Team Qualification Method
TBD 2022 MLS Cup Champion
Los Angeles FC 2022 Supporters’ Shield Winner
Philadelphia Union 2022 Eastern Conference Regular Season Champion
Orlando City SC 2022 U.S. Open Cup Champion
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2022 Canadian Championship Winner
LAFC will host Nashville SC in their final regular season game of 2022 on Decision Day (Oct. 9) with an opportunity to finish 2022 with the best home record in club history (14-1-2) with a win over Nashville. With a victory, they would also tie the 2018 New York Red Bulls and 2021 New England Revolution for most regular season wins (22) during the post-shootout era, and their 70 points on the season would be the fourth-most won by a club in the regular season in league history.
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