Some MLS players are making preparations "in case of a strike or lockout," and players "say they are prepared to hold out in order to get a deal," according to Paul Tenorio of THE ATHLETIC. CBA talks will be a "potentially pivotal moment in the league’s history." Red Bulls GK Luis Robles, an MLSPA player rep, said he hopes a deal can be agreed to that is "fair to everyone." Tenorio noted the MLSPA last month distributed a "Work Stoppage Guide" to players to "help prepare them for a strike or lockout." The 27-page guide was "prepared in English and Spanish." The current CBA expires at the end of January '20, and the guide serves as the "latest sign of a more organized approach to this year’s CBA negotiations and evidence of the seriousness with which the players are approaching this winter’s negotiation." Atlanta United MF Jeff Larentowicz, who has been on the MLSPA exec board since '13, said that the players and the board have been "more involved than ever in the lead-up to the negotiations and that the 'union as a whole is more robust than it’s ever been.'” Larentowicz: “It’s a process. We want to get the best deal possible, but the preparedness and that everybody feels confident in where they are financially is an added bonus for the group to be as strong as possible" (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/1).
