Major League Soccer, State Of The League: Changes Are A-Comin’

Just like lots of the national punditry, Don Garber was not particularly pleased that a Western Conference team will be representing the Eastern Conference in the MLS Cup final.

Even if this is the third straight year a team has represented the “wrong” conference in the championship game, Garber doesn’t see any problems that can’t be fixed while still keeping the general framework of the playoffs.

All four teams could be in line for additional allocation funds to help them compete in the tournament that adds as many as eight games to teams’ already crowded regular-season schedules. Teams that advance beyond the group stage could be given even more funds.

“The Champions League is a tournament we continue to believe is important for us to perform well in,” Garber said. “This is a priority for us. It’s something we’re trying to figure out the right way to do it while keeping the integrity of our entire league system. It’s something we’re focused on.”

The New York Cosmos do not employ any actual players. They do not have a coach. But MLS Commissioner Garber clearly wants that to be MLS’s 20th team.

“We’ve been meeting with the city, with the Wilpon family and the owners of the Cosmos name and brand and other investors who have expressed interest,” Garber said. “We are very very focused on this entire process and hope to have something done by 2013.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber’s marathon State of the League address confirmed several months of rumors that will put a smile on the faces of many North American soccer fans and young players throughout the United States and Canada. In 2011, the league will revive its Reserve Division with three six-team divisions and a double round robin within each division, making for 10 reserve matches. Reserve teams will also be free to schedule matches with non-MLS reserve teams, whether they be USSF Division 2 teams, PDL teams or anything else the club can arrange, giving players more opportunities to get necessary matches in.

MLS will also expand their senior rosters to 30 players, with six spots reserved for players younger than 25 that won’t count against the salary budget. Reserve division teams will be made up of those players, players on trial or players in their respective teams’ academies.

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.

The session lasted nearly 90 minutes and touched on just about every issue near and dear to the hearts of the league’s observers.