Has Major League Soccer Finally Arrived?

Posted by kkirkland | Filed under Uncategorized

Since its first game in 1996, I think that most would agree that the MLS has made dramatic improvement. Not only are the teams becoming more and more profitable, but the major issue–the skill level of the players–has improved.

Thanks to the “internationalization” of Major League Soccer, stars like David Beckham, Juan Pablo Angel, and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, just to name a few, have joined the ranks of the MLS and helped you and I enjoy a higher level of soccer in recent years. The United States Men’s National Team, largely filled with MLS players, has been ranked as hight as fourth place in the FIFA World Rankings in recent years. Soccer-specific stadiums are dotting the United States, more fans are coming out to the games, and ESPN, ESPN 2, ABC, and Fox Soccer Channel broadcast the games for English-speaking viewers while Univision, Galavision, and Telemundo broadcast into Spanish.

Not bad…but what do you have to say about the quality of play in the MLS?

In my opinion, the MLS is improving, yes, but still nowhere near the quality of the English Premier League, Serie A, or La Liga. In fact, I would be shocked to see an MLS al star team even compete with the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea, or anyone in the Champion’s League for that matter! The talent, the excitement and energy level, and the overall atmosphere is just not the same.

David Beckham commented on the subject by saying: “I don’t know whether it’s ignorance or snobbery or whether it’s that the people saying these things have never played the game or watched it being played here, but the standard is nowhere near as low as people have been saying it is. For a start, you have to be incredibly fit and physically strong to play here. America’s a country, after all, that produces some of the best athletes in the world.”

I couldn’t agree more, Beckham…it’s not that bad! But it’s still pretty bad. I sometimes think that my recreational men’s soccer league could handle a few of the MLS teams in a 90 minute match.

Hopefully we’re not far from the day when Major League Soccer will be one of the premier soccer leagues in the world. I do believe that it’s possible. Hopefully the overally appeal of the United States and perhaps the potential financial opportunity of playing in the States will entice some of the world’s best talent to join the MLS before too long.

I’ll give it another decade or so.

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Permalink | November 10th, 2008

2 Responses to “Has Major League Soccer Finally Arrived?”

  1. Kevin Says:
    November 10th, 2008 at 7:39 pm

    I was watched the Real Salt Lake game Saturday and watched Inter Milan play Sunday. I couldn’t believe the difference in the level of play between US soccer and the European leagues. Its like the difference between high school and college soccer. I think the MLS has plenty of stars they just have a lot of mediocre players as well. Have you ever played with a rec team that wasn’t very good and noticed that you started playing down to their level. Thats what happens to the MLS stars. Also I noticed there are lot more penalties in the MLS.

  2. kaidez Says:
    November 11th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

    Nice post. I agree with you. I also think that the wrong MLS team got the wrong hype. Columbus, Houston, and Chivas deserved the press that Team Lailas/Beckham got. I say support one of those guys first!!!!!

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