L.A. Times: Foreign soccer stars no longer putting down MLS
- Thread starter Tripon
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LOL what the fuck is this comment?
Anyways I always thought MLS was viewed by foreign places as an easy place to retire but it's great to see they're actually respecting it.
Laaaa la la la wait till they get their money right...
Soccer is growing here and I'm super excited about it. Once they expand/drop the cap and teams have the freedom to pass out some real mother fuckin money, it's only a matter of time before some legit talent makes its way to America. We'll probably never be EPL level, but we don't have to and fuck the smug assholes who judge solely by that metric.
Soccer is growing here and I'm super excited about it. Once they expand/drop the cap and teams have the freedom to pass out some real mother fuckin money, it's only a matter of time before some legit talent makes its way to America. We'll probably never be EPL level, but we don't have to and fuck the smug assholes who judge solely by that metric.
Delicious Waffles
Member
2015 NHL Winter Classic posts lowest TV ratings in event's history
EPL Games Garnering More Viewers Than NHL Games on NBCSN, Rights Fees for Next TV Deal Should Only Increase
If EPL can do that, it's only a matter of time before MLS does it as well. It won't happen tomorrow or in 5 to 10 years but, eventually, it'll happen. Hell, even NASCAR has surpassed the NHL.
Remember, MLS is 20 years old. It's still growing but its come a long way from where it was when it first started.
manzoman96
Member
But on the topic, I do hope the mls continues to grow. they're trying to improve their image but they're gonna need to fix up some of the team names like sporting kc and real salt lake before they can be taken more seriously.
I do like my local teams name, the union, but their home uniform could be better.
Yup, check out Orlando's opening match as an MLS team last week:
Soccer will never catch on in America
bonesmccoy
Banned
From the 2nd link you posted:
I'm a fan of the MLS, but come on, the triumphalism here is ridiculous. The league has a long, long, long, long, long way to go before it's anywhere near the NHL, NBA or MLB.
I've heard people push for the Miami team (if it ever happens) to be named Inter Miami
Inter is short for Internazionale.
"This wonderful night will give us the colours for our crest: black and blue against a backdrop of gold stars. It will be called Internazionale [International], because we are brothers of the world."
—9 March 1908, Milan
Miami is diverse as fuck and naming the club after that same idea is not at all as bad as you think.
The biggest problem with teams being named in a similar fashion to Euro clubs is American ignorance.
Ninja Scooter
Member
I get where the name comes from, I just don't get throwing those names on teams in countries where they don't have that same kind of meaning. Stuff like Sporting or REAL doesn't mean anything over here. Neither does "Football Club". It just feels way too on the nose, and feels like they are trying to hard to crib an identity rather than letting one develop on it's own, naturally.
It'd be like an overseas American Football league team calling themselves the Packers or Steelers.
Delicious Waffles
Member
I don't agree with it having a long way to go. Again, it's slowly building. It's only a matter of time before EPL fans decide to tune into MLS and start supporting the local product. Is MLS on the same level? Absolutely not. Could that turn off EPL watchers? It's disappointing but it definitely happens. However, those who stick with it help the game in this country.
I do agree with tuning into NHL locally, you'll care more about your team and watch them than tuning into a national game. The real bump in viewership comes playoff time. I heard this on local sports radio just this past week. One of the hosts mentioned that a recent Wednesday game got horrible ratings. These games can include the top names in the NHL and, still, people aren't watching. People bash MLS as a "retirement league" but people will tune in to see that older soccer star battle it out.
bucknuticus
Member
Not like Americans won't be used to flopping from the NBA.
Another thing brought over by the Europeans, thanks Vlade Divac
I'm moving to Atlanta soonish and I hear a team might be forming there in the next 2 years. If that happens I'll buy a season ticket. As a fan of the PL that hasn't been able to get into the MLS seriously yet. I think that would do a lot for me to help me get more interested. I'd really like the league to get more competitive to the point where they can compete with the smaller European leagues for talent in the next say 5 years. That would be significant progress.
entremet
Member
Yep lol.
smokeandmirrors
Banned
Not might, they're definitely getting a team in 2017, at the new NFL stadium:
http://mlsatlanta2017.com/
They have already surpassed 19,000 season ticket deposits sold, meaning less than 6,000 are left for a team that doesn't start playing for another two years. If you want to buy season tickets you should probably do so ASAP.
Rug Monkey
Member
I wish he'd persuade his brother to join him
Their rebranding was one of the best I've seen in the league, and they have a good squad this year. Good mixture of international veterans and young talent.
It's nowhere close to the NHL in terms of overall revenue, gate revenue, or media revenue.
The NHL is much closer to passing the NBA than the MLS is to passing the NHL.
The MLS is still in its infancy comparatively, so I will buy that argument, but right now, there is no impending changing of the guard.
Yeah I get the feeling that this is a year of pretty high expectations. The couple of games I've been to have been really enjoyable as well. Good to see Columbus-area sports diversifying somewhat.
Business
Member
North African teams would be a perfect fit because they aren't far away, they are really close. Middle Eastern teams would be a worst fit but logistically doable considering Kazan can be in today. Don't see it happening in either case though.
North American teams forget it, it just wouldn't work on CET. Play Libertadores instead.
You know you've hit a true believer when they pull this shit out of their ass
CrocMother
Banned
Thinking about sports in America while watching college basketball, realizing that college soccer isn't even on the radar.
The sport has a long way to go in the US. decades, not years.
The sport has a long way to go in the US. decades, not years.
