MLS Switching To A Winter Schedule Can Only Bring Doom

Oct 13, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Timbers forward Jose Adolfo Valencia Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Back in 2011 the US decided to put in a bid for the 2022 World Cup, and failed for many reasons.

One of  reasons the bid failed, was because FIFA President Sepp Blatter felt although their domestic league had grown it has still failed to adopt the FIFA schedule, and until it does another World Cup in the US might be in jeopardy .

In the NY Daily News a rumor had began that as of 2014 the MLS  would switch its schedule to a FIFA Schedule.

In the most recent television ratings for the MLS games during a season they have received somewhere between 2.1 -3.1 million people watching it. If MLS switches their schedule it would mean competing with the NFL, NHL, and the NBA.

When that happens not only would they have bad ratings but stadium attendance will dip because these sports are a lot more popular.

A FIFA schedule starts in Mid-August, takes a break in January, continues in February, and ends in early May.

By doing this MLS would have to have their teams playing in  at least 10 games between February –March where it sometimes is cold and nasty in some states. For instance when the US played Costa Rica last year in March it was snowing with the temperature being between 20 -35°.

During this game it brought a ton a fans and was sold out but if you translate that to an MLS  game you might get close to 4000 fans if your lucky.  This would create problems because the MLS teams would be losing money instead of making money.

Another problem this schedule creates is the idea competing with 3 out 4 main sports which is  just preposterous.

Switching to FIFA schedule might be a good thing because the transfer window would be the same. This would create more star players coming to the MLS and allow MLS players to go as they please and not have to wait until the MLS season is over.

Another good reason for the MLS to switch schedules is because it might give them a fighting chance in CONCACAF Champions League since they will be on the same schedule and teams won’t have to play during international dates.

At the end of the day the cons out weigh the pros and for that reason the MLS should not switch. Lastly if Blatter really cared about the MLS he would tell them not to switch because of how much growth the league has had by having the schedule where its currently. After all if the MLS did switch, it would mean doom and horror and quite possibly the end of MLS.