The date: December 13, 1993. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) awarded World Cup ’94 to the United States of America five years earlier. On this day, Major League Soccer, a top-flight league in the US and Canada, was born.

The league was officially announced in a December 17, 1993 presser, and by December 22, 27 North American cities expressed interest and were visited, about becoming an MLS charter city.

An additional 12 cities expressed interest (but were not visited) in 1993. At the time of the founding, MLS was slated to begin play in 1995 and field 12 clubs at launch.

In 1994, five cities would drop out of contention, and seven cities were awarded franchises: Boston, Columbus,  Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, San Jose and Washington became charter members of Major League Soccer.

That summer, World Cup ’94 set the World Cup record for the highest attendance in tournament history. 68,991 wild, rabid fans per match watched the Cup, with 94,194 spectators watching the final between Brazil and Italy, won 3-2 by Brazil in penalty kicks.

On November 12 of that year, it was announced that MLS would not begin play until the spring of 1996 and field 10 clubs at launch instead of 12. New York’s franchise would not be among the originals and would not begin play until the 1998 season. As it would turn out, the Long Island franchise would never hold a match.

To compensate for the loss of Long Island, MLS awarded franchises to Chicago and Tampa Bay. The Fire would not begin play until ’98. Renovations to venerable Soldier Field would force Chicago to take a few years off.

On April 6, 1996, the big day finally came. The inaugural match, televised by ESPN, pitted DC United against the homestanding San Jose Clash (later known as Earthquakes.) San Jose won the inaugural contest, 1-0, on a goal by Team USA’s then-leading goal scorer, Eric Wynalda.

Although DC would lose that first match, they’d later go onto win the first MLS Cup, 4-2 over the homestanding New England Revolution at a rainswept Foxboro Stadium. To date, MLS Cup ’96 is the highest scoring MLS Cup game in history.

In all, that first season saw 160 games being contested, with 539 goals scored, averaging over three goals per match. Tampa Bay won the inaugural Major League Soccer Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the club with the best record in the regular season.

DC would go onto win the next two MLS Cups, and would sweep in 1997, winning the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield.

However, in 1998, the style of play in MLS came under fire when the United States Men’s National Team, primarily comprised of Major League Soccer players, was eliminated from World Cup ’98 in group play.

Later that year, Chicago, in its first season, won their first MLS Cup,  2-0 over the two-time defending champion DC United. Even then, financial woes plagued Major League Soccer, which yielded to the resignation of original commissioner Doug Logan.

In 1999, current commissioner Don Garber, former National Football League executive, took over… and the League pretty much hasn’t looked back since. Also in 1999, DC United would capture their third MLS Cup in franchise history, beating LA by a 2-0 final.

Under Garber’s watch, MLS has overseen the construction of 13 soccer-specific stadiums, and has seen various international stars, like David Beckham, Thierry Henry, and Kaka, come to the United States to play in MLS and give much-needed vibrance to futbol in the United States.

In 2002, Team USA, who was bounced from World Cup ’98 in group play, advanced to the quarterfinals of World Cup ’02, before losing 1-0 to Germany on a goal from Michael Ballack.  The improbable run by the United States Men’s National Team renewed the enthusiasm of soccer fans across America.

That fall, 61,316 spectators packed Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to watch MLS Cup 2002. In a double overtime affair, the Los Angeles Galaxy beat the homestanding New England Revolution, 1-0 on a goal by Carlos Ruiz in the 113th minute of the game.  The victory gave LA its first MLS Cup in team history.

Also in 2002, Miami Fusion FC and the Tampa Bay Mutiny folded after poor attendance figures and bad stadium arrangements.

In 2003,  the Galaxy, who had played their home matches at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains, moved to their current stadium, The Home Depot Center in Carson.

The new digs didn’t help them, as they ended the year in 4th place in the Western Conference with a 9-12-9 record.  The Home Depot Center played host to MLS Cup 2003, which saw the San Jose Earthquakes capture their first title with a 4-2 win over Chicago.

