Do you want MLS to become a top league?

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by Bonus_Game, Dec 20, 2012.

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Do you want MLS to become a top league?

  1. Yes

    63 vote(s)
    79.7%
  2. No

    16 vote(s)
    20.3%
  1. Bonus_Game

    Bonus_Game Member

    Sep 30, 2007
    San Francisco
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thread title says it all.

    I'm not looking for predictions, just what you personally want. I like MLS as is, I like it as a feeder league, where players (for the most part) do not have overinflated egos and seem by all accounts to be real people. And I like seeing our players "graduate" and prove themselves in the top leagues. MLS has a very homey feel to it right now and I think that if/when MLS becomes a top league, many of us will fondly look back upon this time period as the 'good old days'.

    What y'all think?
     
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  2. Darkwing McQuack

    Darkwing McQuack BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 11, 2011
    Morrisville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think along with me there are a lot of MLS fans that are patently awaiting the day when the league becomes a top 10 league.
     
  3. krudmonk

    krudmonk Member+

    Mar 7, 2007
    S.J. Sonora
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    I want it to be like Argentina.



    In Spanish, too.
     
  4. Hachiko

    Hachiko The Akita on Big Soccer

    Jun 8, 2005
    Long Beach, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I just want to be MLS. It's already a top league. It's better than a lot of minor European leagues and a lot of leagues in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America (outside of Mexico, Argentina and Brazil).
     
  5. Jough

    Jough Member+

    Jul 30, 2007
    Kansas City
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As long as I can watch competitive, professional soccer without leaving the country, I'm happy. I loved the hell out of watching the Minnesota Thunder play and more often than not that was some damn poor soccer. But it was mine, dammit.

    It was ours.

    /soapbox.
     
  6. CoconutMonkey

    CoconutMonkey Member

    Aug 3, 2010
    Japan
    Club:
    Chicago
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No lo
    No love for the Stars?
     
  7. CoconutMonkey

    CoconutMonkey Member

    Aug 3, 2010
    Japan
    Club:
    Chicago
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A top league? Based on what?

    Whenever I hear the Don say things like this, it kind of makes me roll my eyes.

    I'm not really concerned about how MLS measures up to the rest of the world, but rather how it plans to improve itself. So far, there's a lot of reasons to be optimistic:

    The reserves teams are back, and we're looking at further integration with USL Pro down the road.

    All MLS clubs now have their academies up and running. And it development academy league is going to expand soon to the U14 age group as well.

    The league has been taking meaningful steps to improve officiating as well as sportsmanship around the league.

    And that's just the soccer side of things.
     
  8. Master O

    Master O Member+

    Jul 7, 2006
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I want to see MLS eventually compete with the EPL. All of the rest of the USA's major sports are the best leagues in the world in their respective sports, so soccer's league stateside should be no different.

    MLS has to reach that standard if it wants to be considered a serious league among casual sports fans in this country.

    Also, we're Americans at the very least. Ask yourselves: do we really want to be the best .... or simply also-rans?
     
  9. Jough

    Jough Member+

    Jul 30, 2007
    Kansas City
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I love me some Stars man. But it's not the same. The Thunder played in my high-school's football "stadium". It's not the same :(
     
  10. the5timechamp

    the5timechamp Member+

    Nov 3, 2012
    I want the league to succeed and to continue to improve... what others eventually rank it in comparison to other leagues in the world doesnt matter to me. This is my league and I've enjoyed it since it launched anything from that day on was just bonus. I do not require the blessings or recognition from fans of other leagues to validate something I already enjoy.
     
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  11. Oobers

    Oobers Member+

    Oct 17, 2011
    Boise
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I'd like to reach a point where our top American players want to stay here rather than leave.

    What the hell is the "good old days" supposed to mean anyway? Is that supposed to be the time where I watched the Wizards play in a giant football stadium where I got the tickets by buying 10 items at Price Chopper? We still have teams in terrible situations (NE, Chivas, etc) that I'd like to see fixed before anointing this time as the "good old days".
     
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  12. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Based on what?

    Chile is pretty decent, even outside the top 3 teams (not as balanced as the other 3 LA leagues you mentioned for sure).
     
  13. Hachiko

    Hachiko The Akita on Big Soccer

    Jun 8, 2005
    Long Beach, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Relative strength. We can beat a side from Chile.
     
  14. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I do not comprehend?

    Maybe the worst MLS team can beat the worst team in Chile.

    But in Copa Libertadores, Chile is better than Mexico (at least since the rule that the Mexican Champions must play in the CCL).


    BTW, Uruguay and Colombia now rank higher than Mexico as well thanks to that rule.


    But yes, those leagues are top heavy, their best teams are better than the MLS top teams, but most likely the MLS worst teams are better than their worst teams.



    So if we compare the bottom of the tables, I agree MLS would rank very high, shit top 15th league perhaps (thank you Toronto FC and Chivas USA)
     
  15. Hachiko

    Hachiko The Akita on Big Soccer

    Jun 8, 2005
    Long Beach, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's fine. I don't comprehend this thread either, but I still post in it to bump my count. Anyway joking aside, bring on the likes of Colo Colo, the U and Huachipato. We can give them a taste of I Believe. And some.
     
  16. EvanJ

    EvanJ Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    Mar 30, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'd like it if high schoolers and younger had a better chance of becoming rich and famous here by playing soccer. If MLS became elite, there could be a significant number of MLS games with USMNT players playing against each other rather than just occasional matchups like Dempsey trying to score against Howard or Guzan in England. The discussion about not playing WCQs in the west because it's a longer trip for players coming from European clubs wouldn't be an issue if most USMNT players could play in MLS and still face good competition.
     
