Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Total Soccer Show.

I'm Taylor Rockwell.

Daryl Grove is not yet back from England, so instead I'm going to be talking to Sam Stachol from The Athletic. The MLS Collective bargaining agreement is about to be up for renegotiation. And with that in mind, Sam and his colleague Paul Tenorio, who's been on the show a couple times, recently published an article in which they go through their sort of ideal scenario for what

a CBA could look like if people listen to the two of them. Here's an extract from the article,

quote, the regulations that govern how MLS clubs can build and structure their teams are complex,

convoluted, Byzantine, and bewildering. So much so that even the people who are paid to

understand them

occasionally get confused, but that doesn't mean we can't dream about a streamlined MLS. There is a way

to structure the roster rules that would simplify the entire process, achieve league goals,

and remain within the realm of reason, end quote. So that's just what they did. So I'm talking to

Sam today about their plan, him and Paul's, as well as the issues that

form the background for their approach, the plan itself, the ways in which their ideal plan

could be implemented, and then what the actual upcoming CBA negotiations might look like.

It's simultaneously, I should clarify, less dense than it sounds, but also pretty substantive in identifying the

issues that Sam and Paul think need some revision in order to kind of bring MLS up to date to make

it the kind of selling league, the developing league that we want it to be. So without further ado,

here's Sam Stachal of The Athletic, explaining their pie in the sky, CBA scenario.

Joining me making yet another appearance on the Total Soccer Show, I say it as though it's a negative. It is decidedly not. It's Mr. Sam, Staskel, of the Athletic. Sam, thank you very much for taking the time to chat with me today. Thank you so much for having me up. I came in with a lot of energy there, and then I think simultaneously disrespected you. So I apologize for that and for the loud energy.

You know, I have a constant chip on my shoulder, so, you know, regardless of what you would have said, I would have taken it. It's been disrespected. So don't even worry about it.

I appreciate that. And I appreciate that you've got the chip on the shoulder because I have to believe that

helps you when it comes to dealing with people who write responses to controversial articles,

which is what I'm going to dub the article that you and Paul Tenorio wrote together for

...