MLS extends start postponement until June 8th, kills transfer window indefinitely

The world’s most discombobulated soccer enterprise, Major League Soccer, continued their tradition today by announcing the continuation of their team training moratorium through May 15. Additionally, the regular season start postponement has been extended until at least June 8.

Major League Soccer has extended the team training moratorium through, and including, Friday, May 15. MLS training facilities remain closed to all players and staff with the exception of players requiring medical treatment or rehabilitation, under the direction of the team medical staff, that cannot be performed from the safety of their residence.

While MLS players are expected to remain in each club’s respective market, MLS will continue to review individual requests by players to relocate to another market by car, taking into account the totality of a player’s situation.

MLS will remain in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on this continually evolving situation and provide further updates as they become available.

The transfer window, scheduled to close on May 5th, has also been placed on indefinite hold so clubs cannot make trades or purchase players internally or from abroad as of now.

The players are still getting paid, as the league’s CBA doesn’t include any force majerue language. If you wonder how a league that micro-manages the movement and value of players so completely that they’re completely controlled by a central office fails to include a clause insuring them when a worldwide pandemic hits, you’ve missed the first 25 years of MLS. But it hasn’t stopped them from trying to claw back the lost revenue from the players however. Commissioner Don Garber cut his salary by 25%, but of course he’s asking as much as a 50% giveback from the 600+ players under his control.

Now would seem to be the perfect time for the league to finally align itself with the international soccer calendar, and reserve the cordoned-off FIFA dates so all players can participate for the country and not miss any domestic action. Will Commissioner Don Garber pull this off?

Probably not. It’s MLS, after all.