Poor MLS Scheduling Once Again In Focus

by Jason Davis - Match Fit USA

Major League Soccer has a full slate of games taking place this weekend. All around the country, teams will do battle for precious points that come at such a premium in the parity-rich league. Many of the matches are appealing face-offs of solid squads, games that would normally provide the type of intense, all-out soccer for which MLS is known.

There's only one problem.

Many of those teams will be missing some of their best players, as CONCACAF is also kicking off its semi-annual Gold Cup tournament to crown the region's top national side. So many players that ply their trades come from the countries involved in the Gold Cup that some MLS teams will only be shells of their normal selves. Worst yet, the best teams will be hit the hardest, as those sides carry a disproportionate number of internationals. To the American roster alone, Houston loses Stuart Holden and Brian Ching. Columbus loses Robbie Rogers and Chad Marshall. Kansas City loses Jimmy Conrad and Davy Arnaud.

The words "bad for the league" spring to mind for some reason.

The USMNT gathers outside of Seattle in preparation for their Gold Cup opener.

MLS is often the subject of criticism for lack of depth and quality; with so many of its better players gone on national team duty for a tournament many are treating as a training exercise only exacerbates the problem of perception. It makes it pretty damned easy for those who dismiss the league to point to this weekend and justify their disdain. If the league doesn't seem to care that the product is constantly watered down, why should potential fans even bother caring at all?

I'm not going to place all the blame with MLS, though. CONCACAF is clearly at fault as well, running their continental championship too often at every two years, and placing it in the summer, when MLS is running at full stretch. Not to say that CONCACAF should defer to MLS over other leagues in the region, but the tournament is being played in the US (again), so it would make sense to try to avoid conflict.

Common sense isn't really at play, it would appear.

And so MLS soldiers on through the Gold Cup, forced to play what is not an insignificant part of its schedule while so many of its best and brightest are away competing for their countries. This means MLS fans that do go out to see their local sides will be subjected to watered down teams, handicapped versions of the clubs without the cohesiveness that comes with a first choice lineup working together as they've done all year. Not exactly quite the bang for their buck they should expect to get.

The supposed goal of MLS is to get better, to improve the level of play across the league as quickly as possible while retaining their tight grip on the bottom line. With that effort comes the inevitable issue of fielding more and more players for whom international soccer is a possibility, while continuing with the preferred summer schedule. Summer just so happens to be when most senior internationals are called away to duty, as it's when both World Cup qualifiers, continental championships, and the World Cup itself take place. When all the work that's been done to bring along and sign players worthy of playing for their countries is undermined by this scheduling conflict, you've got a serious problem on your hands.

The MLS mandated roster size doesn't help. Handcuffed by small rosters that limit the number of true professional quality players they can keep on hand, MLS clubs are left with no options; putting out the best sides they can, they're essentially throwing up their hands.

Houston might as well say, "Beat us now, because we're not going to get much weaker than this.

It's the fans that suffer the most, of course. They're stuck there, holding the proverbial bag, left to decide how much indignation they should feel over the disrespect the league their club plays in has shown them. Staying away means depriving themselves of the joy they get out of supporting their club; heading to the stadium despite the weaker teams means validating MLS and its wacky notions of when and when not to play, which may only serve to prolong the status quo.

So this weekend, as MLS clubs take the field for Week 16 of their schedule, twelve national sides will begin battle for the continent's biggest international trophy. In some of the stadiums involved, the best players the region has to offer will be on display, and the stands will be filled with fans rooting them on to victory. In others, teams will be shorthanded, dealing with missing stars, and playing in front of crowds whose disappointment will only be exceeded by their loyalty.

It's certainly not the way it should be.