MLS to Break for (some of) World Cup 2010

By: Daryl | September 17th, 2009

Slowly but surely, Major League Soccer is getting there. What started as a league with a countdown clock (90:00 to 00:00) and wacky dribble-at-the-keeper shootouts to resolve tied games, is inching its way towards doing everything regular leagues do.

Like not playing league games while the World Cup is happening for example. Long an annoyance to both MLS fans and football fans in general, MLS has finally agreed that playing regular season league games while the world’s biggest bestest football tournament takes place is not a good idea, and anounced a two week break to coincide with the World Cup 2010 group stages.

“The decision to stop League play during the group phase of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is part of MLS’ commitment to deepen its connection with the millions of soccer fans in the United States and Canada,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “The World Cup will be a focal point for all MLS fans and several MLS players will compete with their national teams at the tournament.”

Obviously that two week break only covers half the World Cup, and so won’t necessarily please everyone. But I look at this as the best MLS can do under the circumstances, and applaud their efforts to bring the league in line with everyone else. Slowly but surely.

The other major change announced yesterday was that MLS will now have a simple schedule where all 16 teams play each other twice – home and away – for a grand total of 30 games. Again a small step, but a smart one. And I’m happy to see MLS keep taking these steps as and when they make sense for the league.

So what’s next? What else could MLS realistically change in the short term?

The holy grail of promotion/relegation is still many years away. But a single MLS table (instead of the current system of two conferences) seems realistic now the league has committed to a balanced home and away schedule. From there it’s just a short step to ending the playoff system. Or maybe this World Cup concession could be the first step towards MLS finally aligning itself with the FIFA calendar and breaking for all international weekends. If you were Comish Garber, what would you do next?

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dcu fan

By far the biggest current challenge facing Don Garber and the league is to successfully conclude the ongoing negotiations with the Player's Union for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The current deal expires during the upcoming offseason. All the progress that our league has made (and YES, we have made progress) could be lost by protracted labor strife. All other issues (scheduling conflicts, single table, playoffs, etc.) pale in comparison.
Luka

Still better than the A-League...
David

Actually, I was just about to profess that the MLS has suddenly reached the big stage and is soon going to overtake La Liga and the EPL, but thank you Fernando. You have grounded me back to a reality which I, for a moment, doubted.
Fernando

The MLS is still a joke league... it still features garbage Central American players... clueless American College Kids and now has-been South American/European players. The day when a MLS league team can actively bid on a current superstar European player is the day when the MLS will have "officially" arrived... for the moment, it's soccer continues to be an inferior product, lacking in any excitement, horrible press coverage and ridiculous team names/and stupid looking jersey kits.

Sorry that's the way I look at the MLS.
tOmmy wOng

MLS should unstranglehold themselves away from ADIDAS imo. For as globally recognizable in the soccer world ADIDAS is, I think Nike is a bit more marketing savvy, especially for American sports. Unfortunately, ADIDAS and the MLS are like salt & pepper. :[
Daryl

The optimist in me thinks the Portland and Vancouver expansion might force a single table. Otherwise two new Western Conference teams will gives us 10 in the west and eight in the east. Or will they maybe just move some teams around?
Laurie

Tommy, unfortunately that only works for one year -- the year we have sixteen teams. When Portland and Vancouver join the league, it getes much more complicated again.
tOmmy wOng

///The other major change announced yesterday was that MLS will now have a simple schedule where all 16 teams play each other twice - home and away - for a grand total of 30 games///

Oh thank heavens.