So I've been going to a bunch of MLS games this year down in Philadelphia (Union finally winning). Latest game got me thinking...
1) Any other MLS fans on BBI?
2) Where's the league stand in 2017? On the up and up? Same old?
3) What's the league's future?
One thing I see...every game, a ton of kids are there. Many of those kids are wearing their soccer jersey from their local town/league. A lot of kids in the parking lot kicking the ball around, too. I know the chorus of "Soccer is the next big sport in America!" that has never really materialized, but I wonder a strong MLS helps that come true.
But, Union games are fun.
We don't get too many MLS threads on BBI, but I know there are a few other NYCFC fans and at least one NJRB fan.
Went to a couple matches during the inaugural season and have been pretty hooked since. Went to a handful more last year. Definitely will be getting out to Yankee Stadium at least a couple times this summer, especially while tickets are still very reasonable.
I haven't followed the league as a whole super closely, but I do believe the 2016 was a big success with viewership/attendance pointing up. Plus, the league is still expanding and working towards 24 teams by 2020.
Another interesting comparison is the Mexican first division.
South America and Central America are difficult comparisons as leagues because, given the economics, their best players are gone from their domestic leagues by age 18. The US may be different in that regard.
If we can just do away with college soccer in the US entirely, the future would be brighter, but that probably won't happen anytime soon.
It's taken a bit, but the league is definitely on the right track. They've mostly stopped throwing huge money at aging stars who can't compete, and are signing still in their prime players from second tier sides in European top leagues.
The salary cap needs to go though.
Yeah, the Union have been playing well. Somewhat surprisingly so. Should be a fun one.
Also by then theres been up to three EPL games on already starting at 7am.
I know this is the crabby old man in me coming out, but I love the way the rules of soccer keep the match flowing. No holding up the game for time outs, replays or commercials.
A game lasting a little more than 2 hours is just right and means you can even take in night games and still get home at a decent hour.
Houston - Every time I watch a home game their stadium looks more than half empty
Red Bulls - I see problems on the horizon for this team. The ownership and Red Bull brand is not clicking with the fan base. The stadium is phenomenal and the improved PATH station will improve access, but something is amiss with this organization. It really occurred to me once I moved to the Pacific Northwest...getting a reasonably priced ticket to a Timbers match is genuinely difficult. There is no reason that the Red Bulls shouldn't be doing better than 15,000-18,000 in attendance per match. I really think the best possible solution is for the Cosmos people to stop dicking around and buy out the Red Bull company. Alternatively, it would be great for a buyer to purchase the club and name them Garden State FC. Put the Garden State Parkway logo on the shirt and move on from the Red Bull shit. It just isn't working.
I know this is the crabby old man in me coming out, but I love the way the rules of soccer keep the match flowing. No holding up the game for time outs, replays or commercials.
A game lasting a little more than 2 hours is just right and means you can even take in night games and still get home at a decent hour.
Gene, we know you love MLS, the whole neighborhood knows you love MLS.
Hopefully the new PATH station will alleviate some of the problems. I've never been to RBA, but the perception (fair or not) is that it's just a nightmare to get back and forth. And from a personal POV it would help if the MTA ever gets the Cortlandt St station finished.
meh. From Pepe Pinton to Paul Kelmsley to Sela Sport to Rocco, the Cosmos proved to be nothing but a bunch of frauds.
Houston - Every time I watch a home game their stadium looks more than half empty
Red Bulls - I see problems on the horizon for this team. The ownership and Red Bull brand is not clicking with the fan base. The stadium is phenomenal and the improved PATH station will improve access, but something is amiss with this organization. It really occurred to me once I moved to the Pacific Northwest...getting a reasonably priced ticket to a Timbers match is genuinely difficult. There is no reason that the Red Bulls shouldn't be doing better than 15,000-18,000 in attendance per match. I really think the best possible solution is for the Cosmos people to stop dicking around and buy out the Red Bull company. Alternatively, it would be great for a buyer to purchase the club and name them Garden State FC. Put the Garden State Parkway logo on the shirt and move on from the Red Bull shit. It just isn't working.
I always thought it made too much sense for NYRB to become the Cosmos somehow. Whether that meant Red Bull buying the Cosmos brand or the Cosmos acquiring the team from Red Bull. I think it might be too late at this point. I'm not sure either set of fans would buy into it.
I don't think it's unfair, MLS is certainly not the most competitive league in the world, but it has certainly improved and may be worth another look at some point. The NYCFC games I've gone to have been a lot of fun and high energy.
NYCFC also has drawn a lot of international soccer fans to games since they've had some legends like Vila, Pirlo, and Lampard (before he retired).
The biggest issue causing the "minor league" feeling, IMO, has been the propensity to sign old European players to high priced contracts. While that hasn't completely gone away (Schweinsteiger is probably the most recent example), the league is doing very good things in terms of developing young players...many of whom are already impacting the USMNT.
A problem in the US is that most soccer fans gravitate to the Champions League teams. There aren't too many fans of Norwich, Rayo Vallecano, etc. Thus people aren't watching as much of the lesser European teams. As a fan of one of those teams (Deportivo), let me tell you...at that level it ain't pretty if you're going to be comparing to the Champions League perennials. Real Madrid's B side (featuring the likes of Isco, Morata, James, Asensio, Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez, and Varane) is probably one of the 10-15 best starting XI's in the world. It's just a completely different animal at that level. But try slogging through a Depor season hoping that they somehow stumble into a goal. A very different experience.
That Champions League level is what MLS is being compared to, and it's just not realistic.
Del Shofner : 5/22/2017 10:39 pm : link : reply
That's not meant to be snarky. MLS has probably also moved past the domestic leagues in, say, the Czech Republic and some other Eastern European countries as well. The league is moving up, it just takes a long time. Next up might be Portugal's Primeira Liga. MLS is a long way from being in the top 5 European leagues, but shooting for the lower half of the top ten in Europe is a realistic goal.
But where the MLS will fall short when approaching the bottom ten of European leagues is there are some very good clubs at the top of those leagues. In Portugal, Benfica, Sporting, Porto, etc are all vastly superior to any MLS club. The CZ league is a good comparison as outside of Sparta Praha and Slavia Praha and maybe Plzen, the league is fairly weak in the middle and bottom of the table.
IMO that should be the goal for MLS. Instead of spending big money on a 34 year old European player, the aim should be to bring Pulisic and players like him back to the US.
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Imagine if Christian Pulisic stayed here and played in the MLS. Would a guys like that (I realize that's few and far between) staying elevate the league enough to wash away some of the "minor league" feel?
IMO that should be the goal for MLS. Instead of spending big money on a 34 year old European player, the aim should be to bring Pulisic and players like him back to the US.
Oh for sure. I just wonder how the league would be perceived if every homegrown player stayed home.
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In comment 13479997 ThreePoints said:
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Imagine if Christian Pulisic stayed here and played in the MLS. Would a guys like that (I realize that's few and far between) staying elevate the league enough to wash away some of the "minor league" feel?
IMO that should be the goal for MLS. Instead of spending big money on a 34 year old European player, the aim should be to bring Pulisic and players like him back to the US.
Oh for sure. I just wonder how the league would be perceived if every homegrown player stayed home.
So you're anti-emigration?