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  17. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    don't care. I have a local team and TV coverage of said team.
     
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  18. DrownedElf

    DrownedElf Member+

    Jul 5, 2010
    Ogden
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think at some point we'll be considered a 'top league'. The numbers of fans seem to be growing by the year, and at some point the salaries and overall talent should rise as well. Whether it takes 10, 20, or 50 years, I believe it'll happen.

    I'm perfectly happy where we're at, and I love having a local team I can support. It's especially nice that it's affordable. I like being able to take people to games that are on the fence, and have them become fans.
     
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  19. Inca Roads

    Inca Roads Member+

    Nov 22, 2012
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Yes and no. I'm not down with the belief that being a major league as such would imply us just bringing all the big names here on massive salaries. I do, however, want us to be a major league based on the depth and quality of local talent. In my mind, it has little to do with how many superstars we can get here (and while they're fun, they're really fairly annoying) and much more to do with how good of an international squad we can create from primarily MLS players.

    I want Americans to be great at soccer. Not just great at importing the best here.
     
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  20. CoconutMonkey

    CoconutMonkey Member

    Aug 3, 2010
    Japan
    Club:
    Chicago
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Absolutely. And one of the great things about MLS is that the league can emphasize local talent via the salary cap and homegrown player rules.
     
  21. yellowbismark

    yellowbismark Member+

    Nov 7, 2000
    San Diego, CA
    Club:
    Club Tijuana
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I would like the league to be reasonably competitive with other so-called "good" leagues, but I don't need it to become a top league to vindicate my investment in it. If it ever becomes a mega league, the degree of accessibility us fans enjoy with the players, teams and league would disappear - and that's one of the things I like about MLS. If SGs think league-to-supporters relations are bad now, just wait to see what happens when the league reaches Big 4/EPL-level establishment. And I like that the tickets don't cost a ton.

    My support is not an hourglass, contingent on giants leaps before the sand runs out. I've watched the league since the beginning and am happy to just have a league. If they can catch up to and keep up with Liga MX - I'd be happy with that benchmark. If it stays at the level it is at currently, I can live with that too - but, would obviously like to see refinement in the weaker aspects here and there.
     
  22. FootballCoachInTheUSA

    Dec 24, 2012
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    My answer is YES. I would love to see the MLS become a top league. You have the facilities, as Alex Ferguson said on Manchester United's recent tour to the USA your training facilities are second to none. You have the sporting passion nationwide. You have a very strong and well respected coach education program. Soccer is the most played Sport in America until teenage years.

    Now my thoughts on why the MLS wont ever be a top league. The best players in the World, in all respect, were brought up playing soccer on the street. There only expense was pretty much a ball and any item of clothing they could find to use as goals. I was brought up in England where it cost me 1 pound per week (approx $1.50). That included costs to play in state and national cup competitions. I was part of the best team in the North of England winning 3 county cups (state cup) and was a runner up in the national tournament. Again, costing $1.50 per week.

    I currently coach at a competitive club where it costs $400 per season to play, plus uniform fees which is just over $100 for every two years. As a competitive club we are one of the cheapest in the state, some of our rival clubs cost anywhere from $1000-$2000 per season. Plus, as part of the uniform package you must buy your strip, a back pack, training jerseys, warm ups among other things costing well over $200! Soccer in America is excluding itself from so much of society and missing out on so much talent its actually quite incredible.

    The MLS club (I wont name) in my state charges $1200 a season to play for their academy teams. How can an Academy charge you to play for them? Quite coincidentally, I have just watched an interview with Luis Suarez and as a child he could not afford cleats and had to wear tennis shoes playing for his academy side. Guess what, had it cost Luis Suarez $1000 a season he would not be a professional player now.

    I could could go on and on about this issue. As long as soccer continues to be a business within America, your national team and the MLS will continue to suffer for many years!
     
  23. Soccergodlss

    Soccergodlss Member+

    Jun 21, 2004
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Kaiserslautern
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I coach a freshman HS team in an inner city school here in Houston and can concur that there is a tremendous amount of talent on the streets that goes untouched. But I have only been coaching for about 4 years now and have already seen a noticeable jump in talent coming through. The quality has increased every single season, so that is promising for the future. I think that this may be because the access to the professional sport via internet, tv deals, video games is far above what it has been in the past.
     
  24. Clenbuterol

    Clenbuterol Red Card

    Aug 25, 2011
    Club:
    --other--
    Eventually I want the best players in the world and the best coaches in MLS so the answer is "yes".

    It may take many decades or may never happen but I want it to happen.
     
  25. Shiver_Me

    Shiver_Me Member

    Aug 2, 2010
    Portland, OR
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No. I want it to be a more prestigious league than it is now, with a fully developed reserve side, youth academies and a minimum salary that's higher . But I don't want it to be on par with the EPL. The things that make MLS so charming right now wouldn't translate to a league on par with the NFL. The players wouldn't be as accessible, season tickets would be much more expensive, which would negatively impact supporters groups, you'd have a lot more entitled-athlete personalities rather than the current just-happy-this-is-happening kind of guys.

    I'd be pretty comfortable if the league settles in about where the NHL was before Gary Bettman got to it. Comfortably a fourth place sport in the US with a talent level comparable to somewhere around Ligue One in France (minus PSG's oil money).
     
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