Before the 2015 Major League Soccer season can begin, a new collective bargaining agreement must be negotiated by the league and the players' union. 

Last time the two sides went to the negotiating table, the discussions went down to the final week of the offseason before the 2010 campaign. 

This time around, negotiations are expected to be intense in order to improve the rapidly expanding league, which will see two expansion sides enter the fray in March. 

Here is a look at five of the key issues surrounding the MLS CBA negotiations. 

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Major League Soccer revealed the schedule for the first weekend of the 2015 regular season, including every club's home opener.

The 2015 season opens with the MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy facing the Chicago Fire at the StubHub Center on Friday, March 6.

Other marquee matches include the Houston Dynamo taking on the Columbus Crew in Owen Coyle's first game as Dynamo head coach at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday, March 7.

An all-Canadian matchup between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC will also be played on that Saturday at BC Place.

The Portland Timbers begin their season against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park in the third of six matches on March 7.

Orlando City SC begins life in MLS against their expansion cousins New York City FC at the Citrus Bowl in the first of three matches on Sunday, March 8. Even the official MLS Instagram account is jacked up for this contest.

Sporting Kansas City battle the New York Red Bulls at home, and the Seattle Sounders face MLS Cup finalists New England Revolution at CenturyLink Field in the other matches that day.

NYC FC play their first home match on Sunday, March 15, against the Revolution at Yankee Stadium.

TFC won't play at BMO Field until May 10, due to the stadium renovations. The Dynamo will be the first visitors to step foot inside the revamped venue. 

Six games will be on national networks, including ESPN, FOX and UniMas in the first of an eight-year television deal, per the MLS official website.

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Mix Diskerud is close to signing with Xolos de Tijuana in Mexico, according to ESPN reporter Tom Marshall:

Diskerud was previously linked with the Columbus Crew, per SB Nation. The Crew wanted to sign the midfielder as a designated player, according to Patrick Guldan of the Massive Report. On the surface, it's not a good omen that a U.S. international may not join an MLS team, but it's not all bad news for the league.

Diskerud was born in Oslo, Norway, to a Norwegian father and American mother. He grew up in his birth country and represented the nation at the youth level, before joining with the U.S. men's national team. It's also where the 24-year-old began his professional career.

It would be a significantly bigger deal if Clint Dempsey or Michael Bradley declined to join the Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC, respectively, for a Mexican club. Those two grew up in the United States and started their careers in the United States. 

Diskerud isn’t as connected to the league or the country as much as some of his teammates. However, losing the American international is a worry for a variety of reasons.

Liga MX offers more money, and it isn't a single entity like MLS. There are no salary caps or confusing, non-transparent rules to figure out where a player will sign.

According to the MLS Roster Rules and Regulations, Diskerud would have to go through the allocation ranking as a national team player coming from a league abroad.

However, MLS apparently has a separate system for designated players, wherein they go through a unique allocation order. This rule isn't listed on the MLS roster regulations page.

On the other hand, Jermaine Jones went through a blind draw before landing in New England. He was inked to a designated player deal by the Revolution in August.

All three systems contradict one another. It's not clear where Diskerud would have signed. Assuming he came to MLS, the midfielder may not have even ended up with his preferred team. 

The MLS players could use the failure of capturing Diskerud as leverage during CBA negotiations. Scrapping some of the allocation rules and raising the cap could attract someone of that caliber.

Diskerud is a solid player. He would be marketable as a member of the USMNT, and he's an energetic midfielder with terrific passing attributes. Losing out on someone like the ex-Stabaek man is a shame because he would have positively impacted a few teams in the center of the pitch.

From a USMNT perspective, Diskerud will be with fellow Americans Greg Garza, Joe Corona, Paul Arriola, Fernando Arce and Alejandro Guido. Herculez Gomez and Esteban Rodriguez are owned by Xolos as well but are out on loan. Having all of those familiar faces will make it a lot easier for the 24-year-old to settle with his new club.

Liga MX is also an entertaining league where Diskerud can test himself against some strong competition domestically. There's also the Copa Libertadores or the CONCACAF Champions League. U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann should be pleased with that.

