Reading some more about the MLS and having watched an MLS game today (Columbus Crew 5-0 over DC United), I have to say that I think some changes to MLS's official position are going to need consideration soon.

In 2007, MLS expanded to Canada for the first time with the Toronto FC team. Canadian expansion continued in 2011 and 2012 with the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact, respectively. All other first division soccer leagues in Canada have folded or been demoted in this time. At this point, it should be clear that Major League Soccer has assumed de-facto first-division status in Canada. This de-facto status should be made de-jure with the United States Soccer Federation and Canadian Soccer Association arranging whatever permissions are needed for this to happen. With this, Canadians should no longer be considered "Internationals" in the US insofar as the MLS is concerned. Major League Soccer should work to improve soccer in both the US and Canada (as they now do in the US).

FIFA should allow these changes because a stronger Canadian presence in MLS will only serve to improve soccer in both Canada and the US. The US and Canada could also serve as a test case for allowing multiple federations to sanction a single first division league, particularly in cases where a country is either too small to host a domestic league or too poor (no offense) or any other special circumstance (see Canada and the US). Canada and the US have a history of cooperation that would make national logistics easier to work around and develop procedures for resolving international issues arising from multi-country first division leagues. Ultimately, the effort would work to strengthen Association Football around the world.

Long term, I think the concept of multi-country first division leagues can work and FIFA should assume a position of allowing them whenever they are in the best interests of the sport and the countries involved.

I'd love to enjoy MLS, but the play is so fluff compared to other countries. Especially with the rise in availability of EPL (NBC sports, USA network, NBC) and Bundesliga (mostly FS1 which also shows some Champions League) in the US, and probably a good thing La Liga isn't really shown (yet). Lifting that restriction might help some, but they also need to lose the stereotype of being Europe's retirement league with Frank Lampard and Stephen Gerrard, and David Villa as the most recent examples.

Sure the USMNT did well in the 2014 world cup, but there's a steep drop off in talent after that. I'm guessing it will be another 5-10 years before we really start catching up in raw overall talent, but double that for the first batch of millennials to come into their prime. After all, as a country we've really only had some care about the sport since the 2002 world cup.

I'd love to hear a Europeans perspective after watching a couple average MLS teams as I might be a bit biased with the Rapids as my local team.

P.S. We also need a promotion/demotion system between MLS and USL. Possibly a national tournament similar to the FA cup as well.

A promotion/demotion system would not make the dollars match up like they need to for a professional league in the US/Canada. MLS makes money because they have adopted a system which puts the good of the league ahead of any single team in the league; in turn, the teams go along with this because they are not going to losing everything if they have a bad season. MLS/NFL/NHL/NBA, etc. work because the leagues support the teams. Promotion/Demotion works when the teams support the league. In the US, only MLB could have a chance of making a promotion/demotion system work because there is a significant, sustainable minor league presence in baseball.

MLS may be the next closest league to which a promotion/demotion system could be possible, but they are at least 20 years from that kind of a system. Soccer must obtain an ascent in the US professional sports market that is strong enough to support an expanded, sustainable minor league presence. To be honest, I think soccer is more like 50 years from being strong enough for a promotion/demotion system.

The NFL has a minor league system. We call it College Football.

I can see it now, Alabama replacing Jacksonville in the NFL...

Hell, most colleges already pay their players anyways (or at least pay for their players' sexual encounters, tattoos, cars, parents' homes, et al...)

You're suggesting that MLS be considered to be the single top division for both Canada and the US, so that in competitions such as the CONCACAF Champions League there won't be separate "US" and "Canadian" representatives but rather a unified MLS representative? Aside from that, I'm not sure what other effects there would be. Such a system would provide a disadvantage to TFC, the Whitecaps, and the Impact in CONCACAF club competitions. Currently, one of the three is guaranteed to represent Canada in such a competition, and what you're suggesting would end that guarantee.

The MLS is such an anomaly internationally. FIFA deals with countries, not international leagues. Canada has teams. The US has teams. Those teams play in domestic competition to determine each nation's representative(s) in international competition. That's how FIFA works at the club level all over the world. The MLS is not a domestic league, and declaring it as such would hurt Canada on an international level.

I'm suggesting only that FIFA allow the USSF and the CSA to work together on a joint top division. The Canadian MLS and NASL teams already go to compete in CONCACAF competition independently of US based teams. The Canadian based MLS teams also have specific requirements for more Canadian players. The Canadian teams already run a tournament to decide which of the five teams (3 MLS + 2 NASL) will represent Canada.

MLS is only an anomaly insofar as soccer is concerned. In North America there is already ample precedent for international leagues. Yes, it is an unprecedented situation for FIFA, so it makes sense to have an unprecedented solution. It is to FIFA's advantage that two nations with experience in this type of situation work on what could be a solution for other parts of the world.

Really, it comes down to what's best for the game and I think enhancing the competitive level in Canada and the US is in the best interests of the game.

All that FIFA cares about enhancing is their own pocketbooks

Better soccer in the US and Canada would do that too, Viceroy. It all works out for the better.

I meant their personal pocketbooks, as in, they are more corrupt than sin, but you are correct :-)