stephen_woodside
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Reged: 02/05/2007
Posts: 1880
Loc: Huyton, Merseyside
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I will open this new thread up to continue the discussions on the MLS with regards to it being second-rate at best. I totally agree that the format of the league is not right but they have obviously chosen to copy the other top sports in the US in relation to overtime and penalty shoot outs to decide games.The quality of Football however as improved vastly in the States and that is a main issue that should not be overlooked.
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Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Edited by goldenvision (13/06/2007 14:16)
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druryfire
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Reged: 20/03/2007
Posts: 351
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MLS are over the first hurdle and the clubs are being more stable, and working on loctions for grounds, building grounds or have already built a football specific ground.
The people in charge of MLS have started the Development players, so there is now a breed of young players coming through.
What i would like to see is MLS work closely with USL. That setup has USL 1 and 2 and the PDL which is a league for youth players.
Buti am aware the MLS cannot just jump from one thing to another, they do have to take one step at a time, get the infrastructure going and then progress more in terms of getting quality players in.
They now have reserve league, which i think follows a European format in terms of league structure.
But i think, to progress more, they have to combine the Eastern and Western Conferences into one, then every minute of every game is important, where as currently, you can get beat a number of times but still sneak into the playoffs and be crowned champions, but i guess this is what they like over there in North / South America in the majorty of leagues.
One thing that i do see is MLS teams struggle with playing against teams in CONCACAF Cup for league winners etc, they almost always struggle against teams from Purto Rico, Jamaica or whatever, surely they should be doing better.
I also read about the Superliga that well be held in July and August i think, where four teams from US and Mexico will take part in a mini competition, this can only help improve them more
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Alex
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Reged: 15/06/2007
Posts: 9
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I'll be moving to California within the next 9 months so i'll be able to judge the quality of the MLS a lot better than I have so far.
Obviously the likes of MLB, NFL and NBA have a stranglehold on the American market and 'Soccer' making an impact will always be difficult but I think perseverance, exposure and investment are the key to making it a success.
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druryfire
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Reged: 20/03/2007
Posts: 351
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Don't forget to check out USL as well, apparently a few decent games in their and a longer history or rivalries, although obviously MLS is suppose to be a notch higher, so better football being played their, should cracking watching a LA Galaxy, Chivas Derby game.
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Pello
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Reged: 14/04/2007
Posts: 58
Loc: US
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Quote:
But i think, to progress more, they have to combine the Eastern and Western Conferences into one, then every minute of every game is important, where as currently, you can get beat a number of times but still sneak into the playoffs and be crowned champions, but i guess this is what they like over there in North / South America in the majorty of leagues.
You're probably right.
I guess the approach to sports is a bit different over here. Baseball plays 162 regular season games. No team gets relegated and getting to the play-offs is fairly simple.
Still, people love it.
If you look at MLS from a European perspective the game lacks nerve - if a team has a bad season it's ok. You never risk relegation. (You do risk being sold to another city or go bankrupt but that's a different story.) If a team has a half-decent season they make it to the play-offs.
If I try to see it from an American perspective I think what MLS needs are more Stars. Americans are incredibly fascinated with celebrities - especially if they're a bit controversial. The current buzz around Beckham reaches people that generally couldn't care less about soccer.
Unfortunately, the salary cap prevents teams from attracting players known outside the inner soccer fan circles.
The Designated Player Rule is definitely a step in the right direction but I believe it should be expanded to include more than one player (or two if you manage to trade a slot).
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I'll be moving to California within the next 9 months so i'll be able to judge the quality of the MLS a lot better than I have so far.
Hopefully you'll be moving to Southern California as we lost our only Nor-Cal team when the San Jose Earthquakes were sold a couple of years back.
You'll love California, though. 
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 Pello
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subhankar_mondal
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Reged: 29/08/2006
Posts: 2003
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There's another fact about the MLS that bothers me. The players' wages are actually paid by the MLS itself but the concerned authorities did relax the rule on Becks. For me,this somehow has to be scrapped. I know that the salary cap has importance in more aspects than one but maybe this particular wage-policy needs to given a closer look to and restructured.
Another point. I get this report that most of the football,oops!soocer,players come from the Hispanic community,I mean most of the footballing fervour resides within this particular community. If this be so,then the NLS should try to encourage more and more Hispanics to take up the sport,give facilty to those who have talent but no finacial means(like Santiago Munez in "Goal!").
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Subhankar Mondal is a football writer for www.goal.com.