Diskerud's potential move to Tijuana won't be the end of the world for MLS, but it’s a reminder that some players may not want to deal with a single entity. However, he could have been offered more money. Sometimes, it's that simple.

As for the USMNT, if Diskerud is a starter and stays fit with Xolos, then this is a great move for him from a national-team point of view.

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Updates from Thursday, Dec. 18

MLS has taken up the option to bring striker Erick Torres to the league. The Mexican international has been loaned to Chivas for six months as part of the deal, per ESPN soccer reporter Tom Marshall:

However, Marshall goes on to say that the statement from Chivas doesn't mention MLS purchasing Torres. On the other hand, no individual club has actually signed him, so that could be the reason.

Signing a player like Torres with all of his potential is a great move by MLS. He'll be able to help any team that has issues up front.

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Liga MX side Chivas will keep 21-year-old striker Erick Torres for the next six months, as confirmed by the club (h/t ESPN soccer reporter Tom Marshall):

There were rumours of the Houston Dynamo being the front-runners for the young Mexican forward, per Ives Galarcep of Goal.com. The reported fee for Torres was around $7.5 million. He would have been signed as a designated player.

However, there could be a silver lining for MLS teams in the future. Marshall goes on to say that the league may get Torres on a permanent basis after six months. Chivas apparently wanted to keep him in order to stave off relegation. On the other hand, nothing else has been confirmed:

Torres was one of the standout players in MLS last season. He scored 15 goals in 29 appearances with Chivas USA, and he had 22 tallies in 44 total appearances while playing in the U.S. over the last two years.

However, Chivas USA folded and the players were selected by other MLS clubs in a dispersal draft in November 2014. Torres didn't participate in the draft because he was listed as a designated player, per the MLS Press Box website.

Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin thinks that U.S. President Barack Obama should have tried to keep Torres in MLS:

Irwin didn't get his wish, but he may be facing him or playing with Torres starting next summer.

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The Seattle Sounders have reportedly landed one of the top free agents in MLS. Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerwey will join the Sounders, per ESPN's Taylor Twellman (h/t MLSSoccer.com) for the 2015 season. If this comes to fruition, it will be a massive coup for Seattle.

The details of Lagerwey's deal with the Sounders, as well as his official title, are unknown at this point, per Brian Straus of Sports Illustrated. Straus claims that he'd replace Adrian Hanauer, who has been the club's sole GM since their inception.

In fact, it appears as if Hanauer wants Lagerwey because he's trying to find a new stadium for the Sounders, according to Twellman (h/t Jeremiah Oshan of Sounder at Heart).

Hanauer has done fantastic work in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is arguably the soccer hotbed of the United States. It also helps when the professional team never misses the playoffs and has won five major trophies.

However, Lagerwey has been equally, if not, more impressive as a general manager. Real Salt Lake has won an MLS Cup and the club is the only side from the U.S. to reach a CONCACAF Champions League final.

RSL is also a model of consistency with regard to playoff appearances. Salt Lake has qualified for the postseason in seven straight seasons. 

Considering how much turnover the club goes through every winter, it's an even bigger accomplishment for RSL to be competing with the Sounders and LA Galaxy. Salt Lake has lost Fabian Espindola, Jamison Olave and Will Johnson over the last couple of years, but Lagerwey's side has stayed competitive.

RSL collectively spent just over $4 million in guaranteed compensation for players, according to the September salaries from the MLS Players Union. Lagerwey's future team splashed over $11.5 million in the same category.

The Sounders' Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey skew the numbers, but Salt Lake doesn't have any big-name designated players. The highest-paid member of the squad is Alvaro Saborio at just over $453,000.

If Lagerwey signs with the Sounders, he'll have significantly greater resources available, but the pressure will be rapidly higher in Seattle, compared to Sandy, Utah.

However, Lagerwey is someone the Sounders desperately need. Hanauer did a great job in attracting quality players like Dempsey, and stalwart Osvaldo Alonso to DP contracts and acquiring veterans such as Chad Marshall, to help boost the team. On the other hand, Lagerwey would be a savvy spender in the market.

The Sounders will lose DeAndre Yedlin to Tottenham Hotspur, and the squad is smaller after the team declined options on eight players earlier this month. Lagerwey can come in, help the club find some diamonds in the rough and bring in homegrown talents to save cap space.

