Wynalda wants MLS to change it's season to match rest of world...

Discussion in 'MLS: Commissioner - You be The Don' started by Coyote89, Nov 20, 2017.

  1. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think we've gone through this in 55 different threads but less than a third of MLS stadiums are situated in places with warm weather climes. As it is MLS already tries to schedule February matches in warmer states.

    Home teams in week 1 were in Montreal (indoor) Houston, San Jose, Dallas, Orlando and Nashville. Columbus, New York and DC fans had to suffer.

    But even in Nashville it can be freezing in February and March.

    The problem is as much about safety than anything. Player safety, running. twisting, turning, turning with the ball at your feet.

    For fans its not only unpleasant but it can also be dangerous. I was raised in England where only the big clubs, with their expensive heating systems can kick off when it's below freezing and as many matches are postponed for fan safety as for pitch conditions.

    In the US and Canada we turn a cold, snow blind eye to one-off games in unsafe conditions, like Toronto vs. Seattle in MLS Cup or Colorado vs. Toronto in CCL, because we don't have the option to postpone them due to the travel involved. We take the risk. I don't think we should do that with regular season games.
     
    When Saturday Comes and JasonMa repped this.
  2. Chesco United

    Chesco United Member+

    DC United
    Jun 24, 2001
    Chester County, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    It would have been great to watch MLS games in Texas over the past few weeks.:D
     
    Doogh, Renzi and mschofield repped this.
  3. CeltTexan

    CeltTexan Member+

    Sep 21, 2000
    Houston, TX USA
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #228 CeltTexan, Mar 9, 2021
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2021
    You are more right than you know!
    While the recent cold snap that reached all the way down to the Mexico-Texas border was unprecedented from a records perspective, us coaches and the players routinely are asked to play soccer in 40 degrees and rain, which is typical Southern States Winters, and if out in West Texas, for sure the occasional snow and wind chill of teens weather. If back in East Texas and South East Texas the temps might not be that bad but our school districts often do not supply any type of cold weather gear to help the player's safety in cold rain and wind chill temps that are sub-freezing. Simply put, there are over 1,000 Varsity soccer programs in the State of Texas, multiply that with each school and their two or three sub-Varsity teams (both boys and girls teams State wide no less) and that is a tremendous amount of American boys and girls that play and or coach in the Winter.
    The governing body for high school athletics placed high school soccer from tryouts after Thanksgiving, to first games over the Winter Break to have District Competition begin in mid January with the season concluding in March, playoffs in mid- march and into April for Regional and State Championship play.
    I will say that this "stick soccer in the Winter" was done specifically because the powers that be back in the UIL hierarchy back in the 80's did not want a boy's field sport to interfere with gridiron in the Fall certainly and as well track and field in the Spring where the stadiums have the field inside the track used for their events and training there of. So the UIL folks just said we will slot soccer in the worst time of the year for outdoor training and family/fan game attendance. As an old coach, our teams are very strong all around Houston. Inner city programs like mine and others and certainly the suburban scene with many Varsity programs that can play ball at a competitive U-19 level. Asking professional men, at the highest level of pro competition in our nation, to do something similar for a few weeks in late February and early March or a playoff run past Thanksgiving is not a lot to ask imho. Be a pro. Be brave guys.
     
    Renzi and Chesco United repped this.

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