For those who are too lazy to click the link.
Major League Soccer (18,807)
National Hockey League (17,455)
Whomp whomp.
To be fair most a huge portion of the US is over the ocean in that image, and there is no Alaska.
Comparing the US to the entire continent of Europe is kind of missing the point as well. The more relevant comparison would be to western Europe or nations that can support a top level pro league. To which if you compare it to the smallest NA league(NHL), is only 3 nations really. The EPL, Bundesliga, and La Liga are the only 3 bigger than the NHL in terms of revenue. Serie A is close, but not quite. Also this comparison is by revenue per team, if you use flat revenue, the NHL dwarfs every soccer league but the EPL because they have fewer teams.
Basically every team in the big 4 NA sports leagues is one of the top 150 teams in the world in revenue and player salary. That's like 120+ out of 150 spots.
European soccer is extremely top heavy, once you get past the top 15 or so teams, you are left with broke ass teams that survive solely based on selling prospects to the big guys.
Honestly, it probably never will be. The draft has minimal importance in MLS and the clubs are attempting to get their talent from academies rather than colleges.
College programs will attempt to improve their standing, but those players will still be at a disadvantage.
Not true at all.
gimmmick
Member
The worst sport in america is soccer or hockey. Baseball will forever hold a spot in America sports.
MLS stadiums can have a capacity of up to 50,000+ seats, whereas NHL arenas hold a maximum of 20,000.
enanogrande
Member
I've not watched a full game of hockey in my life, but that comparison doesn't mean much when you consider that the NHL has 30 teams and each one plays more than twice as many games (82) as any MLS team. The overall attendance numbers are staggeringly different: NHL had over 21 million fans in attendance for the 2013-14 season, while MLS had a little over 6 million for the same period.
Bill Laimbeer is European?
Sporting Kansas City used to be the Kansas City Wizards (prior to that, The Wiz) and their mascot was a freaking alligator (at least that's what it looked like. I think it was supposed to be a dragon) ... So, it's an upgrade. Honestly, it's not nearly as bad as Real Salt Lake. Shouldn't even be in the same conversation.
Their shield is awesome, though. The representation of the MO/KS state line as the focal point is a great touch.
Gorgeous picture!
Maybe in the years to come the superior football will take over the American Rugby that no one outside the USA cares about.
Squirrel Killer
Member
Third: Stop complaining about people calling a sport by a distinctive name in a country that supports multiple codes of football.
enanogrande
Member
I wonder if these people go on Italian boards and complain about 'Calcio'.
M1ch04c4n0
Banned
The crappy us FOOTBALL league will never have any importance until they remove the "s" and call it as it really is: Major League FOOTBALL.
It would help if they change the name from their handegg league, but 'muricans are too stubborn to understand facts (like evolution or the concept of social security).
It would help if they change the name from their handegg league, but 'muricans are too stubborn to understand facts (like evolution or the concept of social security).
GoldenEye 007
Member
Orlando City ownership has really hit it out of the park with building excitement and marketing in the area. Everywhere you see the support. And momentum will continue once the new soccer specific stadium is done next year.Soccer will never catch on in America
Real is a bit weird, as they could have just went with the English translation of Royal Salt Lake or something more traditional like the Salt Lake Elks or whatever, but from a marketing stand point, it just makes more sense to go with the Spanish naming.
As the league grows and garners the attention of fans of other leagues, particularly LA Liga and the EPL, it makes sense to give them a gateway into ours. Those markets are huge, and they would love a piece.
We've debated the FC/SC thing a lot in the American Soccer thread, and it really comes down to knowing the origins of the various games different countries refer to as "football" and if you really think that names like the "Lakers" or "Buccaneers" are really any better.
American Football is actually just Gridiron Football and European Football is just Soccer Football.
It's really only confusing if you don't understand the origin of the word Football.
The other argument is it not being "creative" enough while others like myself contend that our "creative" names are fucking stupid.
You all should turn on ESPN2 and Watch NYFC take on New England. Game is on right now. Yankee Stadium is packed.
Yeah, surpassing the NHL is certainly possible in the future. Hockey will always have a ceiling because no matter how much they try, most cities in the Southern US simply don't give a shit about the sport.
MLS is getting bigger and bigger, but has some way to go to match the quality of 2nd tier European leagues (Erdevisie, Ligue 1 and arguably Seria A) and obviously even further before it can compete with the big guns (Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga).
I think it'll be comparable with the 2nd tier in 4 or 5 years though, which is great news for football fans.
I think it'll be comparable with the 2nd tier in 4 or 5 years though, which is great news for football fans.
Wafflecakes
Member
Comment is 100% accurate. Baseball is trash.
enanogrande
Member
Put me in the 10-15 year camp for that level of play, and that's being quite optimistic.
I'd love for it to happen sooner, but the difference is too big to be surmounted in 5 years - 5 years is one generation of players, you'd be asking for a lot of players currently in MLS to become substantially better than they are right now. Remember it's not (just) about having great stars, it's about raising the level of journeymen players as well; In 5 years we may have some more Designated Player-caliber talent in the high end, but the low end will probably be more or less the same as we have now.
In 10-15 years you'll have a whole new league from a personnel standpoint. It's possible that by then, with growing interest and the youth academies, the 'replacement level' player (to steal a line from baseball) will have improved enough so the league as a whole is Ligue 1/Serie A level. But I don't think 5 years is enough for that to happen, unless there's massive turnover in MLS rosters in that timeframe.
jamesinclair
Banned
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