I've talked about the change in public tone in regards to the MLS CBA negotiations over the past few weeks, focusing on the positive vibes coming from several players. You can throw another piece of evidence on that pile, with Freddie Ljungberg adding his two cents:
Based on the latest news I’ve heard from both sides, there wont be a lock out or strike on Feb 1.
This is in no way a guarantee that there won't be a work stoppage, but it's absolutely a good sign; while Ljungberg may not be intimately involved in the CBA negotiations, I have no doubt that he's spoken to people who are. Those people have obviously given the Sounder midfielder reason to believe that an agreement, or an alternative that will keep the league operating in the interim, is coming.
Prior to January, nothing good was being said, and the players were bracing for a lockout. The change in tone came swiftly and recently (remember, the FIFPro released a fairly caustic statement with quotes from Donovan and Keller as recently as January 5th), and emanating from more than one source. Combined, the weight of the evidence is significant.
Nothing is certain, and with negotiations that are surely tense and always in danger of falling apart, all of the apparent progress made could be wiped out in a day.
Still, my mind has already shifted from "Will the deal get done?" to "What will the new CBA look like?". I fully expect the answers to those questions to be coming shortly.
I've heard from several people who believe the players will get the short end of the stick; there's good reason to think that, with the owners still holding most of the leverage. But I'm also beginning to get the sense that compromise on at least one of the major issues is coming. My gut (and it's just my gut) says a form of free agency is more likely, but it could just as easily be semi-guaranteed contracts.
