With this winter quickly approaching now that we are in the fall season it seems only fitting to really start the discussion on what will certainly be the number one topic all off season in Major League Soccer, the CBA negotiations. The big one comes down to the great wage debate.

I bring it up today because of a link I found late last night over on one of my favorite sites, Pitch Invasion. The Daily Sweeper from yesterday talked all about the great wage debate and those parties that have already entered the discussions around the soccer blogging world. On one side you have blogs like Fake Sigi going against Ben Knight up in Canada.

Pitch Invasion puts as they call the Northern Internationalists (Knight and possibly others like 24thminute.com’s Duane Rollins) against the MLS Exceptionalists (Bill Archer, Dan Loney and Fake Sigi).

Where do I stand here? Really in neither corner as of yet. Both bring up decent points but I know the league is still a good bit away from becoming what we all want it to really be, which won’t be fully in either corner. That’s what makes MLS special if you ask me, they may piss you off by not conforming to some norms but the ones they do go for are typically the right ones.

I’ll be sure to have more discussions on the CBA later this fall but until then I’m sure both the league and the players are slowly working this matter out in a way that will benefit both sides.

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PGE Park Set To Seat Just 17,000 For MLS

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In what really shouldn’t be that much of a shocker for any of you that know PGE Park and how it is built, the designers of the project to renovate PGE into a soccer-only stadium have come out today and said that the stadium will only house 17,000 fans. The stadium may go up to 22,000 on special games like when the Sounders come to town. Apparently there is some hidden section that will be covered up most of the time.

I really don’t think we can be shocked to hear that the stadium won’t hold any more than its current capacity right now. That number is good enough for Portland I believe even though they are selling out in the USL-1 right now. It will probably only make the demand for tickets that much more!

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Seattle To Expand Seating Capacity in 2010?

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The demand for tickets in Seattle is pretty high right now. Apparently the club is going to listen for next year and open The Hawks Nest section of Qwest Field. The Hawks Nest section is the large wedge looking section in the north end of the stadium that will hold 2,200 fans in bleacher style seats.

Looks like next year the Sounders will continue to beat down the attendance records that they are already piling up here. Gotta love the desire and passion to see soccer up in the Pacific Northwest right now.

Philadelphia’s front office are keeping their options open as to the site of the first kick in 2010. Right now the likely destination for the first Union game will be at a NFL venue, Lincoln Financial Field.

This stadium hosted both Gold Cup and international friendlies this summer and is no stranger to soccer. Sure its disappointing to hear that Union won’t be in their new stadium at the start of next year but if they can pack in a good chunk of fans at this venue like Seattle did to open their expansion season this year it could be a good thing.

Word has it the opening kick schedule for next season could be out in a couple weeks too. Steve Goff reported this morning that it has undergone a couple different revisions as of late.