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As part of his second state of the union at halftime of the MLS Cup, Don Garber revealed that MLS would be considering shifting the season from spring-to-fall to the FIFA-endorsed fall-to-spring schedule.&nbsp; While this is not the first time MLS has considered shifting its schedule, Garber said that the rethink was pushed by FIFA and was tied into the U.S. World Cup bid.&nbsp; It’s no secret that FIFA has long been disappointed that MLS is not in-sync with most of the rest of the soccer world and they have pressured MLS to conform to everyone else.&nbsp; But if FIFA gives the U.S. an ultimatum to change the schedule or else, the US stand up to FIFA and tell them no.
This scenario is not out of the realm of possibility.&nbsp; In 1994, FIFA made establishing a permanent outdoor league a contingency for hosting.&nbsp; While I think the U.S. right now is the leader in the 2022 race, if it is close or becomes close in the next week, the scheduling issue could become a pressure point for the U.S.&nbsp; FIFA conceivably come to the U.S. and say change the schedule or enjoy the Qatar World Cup.
So if it comes down to scheduling, should the US abandon its spring-to-fall schedule for the World Cup?&nbsp; No, MLS and U.S. Soccer should stand its ground on this one if it needs to.&nbsp; The arguments for spring-to-fall are well-known and they are incredibly valid.&nbsp; The MLS should not open its season overshadowed by all four major U.S. sports and crown its champions overshadowed by the beginning of baseball and the NCAA basketball championship.&nbsp; In addition, the majority of the season would be played in the winter, which would be miserable for most teams north of Kansas City.&nbsp; Having the MLS mainly in the summer allows American soccer to receive more attention from the media, especially when its only major competition is baseball.
Moving to a FIFA-approved schedule would fundamentally alter the essence of MLS.&nbsp; Immediately American soccer would be another soccer league competing directly with other international leagues, and if ESPN/FSC numbers are any indication, that’s a losing proposition.&nbsp; Everyone but the most hardcore MLS fans would ignore the league.&nbsp; And as anyone who watches Sportscenter knows, which honestly and unfortunately dictates the American sports conversation, September through February is all NFL.&nbsp; Any hope of standing out and attracting attention from the casual sports fan is lost, and MLS would have to hope to attract European soccer fans.&nbsp; But with their own leagues running concurrently, that is another losing proposition.
Lost amid other American sports and other leagues, MLS would simply be a niche sport like Major League Lacrosse.&nbsp; And the ability to attract big-name international stars would decrease.&nbsp; Think it’s a hard decision for Landon Donovan now to play in the EPL?&nbsp; Imagine if he had to choose between Everton and the Galaxy and could only pick one.&nbsp; Same for a Ronaldinho, who would wait until he was absolutely out of options in Europe before moving the U.S.&nbsp; The big-name designated players would be older and closer to retirement than they are now.
The World Cup is an exciting thing, something that can bring immense international attention and money to the United States, as well as make even casual sports fans pay attention to soccer.&nbsp; But the cost to MLS if they had to compromise on their schedule would be huge.&nbsp; MLS has to decide if it wants to become just another league in a sea of soccer leagues around the world, or if it wants to establish its own niche in the world and continue to grow.

Is the 2022 World Cup Worth MLS Selling Out? - World Soccer Talk

Is the 2022 World Cup Worth MLS Selling Out?

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Bob Bradley, as coach of the United States men’s national team, has done a heroic effort by taking the country to the final of the Confederations Cup in 2009 and leading the US to an admirable Round of 16 qualification this summer in the World Cup. Bradley has nothing to be ashamed of and has done wonderfully well with what he has.
But it’s time for the United States Soccer Federation to move on and select a new coach to replace Bradley. Someone who can take the United States further and make them into a major soccer power on the world’s stage. Bradley has taken the team as far as he can take them. It’s time for a new person to step in and build on the foundation that Bradley has built.
The next few months are key for the USSF. They have an opportunity to make a decision that will have an impact on the next decade in American soccer. There is the perfect coach who is sitting right under their noses if only they would take notice.
He is the man who is absolutely perfect for the position. And the perfect time to hire him is now.
That person is…
…Jurgen Klinsmann.
The former manager of the German national team is no stranger to American soccer. He lives in California with his family and has lived in this country since 1998 after his playing career ended. He has worked closely with the Los Angeles Galaxy. And he is smart enough to look at other sports outside of soccer to understand how sports psychology, coaching and medicine can benefit soccer. It’s no surprise then that Klinsmann follows basketball very closely, just as one example of many American sports.
There are so many reasons why Klinsmann should be the one and only logical choice to select him as coach. Here are just a few:
<ol>
<li>The US men’s national team has a lot of raw talent, but Bradley hasn’t been able to take that raw talent and turn it into a well oiled machine. Klinsmann has the experience at Germany and Bayern Munich as well as a professional player in some of the top leagues in the world to know how to do it,</li>
<li>Klinsmann isn’t afraid of making significant changes, when needed. When he took over the German national team in 2004, he was heavily criticized for making drastic changes. But those changes, such as bringing in a lot of youth, worked well in 2006 and paid dividends in this current 2010 World Cup campaign,</li>
<li>There’s a lack of style and philosophy with the US men’s national team. And Klinsmann is exactly the person who can make the team more cohesive and have it play a particular style that is uniquely American. Right now, and for several years, it seems that the only way the United States knows how to play is a counter-attacking style under a 4-5-1-. But I don’t believe it’s been a very effective system. Plus, it hasn’t gotten the best out of the players. When you see the United States play, it’s often difficult to know which team will turn up. They need that vision that Klinsmann will undoubtedly share. A vision that everyone believes in and understands.</li>
<li>Klinsmann has first-hand knowledge of the system that turned Germany from an embarrassing team in the early 2000’s to one of the best in the world in just one decade. It’s imperative that the USSF takes advantage of his knowledge and tries to figure out how they can institute, where applicable, the German system into America,</li>
</ol>
The USSF missed a golden opportunity in 2006 to capture Klinsmann as coach of the United States. Now it has another opportunity to approach him if they play their cards right. Bob Bradley should be congratulated for everything he has done, but it’s time for one of the best soccer minds in the world to take the United States to the next level and hire Jurgen Klinsmann.
Who do you think should get the US men’s national team coaching position? Share your opinion in the comments section below.

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Leagues: MLS

Is the 2022 World Cup Worth MLS Selling Out?

Leagues: MLS

Time To Replace Bob Bradley But Who Should Get the USMNT Job?