Believe it or not, the 2015 Major League Soccer season is nearly upon us. Just over a month separates us from the Sounders FC’s first match of the year, a date with MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution at CenturyLink Field.
That month will be filled by an extensive preseason schedule that features at least six exhibition matches, a number of two-a-day training sessions and much, much more. The time will surely fly by…right?
Despite the 2014 MLS campaign only coming to an end at the beginning of December, a whole host of newsworthy items have come across soccer news desks country-wide that will surely shape the landscape of the league this year and for the foreseeable future.
To help you prepare for the long haul ahead, here’s a short recap of what went down in those few short weeks between kicks of the ball and how each story impacts your Sounders FC. Please note that these stories are in no particular order.
Lagerwey Joins Sounders FC
- Obviously this story made some serious waves within the Sounders organization, but it was also felt league-wide story. Lagerwey, one of the most highly-touted player personnel brains in the biz, decided to move from Real Salt Lake to the Sounders, despite interest from a number of other clubs in MLS. The addition marks the first real shakeup in the Sounders front office since it joined the league back in 2009. Known for having a keen eye for talent and a way with adding valuable pieces to his teams, Lagerwey built RSL into a MLS Cup-winner and a perennial contender over his seven years in Utah. Now with the Sounders, he’ll look to build on the club’s successes and hopes to bring that elusive league trophy to the Emerald City.
Designated Player Movement - Lots of DPs moving around this winter as Landon Donovan of the LA Galaxy, Thierry Henry of the New York Red Bulls and Jermaine Defoe of Toronto FC all moved on, the league saw a massive influx with Erick Torres returning to the league with the Houston Dynamo, Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco joining TFC and Steven Gerrard set for the Galaxy. In other words, a big change on the DP front as the league heads into its 20th season in 2015.
Expansion and Realignment - The Sounders will welcome two new teams to the Western Conference in 2015 as both the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City will play in the west this year after the league’s expansion to both New York with NYCFC and Florida with Orlando City SC. Seattle travels to Kansas City twice this year and plays the 2013 MLS Cup Champions at CenturyLink Field in late May. Houston will battle Sigi Schmid’s squad twice this year, compared to once last season. Oh, and no more Chivas USA :-(
CBA Negotiations - As was the case five years ago, the league and the Player’s Union continue to haggle over the Collective Bargaining Agreement that ties both parties together, for better or worse, for the course of the deal. Hot topics like free agency, the number of allowed Designated Player slots and the salary cap have been discussed and with the current agreement set to expire at the end of this month, there is much work to be done. Both sides seem to be in agreement over extending the deal on a month-to-month basis to decrease the need for a work stoppage.
MLS Turns 20
- As noted earlier, this is the league’s 20th season and that is something to be quite excited about. With the number of teams currently sitting at an even 20, with more to come, growth seems to be a continual thing these days…though that wasn’t always the case. There were darker times in MLS but it appears that they are nothing more than a distant memory at this point. A new TV deal has been signed and more soccer-specific stadiums are on the way. A fancy new logo doesn’t hurt either.
So there you have it. A number of things to keep an eye on heading into the season as the league enters its latest phase. March 8th can’t come soon enough.
