I don’t mean to be dramatic, but the future of the beautiful game in America is in jeopardy. Officials from the league office and the players union have not been able to come to a new agreement. Extended deadlines have come and went and even a federal mediator has stepped in.
A prolonged strike/lockout/work stoppage would be simply devastating to a league that is finally gaining the respect and admiration of casual fans and the mainstream media. Even a delayed start to the season would be a disaster in a World Cup year. You always hear that interest in soccer is going to explode after people watch the beautiful game on the world’s biggest stage. Maybe this will be the year and maybe this will be our chance to grow the game beyond our wildest dreams.
Historically player strikes have been detrimental to the success of professional leagues. Often it takes years for the sport to recover and sometimes fans are disgusted and never return. Professional soccer can’t afford to take any risks; we have made progress and there should be no looking back now.
Is one side wrong? Both sides of this issue have valid points, but a compromise needs to be engineered for the greater good of the game.
