As I recover from a late night of fighting through some technical snafus on the podcast recording, my brain is working just well enough for a thought to occur on the crucial nature of the rest of 2009 for American soccer; several events of note are coming up before the year is out (or in one case, could happen).
While most of us are probably engrossed in the MLS playoff push, tracking the progress of our young Yanks abroad, or looking forward to the rest of World Cup qualifying, a peek to the future, and what is coming, might still be in order.
What: MLB CBA Negotiations
When: Ongoing, with January deadline
Our attention to the ongoing negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement between MLS and the players tends to wax and wane as events warrant; while we know that they are going on, we're not consistently tracking the story simply because updates are few and far between. Most recently, it was reported that the players are seeking both guaranteed contracts and free agency. Most observers believe the owners have/will balk at both demands, with the latter being a near impossibility.
The shape of the new CBA will be a major determiner in the direction of the league over the life of the contract, with a salary structure, salary limits and minimums, player movement and roster restrictions, etc., all in someway influenced by the agreement. The owners and the league have all of the leverage, but the hope remains that MLS will loosen the purse strings and a push salaries upwards in the interest of growth.
What: MLS Expansion
When: Undetermined, but possible in '09
We know that MLS will expand again, we just don't know when. Montreal appears to be on the fast track, though nothing is guaranteed; renovations to Stade Saputo are dependent on provincial money, and nothing has yet been set in stone. Don Garber continues to make statements regarding the future of the league, often suggesting that MLS needs a team south of Washington, DC. Rumors abound on other expansion possibilities, with St. Louis still talking stadiums, San Antonio getting mentions in the Mexican press, and Ottawa not giving up. No one really knows if MLS will get to twenty teams and remain there for any substantial length of time, or if the league will continue to expand toward 24, 26, or more.
What: World Cup Draw
When: December
The United States still has a bit of work to do to qualify for South Africa 2010, but the remaining schedule and the quality of the squad should see them through. Once qualified, the US will be anxiously awaiting the December World Cup draw in Cape Town; as an unseeded team, the Yanks could, as they did in 2006, find themselves in an extremely difficult group. The draw will help decide the direction of fan expectations leading up to next summer, with a difficult draw sure to elicit hand-wringing and doom-saying and a less daunting one bringing with it predictions of advancement to the knockout round.
The United States' World Cup hopes could literally hinge on the draw, a full seven months before the tournament itself.
Am I missing any other big events that might happen before 2009 is out?
