MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber is confident the start of the season will not be affected by a potential strike.
The league’s first collective bargaining agreement expired Thursday after the sides twice extended the five-year deal, which originally was to have run out Jan. 31.
The MLS Players Union failed to match league management’s no-lockout pledge with a no-strike offer.
Garber told The Associated Press the MLS won’t look for a quick-fix to avoid any work stoppage, insisting that “we’ve got to make decisions that will ensure the long term financial success of the MLS.”
Garber expects an agreement to be reached before March 25, when the Philadelphia Union plays at Seattle in the MLS opener.
