Many MLS match programs have actually improved over time, in contrast to the general decline of print programs in most sports. FREEKICK Magazine was the league-wide game program when MLS launched in 1996. It was a pretty dreary product during the league’s first half dozen seasons or so. The same program typically covered 3-4 home games and the interior pages were black-and-white only on cheap quality paper, one step above newsprint.

Nicer programs began to arrive around 2004. The quality of production has improved in recent years, with color graphics and photography on glossy paper now the norm. Cover artwork now represents the local clubs, rather than the syndicated national designs of earlier seasons.

However, several teams, such as the the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution, have replaced traditional programs with single-page roster cards in recent years. Which is kind of a bummer.