I suppose I could have put this in MLS General for more eyeballs, but since it's complete fantasy at this point, I went with MLS:Fans. So MLS fans, should MLS help start a "Community Shield" (more properly called a Supercup I suppose) game to start the season? I figure there are a few ways to do it. Personally, I think (if it was done) it should be the Supporter's Shield winner vs. the US Open Cup winner, with the MLS Cup Winner taking the spot if a team took the Supporter Shield and the USOC, and the Supporter's Shield runner-up if someone won the improbable treble. And the location should be the home stadium of the USOC winner (an extra home gate the next season should give MLS teams a little more reason to win that, and that a USL team could host an MLS team would give them a further incentive to win.) Another ideas would be Supporter's Shield winner vs. MLS Cup winner. If this was the route, I'd like to see the game played at a neutral site that doesn't currently have an MLS team. Maybe St. Louis one year, Miami the next, Nashville, Milwaukee, Ottawa, etc. etc. Just to help develop the game in different places. Do either one of these, and then get a TV partner, either ESPN or FSC, to televise it, and get some sponsors, and it would be a money-maker for all (hopefully). So if you think MLS should have a game like this, tell me how you would set it up (which of the two, USOC winner, MLS Cup Winner, Supporter's Shield winner would you pick to go) and would you do a neutral stadium (but an MLS city), a neutral stadium (but a non-MLS city) or a non-neutral stadium (stadium of one of your winners). And if you don't think the MLS should have one, tell me why. (Let me guess, don't we have enough meaningless games in the schedule with the All-Star game and Superliga.) No poll though, because there are too many nuances for an online poll. And to stop the Europosing arguments now (please see my post on naming conventions if you want to know where on that scale I fall), I came up with the idea as a way to help raise the desire to win the USOC for MLS and USL teams alike, and it would be the same as say the Hall of Fame game which is the official beginning of the preseason of the NFL.
It used to be a big event in England - the official start of the season. Nobody gives a toss about it any more. I don't think I've even seen a single news item about it being on this weekend, which I assume it is. I actually need to check...bear with me a second...yes it is. It's on on Sunday. Then again I don't have SKY. It's probably billed as "The Unmissable SuperMegaShowdown CXI" on there. Unless there's any demand for it from the fans over there, I can't see any point in you having one.
My only real point was either to have a designated game to grow the brand (by playing in different non-MLS venues) or, which is how I came up with this idea, by giving a prize of winning the US Open Cup to be that you get to sell your fans an extra home game against the defending MLS champions in the next season. I had no expectation the American SuperCup would be considered a giant deal (though I'm sure FSC or ESPN would pick it up if the price were right) but I figured it would pack a stadium.
It's something the USSF would handle, and they don't like working unless they have to. It'd be nice to have it in Honolulu or Miami. Honolulu in particular since it won't ever have another team unless teleportation is invented.
Only if the USOC were involved would the USSF get involved. And even still, MLS would have to agree to it as well. If it was Supporter's Shield vs. MLS Cup winner (which wouldn't shock me to see MLS do this one day) then just the MLS would be needed.
MLS Cup Champion vs. Supporter's shield as the first regular season game the following year? I'm game!
In my opinion, you have to make it a strictly MLS-only affair and count it as the first regular season game. MLS Cup Champion hosting Supporters Shield winner in week one is the best. If the team pulls the double, bring in the US Open Cup champion (assuming it's MLS). if not (or they pulled the triple), do a rematch of MLS Cup or a matchup of East & West regular season winners hosted by the MLS champion. The NFL fell into the 'kickoff' game they have going and it has become a very marketed and sought after game. It's a 'right' of winning the title. You get to host the first game of the season. Display your championship banner for the first time, etc. I think the league could use a little early season pizzazz. Sykotyk
Q: Is the idea of an MLS Community Shield a stupid one that the vast majority of American soccer fans will not understand? A: Yes. Q: Am I sick and tired of BigSoccer posters wanting to make MLS a mirror image of the EPL because they're Man U or Chelsea bandwagon jumpers? A: Yes.
Uh, sparky, I know I don't actually have one of those favorite club tabs under my name, but just so you know, I actually hate ManUre and Chelski. If I had to pick an EPL team at gunpoint, Everton, because Tim Howard is the goalie. And that's about the most I know about the EPL besides, like many other leagues in the world, they have a preseason game that involves the champion of the regular season versus the champion of the national open cup. (By the way, for future reference, if you want to accuse me of being a European soccer fan, I "follow" Celtic, because I've been to Scotland and the people I met were Celtic fans. And I neither know or care if Scotland has a SuperCup. And I "follow" Celtic so much that until last year, I was convinced Craig Beattie was one of their strikers. Which was true, in like 2003.) And notice where I said I thought of it only as a way of awarding a prize to the US Open Cup winners? But I suppose I only want the US Open Cup to succeed so we can be the spitting image of the FA, and not because I want soccer in the United States, and in particular, the USSF, to do better, or because the history of the USOC should make it one of the more prestigious trophies to win. And then notice how I added that it could be more of a way to expose MLS matches to communities like Saint Louis, Nashville, Ottawa, etc. If I wanted a mirror of the EPL, wouldn't I have said the game should be played in Happy Valley in Penn State or some other large stadium every year, and every year have it be for the same stadium? And please, if you're up for it, do a search on here and see how I feel about naming American soccer teams, whether I call it soccer or football, single table, pro/rel, all of that. Because as someone that defends the conference system, the playoffs, and is still stunned that people even think pro/rel would work in the US, never mind that people actually want it, I didn't actually put myself in the camp of people who want the MLS to be a mirror image of the EPL. Jumping to that helpful Q and A technique you posted: Q: Are people who jump to conclusions without facts or looking at the evidence ignorant? A: Yes Q: Did you just jump to conclusions? A: Yes Q: Was that a sneaky way of saying you're ignorant? A: Well, it wasn't particularly sneaky. So to sum up, if anything, I'm a Celtic fan, but I follow MLS and American soccer far more, don't actually want the MLS to try to be the EPL, and think you're a moron. We cool?
