THE STARTING 11: Overlooked details in MLS' "State of the League" address

"Looks like the Golden Frank will be the decider!"



Every year during the lead-up to the MLS Cup, the league Commissioner holds a "State of the League" press conference. The speech is usually a self-congratulatory pat on the back detailing all of the ways the loop has improved over the past season and hints about what direction MLS plans to take in the future. Most of the continent's media treat the conference with the reverence usually reserved for big news stories like water-skiing squirrels and gay penguins, which means that more than a few details are missed by time the story hits the presses...
　
11. Club with best regular season record to get "nice bouquet of flowers" to mark occasion
　
10. All future shirt sponsors must be "BIMBO"
　
9. Future annual "Best XI" team competitions to include talent and swimsuit portion
　
8. Not enough time in the season to have a balanced league schedule... meaningless midseason friendlies upped to 8-12 matches per club
　
7. David Beckham offered Columbus Crew, FC Dallas and New England Revolution as part of contract extension offer
　
6. Future Extra Times to be decided by competitive hot dog eating
　
5. Canadian clubs forced to wear inflammatory "evil Mountie" costumes when playing in the US
　
4. Despite lack of stadium, NY Cosmos will enter the league - home matches to be played on Staten Island Ferry
　
3. Re-alignment will see MLS split into 19 Divisions - winner of each division qualifies for playoffs
　
2. Automatic 3-Game suspension for any player or coach who "accidentally" refers to MLS Commissioner as "Dong Grabber" during interviews
　
1. Starting in 2012 - Los Angeles and New York get annual bye to MLS Cup Final

AFTER 90: Canadian Rocky Mountain High - MLS Cup Final 2010 Special Edition

Well it felt that way!

COLORADO RAPIDS 2 - FC DALLAS 1 (ET)
MLS Cup Final
　
After all the bluster in the weeks leading up to tonight's MLS Cup Final about possible fan boycotts and fears of an empty BMO Field, only bedtime ruined the night. A healthy-sized if muted (for BMO Field standards) crowd did end up attending the match but Major League Soccer's ridiculous scheduling on a late Sunday night killed what atmosphere there may have been. When the players so rudely decided to play extra time, a good chunk of the crowd decided not to join them.
　
It's a shame too. The match, which turned out to be very entertaining for the neutral, should have been enjoyed on Saturday or Sunday afternoon without the rush to get home for work or school in the morning nor fighting the freezing night temperatures. For two of the league's least "glamorous" clubs, Colorado and Dallas put up a good fight with both of their star players, Conor Casey and league MVP David Ferreira grabbing goals. A nicely wrapped 90 minute package would have been ideal but neutral supporters can't be expected to put up with conditions that were created by care for media outlets, NFL schedules and advertising revenue before fans. The league must fix this for future success.
　
Sadly, the on-field result came down to an own-goal mistake by FC Dallas' George John. The least they could have done was penalty kicks for the hardcores who stuck it out to the end. How rude of our visitors! In the end, Toronto's turn to host the MLS Cup Final will be a mere apathetic blip in MLS history. We could hold out hope that future league playoffs will turn out better but league commissioner Don Garber laid out plans for a ridiculous sound expanded playoff structure. "Great" said future TFC GM Earl Cochrane - "my job just got easier!"
　
Congrats to Rapids (despite your Arsenal leanings) and come back again to both sets of terrific sets of travelling supporters. Sorry about the frostbite. Hope you like the Butty.
　
MAN OF THE MATCH: Conor Casey (COL)
GOAT OF THE MATCH: George John (FCD)
　
MATCH IN FIVE WORDS: Long. Cold. Early GO Train.
　
SENSATIONAL HEADLINE: "10 TEAM PLAYOFFS IN 2011 - TFC RE-SIGNS GARCIA"
　
TOTALLY FAKE POST-MATCH QUOTE: "H-h-h-ow d-d-d-do you p-p-p-eople live in th-th-th-these c-c-c-conditions?" - Jose, travelling (and chilly) FC Dallas supporter

