Major League Soccer is a relatively new league in the United States, having only started play in 1996. But there’s no question that soccer is the most widely played sport in the world, and thanks to that momentum, the MLS has grown in a big way. The MLS Cup is the trophy awarded at the end of the Final to the championship team.
If you’re looking for tickets to the MLS Cup Final or any of the playoff games, don’t worry. Although tickets are tough to come by, they are possible to grab. Here, we will walk you through the process of getting tickets, along with a few extra things that will help you to enjoy yourself even more while you’re there.
June 21
WED 07:30 pm
History of the MLS Cup
The first MLS Cup Final was held in October of 1996, but today, the championship game is usually held in early December. The two teams represent the best of MLS with one team from the Eastern Conference and one team from the Western Conference facing off in a single game format, similar to how the NFL’s Super Bowl is set up. As of right now, the LA Galaxy are the most successful team in MLS history, having won five MLS Cup Finals.
The teams competing in this championship game are determined by a playoff system. Oftentimes, these are just as exciting as the Final itself, especially as nearby rivals square off against one another. This is where the best of each Conference, teams that play each other often throughout the season, settle who is the best of the best. Fans really get into these games.
Tickets to the MLS Cup Final
The MLS Cup Final is the biggest event of the year if you’re a soccer fan in the United States. Unlike some other professional soccer leagues, the MLS format rewards fans with a single championship game instead of a point system. While European soccer purists do not like this format, the end result is that tickets to one of the biggest games in all the sports become available.
Getting tickets to this game can be tough. The game is held in a neutral location that is determined months ahead of time, which allows soccer fans to purchase tickets in advance. While that gives you planning time, it also makes it so tickets are guaranteed to sell out. Purchasing tickets in the first wave is difficult but possible. Go through this MLS site to find your tickets. Being a season ticket holder to any MLS team will make this process a lot easier.
Most of us will never be able to get tickets that way. For the rest of us, the best way to get tickets is to go through a third-party ticket resale site. We have found the best success with SeatGeek, but there are several other sites that are just as good and just as reputable.
If you are looking to save money on the best seats, your timing will be important. Obviously, these are going to be popular items. And if you remember your high school economics, when demand is high and supply is limited, prices go up. That doesn’t mean you need to break the bank to bring your family to see this game, though. If you buy your tickets about a month after the first round sells out, you are giving yourself the best chance of not paying too much. Before this point and after this point, prices will climb.
The best way to guarantee that you don’t pay too much is to search through several different sites. Be sure that you download their mobile apps to make this process easier. Also, be sure to subscribe to any alerts or notifications that the site offers so that you can have updates sent right to you when prices drop or new tickets become available. Using this combination of methods, you are going to give yourself the best chance possible of buying cheap tickets to the biggest event of the MLS season.
Other Things to Consider
Because this game takes place in a neutral city, odds are you are not going to be from around town. That means you’ll need to spend some extra time thinking about a place to stay, travel, and eating. If you’re going to be coming in from another city, then you will want to make these arrangements as far in advance as possible. For example, rather than trying to book a hotel at the last moment, log onto a national hotel chain, like Hyatt or Best Western, and get your room set up early. This will be
Parking is another thing to think about. Stadiums charge for parking, and while you can buy parking passes online through SeatGeek and other sites, if you can park at your hotel and take the shuttle to and from the stadium, you will save yourself a few bucks here and there, along with the headache of needing to fight traffic to and from the stadium.
Hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you to not just get tickets to the MLS Cup Final, but also to enjoy yourself and get the most out of this exciting experience!