Q: Is the idea of an MLS Community Shield completely idiotic? A: Yes, for all of the reasons stated above. Q: Is the OP an overly sensitive Europoseur twat? A: Does a bear shit in the woods?
You didn't state any reasons. Is this some form of, I'm from New York, so you think I'm a Dead Bulls fan? BTW, of the two of us, which one publicly claims to cheer for a European team? Huh, you have, what's it, AS Roma as a team you cheer for. The most you can say is I own a Celtics jersey. And if we really need to go there: Which one of the two of us supports a team with a European style name? Well, you cheer for DC United and I don't. Nor do I cheer for the Dead Bulls, RSL, Chivas USA, TFC, FCD, etc. etc. I do follow the MLS though, and am hoping Columbus knocks off Puerto Rico in the CCL. So I guess that would make you the europoser, who is so upset by either: 1) a random thread in the MLS Fans forum (which asked actually a simple yes or no question and asked for reasons, which one person has provided in the no column- who wasn't you- and you may want to talk to him because he used the EPL as evidence that evil Europoser) or 2) being called out for being an ignorant moron. How does the ignore feature work on these blogs? It's clear this guy took too many soccer balls to the head and I'd rather not listen anymore. Your right, it's a dumb idea, the USOC will never be worth as much as the Stanley Cup anyway. Sincerely, a hockey fan, and a guy that watches MLS and USMNT soccer.
Reread this: A Community Shield makes no sense in MLS because thee's no historical context for it to exist in MLS in the same way that it exists in England. Which is, incidentally, the only place it exists. As far as I know the winners of La Coppa Italia don't play the Serie A champion to start the Italian season. The winners of the Bundespokal don't play the Bundesliga champs to start the German season. The winners of Coppa del Rey don't play La Liga winners to start the Spanish season, etc. Creating a "Charity Shield" game between the USOC winner and the MLS Cup winner is an absurdly stupid idea.
Well, that's not true, it's there in many places, check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Cup Look: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercoppa_Italiana They do, albeit not consistently: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Supercup Again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercopa_de_España It should be a brilliant idea worth considerations, especially to start a new season, maybe someone can just approach MLS/USSF on this?
I think its a really good move for MLS, the biggest two arguments for its inception would be 1) exposure to markets that dont have markets or even markets that are about to get a team- for cities like St. Louis that are very close but need a little bit more $$$ a large crowd would prove theres a market there and maybe an investor would step forward 2) The first time i had ever heard of MLS was when beckham arrived and i havent taken an interest until recently this year, but i had no idea the season started back in the spring- the point im trying to make is that MLS needs to have a big game to kick off its season. A community shield type game would be a easy way for MLS to show case its top two franchises. Id say the MLS Cup winner the USOC, this way the game would not be an entirely MLS event this way it wouldnt have to count as an official season game.
I dont think MLS needs a seperate game just do kinda what they do now take a regular season game and make it the first kick classic, play the game as the first official game of the season... just atke the MLS CHampion against the SS or top MLS team.
Any MLS fan who thinks the idea is stupid because it's a EPL concept, can go back to watching MLS games with running pk's and countdown clocks. In my opinion those fans want MLS to fail and stay stagnant forever.
the league needs to develop its own identity, Right now the leagues needs to figure out how to win the domestic soccer fan base and cant worry about what always goes on in some other countries.. MLS will do better by developing and marketing in ways thast benefited the big four than follw the Englands and whoevers. soccer is not the dominate sport here, that means its not a all yr sport commercially, and that it has to compete with every other sport amatuer and professionally. the Community shield is something that benefited for the england fan base over time, so why should the MLS and USSF adopt that??
While i agree that MLS needs its own identity that will come over time. As for the people that are petrified of using something that has succeeded elsewhere is just being ignorant.
I dont see what the problem with whats MLS doing now... I dont see any legitimate reason to copy cat a league like EPL like every other league is trying to do gonna help MLS.... MLS isnt really competing with EPL its competing with the NFLs NBAs and MLBs and NHLs.. MLS is supposed to be America's League, MLS is failing to fulfill that. They let other people run them over.
I agree that mls isnt competing with epl but mls is not neccessarily competing with nfl, nba- really only mlb which is also in summer. But the way to gain fans is to a play traditional soccer- there are tons of soccer fans already in america(as was displayed in the world challenge) and also develop things that are unique to soccer- this is why i think things like the community shield, pro/rel, home and away playoffs will take hold in america because it is something unique from the american sports landscape. Unique things will get peoples attention and say only 25% of those people join on its still building the fan base
Maybe I'm too far from it to have my finger anywhere near the pulse, but I don't fancy the odds of a one-off tournament that few understand or care about being some kind of key to popularity.
Fans are not gonnna come for a copy cat league, those folks who attended the WFC attended cause of the Europeans teams, what makes you think that those same number will produce for MLS??? I beleive Major league soccer has a serious crisis on the horizon, to me they dont seem to have a focus a real objective, because too many people that run the league are doing their own thing and moving thier own direction with or with out the interest of the league in mind.