The addition of the Portland Timbers saw the renewal of a Pacific Northwest rivalry between them, the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps which dated back to the North American Soccer League.
An ownership change in August 2000 brought a revival of the old Whitecaps name for the 2001 season.
At the end of the regular season, the Richmond Kickers topped the league with seventy-six points.
[1][2] Midfielder Mickey Trotman, a starter for the Rochester Rhinos, was killed in an automobile accident two days before the team's first semifinal match with the Milwaukee Rampage.
[3] The Rhinos defeated the Hershey Wildcats to take its third league title in four seasons.