25 Stories That Made MLS

The brothers talk about what to look forward to in the new year including the new schedule, CBA negotiations and our wishes for the next MLS season.

How MLS' Homegrown Rule pushed MLS teams to nurture young talent in their academies and why it took so long to take hold and meet it's full potential.
Sources:
Local Goalie Careers Poised to Go Global by Paul Tenorio for Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/25/AR2009052502163.html

LA Galaxy Sign 17 Year Old Tristan Bowen

https://web.archive.org/web/20081204142629/http://web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081112&content_id=203406&vkey=pr_lag&fext=.jsp&team=t106

RSL Push The Envelope With A Residency Program by Randy Davis for MLS Soccer

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2010/12/13/rsl-push-envelope-residency-program

Evolution Of MLS Academies by Paul Tenorio for Four Four Two

www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/rating-mls-academies-homegrown-players-youth-development-progress

20 Years Of FC Dallas Homegrown Players by Buzz Carrick for Dallas News

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/fc-dallas/2017/10/27/20-years-fc-dallas-homegrown-players/

MLS USL Reach Deal For Restructured Reserve League by Matthew Doyle for MLS Soccer

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2013/01/23/mls-usl-pro-reach-deal-restructured-reserve-league

How the largest signing in league history, David Beckham, happened in the first place and how it changed the direction of MLS forever.
The brothers talk about how and why the Designated Player happened, how Blanco was the better player in the early years and why it took a few years before everyone started to spend money on Designated Players.
Sources:
Looking back at fires last big signing by Guillermo Rivera for Chicago Now

http://www.chicagonow.com/fire-confidential/2017/05/looking-back-at-the-fires-last-big-signing-in-2007-cuauhtemoc-blanco/

Soccer Player Beckham Sparks $13m in Sales by Curtis Eichelberger for NY Sun

https://www.nysun.com/national/soccer-player-beckham-sparks-13m-in-sales/52872/

15 Years of the Don by Grant Wahl for SI

https://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/12/03/don-garber-mls-commissioner-major-league-soccer

Q&A with Grant Wahl by Jack Bell for NY Times

https://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/qa-with-grant-wahl-author-of-the-beckham-experiment/

Galaxy has Becks Appeal by Graham Jones for LA Times

www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jan-12-sp-beckham12-story.html

Beckham is MLS Expansion Story Du Jour by Paul Kennedy for Soccer America

https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/51723/beckham-is-mls-expansion-story-du-jour.html

http://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com/news/detail/david-beckham-launches-soccer-academy-at-the-home-depot-center-in-california

http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/fire-to-be-sold-to-bronfman-family.html

The third entry to the brother's MLS Hall of Fame is Dwayne De Rosario. An MLS legend and Canadian legend that didn't make it to MLS until 23 and didn't become a starter until 26 but put together an all time career including a record six MLS Best XIs.
Also hear about the most interesting year of any MLS player, his 2011 MVP season.
Sources:
Highs and Lows of Dero by Kristan Henaege for the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/dec/23/dwayne-de-rosario-dc-united-vegan

Dero has the eye for the dynamic

https://www.therecord.com/sports/2015/05/12/dwayne-de-rosario-always-had-an-eye-for-the-dramatic.html

Dero Racism - for Midland Today: https://www.midlandtoday.ca/national-sports/bent-de-rosario-recall-racism-in-germany-early-in-their-pro-careers-2442147

Neetol grades every new MLS Jersey from a designer's point of view. Tutul chimes in with some marketing points.