[Sly Fox]

Yeah, I know this isn't the EPL so most of you guys could care less. But the MLS took a step in the right direction today.

M.L.S. and Players Reach Agreement on a New Deal
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 20, 2010

Major League Soccer and its players signed a five-year labor contract Saturday that avoids a strike that had been scheduled for this week.

Here is the big deal for players even though they still don't have free agency within the MLS ...

The union leader Bob Foose said that a majority of players would receive guaranteed contracts for the first time and that there would be increased player rights within the league when contracts expired.

Click Here for Full Story

[NG33]

It is a step in the right direction. Although to be taken seriously by the rest of the world, they really need to raise the salary cap, start better youth academies (W/O a set number of people you can send up from the academy at a time), more soccer-specific stadiums etc. The MLS has only been in existence for what? 15 years? It has progressed tremendously since then and hopefully it will continue to do so in the next 15 to come..

[Sly Fox]

They have created the special situations contracts that exceed the cap (i.e. Becks). But most franchises are barely getting by financially with many soccer fans turning their noses up at the product. The youth academies are a good point and really are needed to develop more homegrown players longterm. But costs remain an issue. Until Joe Soccer Fan actually starts showing up to games or watching on TV at the minimum, the revenue will remain extremely low. Fiscal responsibility of the league should be applauded IMHO. But there insistence on not allowing free agency amongst the league is frustrating. This re-entry draft is a baby step forward at best.

[NG33]

Agree. I'm just glad they are progressing at all. I try to go to a few New England Revolution games every summer, and it's been nice to see more and more people show up. The thing is that the MLS just needs to find a happy medium. A better product= More interest and more $$. But at the same time they need to be making money period. Hopefully things start clearing up in the years to come.

[RubberMallet]

SHEW

[blwall1416]

All 17 fans clapped. Crisis averted.

[Schfourteenteen]

Fiscal responsibility of the league should be applauded IMHO.

+1

The EPL will be facing this issue soon. Theres at least one top 6 EPL team who survives simply because their owner hands a blank check to the club to cover the losses.

Portsmouth owes somewhere around 79 Million Euros in transfer fees and uhhh taxes - may fold this summer.