MLS votes to align schedule with international leagues

Major League Soccer owners voted Thursday to shift the league s season to a late-summer to spring calendar in bringing it more in line with its international counterparts The shift aims to put MLS in a more competitive position for participant transfers while also freeing up players for national club duty during the summer when several major international tournaments take place This season the league started play in late February with a break for the Club World Cup over the summer The MLS Cup championship championship is set for Dec The vote came at the Board of Governors meeting in Palm Beach Fla Under the new calendar league play would kickoff in mid- to late July with the final day of the regular season in April The playoffs and championship would take place in May The league would go on an extended break during the winter with just a scant games played in early December and no games in January before resuming in early to mid-February The league is working with the Major League Soccer Players Association to finalize the transition While there were concerns about weather challenges during the winter months teams like Minnesota United and the Chicago Fire already face cold and sometimes snowy conditions In a March match Real Salt Lake and LAFC played in blizzard conditions in Sandy Utah But with a warming surroundings matches in the summer months have become problematic too Soaring temperatures were a concern at various of the Club World Cup matches this past July and August The current schedule was based on not only the geography of the United States but also the tastes of the American sports fan avoiding the crowded months when NFL plays its biggest games and the NBA and NHL are in full swing Apple loosens TV deal Apple TV subscribers will be able to watch all MLS matches without an additional subscription beginning next year During the first three years of MLS -year billion agreement with Apple a standalone Season Pass subscription was needed to access all matches During this season over matches were simulcast on both MLS Season Pass and Apple TV including the league s Sunday Night Soccer package Related Articles How much money do new Minnesota United players make MNUFC beats summer transfer window with four additions