Wynne: Congrats to a class act

THE STARTING 11: ML$E promotional slogans for the MLS Cup Final

Hope those are thermal gold jumpsuits ladies

Oh sweet, sweet karma. When ML$E first decided to lobby Major League Soccer to host this year's Cup Final, the golden goose known as Toronto FC was still honking majestically. Anselmi & Co. thought that they could sell any "soccer" game at BMO Field and those wacky immigrant TFC supporters would just snap up tickets. Then 2010 happened. ML$E in all of its wisdom let TFC slide into oblivion and once it was obvious that The Reds wouldn't be anywhere near the playoffs - desire to watch MLS Cup diminished. ML$E's answer was to panic and force feed their "valued" season ticket holders unwanted Cup tickets, but when two of the league's most boring clubs qualified for the final, clubs who struggle to find home supporters, the selling job for remaining seats got that much harder...
　
11. "Told you we'd bring the Cup to Toronto!"
　
10. "Ticket: $75. Windchill: -10C. Frostbite: Priceless."
　
9. "Watch Marvell Win!"
　
8. "Like the Super Bowl - without pesky crowds!"
　
7. "Please... don't embarrass us in front of Don Garber"
　
6. "Come party with all 13 Away Supporters!"
　
5. "Let's show MLS how to put chips on bread!"
　
4. "Be a part of history... the lowest attended final ever"
　
3. "Did you hear what Colorado said about your mother?"
　
2. "Did we mention Jürgen Klinsmann yet?"
　
1. "2 Bores 1 Cup"

Could Cup Final failure be good for MLS?

Away supporters arrive in Toronto for the MLS Cup

When the proverbial Garcia was hitting the fan in TFC-land a month ago, the initial fear from those on high wasn't necessarily the club's long-term health but the sudden fan anger's effect on the upcoming MLS Cup Final match in Toronto. ML$E and Major League Soccer bigwigs both, were sweating audibly at the sudden image of a half-empty BMO Field... in a blizzard... with Dallas and Colorado playing to a scoreless draw... on (sort of) national TV.
　
Code Reds were alerted forcing MLS boss Don Garber to fly into Toronto and crow about how fantastic Toronto supporters are and the mythical "model club" that TFC supposedly is. While Garber was on "Charm Tour 2010", ML$E scrambled to assure their fans that things would change in the future and that the mandatory purchase of MLS Cup tickets was some kind of "wondrous" gift. Toronto supporters are still split on whether they will attend the Final with many holding out for the potentially dull finalists and/or the potentially terrible weather forecast. However, could a sparsely attended Final in a "jewel" MLS city be a positive agent for change?
　
Major League Soccer's playoff system and indeed its final match are both flawed entities that are stuck in the iron grip of North American reality. While the playoff system is likely here to stay, the enforced and false "East vs. West" conference play caused matchups that should not have even existed in a best vs. worst format and have created the geographically absurd "East Final" between San Jose and Colorado. Last time we checked, neither Denver nor San Jose relocated to the Eastern Seaboard. If the playoffs have to stay, a single-table leading to a 1 vs. 8 seeding is the only sane way forward.
　
The problem of the MLS Cup Final itself is that it has far less to do with football as it does "entertainment". MLS is stuck on trying to have its own "Super Bowl" with the requisite concerts and "fan experience zones" which of course necessitates a neutral venue for planning, rather than the match being played in the higher seeded finalist’s park. This robs the match of real atmosphere with North American geography stifling travelling support and the fact that football hasn't reached that "mega-game" place for the continent's neutral sports fans.
　
MLS apologists will argue that all major football finals in Europe and elsewhere are neutral site but that excuse doesn't fly as 95% of world football also doesn't rely on playoffs to crown the league champion. Picking and choosing bits from around FIFA that suits advertisers and "demographics" does not build the game in North America. It's time for MLS to treat its supporters as knowledgeable fans and ditch the NASL-esque antics in favour of a football friendly, yet still North American style.
　
Perhaps seeing a Garber-christened "knowledgeable" Toronto crowd uninterested and absent for a possible Earthquakes v FC Dallas final with no travelling support may help push the death of the neutral site final. It would be a tiny step in boosting an often anti-climactic championship process.

Did Anselmi join the "MO(VE) OUT" campaign?

----------------------------Making Mo squirm?

