Courtesy: USA Today
At the Sport Park, home of Sporting Kansas City, the annual soccer spectacle known as the MLS All Star game took place recently. The result of the match was the visiting European team, Roma, ended up beating the All Stars 3-1, something that hasn‘t happened much since this format of inviting European clubs to participate. Growing up with European soccer as I did I really didn’t start out too keen on these types of games in the middle of a league season. I really do not see how a spectacle and promotion of the MLS brand it really works for countries outside the USA.
Now do not get me wrong I do think that the game is important for the MLS and the week long party before hand is a great advert and does show that the league does have investment. Teams are being added to the league and European teams are looking at American players to add to their ranks. It is a good advert but I think it could be so much greater.
The case that I would make for Don Garber and the decision makers at the MLS would be to start the season a week or two later. This season, as an example, I would have the MLS season kick off February 9th , a week after the Baltimore Ravens had wrapped up their Super Bowl win. In addition I would also push the end date back a week which would allow a break in the June/July region depending on whether that year included a World Cup or Gold Cup tournament. Doing this will allow MLS players to play for the National side without the detrimental effect on the club side. Moving this start date also wouldn’t overlap the League with any other sport league in the US it doesn’t already compete with. It is most likely because of the NFL schedule that the MLS doesn’t run quite the same schedule as most other soccer leagues throughout the World, which I agree with.
That will not affect the end date of competitive games for the League and only extend the season by two weeks it shouldn’t be too much of an extra burden on the players. How about the MLS All Star game I hear you ask, well I am glad you mentioned it. If the league continues to go down the path of getting top European teams over to take part in this exhibition, which has served them very well in recent years, then why not do it properly. Since the first MLS All Star game against European opposition the average attendance has gone up almost 4,000, that is over a 25% increase from that game against Fulham in 2005.
However, when teams come over in July they have only been back from their vacations for a couple of weeks and are really not showing the American public their best. What if we were to have them come over during their league season though? Most European leagues, England excluded, have winter breaks which run from the middle of December through to the first or second week in January, depending on what country you choose. The last competitive game of the MLS season would then take place in and around the second week of December, a week before the Europeans go on their winter break. A MLS All Star game in and around the Christmas period may mean that more people can attend the festivities of the week long events, and the chosen European club may be wanting to keep up their fitness levels to get the edge when they return to action.
I do not have all the answers but the changes wouldn’t even have an impact on the CONCACAF Champions League program either which has its group stage August – October and then wraps up the knockout stages the following March – May. I think it certainly warrants a look and even moving it from the last calendar year game to the first, in January, would also be an idea but the European leagues start their winter breaks at the same time but resume league play at various times, certainly the end of season would give more options.
