Massachusetts Bettors Get A Rude Introduction To Shoddy MLS Injury Reports

The New England Revolution made a cross country trip to visit LAFC on Sunday night in a game that looked appealing for bettors trying to cash in on a big underdog.

Opening lines gave New England roughly +650 odds to pull off the road win against the MLS Cup Champions, meaning a $100 wager would earn a $650 profit if the Revolution won the game. And those odds were still in the neighborhood of +500 Sunday as the match approached, even after LAFC played their best available starting lineup three days earlier in Costa Rica in the Concacaf Champions League.

It was only when the lineups were finally announced — and the casual betting public learned LAFC was resting several starters, as expected — that the odds on the Revolution shortened.

But while many bettors were chasing steam, some Revs fans were feeling buyers’ remorse. Because lost in the reaction to seeing LAFC’s Carlos Vela and Giorgio Chiellini on the bench was also seeing New England playmaker and 2021 MLS MVP Carles Gil there. Gil picked up a minor injury in training at some point this week and was on a minutes limit, manager Bruce Arena said postgame. But that was completely undisclosed until the lineup was released.

Making matters worse for some, this oversight came during the first Revolution game that Massachusetts residents could legally bet on via their mobile phones; Online and mobile sports betting in the state launched on Friday.

These kinds of lapses are all too common in MLS, which still doesn’t have a serious injury reporting policy. Teams are asked to include a player availability report in their game notes, but those reports reflect a snapshot several days out from kickoff and are not updated in a meaningful way until lineups are revealed. And in markets where there is less day-to-day beat coverage of the local MLS team — such as New England — health issues within the group slip through the cracks.

This isn’t a new issue for the league, but it’s come into focus with sports embracing legalized gambling. And while it’s not clear 90 minutes from Gil would’ve mattered anyway — LAFC won the match 4-0, scoring three of their goals after he came in the game — it’s self-inflicted damage to a product that MLS is counting on people paying a subscription fee for in the form of MLS Season Pass, which is hosted through the Apple TV app.

There is more to like than dislike about Apple TV and MLS Season Pass. But it’s also clear MLS and its teams don’t entirely understand the difference between “more content” and “more access.” The former has certainly arrived. But in some cases, access to teams actually appears more restricted than before.

With MLS producing every match broadcast, it could’ve been an opportunity to add a prematch media availability for coaches — which exists in the English Premier League and in other U.S. sports. It could’ve also been a catalyst to spark a more complete injury reporting procedure.

Instead, there are actually fewer in-game and post-game connections with players and coaches and players than we became accustomed to with ESPN, FOX and Univision in the previous TV deal. And while the overall production quality of the games and wrap-around programming is much improved, there’s also the feel that of a polite distance to it all.

The league is relying on Apple to boost its legitimacy. But by itself, the partnership will not be some golden ticket. It will still require that MLS and its clubs think and act like a major professional sports entity.

None of this shows a league entirely on board with that yet. The lack of injury disclosure is just one example. And on Monday morning, New England Revolution fans are poorer for it. A few of them literally so.