Supporters summit a time for hope, fears

Many fans are already looking towards next year, since majority of teams are now eliminated from playing soccer for the rest of 2009. But for those lucky enough to attend, a look towards 2010 is not far away.

The annual Supporters Summit is to take place November 21st in Seattle before the MLS Cup Final. It will feature the likes of Commissioner Don Garber and minority owner Drew Carey, who will help moderate the event. On tap are some key items. From the release:

The MLS Commissioner will deliver a special address to some of the League's most dedicated and fervent fans, after which Carey will moderate a question and answer session. The summit will also include a formal discussion addressing the officiating and technical structure of MLS with top League stakeholders, Joe Machnik and Alfonso Mondelo.

The first thing I noticed was that the Commissioner wishes to address officiating and the technical structure of the MLS. It seems like every year this is a discussable issue, but nothing ever gets done. Referring in the MLS has long been a topic of hatred for MLS fans and players, but is there ever a league that never has problems?

Also, the 'technical structure,' aka. the single table debate, will be spoken about in hopes of quelling the ideas of changing the league towards something more European-like. While there are pros and cons for every format, this one is constantly on the mind of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his potential puppet Garber. Scheduling will most likely also be a topic of debate, as the couple weeks off from World Cup play could be an indicator of things to come.

I'm not saying that the MLS will go to a more European-friendly schedule, but I'm sure it will be addressed or at least deflected by a 'we're not going to discuss that' comment.


So what should be the most important topic of discussion? Single table, schedule, referring, or something else?

Your comments, as always, are welcome below.

P.S.- Enjoy the Conference finals this weekend!
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