Major League Soccer (MLS) commissioner Don Garber has stated the addition of the league's 19th team (Montreal) will not result in additional games due to the logistical challenges presented by such a move, reports Sport Business. The Montreal Impact will make their debut in March as the league's newest franchise, but MLS will not move to a balanced 36-game schedule for each team.
Garber cited the example of 2011 expansion franchise the Vancouver Whitecaps, which clocked up nearly 60,000 miles to travel to their games. Adding that the clubs who travel least still register around 30,000 miles, the MLS chief stated calendar expansion was not possible, despite the clamour for extra games from fans.
"We will have a 34-game schedule and it will be unbalanced," Garber said. "It's simple math: 389 games would almost be impossible for us to execute with the other competitions we're required to play, the weather issues we have, the challenges in a handful of markets, the FIFA dates. All the things we have to do differently in the United States from a competitive standpoint, along with the travel impact that exists in our country."
