Every good business is successful for a variety of reasons, but all of them have one similar trait: they all exploited a certain niche. Exploiting a niche is what makes a business successful, it is what make you want to buy their product rather than another company. Sports leagues are no different. They have to establish themselves ahead of the pack. Some with quality, some with players, and finally some with different rules. One reason why people pay attention to the Canadian Football League, rather than just watching the National Football League (NFL), is because of their different rules.
Soccer, and MLS, is no different. There are many things that separate Major League Soccer (MLS) from the big 5 leagues (English Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga Serie A, and La Liga) Money, talent, history, and amount of fans are just some of the things that separate MLS from being a powerhouse league.
The MLS has very complex rules regarding player acquisition and salary. While I believe there are a lot of antiquated rules from the MLS that need to be eliminated, there is a gem in the MLS rules, the salary cap. The salary cap needs some work, but with a little polishing, it could make the MLS the most interesting league.
This year we saw record transfer fees for clubs across Europe. From Paul Pogba signing with Manchester United, to Gonzalo Higuaín signing with Juventus, to Mats Hummels signing with Bayern Munich, a lot of money was spent in this transfer window and its not even finished yet. As of August 11th, Premier League teams had spent a whopping £811.2 million, or roughly 1.06 billion USD. All these transfers have tipped the scales for a select few teams, from a select few leagues to win titles. Last year, Leicester City won the championship, and everyone was excited. Who doesn’t like an underdog?
What the MLS can do?
First, the MLS needs to increase the salary cap. If the league wants to compete with bigger leagues and win CONCACAF Champions League, they need more squad depth. With more squad depth, the teams will be able to rotate their players more for all competitions. Second, eliminate the confusing nuances of the rules like Designated Players, TAM, and GAM. These devices are unnecessary and an increased salary cap wouldn’t require these things. Third, eliminate the single entity structure. Teams need to be able to profit fully from the players they sell from their academy. Then, they can invest more in their academy, which will help produce higher quality players.
MLS also needs to invest more in youth academies. Implementing USL teams was a good step, but teams need to invest more in youth academies. By investing in youth academies, teams can become more successful. One reason Barcelona and Bayern Munich are so good is because of their youth academies. Also, if the player can’t make it at the club, they can sell him for a profit. With the profits, they have more money for investing in the academy.If all of these rules are adapted, MLS will be able to compete on the world stage better, without losing their niche.
