Don Garber never shies away from saying he wants MLS to become “one of the top leagues in the world.” At the same time, MLS is attempting to turn the Big Four sports leagues in the U.S. and Canada into a Big Five. It may be impossible to have it both ways.



In some cases, progress toward one of these aims represents progress toward the other—David Beckham joining LA Galaxy in 2007 is one good example. But shooting for both at the same time—attempting to become a globally significant soccer league and a major North American sports enterprise—often forces MLS into some awkward compromises, and the Columbus Crew’s proposed relocation to Austin, Texas, sits at the convergence of these two competing visions.



From single entity and the salary cap to playoffs and the All-Star Game, MLS has frequently chosen the American sporting norm over more traditional global soccer practices. At the same time, there have been concessions to the Old...