http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccer-baxter-20150315-story.html
While I doubt MLS is going to become huge anytime soon, I do see the quality of the league slowly becoming better, even with aging European talent.
L.A. Times: Foreign soccer stars no longer putting down MLS
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http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccer-baxter-20150315-story.html
While I doubt MLS is going to become huge anytime soon, I do see the quality of the league slowly becoming better, even with aging European talent.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
Money and lifestyle seem to be pretty good in the US compared to Mexico, I'd wanna stay as well.
CountAntonius
Member
MLS has come a very long way. Good for american soccer.
Besthelboy
Banned
They'll eventually bribe their way into the CL and the flock will come.
North American. 3 of the 20 clubs are in Canada.
Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps are 2 and 5 in Attendance. Only beaten (and thoroughly) by the Seattle Sounders. LA Galaxy and Portland is 3rd and 4th.
The Culture Vulture
Member
If anyone is interested in following MLS or the US Men's Team we have a dedicated thread.
http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=765539
http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=765539
AcademicSaucer
Member
I hope the MLS gets better so they can enter the Libertadores, I remember some team from DC playing the Sudamericana
DizzyCaffeine
Member
I hope not. Besides, NFL is only like 4 months (give or take)...there's plenty of room for both.
Never. People love the NFL too much.
Plus, don't see how MLS can pass the NBA, NHL and baseball.
GhostWriter24
Member
20 years and MLS will be the premier soccer league in the world. Bank on it.
ShinRPGamer
Member
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Sure we'll likely start calling the big 4, the big 5 in the not-too distant future but MLS ain't surpassing the NFL in popularity anytime soon.
When more guys get the go-ahead from their national team coach, like Giovinco did, we'll start seeing more people flocking to the US. Between the lifestyle and guaranteed paycheck every week, it'll just get more and more appealing as the level of play goes up and people don't need to worry about losing their national team spot.
I remember an interview with Kaka a few weeks back where he said he's gotten calls from his old teammates asking him to take them along.
It's also why Beckham is trying so hard to get a Miami team off the ground, his name combined with the lifestyle will make it a major draw for anyone looking for a team.
They should be worried, look how big the world cup gets each time it's around. Now imagine all those big name players playing for local teams in the US. That would be explosive. It's not something they need to worry about right now, but they should start planning because who knows what the league will look like in 20 years.
I remember an interview with Kaka a few weeks back where he said he's gotten calls from his old teammates asking him to take them along.
It's also why Beckham is trying so hard to get a Miami team off the ground, his name combined with the lifestyle will make it a major draw for anyone looking for a team.
They should be worried, look how big the world cup gets each time it's around. Now imagine all those big name players playing for local teams in the US. That would be explosive. It's not something they need to worry about right now, but they should start planning because who knows what the league will look like in 20 years.
DizzyCaffeine
Member
Fuck yea. Finally. The greatest sport will soon becomes America's favorite sport..
Trust me, you don't want that. It just means more commercials.
How they going to git commercials in?
Cant wait for such a beautiful sport to spread its bullshit to another continent.Fuck yea. Finally. The greatest sport will soon becomes America's favorite sport..
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
Time for the 1/8 time show!
XiaNaphryz
LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Cant wait for such a beautiful sport to spread its bullshit to another continent.
Not like Americans won't be used to flopping from the NBA.
I dont watch basketball. I am seeing more flopping in hockey now that more europeans are coming over.
don't think this will happen. But the trajectory for MLS is good. The key will be improving the TV ratings and with that the TV revenue. That will improve the salary cap and allow teams to lure better players from abroad.
Stereogatari
Banned
If you're rich you can life the "US lifestyle" mostly anywhere.
ShinRPGamer
Member
While you have a fair point, I can't see the MLS surpassing the NFL in popularity, at least not in my generation. Football is deeply rooted into American sports culture while Soccer is only just starting to make a huge mark in the US.
I've said this for years. Concacaf is nice but we need to be part of the UCL to be taken seriously.
It's not just the wealth, it's also the anonymity. Thierry Henry talked about it while he was in NY. In England he couldn't go for a cup of coffee without paparazzi shoving the camera up his ass, meanwhile here he was just a normal dude when he wasn't on the pitch.
We can't really compete in either right now due to the salary caps on MLS teams. Once those go, I expect we'll start doing much better in Concacaf.
Stereogatari
Banned
Not just MLS teams, but non-European football clubs in general. I've had the idea to invite the winners of each other continent's Champions League equivalent to the UCL.
^ Maybe when flights across the Atlantic take 3 hours.
"Well no, but we do have a group of guys who regularly lose to soccer teams."
"Well no, but we do have a group of guys who regularly lose to soccer teams."
sorry
Paracelsus
Member
Giovinco could never cut it in real soccer, European physical hard ass soccer. This is not something I refuse to accept it's up for debate, as someone who has followed him for years. He is okay, but he was never ever great, he's a Balotelli that never got a chance to be overrated.
Perfect Blue
Banned
Ditch the cap and "designated player" BS and other dumb rules + make it more like the European leagues and the MLS should be in great shape for the future.
Stereogatari
Banned
The caveat would be that non-European teams that are far away (eg. not North African or Middle Eastern teams) would have to base themselves in Europe.
Perfect Blue
Banned
bonesmccoy
Banned
Maybe the most important thing is MLS teams putting together actual development academies and reserve teams. Young players in NA now have an honest to goodness route to becoming a professional, a very big change from years past.
ShaggsMagoo
Member
I would be happy if people (FIFA included) started taking the club world cup more seriously.
Doesn't have to for players to want to come here and play in it. The economics of a 30 team league(assuming it fills out to roughly the same size as the other NA leagues) in the world's wealthiest economy mean that even if it only roughly gets close to the NHL or NBA, it will still be wildly profitable, and players will want to play there, if good players want to play there, the league will be able to sell the TV rights outside NA, leading to more profitability and a feedback loop.
Really once you get past the top dozen or so European soccer teams, there is a whole lot of financial struggle, meanwhile the goddamn clippers just sold for $2 billion dollars. I think the NA style league structure in MLS may make it a bit more financially viable for the lesser name teams in the long run, and may end up the more competitive product because of that.
Mushroomer25
Member
Living in the US is pretty fuckin' bomb, and if you get a decent wage WITHOUT the painful celebrity status... That probably makes a lot of sense for them.
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