The 2004 MLS season was a pivotal year that saw the league expand to 10 teams with the addition of two new franchises: Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA. This marked MLS's return to Los Angeles after the folding of the LA Galaxy's original incarnation and brought professional soccer to Utah for the first time.
The regular season featured 30 games per team, and D.C. United claimed the Supporters' Shield with the best regular season record. The playoffs culminated with D.C. United defeating the Kansas City Wizards 3-2 in the MLS Cup final at The Home Depot Center (now Dignity Health Sports Park) in Carson, California.
Notably, 2004 was also the year that 14-year-old Freddy Adu was drafted first overall by D.C. United, becoming the youngest player ever signed to a major professional sports contract in the United States at the time. The season also saw continued growth in attendance and television viewership as MLS worked to establish itself as a major American sports league.