Carlos Ruiz, the hero for LA in MLS Cup the year before, finished 2003 tied with Taylor Twellman for first place in goals scored with 15.

In 2004, DC United made a HUGE splash, signing 14-year-old Freddy Adu, the youngest athlete ever in North American sports history. Adu, primarily utilized by DCU as a bench-warmer, scored five goals in his rookie campaign, which ended with DCU capturing its fourth MLS Cup, the most Cups won by an MLS squad.

2005 was the tenth anniversary season for Major League Soccer, which saw the launch of two new clubs, Real Salt Lake, playing their home matches at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and Chivas USA, sharing home facilities with LA at Home Depot Center.

Cleveland and San Antonio were rumored to join MLS, but Cleveland-area businessman Bert Wolstein, who had signed a letter of intent to bring a club to Northeast Ohio to MLS,  passed away in late 2004, thus putting the kibosh on any Cleveland expansion, or did it?

San Antonio is still on the MLS waiting list for expansion, and as of 2012, interest is still there. There’s talk of the North American Soccer League’s San Antonio Scorpions coming to MLS as the League’s 20th franchise.

Anyway, back to 2005.  LA captured its second crown with a 1-0 victory over New England in extra time on a goal by Guillermo Rodriguez in the 105th minute of the contest.

2006 saw the New York MetroStars change their name to the New York RedBulls, as part of a marketing deal with the makers of the popular energy drink. The San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston due to AEG ‘s inability to nail down a soccer venue in the Bay Area, and the club was renamed the Houston Dynamo. MLS would, however, return to San Jose a few years later.

The relocation and name change helped the Dynamo, as they’d go onto win the 11th staging of MLS Cup over New England, 4-3 on penalty kicks after regular and extra time failed to produce a victor.

Both goals prior to the shootout came a minute apart. Twellman broke the scoreless tie with his goal in the 113th minute, and Brian Ching knotted the match back up for NE in the 114th minute.

Also in 2006, the Kansas City Wizards (later renamed Sporting Kansas City) were sold to a group of KC investors known as On Goal, LLC, quieting rumors concerning the relocation of the team.

Earlier in the year, Germany played host to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a tournament won by Italy, 5-3 via penalty kicks after normal and extra time saw the title match knotted up at a goal apiece.

The host country won the 3rd place match, 3-1 over Portugal. Team USA, the quarterfinalists four years prior, were bounced in group play for the second time in three World Cups.

In 2007, Major League Soccer confirmed that the Earthquakes would resume operations in 2008. Commissioner Garber listed possible cities for expansion.

Among the cities mentioned: Vancouver, Portland, Seattle (all of which were eventually awarded franchises,) San Jose (another city which was later awarded a team,) San Diego, St. Louis, a city with a rich soccer history, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Rochester.

Later in the year, Garber listed cities like Las Vegas and Montreal as possibilities. Las Vegas is still waiting for a team.

On the pitch, Houston won the MLS Cup for the second consecutive time, beating New England 2-1.  Houston’s Dwayne DeRosario, who scored the winning goal for the Dynamo in the 74th minute of the game, was named MVP.

Also, Toronto FC opened for business that year. TFC didn’t score their first goal until their May 12 match, also their first ever win. The Reds ended the year with a dismal 9-13-8 record, and have since become the faces of mediocrity in MLS. On the other side of the coin, TFC are the four-time defending champions of the Amway Canadian Cup, so I guess they’re not too bad.

More importantly, the LA Galaxy sent shockwaves throughout the soccer world with the signing of legendary player David Beckham of Manchester United fame. He’d remain with LA until 2012, capturing two MLS Cups in the process, solidifying his legacy.

2008 was the 13th year for Major League Soccer, a year which began with good news for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Don Garber announced that The City of Brotherly Love was awarded an expansion franchise after then-Governor Edward G. Rendell approved $47 million in Pennsylvania state funding to construct an 18,500 seat stadium on the waterfront in Chester.

