FIFA still insistent MLS fall in line with world football calendar
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has made a new call for Major League Soccer (MLS) to align its regular season with the world football calendar, stating it would further assist the development of the sport in the United States, reports Sport Business.
The MLS season currently begins in March and concludes in November.
The League has already announced that its 2012 season will retain its traditional dates, but Blatter has maintained that efforts are ongoing to re-align the season describing the move as “very important”.
He told Fox Soccer: “(The move) was one of the key points we have discussed with the leadership of MLS and US Soccer the other day, and they are working on that.”
Blatter continued: “If (US Soccer has) the courage to change, they will do it, they told me. But they need some time to change that – to adapt to the international calendar. It means to the European calendar. It would be better for US Soccer, and specifically also for the (United States) national team, and the popularity inside the country.”
The FIFA president admitted the major obstacle currently preventing the move is MLS franchises who share stadia with National Football League (NFL) teams.
The majority of MLS clubs now have their own soccer-specific homes, but the Seattle Sounders and New England Revolution continue to use the stadia of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
Blatter added: “(MLS teams) have to play in summer because they are using the stadia of American football. And when they have their own stadium, they can change the calendar – they have to change the calendar.”
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| Home | Away | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed May 23rd | |||
| New York RB | Chivas USA | 1 - 1 | 23:08 |
| Thu May 24th | |||
| Chicago Fire | Dallas | 2 - 1 | 00:40 |
| Seattle Sounders | Columbus Crew | - 2 | 02:10 |
| LA Galaxy | SJ Earthquakes | 2 - 3 | 02:30 |
| Sat May 26th | |||
| Houston Dynamo | LA Galaxy | 2 - 1 | 18:50 |
| Toronto | Philadelphia Union | 20:40 | |
| Columbus Crew | Chicago Fire | 2 - 1 | 23:10 |
| DC United | New England | 3 - 2 | 23:30 |
| Sun May 27th | |||
| Real Salt Lake | Dallas | 2 - 2 | 01:00 |
| Colorado Rapids | Montreal Impact | 3 - 2 | 01:00 |
| Portland Timbers | Whitecaps | 1 - 1 | 02:10 |
| Chivas USA | Seattle Sounders | 1 - 1 | 02:36 |
| Sporting KC | SJ Earthquakes | 20:30 | |
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| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Salt Lake | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
| DC United | 15 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 27 |
| New York RB | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 26 |
| SJ Earthquakes | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 23 |
| Sporting KC | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 22 |
| Seattle Sounders | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 22 |
| Whitecaps | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 17 |
| Chicago Fire | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 18 | |
| Colorado Rapids | 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 15 | |
| Columbus Crew | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 18 | |
| Houston Dynamo | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 16 | |
| Dallas | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | -7 | 12 |
| LA Galaxy | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 11 |
| New England | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | -2 | 13 |
| Montreal Impact | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | -6 | 12 |
| Chivas USA | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | -6 | 10 |
| Portland Timbers | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -4 | 9 |
| Philadelphia Union | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -6 | 8 |
| Toronto | 10 | 1 | 9 | -13 | 3 |
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Comments (4)
you cannot play soccer in the snow.
Uhm Sep, have you been to the US in the middle of January? It's bloody cold and a little snowy in parts. Not what the US fan wants to sit through and watch soccer in. Thanks though.
Hey fat Sepp, worry about your own stupid, corrupt self. It's obvious you don't know what the hell goes on in this part of the world to understand your suggestions would actually harm the league here.
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