Backheel Breakfast: The MLS players got a lot in the CBA ... and also got screwed again

There will be an MLS season, and it will start on time! The league announced a new CBA on Wednesday night, in time for the first weekend of the season to start as scheduled. Hilariously, this was the first mention of labor negotiations on the league’s website, which presents itself as an independent media source. Poor Major League Soccer Soccer Dot Com staff.

Ultimately, the players got a lot of wins here. They got free agency for the first time, they got a 64 percent bump in the minimum salary and they got a five-year CBA after the owners asked for eight. Those are concessions that some thought they’d never see MLS owners make.

However, the players are still getting shafted when compared to every top-level soccer league and every American pro sport. Free agency after 28 years old AND eight years of service? Raise caps of 15-25 percent based on how much you already make? This is still borderline indentured servitude stuff here.

And it’s because the owners who built this structure that are still around can say they’ve sunk millions into American soccer while losing money for most of the years that they’ve owned teams. And while that’s true, AEG and the Hunt family were able to sell the teams they propped up and prevented from going bankrupt for solid sums of money, while Robert Kraft’s team plays in a stadium that makes his other team money hand over fist. These guys aren’t poor, American soccer isn’t their charity cause and they’re not bleeding money.

So while players are getting less screwed than they were last year, they’re still getting totally screwed, and they’re not going to see much of the $400 million in expansion fee checks that the league is about to cash.

Sergio Busquets will undergo tests on the ankle injury he suffered Wednesday, and he’ll be lucky to enjoy a long layoff. It was a nasty tackle. (AS)

He could miss El Clasico, and so could Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez. (ESPN FC)

If the FA finds that Jonny Evans and Papiss Cisse spit at each other, but the referee didn’t report seeing it, they could get six-game bans. (BBC)

Nemanja Matic injured himself celebrating the League Cup final win, but he’ll be back to face PSG. (Sky Sports)

West Ham have signed Winston Reid to a long-term contract, ending speculation of a move to Tottenham or Arsenal. (WHUFC.com)

Parma are screwed and will be going bankrupt, but the FIGC has a plan to make sure they finish the season. (Football Italia translating Corriere dello Sport)

Bafetimbi Gomis collapsed at Tottenham, something that’s happened to him before. He has a vasovagal condition. (Telegraph)

Incredibly, Gomis asked to continue playing in the match. Swansea didn’t let him. (Mirror)

Steve Bruce wasn’t charged for his part in Tuesday’s manager fight, but Gus Poyet was. (Guardian)

Sad news: Ronaldo, also known as Original Ronaldo, Fat Ronaldo and Fenomeno, will not be playing for Fort Lauderdale Strikers, the U.S. 2nd division team he owns. (ESPN FC)

Sam Carney on Chilean-English footballer George Robledo. (In Bed With Maradona)

Robert Kehoe III on the lack of black coaches in MLS. (Vice)

Jack Dowell on Borussia Dortmund, and whether or not they’re all the way back. (Just Football)

The section in which nothing should be taken seriously.

Everyone wants Porto’s Brazilian right back Danilo, and it looks like Real Madrid will win the race. (Mirror)

Everyone also wants Youri Tielemans, the 17-year-old Anderlecht midfielder who made Arsenal look bad a couple of times this fall. He’ll probably get an offer from one of the big English clubs this summer. (Daily Mail)

Roma want James Milner, which is awesome, because the Italians will appreciate him in a way the English never did. (Football Italia translating Gazzetta dello Sport)

There were a lot. Here’s a wrap-up of the Premier League’s midweek action. (Guardian)

Barcelona beat Villarreal to make the Copa del Rey final. (Barca Blaugranes)

Napoli got an away goal and a draw in their Coppa Italia match against Lazio. (The Siren’s Song)

Bayern Munich had no problem advancing in the DFB-Pokal. (Bavarian Football Works)

D.C. United are out of CONCACAF Champions League. (Black and Red United)

Juventus vs. Fiorentina (2:45 p.m.) - The first leg of their Coppa Italia tie.

River Plate vs. Tigres UANL (6:15 p.m.) - Getting to see a Liga MX team play in a game like this is so cool. Tigres are top of the group and would cement themselves as Group 6 favorites in Copa Lib with a draw or better.

Universidad de Chile vs. The Strongest (6:15 p.m.) - An absolute must-win for La U to feel like they have a chance to do anything in this tournament.

Herediano vs. Olimpia (8 p.m.) - Why yes, they do play CCL games without MLS or Liga MX teams.

Atletico Nacional vs. Estudiantes (8:30 p.m.) - A potentially great game with serious stakes in a tough Copa Lib Group 7. Atletico Nacional only drew their opener and could really use a win.

Juan Aurich vs. San Jose (8:30 p.m.) - Watch the other game.