MLS Players Union Not So Keen on Superliga

The second edition of Superliga got off to a flying start last night with seven goals and two red cards in its opening two matches. As it turns out, though, the Major League Soccer Players Union isn't so thrilled about this made-for-TV spectacle.

In a public statement, the Players Union blasted MLS for hiding the fact that if an an MLS team wins Superliga, much of the competition's million-dollar prize won't go to the players. For MLS clubs, the players' share for winning Superliga is a mere $150,000, which breaks down to a mere $5,300 per player. The statement also says that this is not true for the Mexican clubs in the competition, as Pachuca players reportedly split the million-dollar prize amongst themselves when they won the competition last year.

The Players Union also echoed the suggestions that player rosters aren't large enough for MLS clubs to handle the extra games and that current incentive-based contracts would punish players who suffer injury during a Superliga match.

It sounds like the Players Union is using this competition to start digging in for a fight over the next collective bargaining agreement, which would begin in 2010. MLS, however, isn't expected to make a profit until 2010, and that might depend on the current CBA staying in place. Those negotiations could get very ugly.