With all of the money that ownership spends, it's always tough to add depth when a minority of the squad occupies most of the cap. Lagerwey built a championship team with RSL who had some good options on the bench in most games, yet spent a fraction of Seattle's money.

Economy of spending is Lagerwey's best attribute. Even if he doesn't become a technical director or vice president, the RSL man is arguably the best general manager in MLS with a keen eye for talent.

This is exhibited by his acquisition of Saborio, someone Lagerwey scouted and signed while playing for FC Sion in Switzerland. The Costa Rican has scored 60 goals in 113 MLS regular-season matches since joining the club in 2010.

Lagerwey can execute similar deals with the same effect with the Sounders and make them an even bigger threat in MLS.

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Thanks to the performances of many world-class stars, Major League Soccer experienced one of its best seasons to date in 2014.

Not only did the likes of Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan and Thierry Henry shine bright this season, but plenty of young players broke into the spotlight for their respective showings on the pitch. 

With the season now over, it is time to take one final look back and rank the top 50 players from the 2014 campaign. 

Players were ranked based on statistics from regular-season play, impact on their respective side, intangibles and postseason performances if applicable. 

Here is a look at our comprehensive ranking of the 50 best players to step foot on an MLS pitch this season.

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Despite surviving 19 seasons and enjoying a very successful 2014, Major League Soccer has a serious perception problem.

MLS points to surging ticket sales as an indicator that the league is flourishing and has bigger, better days ahead of it.

"Major League Soccer finished its 19th season with the highest attendance in league history," wrote Empire of Soccer's Ryan Brister. "The final average crowd of 19,149 marks the first time that MLS has cracked 19,000 fans per game for an entire season. It probably won’t be the last time."

All true. But as any professional sports franchise owner will tell you, television is where the real money is. And the popularity of MLS in person is not translating to television ratings.

"This season, an average of 141,000 viewers tuned in to MLS telecasts on its main channel, NBC Sports Network, a 26% increase over last season, though audiences were one-third larger than the overall average when matches followed telecasts of the English Premier League," noted Matthew Futterman in The Wall Street Journal.

Why aren't American viewers tuning into MLS when they apparently like Premier League soccer? Take one guess. In ticking off the various challenges MLS has going forward, Futterman cited "the league’s level of play." He did not mean that as a compliment.

Like many consumers, American sports fans are drawn to games that feature the best players. MLS is packed full of players who either used to be great in other leagues or never had that sort of talent in the first place.

It will take some work for us to get to 10 MLS players who could play at the higher levels of European soccer, but we will get there.

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New York City FC and Orlando City SC beefed up their squads in the expansion draft on Wednesday, Dec. 10 and also executed a few trades. However, the MLS season doesn't start until March, so they both have plenty of time to add more players. 

The two teams each have a couple of positional needs which will be examined in this piece.

Orlando City SC

The most important trade for Orlando was to acquire Aurelien Collin and Amobi Okugo which gives them two proven MLS players in key positions. They now respectively have an established center back and a player who can play as a holding midfielder or on defense. 

Orlando is set with their goalkeepers. Tally Hall will be injured for the first few weeks of the season, but that's why the club picked up Donovan Ricketts in the expansion draft. The Jamaican is an experienced, formidable MLS starter even as he approaches 40.

Heath Pearce is a valuable addition, but he struggles in the air and with his tackling, so Orlando's brass could sign an upgrade to play alongside Collin. Youngsters like Tommy Redding could eventually become starters, but for now it may be best to try and find someone else.

Eighteen-year-old Tyler Turner and Rafael Ramos can both play on the right, so that position seems to be sorted. Meanwhile, Luke Boden has been a stalwart on the left flank, so head coach Adrian Heath may rely on him. However, signing another player for depth purposes would be a smart idea.

Okugo and Kaka will respectively provide the defensive and attacking duties in midfield. Estrela and Darwin Ceren will probably help Okugo, while Kevin Molino, Tony Cascio and Lewis Neal add some depth. The flanks could be boosted further by Brek Shea, who according to Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel is on the verge of signing with the club.

