For all of its flaws, there are a few things that Major League Soccer does right; the game is the healthiest and most financially viable on the professional level it's ever been, soccer-specific stadiums are going up all over the country, and young MLS players are going on to careers in the more lucrative environs of Europe.
The economic crisis that hit the US last year threatened to derail all of that. The league, just as with any entertainment product, faced an uncertain 2009 as the expendable income of millions of Americans disappeared. While the bargain-nature of soccer in the US was viewed as a strength that might mitigate the economic effect, no one knew for sure.
Kristian Dyer at Soccernet did a little research, talked to some people, and wrote an excellent piece on the situation; MLS seems to be doing okay, and remains well positioned despite the downturn.
Yes, attendance is down. But in relation to more established sports products, it hasn't really been a bad year for MLS. Cost-cutting measures, no matter how much we despise them (remember the reserve league?) do help.
MLS can't stand still, of course, and will need to be proactive if they hope to come out strong on the other side. The argument could be made that expanding during the bad economy actually makes sense; the league pockets the expansion fees as a buffer against their losses, the new teams build the league's brand in new markets, and the fans have a new cheaper pro sports alternative in their cities.
Raymond Sauer, a professor of economics at Clemson and the man behind The Sports Economist blog, is quoted by Dyer in the story and gets to the heart of the matter by summing up MLS' dilemma going forward:
"MLS will have to spend more on talent if they are to build a generation of fans for their own home-grown teams. There are plenty of challenges ahead."
The economy is now showing slow signs of recovering, and with the World Cup likely to raise soccer's profile considerably in 2010, Major League Soccer should stand to reap the benefits if they continue to do (more) things right.
