Chaotic weather makes MLS unique and the league should embrace it

After Real Salt Lake's blizzard-battered win over LAFC, there have been calls for the league to change the calendar. That may not be a good idea

If former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had hoped to segue into a sunny semi-retirement after his move to Los Angeles, his debut for LAFC would have felt especially satisfying. The 36-year-old World Cup winner made a club-record seven saves in a victory over the Seattle Sounders beneath the California sun on the opening weekend of the 2024 MLS season.

A week later, however, in his first away match since moving to the US, Lloris experienced a less comfortable time. With his goalkeeper's gloves acting more as a barrier against frostbite than a shot-stopping aid, he was forced to pluck a fluorescent orange match ball from his net three times in the first half after a sudden snowstorm and near-freezing temperatures descended upon Real Salt Lake's America First Field.