The elephant in the room for MLS is Seattle Sounders and their seemingly unreachable roof on Designated Player purchases.
Major League Soccer has a problem here, whether officials want to admit so. The grumbling among MLS players, managers and officials has mostly been contained, but privately they have joked for two years that if a DP in Seattle doesn’t work out, they just go buy another one. It’s always followed by a wink, a shoulder shrug or both.
Lately, it has broken loose, going a little more public. Last week, MLS All-Stars joked about it on camera the day before playing against AS Roma.
So, yes, it’s a problem. League officials can tell us this has been in the rules all along – but I will tell you for 100 percent sure that not every MLS chief is buying what the league is selling. They have told me so, although not willing to rock the boat on the record.
Well, the fans clearly aren’t afraid of a little boat rocking. Here is the Twitter world, having some fun at MLS expense. Sorry, MLS, you deserve it.
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Teams to be allowed to purchase a 12th on-field player. #newMLSrules
— Slide Rule Pass (@SlideRulePass) August 3, 2013
Players whose last names start with D can forgo allocation. #NewMLSrules #makinguprules
— Chris Barron (@tbc5150) August 3, 2013
Designated Runner #NewMLSrules
— Brian (@Beelofosho) August 3, 2013
Playoff Ties will be decided by best out of three RoShamBo #NewMLSrules
— Chance (@ChanceEncounter) August 3, 2013
Shotclocks #newMLSrules
— GarberTwunt (@paul_daytripper) August 3, 2013
Power Plays #newMLSrules
— GarberTwunt (@paul_daytripper) August 3, 2013
Designated Teams - franchises for whom the rules are built around. #newMLSrules #sameastheoldMLSrules
— Slide Rule Pass (@SlideRulePass) August 3, 2013
so, the funny thing about the #newMLSrules hashtag--the suggestions aren't really new, they are the rehash of old MLS rules.
— the axe (@theaxepdx) August 3, 2013