MLS vs. USL

This is correct.

 

If Toronto wins by exactly 4, they'd advance because they'd have more total goals in the competition than the Whitecaps (they'd have at least 6 compared to Vancouver's total of 5); it wouldn't go to a coin flip.

To be fair to TFC, they've gone 2-1 so far this competition versus the USL. The thing that is likely to keep them out is that the Impact played crappy and lost to Vancouver twice, more than TFC's play itself (of course, TFC could have just tied or beaten the Whitecaps themselves last night and avoided that issue).

 

mls still trying to close the gap i see... well done usl

 

Toronto is 2-1 versus USL teams this year. How does that show MLS is "trying to close the gap"?

 

if they don't qualify ahead of the usl team it should be considered a heavy fracaso



there's no other way of looking at it.

 

Of course not. Because your way of looking at things is obviously the only way, always.

 

One of the commentators on the spanish broadcast of the game mentioned that Traffic Sports, which carried the game, is also associated somehow with Miami FC and/or USL. Don't take my word for it, though.

 

Correct

 

lolol.

 

Unbiased opinion here:

I have much more respect for the USL than the MLS.

Carry on...

 

If USL is so great, why don't they have better results against MLS in the Open Cup? And before anyone points out that PR doesn't play in the Open Cup, let me say that they are only tied for first with two other teams with 2 and 4 extra games played (ie they are not the top of the table). What were the respective lineups in the game?

Edit: It looks like TFC used a mostly 1st team lineup (unlike DCU which used a mostly bench squad) so no excuses for them I guess. It's hard to find good info on CCL games - I got my lineup impression from the PbP thread in the TFC forum! I certainly hope that the Crew use a 1st team lineup in their CCL match - if you're not going to put your best foot forward why bother showing up?

 

how is the open cup format played? is it just one leg hosted by mls teams?



i ask in honesty, i don't know but seeing as how it's how mls and US soccer prefer to play their games, i wouldn't doubt it. in which case it would explain lopsided results



also, champions league brings international appeal, most american soccer fans don't even seem to care for the open cup.

 

And the majority of the games have been hosted by the USL teams. So, taking that into account along with the lopsided results shows that the actual difference between the two leagues is even greater.

There are detailed threads containing data like this in some other forums. I can't remember whether it's the Open Cup one or the USL.

 

Here, I found some source data, but it hasn't been updated for this year yet.

http://oot-football.blogspot.com/2009/02/mls-vs-usl-1-head-to-head.html
http://blogdumpster.googlepages.com/usoc.pdf

Somebody on here, I think it was kenn, broke it down for home and away as well, but I don't have the time to find that.

 

There seems to be about as much appeal for CCL matches unfortunately. A friendly between an MLS team and an EPL team is likely to generate more interest with both fans and front offices. Anyone know how much money is won from being involved with CCL?

 

These results don't take into account relative roster strengths either. To fair I cannot comment on the seriousness that USL take the USOC, but I know that Columbus did not play most of their first team when they lost to Rochester on penalties. It is frustrating to some fans since the USOC trophy is still considered a good achievement along with the MLS Cup and Supporters Shield. Oh well.

 

I'm not sure what prize CONCACAF gives the winner directly.

But the winner gets to go to the Club World Cup. And last year the last placed team in that competition got something over a million just for showing up and losing.


EDIT:
Ok, I was a bit off. The last place team only gets 500k, but it's impossible for the CONCACAF entrant to finish last. Pachuca finished 4th last year.

In last year's tournament:
The winners took away US$5 million, the losing finalists US$4 million, the third-placed team US$2.5 million, the fourth-placed team US$2 million, the fifth-placed team US$1.5 million, the sixth-placed team US$1 million and the seventh-placed team US$500,000.

 

According to Glenn Davis, MLS teams are playing for the following prize money for the championships they play in. Davis listed the amount the winner takes home; I've added the number of games the team must play to win:

SuperLiga: $300,000 (5 games)
MLS Cup: $200,000 (34 games)
U.S. Open Cup: $100,000 (5-8 games)
Champions League: $36,000 (12-14 games)

As a fan, I'd love to see MLS teams take the Champions League more seriously than SuperLiga. But really, can you blame them? Especially when SuperLiga draws just as well at the gate?