News: Inside the confidential 2016 study that provided the blueprint for MLS’s modern era

That shouldn't be an issue by 2026 once the CSA rips their sanctioning away from the MLS teams and forces them to either sell their franchise to an American City, join CPL, or just go on hiatus.....at least that's what some folks are stating will happen anyways...

 

Yes. My guess is, MLS is going to move more toward a MLB set up where the two conferences are more of 2 leagues set up.
I personally have no problem with that.

Serious question: I know US soccer federation has rules/guidelines for the top tier of professional soccer in the US. One of those is to have teams in every timezone of continental US (coast to coast). Does it require those teams to play each other? For example, if LAG and NYRB don't play each other each year does that go against the current sanctioning rules? Even if it does I know they can change those rules anytime they want.

 

Division 2 has the same time zone requirements, but USL-C has no inter-conference play outside of the playoff final. I don't expect that MLS will get rid of inter-conference play; it will just become fewer games.

 

If they get to 32 teams I surmise there will be very few inter-conference games. We know MLS will get to at least 30 teams. 29 have been named.

 

With 32 teams it would be reasonable to have a 4-division format where teams play almost everybody but not quite.

7 divisional opponents home and away = 14 games
8 teams in other division, same conference, always play once = 8 games
16 teams in other conference, play 12 of them = 12 games

There's the total of 34 games. With a rotational system for the inter-conference matchups, any particular opponent is missed only once in four seasons.

 

Us junkies will follow MLS in any form but I would look to find ways to engage the average MLS fan over the course of the season with encounters on the season schedule with every city in the league.
While you are probably correct. The pitfall for MLS HQ if deciding to keep going the Americanize route of regional play in such an insular soccer culture is that down the road, with many MLS mom and pop type ticket buyers, the Western Conf. and Eastern Conf. will be even more insular to the fans that attend these constant matchups via regional play. Over engaging the American soccer casual fan in growing in their following of the league Coast to Coast. It is difficult as is to gain CCL following over the vast majority of MLS followers much less all the Americans that do watch pro soccer just not MLS. We need a robust following for MLS if our soccer culture is to ever be like what is witnessed in other soccer power house nations. Also, when going with divisions like the NFL, all it does to some FO's is that if you can squeeze in to the NFL playoffs by winning your own division at 8-8 then that placates many of the fans. Yet the very first week in the playoffs and said 8-8 team gets beat down by a much more superior opponent from a much more competitive division right off the bat. Again, think insular and you die insular.

 

Has anyone deciphered which teams are which in the revenue and spending table? Some are obvious.

 

I see what you did there. Well, what happens when Sacramento is the defending Champion? And the soccer loving folks in Montreal do not get a chance to have their team go head to head with the defending Champions, perhaps years in a row. Then there are fans in some cities that have this odd statement for their kids, "Dad, did you witness that Champion side of 2026?!?"--the child "Naw, never got to see our team play those Champion teams from our West, sure would liked to....but I did get to watch Miami two times every year and see them lose their MLS twice in my lifetime! so there is that!"
As we have known from the generations old history of professional soccer leagues all around the globe is that every team gets a shot at every team. Most often home and away. Now, since our nation is so vast and our league incorporates two nations, our other professional leagues found ways to not follow the pro soccer route as is common. Then there is playoffs after the points race that our MLS and Liga MX and others uses to crown the league champion. Simply put, there is something to be had in keeping the fan created Supporters Shield as a stand alone, merited trophy for MLS players to earn and having the last place team in MLS get a guaranteed shot at the first place team in the entire league is a tradition that will aid in this mindset.

 

With respect to the academies, I guess it would depend on the residential academy approach and the commuting in for training approach. Some of the new first-team or USL affiliate team training facilities are coming on line to be able to accommodate the youth--or at least older youth--teams, so that is already a sunk cost. It is the coaching staff, travel and/or education costs that have to be accounted for. I think DC still requires the players to pay???

Also, I think MLS will be eliminating the player combine, so that may affect how much pull the academies have in decision making.

 

I think the Rapids are either K or M.

 

As the league becomes more NFL-ish I can see the day when all I really pay attention to is the US Open Cup.

Hell, I'm kind of already there now.

 

I, for one, am excited about all the lawsuits which will ensue from this great idea.

 

Just thinking of how I didn't miss a single game until a few years ago, whereas now I watch a minority of games. The league got big, and I am glad for the sport in the country, but percentage-wise, there are just too many games where I don't care about either team.

 

I picture the poor Quebecois children now. Papa, pourquoi ne voyons-nous pas la République du Sacramento, les grands champions?

 

The de emphasis on academies for the sake of big name signings is tough.

 

Some Numbers from Forbes (2016 which were based on 2015) , MLSPA (Sept salaries), Wiki Ave Attendance.

