A great look at the possbility of the MLS going to 2 DP's

I see traffic isn’t so hot right now, just as the MLS’ popularity I guess. Im sure of something though. This league is going places, and fast, real fast. However, I believe it is extremely important that the league, and thus its’ teams, continue to be managed as that. A league.
Im from Mexico City, huge soccer fan. Know soccer inside out since I was a kid. A close friend is Chivas USA’s owner and invited us over to LA to watch a game earlier on the year. He showed us what the team’s and the league’s expectations are for the near future and it sure looked really promising. I think the first step towards success is to keep raising the local level of play in the US. The American athlete as a whole is extremely superior to the English or the Spanish, not to say the Mexican. This will contribute not only to the MLS level as a whole, but it will keep the playing field leveled between rich teams and not so rich teams. Its pretty obvious that to keep the financial losses to a minimum, or to even look at the possibility of a small profit, the spending on player salaries need to be kept as low as possible, while the performance level is relatively high. What you mention about having 2 DPs, in my opinion, would be a huge mistake. I believe this league isn’t ready yet for that next step related to Elite players or high pay checks. I love the approach that involves focusing on building Soccer Specific Stadiums though. I think this would give the league a much needed status of respect, not only before the fans, but before sponsors and specially TV networks. In my opinion this league needs to continue to grow step by step, both financially and on field performance wise. If the Sounders success serves as any indication at all, I think this league is here to stay.
Keep on going strong. Dont get discouraged.
Mau

The offseason always causes drops in hits and views, moving to a new site right as the season ended probably wasn’t the smartest timing as the old site gets a good number of hits still.

There are a couple issues that hurt soccer in the US, first is kid’s play it and enjoy it, but it isn’t on TV as often as the NBA, or NFL or the college versions of basketball or football, so for scholarships and careers kids who are athletes most often think of those two sports. That means we lose a majority of youth soccer players as they enter high school were soccer isn’t offered by most schools (title IX) and they never come back to the sport. I do believe with more coverage of the EPL and La Liga, kids are seeing that there are career options, but since so few high schools and colleges have men’s soccer programs (again due to title IX), it often is only those who have parents who can pay for them to play in the advanced youth leagues that keep playing the sport.

I actually think MLS is moving forward at a pace very close to what is needed, for me the big issue is allowing the teams to control more of the decisions that impact them. I am in complete favor of turning contracts over to the teams to negotiate and control, while following the league guidelines on salary cap, international players, and other rules. I believe this is the first step towards a day when MLS functions like other professional sports leagues in the US.

I am fine with the DP rule as it stands and would leave it in place for 2 more seasons, if a team wants to add a second DP they should do what New York did and trade for one. If the league begins to favor teams with rich owners (more than they already do) over those without the same resources, it will be a critical mistake to the long term success of the league, in my opinion.

The league is gaining momentum and I hope that both the players and league are smart enough to not risk it by being pig headed in the CBA negotiations.