Protecting the Shield...

Jurgen Klinsmann critical comments about Major League Soccer and Don Garbers subsequent response has caused a firestorm of opinions from pundits and observers of american soccer throughout the country. I understand all parties involved for the positions they have taken. I get why Klinsmann believes Michael Bradley was likely better off playing Champions League soccer in Roma. I get why Garber needs to adamantly defend the league he oversees. Locally, I get why Orlando City President Phil Rawlins is quick to back the MLS commissioner.

Rawlins agrees with Garber

As pointed out however astutely by ESPN pundit and former New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman however "Jurgen Klinsmann is not the first national team coach to criticize MLS. Bob Bradley did it, Bruce Arena did it when I was playing. Everyone criticizes the domestic league."

So how do you make Major League Soccer more competitive?  That is a critical question for us who are fans of both the U.S. National Team and MLS.  Here are some ideas that I have brainstormed these past few days:

Improve Quality of Players: This is obvious and it will come in time.  We are slowly but surely headed in the right direction.  MLS is built on a healthy financial model that was setup to avoid the pitfalls and economic mistakes made by the old NASL.  The league has succeeded and become a real international force sending 31 players to this last World Cup.  The league ranked 8th in the world ahead of the Netherlands, Portugal and Brazil's domestic league in the number of players sent to the World Cup.  This is remarkable for MLS as the league is only 20 years old.  This new collective bargaining agreement to be negotiated starting at the end of this MLS season will be critical for the long term success of league.  While the owners must continue to be cautious of reckless spending that is destroying the sport in some countries, the new television deal needs to be a catalyst of sorts to improve player salaries, improve domestic player development and improve the quality of play in Major League Soccer.  Finding that balance will be the challenge. 

Promotion/Relegation:  Few things are as exciting as the promotion battle at the top of the Football League Championship and the battle to avoid relegation we see in England thru the EPL.  The teams at the bottom of the English Premier League many times are playing with much more heart and passion than those teams at the top battling for the title.  The run Sunderland went on last season to avoid relegation to the FLC was nothing short of remarkable.  Unlike Sunderland who were literally fighting for their lives, teams like the Chicago Fire, Montreal Impact and San Jose Earthquakes have nothing to play for.  By the same token teams like the Seattle Sounders, L.A. Galaxy and DC United while at the top of the table are not playing their top football right now as they have an eye looking ahead for the playoffs.  Like NFL teams that rest players in week 17 who are qualified for the playoffs, DC United is on cruise control right now knowing they have the Eastern Conference all but locked up.  The liberal MLS system which currently allows 10 of the 19 teams into the postseason renders the regular season to have much less meaning than in Europe.  The teams at the top can just coast and jockey for playoff positions while the teams at the bottom could very well just ship it in knowing there is no consequence to their bad play once they are mathematically out of the playoffs.  

I am a realist however.  Screaming the benefits of a promotion/relegation system is about as useful as complaining about I-4 traffic during rush hour.  I understand that promotion/relegation is nothing short of a pipe dream here in the U.S. with Major League Soccer.  Flavio did not invest millions of dollars into MLS to possibly be relegated a few years down the road.  While Phil may deep down inside be in favor of a promotion/relegation model, why would he allow the club he literally spearheaded in creation and formation to be demoted out of MLS after all the time and money he too has invested?  The same goes for any and all other MLS owners.  They have zero incentive to ever allow a system to be created where they could possibly lose millions of dollars in a system where their team could fall from a top division MLS category.  MLS owners created this league.  As much as I bitch about the Robert Kraft's of Major League Soccer, it is because of their money that this league exist in the first place.  As a direct consequence, they create the rules.

Alternative Incentives:  Since promotion/relegation is nothing but a pipe dream here in the U.S, other alternatives built in to incentivise players and clubs must be put in place.  This might come in a financial bonus.  Every place a team finishes higher in the table come seasons end, the players get paid an additional direct bonus by MLS.  If you win the supporters shield, you get the top financial prize while finishing at the bottom will yield the players a bonus of zero dollars and zero cents.  

Montreal Impact with no incentive left in 2014

Another possible incentive could be forcing bottom tier teams to come in much earlier in the U.S. Open Cup process.  Teams that finish 15 and lower for example enter the USOC when USL and NASL clubs start play.

Clubs could also lose player allocation priority.  The lower you finish, the more you fall in DP priority rankings or 'discovery claim' order.    Another possibility could be that the team that comes in last place could also lose a set number of home games the following season.  Montreal for example if they came in last place in points as they are in now would play 15 home games next season as opposed to 17.  Those home games would go to the clubs who finish at the top of the regular season.  

Some of these suggestions i'm sure are more realistic than others.  Fact is getting club owners to agree on a system where they might lose home games might be a bit hard.  With that said, if we are firmly established to play in a system where relegation is not an option, the league need to create real incentives for teams who are at the bottom of the table.