MLS taps brakes on seismic calendar shift
At the MLS board of governors meeting, in conjunction with the league's All-Star week, a vote on the monumental shift in schedule that would start in late summer and end the following spring was delayed.
With no commitment to a change, the earliest an MLS schedule change could happen now is in 2027.
The current MLS season started in February and will run until October, although adjustments are made in World Cup years. A potential new schedule pattern would avoid league play in the core summer months.
"We're not making any announcements today, but we continue to do enormous amount of work with our fans, with our partners, with all of our chief soccer officers, and with our clubs to get ourselves closer to the point we're able to make that decision," commissioner Don Garber said this week. "But we believe that alignment is something that makes sense."
One issue for a schedule that spans winter is extreme cold and snow that could affect teams like the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Minnesota United, CF Montreal, the New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC, and even clubs like the Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls and New York City FC.
But extreme heat and thunderstorms in the summer months have posed their challenges in the current schedule setup.
"It's getting hotter, and that's clearly an issue, playing through the depth and the core of the warmest months in many of our markets," Garber said. "So it just adds to the challenges and complexity that MLS has to deal with."
In April, the board of governors voted to continue the exploration of a schedule that operated through the winter. This week's decision to delay a vote means the subject will not be dealt with again by the board until later this year.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Financial crisis at Sheffield Wednesday could see Northern Ireland goalkeeper join Premier League club
Several key players have left the Hillsborough club in recent days with club owners keen to reduce the wage bill. It's understood that the club hierarchy are keen to retain Charles as his value is expected to grow exponentially in the coming seasons. However, desperate times may call for desperate measures, and Premier League West Ham are monitoring the situation. Glasgow giants Rangers are also keen on Charles. The Ibrox club's goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo spent two years in a similar position at Wednesday. Bibbo – who played four games for Ards during the 1995/96 season – is a fan of the 20 year-old shot stopper. Charles has played eight times for Northern Ireland and is likely to be Michael O'Neill's starting goalkeeper for the forthcoming World Cup Qualifying campaign. Pierce's older brother Shea Charles has 27 caps for Northern Ireland and remains on the books of Southampton.
Daily Mirror
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Anthony Joshua told to retire from boxing immediately on one condition
Anthony Joshua has been urged to retire if he is unable to secure a fight with Tyson Fury, with the former world champion set to return to the ring later this year Anthony Joshua has been advised to hang up his gloves if a bout with Tyson Fury doesn't materialise. The former two-time heavyweight king hasn't stepped into the ring since his defeat buy Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last September. While both fighters appeared poised for an instant rematch, Joshua required additional recovery time following minor injuries sustained during their initial clash. After the Dubois setback, Joshua's future remains uncertain, with many questioning what lies ahead for the 35 year old boxer. Ex-WBA super-middleweight titleholder George Groves reckons there's little remaining for Joshua beyond an all-British showdown with Fury. Nevertheless, Groves confesses that the prospect of the British icon facing Jake Paul thrills him. The duo have been linked to a potential clash next year following verbal confirmation of a heavyweight encounter. The 'Problem Child' has repeatedly challenged 'AJ' in recent months and appears keen to square off against the boxing legend, reports All Out Fighting. Speaking to talkSPORT, Groves commented: "[Jake Paul] is a gift that keeps on giving for Anthony Joshua. It'll be a huge fight, [with] a lot of money at stake and zero risk. As a fighter, at some point [and] definitely at Joshua's point of his career, you weigh up your risk [to] reward. "And considering there's zero risk in a Jake Paul fight, apart from embarrassment if something bizarre happens, with a lot of reward, if he gets that fight, he's gonna be buzzing. But that's not the fight I want to see for Anthony Joshua. I'd rather see him retire or fight Fury." In the midst of speculation about a potential face-off, Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh disclosed that he had talks with Paul and even suggested that the American is prepared to accept a mere ONE PER CENT share of the purse. Speaking on 'The Boxing Voice', Alalshikh stated: "I'm not against what Jake Paul's doing in boxing, it's good for boxing to have a young generation." 'I'm against some kinds of fights he does. I'm now thinking him against Joshua. Joshua, if he destroys (Paul), it will be good for me. The headache of Jake Paul goes from my mind. If Jake Paul wins, I will know that Joshua is finished, and Jake Paul deserves his ranking and deserves to have a future in boxing. I don't want 50-50. In this situation, I want 99-1. Jake Paul has accepted. Now, next week I will talk with Joshua about it. "". Anthony Taylor, Paul's one-time sparring partner, has dished out some advice for the American ahead of a potential clash with Joshua. In a chat with CasinoHawks, Taylor laid down his strategy for Paul, saying: "Anthony Joshua moves well. Jake moves well. But Jake is a little smaller, so if Jake Paul's gonna fight Anthony Joshua-go for it. Do it without regrets. Say that, 'I fought a world champ and a boxer who's a potential Hall of Famer.'". "Do it with no regrets, and have fun while you're at it. Win or lose-you're having fun. That's all that matters. It's David and Goliath. But if you want to beat Anthony Joshua, you just gotta stick and move, big dog. Don't sit there with him. Don't sit there with him. For the love of God, don't sit there with him."
Western Telegraph
35 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier killed in mountaineering accident in Pakistan
Rescuers confirmed Dahlmeier's death on Laila Peak, said Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government. Ms Dahlmeier, an Olympic gold medallist, was climbing the peak in the Karakoram mountain range on Monday when she was struck by falling rocks. Laila Peak (Alamy/PA) Local authorities launched the rescue mission after receiving a distress signal from the 31-year-old's climbing partner Marina Eva, who managed to descend to base camp with help from rescuers on Tuesday. Ms Dahlmeier was injured at an altitude of about 18,700ft on Monday at noon local time, according to her management team in Germany. She won the 2017 women's biathlon World Cup and took gold in the sprint and pursuit biathlon events at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
