Dignity Health Sports Park. Carson, CA. Photo by Brian Hinchion
By Brian Hinchion Staff Reporter
Footy enthusiasts and casual soccer fans alike all raved at how exciting the most recent World Cup was in Qatar.
For American soccer fans, the United States Men’s National Team also had a very respectable run, advancing from the group stage before ultimately falling to the Netherlands in the round of 16. In Advancing, the USMNT showcased a core group of young players in Yunus Musah, Giovanni Reyna and Tim Weah as well as Captain America himself, Christian Pulisic that are sure to give U.S. soccer fans a reason to cheer for years to come.
The next World Cup, which is being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, is not for another three years. But for those still yearning for competitive high-level soccer before then, Major League Soccer is back with matches from now until late Fall.
MLS’ 28th season kicked off on Feb. 25. with numerous changes and updates to the growing league. The league expanded to 29 teams with the addition of St Louis City SC.
MLS’s expansion has increased immensely of late, adding 11 teams in the last nine years. MLS Commissioner Don Garber hinted at two other cities that could gain teams in the future at his 2022 State of the League address last year, including San Diego and Las Vegas.
MLS also changed how fans will be viewing games this year. In the offseason, Major League Soccer signed a 10-year deal with Apple TV for $2.5 billion to become the sole broadcaster of MLS games. The deal was also done to better centralize the league’s broadcasts. In the past MLS teams would negotiate viewing rights to local broadcasters with varying degrees of success. This move by the league bets on fans ponying up to purchase the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ and takes the pressure off the teams themselves to find a television deal that helps the club.
MLS will also take a month-long hiatus in the middle of the season this summer so each team from Major League Soccer and Liga MX, the top-flight league in Mexico, can participate in the Leagues Cup. This year is the first time all 47 teams from the two top soccer leagues in North America will square off against each other in the tournament.
Commissioner Garber and MLS fans were pleased to hear the roar of over 67,000 fans that packed into both Atlanta United’s home opener as well as Charlotte FC, respectively. More encouraging, those attendance figures were not expected to be the highest in the league on MLS’ opening weekend. 75,000 fans were expected to pack into the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena for MLS’ marquee matchup of the opening fixtures between LAFC and LA Galaxy. Colloquially dubbed “El Trafico,” the classic match never happened. Unfortunately, mother nature came sliding in with a two-footed challenge and the game was postponed until July 4 due to severe weather in the area.
Speaking of the Los Angeles teams, CSUDH students won’t have to travel far to watch their local MLS team play. LA Galaxy plays their home games at Dignity Health Sports Park, just a short walk from campus.
The Galaxy hope to build off their second-round playoff exit from last year with returning Mexican striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and budding Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig.
The team that ousted the Galaxy from the playoffs last year, LAFC, plays just 12 miles north at BMO Stadium in Exposition Park. LAFC went on to lift the MLS Cup last year in just their fifth season being part of MLS. LAFC will be desperate to replace recently departed star striker Cristian Arango and his 16 league goals last year if they hope to repeat as MLS champs.
Fans of MLS are the real winners this year because the league announced a new playoff format to expand the number of playoff teams and offer more games in the postseason. Each conference will have nine playoff teams. The 8th and 9th place teams play each other in a wild card winner takes all game to advance to the first round. The first round also differs from previous years as it will be a best-of-three series. The first team to win two games advances to regular knockout games for the rest of the postseason.
The new midseason Leagues Cup tournament, the expanded playoffs and the burgeoning popularity of the MLS are sure to satisfy every fan’s appetite for high-level soccer this year.
