Major League Soccer is now one step closer to avoiding the same fate that befell the NHL years ago and that the NFL may face in one year's time.
In the wake of stalled talks between the league's owners and players' union, the two sides have agreed to federal mediation when talks resume this week in Washington.
Although the decisions of mediator George H. Cohen are not binding at this point -- this is mediation, not arbitration, after all -- any sign of progress is a good thing.
The hope is that Cohen's recommendations will consider enough of the union's demands, which include more guaranteed contract options and more flexible contracts, so that the possibility of a work stoppage will vanish.
Of course, if the union is unsatisfied with the progress of the talks, players could walk away from the bargaining table with their minds instead set on when a strike would be most effective. That point could be as soon as the regular season's start in a matter of weeks, or it could be near the end of the season.
As the NHL aptly demonstrated with its own lockout during the 2004-05 season, any work stoppage this season could be potentially life-threatening to MLS. The burgeoning league has grown from 10 teams in 1996 to 16 in 2010, and a season-less year would obviously squander any momentum offered by the forthcoming coverage of the World Cup.
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