One-by-one, the Seattle Sounders squad emerged from the tunnel. It looked a pretty standard routine: laser-focused stares onto the pitch, high-fives for the kids on either side as they jogged onto the Lumen Field turf.
But instead of standard pre-match shirts, the whole squad donned white tops, emblazoned with a parody of the Monopoly man and the words “Club World Cash Grab.” The players took a team photo, still wearing the tops, and then went on with the usual business of a soccer match. There it was: a united stand against a Club World Cup revenue distribution problem that had simmered under the surface of the wider American soccer consciousness.
Social media reacted instantly, with various corners of the MLS online sphere either praising or criticizing the players. Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer reportedly berated the team in the locker room after the game. Team captain and 11-year MLS veteran Stefan Frei explained the reasons for the move: the squad wanted a fair cut of the huge amount of the prize money the team will take in for simply qualifying for the tournament.
“We tried avenues that were private, respectful. I think what we're asking for is something that's fair. We're not asking to make more than what I think FIFA thought would be fair to the players,” he said after the game.
With that, the Club World Cup has become a contentious issue in MLS circles. Previously a point of pride for Major League Soccer and a chance for the league to assert its standing in the global sphere, it is now also a point of controversy.