Whether speculating on the next expansion city, discussing the state of the Reserve Division or possibly revealing who has won the MVP award, MLS Commissioner Don Garber was at least willing to take on variety of subjects during Tuesday’s State of the League address and subsequent question-and-answer session.
Major League Soccer, State Of The League: Changes Are A-Comin’
The session lasted nearly 90 minutes and touched on just about every issue near and dear to the hearts of the league’s observers.
The biggest piece of actual news was probably the relaunching of the Reserve Division. The Cliff Note’s version is this: Each team will field a team that features only players on the roster, training with the team or are members of the team’s academy. There will be three six-team divisions and each team will play a 10-match schedule.
The other piece of significant news had to do with the league naming a Best XI: Donovan Ricketts, Jamison Olave, Omar Gonzalez, Nat Borchers, David Ferreira, Dwayne DeRosario, Sebastian Le Toux, Javier Morales, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle and Chris Wondolowksi. Garber noted that Donovan made the team as a midfielder despite appearing on the ballot as a forward.
Much of the other changes Garber reported have not yet been finalized, but one thing is clear: MLS is going to look a lot different in three years than it does right now.
- He repeatedly made it clear that his preference is for a second New York team to be the league’s 20th franchise.
- He said plans are in the works to raise the salary budget and suggested teams that make it CONCACAF Champions League could be afforded extra funds.
- He openly aired frustrations over the need for constant evolution, but cautioned that the schedule and playoffs would likely continue to evolve as long as the league expanded.
See More:
