• With the draft now concluded and preseason camps underway, the next major event in the life of Major League Soccer is completing the new MLS CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). The MLS CBA is the league's agreement with the MLSPU (MLS Player's Union) and usually is a 3-5 year labor agreement. The current MLS CBA is set to expire January 31, 2015. On point for this CBA round of talks are two main emphases - (1) increasing the lower and middle wages of players in the league and (2) free agency. Jeff Carlisle of ESPN FC reported that free agency isn't even present in the current MLS CBA proposal, despite many players and former players calling for a change in

    Jan 25,
  • At the recent 2015 NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Convention in Philadelphia, I was waiting in Starbucks for a meeting when I overheard a woman ask a friend to make introductions with a potential employer and influencer in the game. "Maybe if you could just introduce me," she suggested, "it could open the door for me." She was hopeful that her friend had enough influence and rapport to get an opportunity or an audience. As I reflected on the woman's hopeful tone, I realized my own meeting was about an introduction - waiting to meet someone in the new USL-Pro franchise for Charlotte, the Charlotte Independence. I was, too, hopeful for good introductions and the beginning of a trusting

    Jan 18,
  • The maelstrom of fan discontent surrounding the recent firing of popular, Red Bulls Head Coach Mike Petke is enough to have team executives call a town hall meeting to try and placate season ticket holders. Major League Soccer contributor Dan Itel, in his The Sideline blog, on Thursday, noted the outpouring of fan support - including a fundraising campaign to purchase billboard signage to express fan disapproval with the firing. Pundits will argue about the seeming waywardness of the move for who knows how long. The New York, New Jersey soccer club has been besieged with a history of poor decision making and the sacking of successful, popular coaches as this fan blog mentions; and, until recently, this club has been somewhat of a

    Jan 11,
  • It's a new year and with a new year, come new resolutions - whether a goal to lose weight, spend more time with family, become a better soccer player, or to win a championship - all sorts of things make our initial list to try and "resolve." For the Colorado Rapids, they have some new year resolutions on the field and off the field. And, even for this Rev, there are a few "resolutions" that I have been considering myself. To be honest, though, I am not a big believer in making annual resolutions - unless they have some "SMART"-ness to them; SMART standing for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. New Year, New Resolutions Out of Control? Of course, sometimes we

    Jan 04,

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