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum. Well, the Air Canada Centre lobby more than a forum, but hey. During the worst–secret-ever announcement this week that Toronto will host the first frozen MLS Cup, things took a rather odd turn. Don Garber made lovely statements about Toronto, Canada, TFC, Mounties, Tim Horton's, Eskimos - you name it, but then gave the floor to Mayor David Miller. That's when it got a little interesting.
　
Mayor Miller, The TFC season ticket holder and all-time Mayor of Footy, started by enthusing about the city's hosting ability but then started to go off on a not-too-subtle rant about TFC's inability to win games and/ or score goals. You had to love it, rarely do we see honest opinion from a politician in public but Miller obviously loves the club as a fan and took the chance to say what many of us feel. Miller then handed the mic to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment VP Tom Anselmi - most in attendance thought the criticism would stop... it didn't.
　
While nowhere near Miller's blunt assessment, Anselmi definitely threw in some sharp barbs about TFC's lack of on-field success and directly aimed a shot across the bow of misDirector of Football Mo Johnston. Mentioning to the crowd that Johnston would be "squirming" over those comments was very pointed. However, was this rare display of internal displeasure genuine or was it another example of MLSE doublespeak?
　
MLSE has a very keen ear to the fans' views despite rarely doing much to address them. They are masters of feel-good media sound bites and may very well be "playing" the role of angry parent against “mean, spiteful” Mo. It's easy to drop the role of frustrated comrade to fans while wrapping it in the glow of a good news event like the Cup announcement. Making a common enemy out of a man whose name is mud in Toronto football would be a wily move that even Johnston himself could accept – especially if it kept him employed into 2011.
　
There is however, the slightest possibility that Anselmi had a strange moment of genuine clarity and frustration. Perhaps as TFC's network of football contacts has expanded, so has their list of capable replacements. Has the boardroom suddenly realized that the toothless club is costing them potential revenue through missed playoff and Champions League dates? Perhaps it hasn't taken MLSE the 10 years to reach their Bryan Colangelo/ Brian Burke moment with TFC and they realize that an amateur like Johnston can only take them so far. Mo is the John Ferguson Jr./ Rob Babcock of football management and those two zeros did very little for brand awareness - which is all MLSE is interested in.
　
It's hard not to lean on the side of pessimism with an ownership group whose ultimate prize is profit and not a trophy but just maybe fans were shown a crack in the surly Scot's armour. Before putting Mo on a donkey out of town, MLSE has to realize that "investing in the team" means the players and staff, not just grass, seats, GOL-TV and a new chip butty maker. TFC has one scout, a rag-tag coaching staff and a line-up that is 4 years behind in development – that is poor. Ridding us of the otherwise unemployable Johnston and replacing him with true football quality management, and maybe looking into the recently announced second DP, would show fans that the stinging words weren't just another vapid MLSE media release.

THE STARTING 11: Side effects of hosting the 2010 MLS Cup

--"No it's not the NASL team... it's the November weather forecast"

“The Don” made Toronto an offer it couldn't refuse. Before the shiny new grass has even settled at BMO Field, MLS Commissioner Don Garber visited town to announce that T.O. will host the MLS Cup Final this year. Yes, on November 21st, as the tropical winter breeze blows in off Lake Ontario, 22 men in shorts will jump up and down ,desperately trying not to get frostbite on their Red Bulls. It's another good opportunity for TFC to show why they are the model "economic" franchise (as opposed to model winning club) as well as showcase the city, but there are a few other effects hosting the cup will have...
　
11. Landon Donovan gets to play an elf in Toronto's Santa Claus Parade
　
10. "Bitchy" the BMO Field Hawk to get tiny toque
　
9. MLSE to claim "they successfully brought a championship team to Toronto" - no one said it had to be TFC
　
8. Good chance a goalkeeper will get his tongue stuck to goalpost
　
7. Toronto newspapers forced to run full page articles explaining what "Championship Games" are to Torontonians.
　
6. Don Garber gets to live in the CN Tower for two weeks
　
5. Danny Dichio to be frozen in carbonite during halftime show
　
4. The game will mark the best opportunity Mo Johnston has to being that close to a trophy again
　
3. Finally, a chance to get Americans hooked on Chip Buttys
　
2. Football chants to be replaced by 21,000 rhythmic chattering teeth
　
1. $9 Frozen Beer

------------------------"Oooooh, Frozen Dich-io!"

THE STARTING 11: Surprising clauses in the new MLS CBA

The ink is still wet on the new Major League Soccer Collective Bargaining Agreement. The owners and the union wrangled for months and took the 2010 season to the brink of disaster before cooler heads prevailed. A lot of the details have been slow in being released but if you read the very fine print, there are some surprises in store for the next 5 years...
　
11. All new MLS SuperDraft picks must do housework around owners' mansions
　
10. Players to get "Streamer-Related" injury pay
　
9. Bronze statue of shirtless Don Garber riding a lion unveiled in front of every MLS ground
　
8. Philadelphia no longer allowed to use "inflammatory" Union nickname
　
7. Released players get freedom of movement: choice between Kansas City and San Jose
　
6. Mo Johnston must immediately stop using trialists to build extension on his home
　
5. League can sell a player's rights to billionaires who hunt humans for sport
　
4. New DP's must donate 10% of salary to "charity" that buys new golf equipment for suffering, low-income, multi-millionaire football club owners
　
3. Better working conditions for the three construction workers on Columbus Crew's logo
　
2. Owners get to shoot Joe Cannon out of a cannon
　
1. Illiterate players get huge increase in celery caps

