MLS Looking Into 2009 Schedule

Call it the snooze button that was hit 20 times before finally waking up. Major League Soccer heard the cries for help in lightening the load in their schedule before – and before that – and now its coming down to this. The league finally realized that they need to look into their 2009 schedule before things get really bad.

Next year the MLS calendar will not just have a 30 game slate, but US Open Cup games, SuperLiga games, CONCACAF Champions League games, and possibly Copa Sudamericana. Not to mention the clubs will see their players called into action across the world in international soccer competitions on a national team basis in more World Cup qualifiers, as well as tournaments like the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2009 Gold Cup.

Its easy to say that things will be a bit crowded for the 15 MLS clubs and their players.

Now the owners are getting involved to make sure the league handles the scheduling issues first.

“That will be the No. 1 item on the agenda,” the source said. This comes after Tom Anselmi — COO at TFC’s parent Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. — personally called MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis to seek a postponement of tomorrow’s game against Chivas USA at BMO Stadium. Anselmi and the rest of the TFC front office expressed concern this week that the team will be without nine of 11 starting players for the match. But Gazidis turned down the request, citing conflicts with television contracts that had to be honored.

What’s sad is it has taken them all year to realize that they need to get things worked on before it is too late. I don’t think this is a call for single table structure yet in MLS but it could be.

I really doubt much will be done for next year’s schedule. They may lighten the load for those SuperLiga clubs but not the ones going into the CONCACAF Champions League both in the spring and in the fall when the 2009/10 tournament kicks off.

Maybe the league will realize they need to get rid of a few things in their schedule like SuperLiga. Which honestly wouldn’t be a terrible thing.

What do you make of the league looking into the scheduling issue for next year? Will it even matter?