With the MLS season just getting started and the end of the English Premier League season approaching, stars around the world will be taking leave from their club teams to join their national sides.
Most European countries will be focused on qualifying for the newly-expanded European Cup (taking place in 2016, mark your calendars), while the rest of the world will entertain us with international friendlies.
The United States and Juergen Klinsmann will cross the Atlantic to face Denmark on Wednesday and Switzerland six days later, while the world-famous Brazilians will also be globe-trotting. Neymar and his fellow countrymen will take on France in Paris followed by a match with Chile in London just four days later.
With many of football’s greatest stars traveling the world and playing large minutes for their country in a short amount of time, its worth looking at how these international breaks affect the domestic leagues.
While these friendlies and qualifiers bring footy fans entertainment, its understandable why clubs are usually concerned with the absence of their highly-paid players.
Obviously there are always injury concerns for the domestic clubs when players are on international duty. Real Madrid lost Luka Modric for three months, when he suffered a thigh injury during a European Cup qualifier last November. Arsenal also felt the brunt of international breaks last fall, with four of the club’s players returning with injuries.
International breaks can also be detrimental for clubs that are experiencing a winning spell and seem to be in good form.
Earlier this week, Manchester United star Juan Mata posted on his website that, “It’s a pity there is a break now because we are in a good moment.” After his phenomenal, and now world-famous, finish in United’s win at Liverpool on Sunday, its no wonder why the Spaniard is disappointed to be taking a leave from Old Trafford. Momentum is everything when an EPL side is attempting to secure the final Champions League spot. I’m sure Van Gaal feels similarly disappointed that his squad is essentially being “loaned out” to their countries for the week.
Although United’s winning spell might be thrown off track by the international break, the MLS faces an even larger impact.
In the MLS world, there is no such thing as an “international break”.
Major League Soccer refuses to recognize the FIFA international friendly/fixture windows, which means many MLS teams will play this weekend without some of their best and brightest. Although MLS players are given the “option” of either competing for their club or country during these periods, they will face larger scrutiny from their national team than they will from their MLS sides (Perhaps a reason Klinsmann prefers his players to play Europe…?).
For the upcoming international matches 58 MLS players were called up to their national teams and 17 of 20 teams will be missing at least one player. In other words, MLS will be missing 16% of its total players. Ultimately, it’s the American/Canadian clubs that end up suffering the most from MLS’ refusal to follow the rest of the world’s stance on international breaks.
Major League Soccer’s decision on this issue hardly makes sense, especially considering the league schedules “bye weeks”, that are dropped on teams randomly throughout the season. The best leagues in the world have clearly found success in balancing their schedules with the international breaks. If the MLS wants to continue to attract top level players while also providing a high level of soccer, they need to recognize the importance of international windows.
In a league where a single game’s difference can send one team to the playoffs and another home, you have to wonder why the MLS would sacrifice its own integrity just to fit in a full schedule of games.
It isn’t the MLS players that suffer the most, it’s the fans and the product presented by the league.
Major League Soccer: It’s time to wake up.