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RichieC
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Reged: 17/07/2006
Posts: 534
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Not quite Sub, each team is allowed one player who can be paid whatever they like.
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subhankar_mondal
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Reged: 29/08/2006
Posts: 2003
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Now here comes a statement from a person who is from the US and this is what he has to say about the MLS:
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It's frustrating that my only taste of European football comes via summer matches against Man U and Barca's "B" teams ( which are still far better than any MLS product).
For those who believe that this is a fiction hatched from a corner of my imagination,you better go to the Real Madrid discussion area where you will come across a new member "forzareal" and this is what he remarks about the MLS. I am sorry that I didn't inform him before quoting him,not at a time when he would have been in a situation to affirm my decision or to negate it. So all apology to you,forzareal.
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Subhankar Mondal is a football writer for www.goal.com.
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subhankar_mondal
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Reged: 29/08/2006
Posts: 2003
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Sorry Rich,I did't know that before you made the point here. Thanks buddy.
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Subhankar Mondal is a football writer for www.goal.com.
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RichieC
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Reged: 17/07/2006
Posts: 534
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No probs Sub, it's known as the Designated Player Rule 
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subhankar_mondal
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Reged: 29/08/2006
Posts: 2003
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But pardon me,the rule came after the Beckham deal was in progress. So that means that this rule didn't exist before the Beckham circud decided to switch continent. That was what I was confused about. I didn't know that there was such a rule before the Beckham saga and now I know that I was right.
Any more clarification would be hugely welcomed.
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Subhankar Mondal is a football writer for www.goal.com.
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RichieC
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Reged: 17/07/2006
Posts: 534
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Ah so it did...although they didn't 'relax the rule' on Becks, they just introduced a new one
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badgerboy
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Reged: 26/03/2007
Posts: 727
Loc: Bucks, England
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According to this article the "designated player rule" was passed last November. Paul Gardner also talked about it in January's WS - a couple of months before Beckham's transfer to LA Galaxy was announced. The new law was/is called "the Beckham Law" but that just seems to be a major coincidence -I suppose Beckham being the prime example of the sort of player MLS wanted to attract with that new law. Amazingly they got "their man" very quickly.
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RichieC
member
Reged: 17/07/2006
Posts: 534
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Thought so...thanks for the clarification I think the moniker 'The Beckham Law' isn't official though.
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subhankar_mondal
member
Reged: 29/08/2006
Posts: 2003
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Thanks for the clarification.
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Subhankar Mondal is a football writer for www.goal.com.
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NulsOB
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Reged: 28/07/2006
Posts: 388
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Just learned that the Galaxy plan on introducing a new jersey with the arrival of Mr Beckham. I can understand changing the team's kit between seasons, but doing so in mid-season merely due to a new player in the line up strikes me as a bit of a slap in the face of their fans.
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RichieC
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Reged: 17/07/2006
Posts: 534
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This is the league that regularly has teams change their names, cities etc. A change of kit by their standards is like a blip.
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NulsOB
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Reged: 28/07/2006
Posts: 388
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Sure, but how often do the change names, cities, etc. during the middle of playing their season. As for their kits, yes, indeed, it seems like every season there are atleast half the teams changing their look.
That's still better than Argentina, where it seems that every season every team comes up with a slightly different kit.
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subhankar_mondal
member
Reged: 29/08/2006
Posts: 2003
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Quote:
Just learned that the Galaxy plan on introducing a new jersey with the arrival of Mr Beckham. I can understand changing the team's kit between seasons, but doing so in mid-season merely due to a new player in the line up strikes me as a bit of a slap in the face of their fans.
Just another sign how one single player,not even the best in the entire world,becomes bigger than the club,maybe even bigger than the league.
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Subhankar Mondal is a football writer for www.goal.com.
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Sam
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Reged: 12/07/2006
Posts: 1063
Loc: North Somerset (returning to M...
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Quote:
That's still better than Argentina, where it seems that every season every team comes up with a slightly different kit.
Every big league in the world does it now, Nuls. I look back nostalgically on the days when sides would play in the exact same shirt two seasons running - all of five or six years ago!
What I do object to in Argentina is the clubs' habit of doing halfway through a campaign. Not even in the summer or winter break, but 9 or 10 games into the Apertura, for instance, was when Arsenal de Sarandí completely changed their kit, colours and all (and for a much worse design than the previous one, at that)!
Sam
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More fútbol argentino than you can shake a mullet at - Hasta El Gol Siempre
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