Honduran striker Bryan Rochez inked a designated player contract with Orlando, per MLSSoccer.com. That's a big move, since Jairo Arrieta is an inconsistent scorer. Also, Danny Mwanga and Pedro Ribeiro are going to be long-term projects and are still inexperienced.

New York City FC

The Frank Lampard saga continues to dominate New York City FC. The on-loan midfielder has performed admirably with Manchester City so manager Manuel Pellegrini wants to retain him, per the BBC. If Lampard ends up remaining in England for a longer period of time, that will alter NYCFC's offseason plans.

New York City's goalkeepers may not have as much collective experience as Orlando's but are still three solid shot-stoppers who can be capable starters in MLS.

The projected back line would probably have either Josh Williams or Jeb Brovsky at right-back and Chris Wingert on the left. Jason Hernandez and George John would most likely be the starting center backs. Brovsky, Wingert and Williams are solid, but centrally, there are worries.

John had season-ending knee surgery in the summer and has suffered chronic injuries for a few years. However, if the ex-Washington Husky can stay healthy, he'd be an exceptional player for New York City.

Hernandez has played in 218 MLS regular-season games but was a rotation option with the San Jose Earthquakes. The 31-year-old isn't terrible, but considering John's injury problems and the lack of depth, NYCFC has to sign at least one more center back.

Lampard is clearly NYC's best midfielder, but his potential absence in the opening match will create a dilemma for head coach Jason Kreis.

Mehdi Ballouchy was a reserve with the Vancouver Whitecaps last season after recovering from severe knee injuries when he was with the Earthquakes. Ned Grabavoy and Andrew Jacobson are the only other options to start in the heart of the midfield.

Thomas McNamara tore his ACL after a promising start to his rookie campaign in 2014, but he was electric in an attacking role with Chivas USA. That's another area in which NYCFC is thin, so midfielders have to be on the wish list.

David Villa is the clear No. 1 striker in the squad, with Patrick Mullins and Tony Taylor fighting for the second spot. Omar Salgado is rumored to be sold to an international club soon, per the MLS website, so he won't be a part of the team by the time March rolls around.

New York City has more work to do compared to Orlando, but both sides have plenty of available international slots, so there should be several moves coming down the pipe.

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Identifying an exciting addition to Major League Soccer is a complicated exercise. The player needs to be very good, preferably with name recognition.

But he can't be too good, or the thought of having him leave his current situation to play in MLS would be absurd.

In so many ways, Landon Donovan was the perfect MLS star. He was a transforming talent for the Galaxy and had great moments for the United States men's national team. But while he played in Europe, he never established himself as a star there such that returning to MLS would be too much of a drop in level to make sense.

Now Donovan is gone. Some of the players listed in this piece could go a long way toward filling the star void Donovan left in MLS. Some would just be intriguing additions to the league.

Judge for yourself whether these players would consider making the move to MLS now, and whether they would have an impact if they did.

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Following a few years of play in the lower divisions of American soccer, Orlando City will join Major League Soccer in 2015. 

The Lions may not have the fancy association to a European club like fellow expansion side New York City FC, but they have potential to be a real contender in the Eastern Conference in 2015. 

Managed by Adrian Heath, Orlando has a marquee designated player in Kaka, and it has built up a solid spine in the last week. 

Before we analyze the roster of the club, here is a look at who will be playing for the Florida-based side in 2015: 

Goalkeeper

The Lions aren't messing around went it comes to the goalkeeper position, as they have brought in two league veterans to man the space in between the pipes. 

Tally Hall is the younger of the two 'keepers, and he should be around for the long term. However, the 29-year-old former Dynamo player is in the process of rehabbing a torn ACL.

With that in mind, Orlando City picked Donovan Ricketts with the No. 1 pick in the expansion draft. The 37-year-old Jamaican has played for three clubs in MLS over the last six seasons with Portland being his latest home. 

Ricketts will be the starting 'keeper for the first match of the season, but he may not keep his spot in the starting 11 for the entire season.

Regardless of who starts in net in 2015, the Lions will not have to worry about a lack of experience in goal. 

Defense 

The big name in the Orlando City defense is Aurelien Collin, who was acquired from Sporting Kansas City during Monday's four-hour trade window. 