THE STARTING 11: Sexy MLS euphemisms

Valentine's Day has come and gone. If you just realized that, you no longer have a girlfriend/ wife. It's ok newly single guy... it's understandable what with TFC being in training camp and all. How can you be expected to remember to buy a card and chocolates when the Reds are playing against Florida based NCAA teams? (Apparently even Mo Johnston forgot to send out cards: "Roses are red, violets are blue. If you once played in Scotland, here's a trial for you!") However, if you want to sweet talk your girl back into the bedroom while keeping the MLS vibe alive - here are some handy/ randy words...

11. Closing the Giants Stadium

10. Hoisting the NutCan

9. Expanding Whitecaps

8. The Beckham Experiment

7. The Schelotto Dive

6. Packing the Rio Tinto

5. Giving Dickov a trial

4. Bringing it to Don Garber's attention

3. Introducing a DP

2. Supporting the Timbers

1. Joe Cannon

Cooler heads agree to keep negotiating new MLS agreement

------------------"I once bargained an agreement thiiiis big!"

Signs of intelligent life indeed exist within the ranks of Major League Soccer's ownership and players' union. The two sides today have agreed to continue negotiating on a new collective bargaining agreement until at least February 12th. Obviously someone in New York got a text that said "Yo Don - dont lockout MLS - U R not NFL dude! LOL" or something along those lines.

In a straightforward but slightly optimistic press release from MLS headquarters, commissioner Don Garber laid out the current state of negotiations. “While we still have areas of disagreement, the talks have been constructive and both parties believe it makes sense to continue to work hard to reach agreement. This extension provides both MLS and the players the opportunity to continue our discussions while clubs are in training camps preparing for the 2010 MLS season.”

Credit is due on both sides for at least having the foresight not to delay training camps and hopefully the 2010 season. As stated here and throughout most of the MLS observing world - a shutdown could be a damaging, if not fatal, blow to the young league. This extension is at the least a promising sign that the two sides are finding some common ground and will work towards a resolution. 2010 is far too important a year for MLS without wasting time on legal mumbo-jumbo.

Editorial: No winners in potential MLS lockout

--------------------"I wonder if Portsmouth got my resume?"

In just under two weeks from now, there is a good possibility that Major League Soccer and its clubs will formally lockout their players. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on January 31st and without a new deal, the ownership and league will likely take the lockout route. While negotiations between MLS and the players' union have been ongoing there has been little in the way of positive news. If the inevitable does become reality, all sides would end up injured - possibly very badly.

The ownership and the league are practically one entity within MLS and are bargaining from the same side. Despite many advances in the last decade, the majority of MLS clubs are still operating at a loss. The individual owners thus would like to see the continuation of very strict control over player wages in order to preserve what they see as the only route to their financial stability. Preserving the status quo would likely please most of the clubs for now.

However, an extended lockout into the regular season could completely blow up in the clubs' faces and the effects could be fatal for more than a few teams. Outside of Toronto, Seattle and DC it is fair to say that the average MLS stadium is only full with about 30% of ardent, die-hard supporters. The rest of the crowd are your casual, suburban "soccer-mom" crowd who will quickly forget that their local club exists. If the long established, traditional American Major League Baseball took an attendance hit after their lockout, you can imagine how the 5th place professional league would suffer. In addition, newcomers Philadelphia Union and the revamped New York Red Bulls (with their new park) may see their massive investments and any momentum lost for good.

On the other side of the table, the players are fighting to gain some respectability and clout especially in the areas of wages and control over their movement within MLS. The league's players for the most part are not making a fair wage in comparison with their International counterparts and their restricted movement due to the league's single entity ownership is definitely unfair but is a remaining after-effect of the league's fear of an NASL spend-crazy meltdown. There is definitely wiggle room in this area but since FIFA officials decided to stay out of the league's labour affairs, the player's union doesn't seem to have much in the way of support.

