FC Cincinnati Captures First Supporters' Shield in Club History
September 30, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK - FC Cincinnati has won the Supporters' Shield, an award given to the MLS team with the best overall regular season record by the supporters. Cincinnati's 3-2 victory tonight over Toronto FC secured the accolade along with the top seed in the Eastern Conference and home-field advantage throughout the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. As the Supporters' Shield winners, the Orange and Blue qualified to compete in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time in club history.
Building on its first-ever postseason berth in 2022, Cincinnati will begin their postseason journey on October 29 or November 1 in the Round One Best-of-3 series against the Eastern Conference winner of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card match.
At the helm since 2022, head coach Pat Noonan has guided the club's on-field transformation, with Saturday's win over Toronto improving the club's record to 19-4-8 in 2023 and securing the club's first-ever trophy as an MLS club with three games remaining in their regular-season schedule.
Leading Cincinnati's pursuit of the Supporters' Shield has been club captain Luciano 'Lucho' Acosta, who currently leads the league in goal contributions (28) and is tied atop the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings with 15 goals. No MLS player has recorded more regular season assists than Acosta's 42 since he joined Cincinnati ahead of the 2021 season, and he is one of two players to record at least 30 goals and 30 assists over that stretch as well.
In claiming the Supporters' Shield, Cincinnati has also made history across the five U.S men's professional leagues (MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, NFL) as they are the first team among these leagues to finish last in three consecutive seasons before winning a regular season title within the two years that followed. They are also just the fourth team in the history of the five leagues to have finished last in their league in three consecutive seasons and countered with a winning season in either of the two years that followed.
Cincinnati will host the New York Red Bulls on October 4 and Atlanta United on Decision Day, October 21, with an opportunity to finish 2023 with the best home record in club history and surpass the 2018 New York Red Bulls (14-1-2) for the best single-season home record in league history.
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)
2023 FC Cincinnati 65 points* 2.09 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 three game remaining
Below is a list of MLS clubs that have qualified for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
2024 Concacaf Champions Cup - Qualified MLS Clubs
Team Qualification Method
TBD* 2023 MLS Cup Champion*
FC Cincinnati 2023 Supporters' Shield Winner
TBD 2023 Western Conference Regular Season Champion
TBD
TBD Next Best Club in 2023 Supporters' Shield Standings
Next Best Club in 2023 Supporters' Shield Standings
Inter Miami CF*
Nashville SC
Philadelphia Union Leagues Cup 2023 Champion*
Leagues Cup 2023 Runner-Up
Leagues Cup 2023 Third Place
Houston Dynamo FC 2023 U.S. Open Cup Winner
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2023 Canadian Championship Winner
*Qualifies directly to the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16
Major League Soccer Stories from September 30, 2023
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC Draw D.C. United - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Timbers Extend Unbeaten Streak to Seven with 3-3 Draw Against LA Galaxy - Portland Timbers
- Match Report: St. Louis CITY SC Hits Four Past Sporting KC for the Second Time at CITYPARK - St. Louis City SC
- Austin FC Falls 1-0 to Colorado Rapids - Austin FC
- Nashville SC Clinches Fourth Consecutive Playoffs Berth - Nashville SC
- Inter Miami CF Earns Important Point at Home Against New York City FC - Inter Miami CF
- FC Cincinnati Defeat Toronto FC 3-2, Capture Supporters' Shield - FC Cincinnati
- Nashville SC Extends Unbeaten Streak to Five with Scoreless Draw Against Seattle Sounders FC - Nashville SC
- Sounders FC Earns Road Point with Scoreless Draw at Nashville SC - Seattle Sounders FC
- Minnesota United and San Jose Battle in 1-1 Draw - Minnesota United FC
- Marie Finds Late Equalizer, Quakes Earn Crucial Road Point - San Jose Earthquakes
- FC Dallas Retains El Capitán with 0-0 Draw Against Houston Dynamo FC - FC Dallas
- Chicago Fire FC Defeats New York Red Bulls 1-0 at Red Bulls Arena - Chicago Fire FC
- Sporting KC Falls to St. Louis - Sporting Kansas City
- Orlando City SC Sets New Single-Season Wins Record & Points Record After 3-0 Win Over CF Montréal - Orlando City SC
- New England Revolution Edge Charlotte FC, 2-1 - New England Revolution
- CF Montréal Blanked by Orlando City SC - Club de Foot Montreal
- New York City Football Club Draws Inter Miami CF - New York City FC
- Houston Dynamo FC Earn 13th Clean Sheet of the Season - Houston Dynamo FC
- Nick Cushing: "It's One Point Gained." - New York City FC
- Blake Registers Eight Saves; Union Unbeaten in Six Consecutive League Matches - Philadelphia Union
- Full Time: Charlotte FC Fall to Loss in New England Despite Swiderski Equalizer - Charlotte FC
- FC Cincinnati Claim Supporters' Shield in Dramatic 3-2 Win Over Toronto FC - FC Cincinnati
- FC Cincinnati Captures First Supporters' Shield in Club History - MLS
- Everything You Need to Know About FC Cincinnati Winning the Supporters' Shield - FC Cincinnati
- Match Preview: LA Galaxy Play Host to Portland Timbers at Dignity Health Sports Park Tonight, Saturday, September 30 - LA Galaxy
- Houston Dynamo FC Add Trophy Tour to Fan Appreciation Week, Presented by Verizon - Houston Dynamo FC
- FC Cincinnati Prepare to Play '1 of 34' But What Is at Stake Is Clear, and the Orange and Blue Have Their Eyes on the Prize - FC Cincinnati
- Sounders FC Travels to Face Nashville SC Tonight at GEOIDS Park - Seattle Sounders FC
- Rapids vs. Austin FC: Preview, Media Assets & Postgame Availability - Colorado Rapids
- Felipe Mora, Cristhian Paredes Called up for International Duty in October - Portland Timbers
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