Collin is one of the top defensive enforcers in the league, and he will bring plenty of attitude to a young defensive corps.

Alongside Collin will be Heath Pearce, who was chosen in Wednesday's expansion draft. The 30-year-old American has been rescued from the perils of Montreal to partner the imposing Frenchman at center-back. 

On the wings, the Lions may be sporting a younger look with Tyler Turner and Luke Boden poised to earn starting positions. 

Orlando City did acquire Eric Gehrig in the expansion draft, but the former Columbus player was sent to Chicago after the draft ended. Jalil Anibaba was also selected in Wednesday's draft, but he was shipped off to Sporting Kansas City to finalize the Collin trade. 

With those players out of the picture, it looks like Turner and Boden will be handed an opportunity to replicate their 2014 USL Pro seasons in MLS. 

To round out the defensive depth chart, the Lions have homegrown player Tommy Redding at center-back and Rafael Ramos, a 19-year-old right-back, who was signed by the club near the end of the 2014 USL Pro season. 

Just like NYCFC, Orlando is not finished acquiring players at this position, but it does have a solid foundation in place. 

Midfield

The biggest star on the Orlando City roster is Kaka, who will be one of the many new designated players entering the league in 2015. 

At 32, Kaka still has a few years left in his legs, and it would not be a surprise to see him star during his first season in the United States. If he is half the player he was at AC Milan or Real Madrid, he could finish in the top five in goals or assists in 2015. 

In the defensive half of midfield, the Lions have a rock in Amobi Okugo. The 23-year-old is a defensive midfielder by trade, but he was utilized at center-back during his final two seasons in Philadelphia as well.

If he is able to finally settle into his true position in Orlando, Okugo has the potential to climb into the United States men's national team discussion. Do not be surprised if he also makes the 2015 MLS All-Star team.

In the expansion draft, Orlando obtained Tony Cascio from Colorado, Lewis Neal from D.C. United and Pedro Ribeiro from Philadelphia. The trio of players has the potential to be major contributors in Orlando, but it all depends on how they fit into the club's system. 

Cascio is expected to open things up on the wing, while Ribeiro should earn a shot to backup Kaka or even play up top at some point. Neal has been a solid option off the bench for D.C. over the last three seasons and should play the same role in Orlando. 

The other two recognizable faces in the Orlando midfield are Kevin Molino and Darwin Ceren. Molino was the first player signed to an MLS contract by the club, while Ceren is a useful player who is the captain of the El Salvador national team. 

Harrison Heath, who is the son of manager Adrian, is also on the roster, but at 18 years old he is a prospect for the future. Estrela, 19, will also be another reserve to watch in regard to development. 

Forward

The Lions still have some work to do up top, but they have acquired a few nice pieces at the forward position. 

Jairo Arrieta is the best forward on the current roster, as he brings 17 MLS goals with him. The Costa Rican's playing time in 2014 was cut short due to injuries. But when he is healthy, he can be a key contributor in the goal department. 

Orlando also added 19-year-old Bryan Rochez from Honduran side Real Espana this week. Despite his young age, Rochez has turned himself into a proven asset in front of goal. Over the last three seasons in Honduras, Rochez scored 30 goals, per Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel. 

Former MLS SuperDraft No. 1 overall pick Danny Mwanga was also taken in the expansion draft. Since entering the league in 2010, Mwanga has scored 15 goals for three different teams. He hasn't scored a league goal since his brace for Portland against San Jose on September 19, 2012. 

If Rochez can extend his talents into MLS, the Lions may not be in bad shape up top. However, it would be ideal for them to bring in another forward in case one of the current players does not produce. 

Progress Report Grade: B+

It can be argued that Orlando has built its roster in a better fashion than New York City FC over the last few days. 

Bringing in Collin and Okugo to shape the team's spine was an excellent move by the front office. As was the addition of Ricketts with Hall on the mend in goal. Some work can be done at the forward position, but Arrieta and Rochez are good for the time being. 

Depth is an issue at the moment, but we can expect the Lions to build that up throughout the rest of the offseason. If they improve on their depth with quality signings, they could earn a higher grade when the offseason ends. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

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