The Union, which would begin play in 2010, became the 16th MLS franchise.  14 squads played in MLS in ’08, a season which saw the Columbus Crew win both the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield. The Crew beat RedBull New York, 3-1. The title was Columbus’ first MLS Cup.

2009 saw MLS expand to 15 clubs with the additon of Seattle Sounders FC, owned by Cleveland-based comedian and TV personality Drew Carey. Seattle captured  the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament which pitted the top six teams from 2008, along with Seattle and DC United, who qualified from an 8-team tournament.

MLS Cup 2009 saw Real Salt Lake clinch their first championship, 5-4 over LA via a penalty shootout. RSL’s Nick Rimando was named MVP.

2010, the 15th anniversary season for Major League Soccer, saw the Philadelphia Union open for business, doing so in an inauspicious fashion, losing 2-0 to Seattle FC.

2010 also saw a labor impasse threaten the season when a collective bargaining agreement was not signed by the deadline. Thankfully, a lockout was averted when the current CBA was agreed to just five days before First Kick 2010. The current CBA runs through the end of the 2014 season.

Toronto’s BMO Field hosted the 15th playing of MLS Cup, the first playing of MLS Cup outside of America. Colorado beat FC Dallas, 2-1 to capture their first championship. Conor Casey was named MVP.

2011, the 16th season of MLS, was also the 99th year of FIFA-sanctioned futbol. Portland and Vancouver joined Major League Soccer, bringing the total number of clubs to 18. LA won their third MLS Cup (and first with David Beckham,) 1-0 over Houston at Home Depot Center. Landon Donovan was named MVP.

This was the final MLS Cup match to be held at a neutral site venue. Beginning in 2012, MLS Cup is held at the home stadium of the representative with the better regular season record.

Speaking of 2012, the 17th year for MLS, no expansion happened for the first time in several years. In August, tragedy struck the Columbus Crew when midfielder Kirk Urso, 22, passed away as a result of a genetic heart condition. He was at a bar with friends when he passed out, after which he was hospitalized and was later pronounced dead at 1:50 a.m.

The LA Galaxy clinched their second MLS Cup in as many seasons, 3-1 over Houston in a rematch of MLS Cup 2011. Omar Gonzalez was named MVP. The match was David Beckham’s final MLS appearance. Beckham will play elsewhere in 2013.

So, that brings us to the present day. The future looks pretty darn bright for Major League Soccer, and why wouldn’t it? Under Don Garber’s tutelage, Major League Soccer has forged working relationships with international futbol clubs. In the past, MLS All-Star Game opponents have included Manchester United, Chivas, and, most recently in 2012, Chelsea.

Moreover, other ventures like the CONCACAF Champions League, which pits MLS teams against foreign opposition, and the new Herbalife World Football Challenge, a series of friendlies matching MLS squads against international clubs, have also contributed to MLS’ popularity.

Talk of expansion heated up in the early stages of the 2012-13 offseason when Don Garber introduced plans to award a franchise to Queens, New York. This proposition has been met with mixed emotions from MLS fans everywhere.

Why would they even consider bringing a team to Queens when the RedBulls can’t sell out in Harrison, New Jersey? They would be better off giving a team to St. Louis.

Yes, it’s been a long, successful journey for Major League Soccer. The League has made The Beautiful Game even more gorgeous and appealing to people everywhere. It’ll be back March 2 for its 18th season. Let me tell you a little something in closing. (HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE, PEOPLE!) Anyway, here goes:

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER IS AWESOME! This League’s been around for a while, and it’s not goin’ anywhere!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

I GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE TEAMS, STAFFERS, PLAYERS, AND FANS OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER, WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS AND SUPPORT HAVE MADE THE PAST SEVENTEEN YEARS POSSIBLE.