How pressure, expansion and format will combine to make a better MLS

I told him a quick little story about former Finnish international Simo Valakari and something he used to say.

Simo was a good, not great, holding midfielder. But he was a consummate pro. (The guy could be a criminal on the field, so do feel OK about hissing at your computer screen right now.) Valakari punched the clock honestly every day, faithfully pouring everything he had into the effort. He was Army Ranger-esque in terms of prep and discipline. (Every team has a few of these; the good ones have more than others.)

I remember talking to Valakari before a match in May against Kansas City. Dallas had lost the previous contest and Kansas City was struggling. So in his mind, the contest was nothing short of "massive."

I teased him a bit. "You say that about every game! I mean, it’s only May!"

And he said something to the effect of, "Yes, exactly! So you see what I mean, huh?"

In other words, he thought I was agreeing with him.

I’m wondering right now how many teams around MLS wish they had a little more Simo-type sentiment in them back in April, May and June?

There are just four rounds of play remaining, and playoff fates remain undecided. That means nerves are frayed. Locker rooms are more serious places. Managerial jobs are on the line. Rightly or wrongly, a playoff appearance is usually the first unit of measure for MLS success.

I’ve long said that the league’s pace of development in quality would increase as expansion moved forward, when the number of teams missing the playoffs each year reached critical mass. It’s just about there now, as almost half the 15-team field will miss out on the "second season." Next year, exactly half the field will fail to qualify as Philadelphia becomes the 16^th side. So, only 8 of 16 will gain post-season berths.

That’s still not an ideal percentage, but it’s a heck of a lot better than before.

Teams really are battling fiercely right now for positioning, as the contests have taken on a more desperate bent. Almost every team (excepting three or four hopelessly out of the race) could use a few more points. Even at the top, teams like Columbus and Houston would prefer to have a little more distance on the field.

So here’s the point: gradually, teams are beginning to realize that coasting through a few matches here and there early in the season is a recipe for a stressful September and October. Points and opportunities lost back in April, May, June, etc., are now viewed with sure regret.

As players (individually) and clubs (collectively) figure this out going forward, every single match throughout the campaign will be contested at a higher level, with a combative desperation poured out in buckets rather than layered out in spoonfuls.

Managers are learning lessons, too, and will have to recalibrate some approaches. Players in poor form will be provided less latitude going forward. Previously, a promising talent would get chance after chance to round into form. And why not? Managers knew the truth, that you only had to stay close through the spring and early summer, then make a nice run over the season’s final third to access the playoffs.

Now, leaning too long on a chronic underachiever may well cost a playoff spot (and in some cases, could even cost a manager his job). In Dallas, for instance, Schellas Hyndman tried hard to work through Andre Rocha’s issues, to make him the player he was in 2008. The manager finally (finally!) grew tired of the moody Brazilian’s indifferent displays. Rocha was benched and it was a clear case of addition by subtraction for the team, which saw its form rise noticeably. Hyndman probably waited too long, and his team surely lost points because of it.

So, it goes back to individual performance. Players will simply have to perform at a higher level. And they’ll be asked to do so over a longer period of time – and they’ll be better for it.

The current intensity of MLS matches will create better players, which will heighten overall quality and strengthen the national team pool. Imagine when everyone fully figures out that points in May are every bit as valuable in the standings as points earned in the heavy-pressure days of late September and October, when we see this current level of intensity stretched over seven full months.