The stars of the league have much less to worry about in the event of a season disruption. Their wages are somewhat in line with what they could make elsewhere and the DP situation seems to be working, if not a little under utilized. However, the majority of the players deserve more money and an increase to the league's salary cap would help. Sadly for about 60 - 70% of the players, there are few options for them in other leagues and MLS knows this and will bargain against it. The point where some of the league's "star" players may get their noses out of joint is when their lack of play starts to affect their chances of being picked to go this summer's World Cup.

That very World Cup in South Africa is one of the biggest potential missed opportunities for MLS in the event of a lockout. Whenever the World Cup is played, interest in the game soars briefly in the USA. It is a once every four years chance for MLS to capitalize on "soccer fever" - missing 2010 puts the league way back for the next half decade. Even if there is a short lockout, the league's plans to halt play during the World Cup may have to be ditched in order to make-up lost time on the schedule. MLS must think hard whether this opportunity and the other momentum the league had managed to create is worth the risk to continuing the status quo financial growth of the league. Finding this balance is Don Garber's biggest challenge as MLS Commissioner.

There is a fear in some circles that MLS and the players are getting too big for their britches in seeing themselves as a "major league" in comparison to the NFL, NBA or MLB. Make no mistake, as much as supporters love the league, it is not on par with those established leagues and a serious lockout could be a major blow - if not a fatal one. MLS has been North America's best run football league and has provided the continent's fans their best shot at a "real" football league. After so much groundwork it would be horrible to have to see a new league rise from its ashes - likely run by more Nike-esque "soccer clowns". Unless the English Premier League is looking to do a reverse World League of American Football with an EPL USA, football supporters in North America should hope that cooler heads prevail. And sooner.... rather than later.

MLS changes are a schedule for success

Sometimes the least glamourous of announcements end up having the best long-term effects. Major League Soccer has made some really poor choices during its short history, especially on the competition side. Just ask those early year strikers taking running penalty kicks in their ridiculous kits! Yesterday however, league commissioner Don Garber announced a change that could very well stabilize the league for years to come while taking a further step towards international legitimacy.

The Don told the gathered press yesterday that starting in 2010, MLS would be adopting some significant changes to the schedule. You could probably hear the combined yawn of the media attending - MLS schedule announcements don't stir the sports editors of North America to stop the presses. Despite the lack of sex appeal, the announcement that MLS will finally be switching to a balanced schedule and will also be taking a break during next year's World Cup group stage is very welcome news to any MLS supporter. The balanced schedule will see every club play each other twice, home and home, and will hopefully serve up an easier roster of matches to follow on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, the World Cup break will not make the MLS schedule become a very weak stepsister to the opening round of the behemoth that is the Coupe De Monde.

Hopefully, from a Toronto perspective, the ownership will embrace the new balanced schedule and not try to tinker with it too much to coddle the supporters in early April and to allow big money friendlies to have prime dates. Yesterday’s moves will likely be a blip on most North American football fans’ radars but it is a great step forward. If more changes are introduced to further the league’s move towards the rest of the world’s leagues then it will only be stronger for it. Of course, when you give real football supporters a little crumb, we just want more. Surely Mr. Garber’s email inbox is already full of questions about a single table. With a balanced schedule, it’s the next stop on the road to true legitimacy in the supporters’ eyes. Kudos to MLS for this move - now don't go and try to introduce a "Three Pointer" goal from outside the box!

THE WORD: L'Impact du Montreal pour L'Expansion de la MLS avec FC Toronto ou est le Biblioteque?

Hope you like Joe Louis' cakes, St. Hubert Chicken, Pepsi and cigarettes because it looks like "The 401 Derby" is on the horizon! Speaking to financial media outlet Forbes, MLS supremo Don Garber said that Montreal should have the 19th spot in the league by the 2011 season.

No matter what your feelings are about Montreal, Quebec, The Impact, Charles De Gaulle, mimes, body hair... this news is fantastic for Planet TFC and it's supporters. The excitement that is often palpable at BMO Field will be downright fiery when we have a true rival (no offence Columbus, you know you feel the same) playing in a true regional derby. The two cities are already the best of rivals in other sports, politics, language, culture, looks, smell, sausages etc. and football will be an amazing catalyst.

Hopefully this is more than a rumour and Joey Saputo won't put his foot in his mouth once again, pissing off MLS. Let's also hope that the Montreal club will see le light and ouvre le porte for a new name. Impact is a roller hockey name which unlike Whitecaps, Sounders and Timbers has no history or relevance. Bienvenue FC Olympique Montreal? Mais oui!

WORD FACTOR: 8 / 10 (and a side of poutine)