MLS Overall Standings through Week #9 as below. A few things that caught my eyes: 1. The (most likely) record-equaling 4-way tie at the top has returned for the 1st time since Aug-22, 2014. Question: Has any transient 5-way tie (or more) at the top ever happened before in MLS? 2. Is such 4-way tie at the top a record in World Soccer? 3. Due to their deep CCL run, Montreal have only played 4 games 2 months into the season. Question: Is this a record in MLS / World? 4. Last-placed Montreal now have 6 games in hand over 2nd-last Philadelphia. Question: Is this a record in MLS / World too?
That all depends on how many games played you require at a minimum. All 20 teams were tied with 0 points at the beginning of March. LA, DC, Toronto, Dallas, Houston, and Seattle were all tied for first after the first weekend.
Haha, in this case, there would have been 9-way ties at the top, after the 1st week of 2012 & 2013. Perhaps at least (a handful of) 5 games played? 2012: http://aragon.ws/soccerdb/league/table.php?stageId=1312&matches=0&rounds=1&roundCount=1 2013: http://aragon.ws/soccerdb/league/table.php?stageId=1547&matches=0&rounds=1&roundCount=1
Other than the two you mentioned, there are no instances of 4+ teams tied at the top back through the 2006 season. I don't think it is worth checking back further than that because of the small number of teams involved in the league back that far.
There was 1 other instance on July-3rd 2013, when Montreal Impact clinched the Halfway Shield with a 4-way tie:
I have RSL on 34 pts at that time, while others were at 30. They were up to 19 GP by July 3, 2013 according to my DB (also the schedule on mlssoccer.com)
Yes, you're right. It was only 2-way tie at the top, through June-23rd, 2013: #1 RSL: 17GP, 9W-5L-3T, 30 points. #2 POR: 17GP, 7W-1L-9T, 30 points. #3 MTL: 15GP, 9W-3L-2T, 29 points. #4 DAL: 16GP, 8W-3L-5T, 29 points. More Reference - 2013 Results Map.
Top of the Standings aside, the record log-jam in the middle would be the 4-way Tie amongst 7-10th places in 2013: www.mlssoccer.com/standings/supporters-shield/2013
Back in 2011: a. Due to their deep CCL run, RSL have only played 4 games in the first 2 months of the season too. b. Unlike Montreal 2015 (winless in first 4), RSL 2011 have won their first 4 games of that season. c. As at May-12, 2011, RSL (6 games played) had 5 games in hand over L.A. Galaxy (11 games played).
Found!! As at May-26, 2011, RSL (8 games played) had 6 games in hand over L.A. Galaxy (14 games played). Hence, the current 6 games in hand by Montreal (5 games played) over Philadelphia (11 games played) is in fact nothing new... Is this a World Record of some sorts?