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SANDY — In two days, Major League Soccer will kick off its 20th season with a game between the defending MLS Cup champion L.A. Galaxy and the Chicago Fire on Friday in a year with two expansion teams and a multimillion-dollar television contract from ESPN and Fox.
But first, the league needed to sign a new collective bargaining agreement with its players.
Crisis averted.
MLS agreed in principle to a new CBA with the players' union late Wednesday night, the league announced, paving the way for the start to a new season for its 20 teams. Real Salt Lake opens play Saturday afternoon at the Portland Timbers.
The new agreement will cover five years through the 2019 season, according to the league. No other financial details were officially released, but multiple reports include a move to limited free agency for players over age 28 and with at least eight years of MLS experience, as well as a minimum salary raise from $35,000 to $60,000 league-wide.
The deal was first reported by Reuters' reporter Simon Evans, who asked RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando about the developing talks as the all-time league leader in shutouts and RSL team representative was exiting the board room.
"Deal is done" says RSL keeper Nick Rimando — Simon Evans (@sgevans) March 5, 2015
Columbus Dispatch reporter Adam Jardy added the new agreement includes [ a 15 percent raise in each team's salary cap](https://twitter.com/AdamJardy/status/573280136038125569) from the previous agreement.
MLS commissioner Don Garber released a statement ahead of the ratification of the new agreement.
"We are pleased to finalize the framework for a new collective bargaining agreement with our players," Garber said. "This agreement will provide a platform for our players, ownership and management to work together to help build Major League Soccer into one of the great soccer leagues in the world."
Rimando confirmed the start of the season on his own Twitter account, encapsulating the moment with a succinct tweet that topped off a tense spell of several weeks' negotiations as CBA talks threatened the start of the MLS season.
Play ball. — Nick Rimando (@NickRimando) March 5, 2015