Photo: Earl Gardner

Probably the last thing a Philadelphia Union fan wants to hear about right now is the MLS Cup Playoffs, but for Don Garber and Major League Soccer, they are coming at just the right time.

Garber and the league have endured a difficult month off the pitch.

• It started with MLS’s rebrand, wrapped up as MLSNext. The vision for the future was the good part, the logo not-so-much. It’s grown on me some, but it was largely met with tepid response.
• The admission of the Chivas USA failure, selling the team to a conglomerate including Cardiff City chairman Vincent Tan. After their final match, the team will go on hiatus for at least 2 years and re-emerge branded anew. It’s a cultured way to fold a failed enterprise.
• Further questions into the independence of media were raised with the firing of Colorado Rapids’ beat writer Chris Bianchi. Bianchi, a meteorologist by trade working part-time for MLSSoccer.com, was vocal against the Rapids’ Front Office on his personal Twitter feed, leading to his dismissal. The ugly details were brought to light by Deadspin earlier this week.
• The confiscation of “negative” tifo displays at PPL Park (using the words of Nick Sakiewicz himself).
• And finally, depending upon your view of the league, Don Garber’s fervent rebuttal to US Men’s National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. A strident league supporter would give it a hearty, “You go, Don!” while those who found some truth in Klinsmann’s declarations might consider Garber’s response overzealous.

I’m not sure there is anything extremely surprising here, though. Chivas USA was running on empty, and I have harped on that awhile. Rebrands are tough and don’t often impress on the first pass.

What the final three bullet points do provide is an unflattering view of the leadership in MLS in which stifling dissent is the common theme. While they have the power to do so, it’s not always wise to act in those situations.

In the final case, Klinsmann has no real say in the league. Yes, he could implore players to stay in Europe, and even threaten their place on the men’s national team if they return. But wouldn’t he have already done that? Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley are the two poster boys for this, but instead Klinsmann sat by while arguably the two top American players returned to MLS in the midst of a World Cup year.

Garber’s attitude is one showing the signs of new pressure being added to the weight of being the MLS Commissioner. The job has never been more difficult than heading into next year, even when he had to contract two teams early in his term. With every stressor already accounted for, Garber didn’t expect Klinsmann to return to the subtle digs at his league’s quality.

All of this negative drama has come in the dog days of the MLS season. The final six weeks are often a grind. The transfer window has closed, so the prospects of splashy signings and photo ops with familiar faces have gone. It becomes easy for off-the-pitch developments to grab headlines over match results.

The MLS Cup Playoffs bring to the front the idea of soccer that means something. That should dominate the discussion for the next month, which must bring relief to the Commissioner.

But he will have to cherish it while it lasts. It will be a quick playoff season for Garber, with a gigantic offseason ahead.

In addition to the normal offseason drafts, MLS will also have an Expansion Draft to begin to build the rosters for New York City and Orlando City.  The new television contract begins in 2015 as well, with heightened dollars (and presumably expectations for the on-field product). Oh, and let’s not forget that the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Players Association is up.

So for Garber, these playoffs are an oasis. It’s been an arduous month leading up to them, and the period following may be even tougher.