	Team	Value	Rev	Net Inc	Exp	Ave Att	Sal
	Seattle Sounders FC	285	52	9	43	44247	13.3
	New England Revolution	185	27	7	20	19627	6.5
	LA Galaxy	265	58	5	53	23392	21.3
	Orlando City SC	240	36	4	32	32847	11.3
	Real Salt Lake	125	24	4	20	20160	5.4
	Portland Timbers	210	39	3	36	21144	6.1
	San Jose Earthquakes	180	31	3	28	20979	5.3
	Sporting Kansas City	195	33	2	31	19687	5.9
	Houston Dynamo	215	26	1	25	20658	5.1
	Philadelphia Union	152	24	1	23	17451	5.4
	D.C. United	155	23	-1	24	16244	4.3
	Columbus Crew SC	123	24	-2	26	16985	5.7
	FC Dallas	150	24	-3	27	16013	4.1
	Montreal Impact	135	24	-3	27	17750	6.3
	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	128	20	-3	23	20507	6.3
	Colorado Rapids	110	16	-4	20	15657	5.1
	New York Red Bulls	178	23	-5	28	19657	4.2
	Chicago Fire	177	24	-6	30	16003	5.8
	New York City FC	255	36	-9	45	29016	17.4
	Toronto FC	245	38	-9	47	23451	22.1

Pretty confident in these although CFO's of private companies can have a lot of control in how the numbers are presented - especially with interrelated companies. For example Forbes has LA Galaxy with the 3rd highest net revenue while their CFO has them losing a ton of money near the bottom. Whether the $20 per parking spot is consider part of the team revenue or stadium holding company might have a lot to do with the difference.
A - New England; B - Seattle; C Portland; N Orlando; P - Galaxy; Q-Chicago R - NYCFC; S - Red Bulls; T - Toronto
Some of the others are too close to call. Team I probably has a lot of transfer fees I forgot about.

 

MLSPA is against TAM because it is used by the league to underpay US players. People that don't understand economics or why the league is structured the way is think otherwise, but all you have to do is look at an objective measure like whoscored ratings vs Salaries of Domestics/Imports and it is pretty obvious. With DPs the difference pay tended to be argued (with some legitimacy) on marketing value, but with TAM that doesn't fly as even the diehard fans rely on google to figure who most of the TAM signings are.

 

Correct!​

Swap "Atlanta United FC" with "Sacramento Republic FC" in your take and one will get a newcomer to MLS that is nothing to smirk at. A newcomer to MLS turned immediate Champion in a market that is killing it. One can mock MLS towns, some have owners that earn such ribbing, but it might be a bit over the top to take a jab at any other newcomer club to MLS from here on. Who knows how Sacramento will set up shop Apples! Montreal and their peeps could only be so lucky to be a la an Atlanta or LAFC right!

 

Well I'm doing MY part to not care about it. So there's that.

 

Here are the 2019 home-grown signings. Do you see any of them becoming $10 million+ players?

Jeremiah Gutjahr Chicago Fire
Andre Reynolds II Chicago Fire
Gabriel Slonina Chicago Fire
Matt Hundley Colorado Rapids
Sam Raben Colorado Rapids
Sebastian Anderson Colorado Rapids
Aboubacar Keita Columbus Crew SC
Antonio Bustamante D.C. United
Donovan Pines D.C. United
Griffin Yow D.C. United
Moses Nyeman D.C. United
Edwin Cerrillo FC Dallas
Dante Sealy FC Dallas
Ricardo Pepi FC Dallas
Erik McCue Houston Dynamo
Ethan Zubak LA Galaxy
Mathieu Choinière Montreal Impact
Clément Bayiha Montreal Impact
Daniel Kinumbe Montreal Impact
Karifa Yao Montreal Impact
Nicolas Firmino New England Revolution
Justin Rennicks New England Revolution
Justin Haak New York City FC
Jean-Christophe Koffi^ New York Red Bulls
Omir Fernandez New York Red Bulls
Benji Michel Orlando City
Brenden Aaronson Philadelphia Union
Matt Freese Philadelphia Union
Julian Vazquez Real Salt Lake
Luis Arriaga Real Salt Lake
David Ochoa Real Salt Lake
Erik Holt Real Salt Lake
Tate Schmitt Real Salt Lake
Cade Cowell San Jose Earthquakes
Trey Muse Seattle Sounders FC
Danny Leyva Seattle Sounders FC
Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez Seattle Sounders FC
Tyler Freeman Sporting Kansas City
Cameron Duke Sporting Kansas City
Felipe Hernandez Sporting Kansas City
Noble Okello Toronto FC
Jacob Shaffelburg Toronto FC
Theo Bair Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Thomas Hasal Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Georges Mukumbilwa Vancouver Whitecaps FC

 

Isn't McKennie is a true home-grown? He just chose not to sign a contract,

 

FC Dallas received: Zero, Zip, Nada, when he signed with Schalke

 

I didn't say anything about the little guys.

The fact is, academies suddenly became a net loss for teams because their youth could move for free. There was a serious risk that many clubs would stop running academies altogether. That's the reason it exists, pure and simple. This is why the payments only apply when a player is under 23 and Solidarity Payments only count for transfers abroad.

Whether it benefits the richer clubs and if so, whether FIFA weighted things that way, I couldn't say. Though knowing them, I wouldn't be shocked.

 

There is already a limit on foreign players and benefits to having HGPs on the roster.

 

The time zone requirement is more about determining if the league is truly national. My understanding is that this is more about coverage for TV contracts than anything else. Nothing in the published Division I Professional League Standards calls for inter-conference play.