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Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, left, passes the ball to forward Luis Suarez (9) during the first half of the team's MLS soccer match against Real Salt Lake, February 21, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla
AS THE 2024 season of Major League Soccer gets underway in the United States and Canada, much of the focus is not on the football, but on the numerous off-field concerns that have arisen in the sport during the off-season.
The two overarching issues in the league at the moment are MLS’s attempt to withdraw its teams from the country’s 110-year-old domestic cup competition — their equivalent to the FA Cup — the US Open Cup, and a referee lockout that means the season will start with replacement, scab referees.
Both provided the backdrop to the opening game on Wednesday night when Lionel Messi's Inter Miami faced Real Salt Lake, with replacement officials in place.
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