SAN JOSE, Calif. – On April 6, 1996 at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California, a professional league in the United States took its first breath. Major League Soccer had arrived; and arrive it did in the Bay Area, 20 years ago, nearly to the day. The San Jose Clash hosted D.C. United in the first-ever match of the league's history on the campus of San Jose State University in front of 31,683 soccer-hungry fans. One of the few men on the field that day, donned in black San Jose Clash sweats was Cal men's soccer coach Kevin Grimes.
Though he never made an appearance for the Clash, Grimes, then 28, was a big part of that historical day. Alongside former United States soccer royalty such as Eric Wynalda (as of the moment, the third-leading scorer in U.S. history with 34 goals), John Doyle (current general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes) and Paul Bravo (current technical director of the Colorado Rapids), Grimes, who was injured just before the start of the season, took part in a monumental occasion for the sport of soccer in this country. The match ended 1-0, courtesy of an 88th minute strike from Wynalda, that sent the crowd into delirium, pushing the Clash to a win over eventual inaugural MLS Cup Champion D.C. United.
This past Saturday, April 2, the club from San Jose (now the Earthquakes) and D.C. United met again. With the 20th MLS season just underway, it is evident how much has changed over the course of the two decades. This match took place at Avaya Stadium; a nearly brand new soccer-specific facility in the Silicon Valley and not at San Jose State's Spartan Stadium. Grimes was honored at halftime, along with several former players from the inaugural match from 1996. Grimes also was able to see two of his former Cal players, both U.S. men's national teamers, goalkeeper David Bingham (2008-10) and Steve Birnbaum (2009-13) go head to head. It concluded in a 1-1 draw in front of 18,000 at Avaya.
“The emotions of the whole weekend were complex to say the least,” Grimes said. “Seeing my former teammates, some for the first time in 20 years, was incredible. We had so many unique experiences together because this was the first of everything. The first training session, the first pre-season camp, the first press conference and of course the first game ever in the history of Major League Soccer. Walking out at half-time on Saturday night at Avaya Stadium with all of my teammates took my emotions from being so proud to be a part of history twenty years ago, to having a touch of sadness that I no longer play professionally anymore, and then right back to being so grateful to have my wife, kids, friends and fans share this moment with our Clash team. It was surreal how perfect this night was.”
Another important aspect of the day for Grimes was honoring another of his players, the late Eloi Vasquez. Grimes entered the pitch on Saturday in a very special shirt; with a photo of Eloi doing what he loved most; playing the game that was so important to him.
“This was something that I had thought about the week of the game,” Grimes added of wearing the Eloi shirt. “We just had an emotional day the previous Monday, commemorating the one-year date of Eloi's passing. As I was driving down to the dinner in San Jose Friday night, it came to me again about wearing the Eloi shirt on Saturday. Eloi's two brothers put together an amazing video tribute to him a year prior at his Celebration of Life service and there was a song on the video tribute that came on the radio as I was thinking of Eloi and wearing his shirt. As soon as I heard that song in the car, that was it, I was wearing the shirt. When I came back to our seats after the half-time ceremony, my son said to me, 'Dad, you had to wear Eloi's jersey tonight, he wore #20 at Cal and this was the 20-year anniversary of Major League Soccer.' I said to him, 'You are absolutely right! This was perfect.' If this gave his family even a small moment of peace and comfort, that's what matters most.”
In 1996, fresh off of the boon of a successful FIFA World Cup in 1994, MLS was born. The league contained just 10 clubs at the time, many with cartoonish logos and names (Kansas City Wiz anyone?). It now boasts twice as many, with two more franchises on the horizon in the next two seasons in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Nearly all have their own soccer-specific stadiums, or are currently in the process of building them. Several have in recent years started their own youth development academies, countless clubs own minor league franchises in the United Soccer League to continue developing talent and provide its younger, inexperienced professionals a place to earn game experience.
What was once a retirement league for world stars over the hill; MLS has grown to the point that several international players from all over the world have joined clubs at younger stages of their careers. That is not to say that older world soccer stars still don't enjoy a move to the United States at the twilight of their careers, but less and less are the desperate moves to bring someone over-the-hill for the simple sake of selling tickets or jerseys. Furthermore, respect for the league is continually growing around the world, though there still are plenty of detractors. The league is also not without its failures; having contracted two clubs from the soccer-rich state of Florida, in the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion in 2001.
“The most significant thing [for the growth of the league] has been the soccer specific stadiums and the culture of the American soccer fans at these MLS games,” Grimes continued. “The fans are so passionate and in to supporting their teams week in and week out. Several teams are sold out every game and have fans on their feet all game long; singing, jumping, moving side-to-side in unison. The youth academies and USL affiliations are very important in our development of players and we are just at the beginning stages with this. The future of MLS is extremely strong and this will be one of the best leagues in the world to play in 20 more years from now.”
A bit of perspective is in order for those who still view the league negatively, however, and a reminder that this league is just 20 years old. It is college-aged if you will, and still growing; learning and maturing. Clubs from all across North America are thriving, as the league sinks its teeth into the South yet again, with Atlanta United FC. Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, the aforementioned Kansas City, Columbus, Montreal, Toronto and countless other cities have seen attendance soar; merchandise sales grow, and the overall quality of play rise. Part of that has to do with the infrastructure in place and financial backing that a league 20 years into the game has developed.
No longer are salary caps limited to 1.2 million, as they were in 1996. No longer are players allowed to make no more than $192,000 per season. The league is inching closer and closer to other major professional leagues in the United States and North America in terms of what it can provide financially for its players. League minimum salaries are continually on the rise, as Collective Bargaining Agreements continue to help build the league into something viable from a career-standpoint for the country's youngest talents. There was a time in the early 2000s where many players needed second jobs to support themselves in certain markets, when minimum salaries were at basement levels. To be where it is just eight to 10 years later is nothing short of remarkable.
Several former Bears ply their trade professionally in MLS, as well as the USL with MLS partner clubs. None of this would have ever been possible, were it not for that sunny day 20 years ago in San Jose, with Grimes staring across the field at the beginning; at soccer history in the United States.
