Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber gave his annual State of the League address last night and revealed some changes that will apply to the new Seattle Sounders FC franchise joining in 2009.You can read Sounders FC blogger feedback about the league changes at SounderAtHeart.com and ProstAmerika.com.
Sounders FC will kick off on March 21, 2009 as the league stretches its slate of matches to an earlier date.
Sounders FC will not be fielding a reserve squad as the league has decided to scrap its reserve division in favor of increasing roster size for 'senior players.'
The playoff set-up will return to being the top two teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences, and then the next best four clubs.
Seattle will play in the Western Conference with LA Galaxy, Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo.
It was also noted by Garber that Seattle have sold 18,000 full season tickets so far.
Frank MacDonald of SoundersFC.com looks at the changes Sounders FC will be adapting to.
Here is the MLS press release.
Sounders FC fans are talking about the news in the GOALSeattle.com forums.
Dave Clark of SounderAtHeart writes "Overall I think that the lack of a Reserve League will not be a negative. It should mean that the MLS clubs’ youth academies take on greater importance, and that some kind of formalized loaner agreement will exist between MLS clubs and team(s) in the USL or other CONCAF based leagues. This should help all of CONCACAF and MLS. For the Expansion Draft it will likely mean that fewer young players are taken, and for the SuperDraft the Generation Adidas players will have even greater stock."
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