Two of the league's teams are operated, at least in part, by neither Americans nor Canadians — Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz (New York Red Bulls), and Indonesian Erick Thohir (D.C.
[6] Having multiple clubs operated by a single investor was a necessity in the league's first ten years.
[6] Examples include Red Bull's purchase of the operation rights of the MetroStars from AEG in 2006 for over $100 million.
[7][10] In Fraser v. Major League Soccer, a lawsuit filed in 1996 and decided in 2002, the league won a legal battle with its players in which the court ruled that MLS was a single entity that can lawfully centrally contract for player services.
[1] The court also ruled that even absent their collective bargaining agreement, players could opt to play in other leagues if they were unsatisfied.