More specifically, after Roasrio Central and/or the Argentine FA dragged its heels when they lost Martin Rivero to the Rapids last year (because they didn't pay him until the Rapids "signed him") and didn't send the international transfer certificate FIFA had to step in and essentially issue a new ITC so the USSF could register him and he could play for the Rapids. This didn't happen until after the first 2(3?) games of the 2012 season.
I had looked earlier this year and the lowest attended MLS team this year would finish last in attendance in the EPL, Bundesliga, and the Mexican Primera Division. Every other league has teams with lower attendance than Chivas USA. Hell, Chivas USA would finish second in attendance in at least a half dozen European countries (Norway, Romania, and Greece to name three). The problem is always been this perception that everywhere in Europe is playing in front of huge sold out stadiums. No one bothers to think that AEK Athens draws around 9k in a 71k stadium or CSKA Sofia plays in front of 4.5k in a 43k stadium. I mean even Serie A had Chievo and Lecce draw around 10k each last year in stadiums that seat 39k and 36k respectively. But as soon as Dallas draws 10k in a game it is a sign of embarrassment and that the team needs to be moved.
That's where you're wrong. A trivial, true statement somewhere in the midst of a rant doesn't excuse the bottom-line claim being false.
But the underlying claim isn't false. You speak of mitigating factors and managed expectations, but the fact remains most of America hasn't embraced MLS as a -- use the term that you think best captures it: relevant, major, important -- league. Some markets have. I think, in time, more markets will. But it is an ongoing struggle to win hearts and minds and there is a long way to go. In some respect's Blatter is like a child, but like a child he often can say things that are impolite or even hurtful, but true. That's what he's done here. But would be much more productive IMO to discuss how that objective might be achieved by 2022 instead of bemoaning the fact that what he said wasn't nice.
I would just like to know exactly what more Blatter wants to see happen? I mean more fans, better TV ratings, more sponsors , more and bigger stadiums , star players or more clubs? I doubt most of the stars under the age of 30 will come here unless they are offered an astronomical amount of money and usually every kid age 18-28 wants UEFA so I can't see how MLS is going to be high on his list.
No one was under serious confusion as to whether that M at the beginning of the league's name really stands for anything other than aspirations at this point. The only thing that's important is what conclusion one draws from that. If the conclusion is pure nuts, then the statement is nuts.
Wonder why Blatter mentioned China but he didn't talk about the Korean and/or (Japanese) J League which I believe have been around longer than MLS and whose nations were also awarded a World Cup? Is J League really better than MLS? I'm not sure but somehow, I don't think it is.
Or what about the K-League in Korea? Are they better than MLS? I seriously doubt it. I've seen J -League matches before but I was not impressed. I mean MLS may have a ways to go but both Japan and Korea have had a WC given to them 11 years ago also and I haven't see this great league coming out of their neck of the woods so I don't see why Sepp can't publicly fault them either.
Basically what Sepp has done is walked up to a 12 year old kid who just graduated from college and said, "Stupid kid. Why don't you have a PhD yet? Are you stupid or something?" Yeah, it's a fact the kid doesn't have a PhD. It's also a fact that MLS hasn't achieved mainstream status to a large degree. None of Sheep's precious leagues is anywhere close to the NFL or MLB either, so why does he expect MLS to be. Sepp's a dick, that's a fact too.
Same thing Blatter always wants in any situation: money for himself OR prestige for his legacy. That's it.
the j-league's first season was in 1993. the korean super league started in 1983, then rebranded in 1998. i dont know what changes were concomitant with the rebrand.
I don't know and I'm sure others know a lot more than me but I don't believe J League doing any better than MLS is. Of course I can't confirm it but the games I saw weren't all that impressive or IMHO any better than MLS levels.
The J-League is extremely similar to MLS in several ways. It was founded in the same decade. Its attendance is lower than MLS, but only by a little bit. It plays a single table, but it plays the same spring-to-fall season as MLS (in fact, in 2012, it both started on the same day as MLS and ended on the same day as MLS). My impression is that the quality of play is similar, but I'm not a good judge of that.
To the extent that multiple team ownership gives an appearance of corruption... FIFA probably applauds it as an indication that the US is coming around to their way of doing business
so what do you think sepp Blatter means by MLS still struggles ? if he means by ( LEVEL OF PLAY ) I totally agree but DON GARBER said come to see an MLS game to BLATTER that is to easy. GARBER should say I am going to sent an MLS team to be seen by the world, and the only way is by winning the CCL. THAT IS DIFFICULT.
He is somehow surprised by the fact that MLS hasn't usurped any of the "big" sports in terms of national awareness (or, most importantly, money) and this is somehow tied into the fact that we don't play by his version of a schedule.
Even there, though, MLS is making progress. Others have posted the evidence that MLS is second only to FMF in the CCL, cleaning up against teams they used to struggle against. RSL was one home-leg away from the title in 2011. And lowly TFC came closer to winning their semi-final last year, in Mexico, then anyone would have thought possible. At this point, if MLS continues to progress at this rate, a CCL title is just a matter of time. ------RM
As long as there are only 15 American cities with MLS teams, large parts of the country will be apathetic about the league because they don't have a local club to support.
That's as much the media's fault as it MLS's. When you have "football" players openly disparaging soccer on ESPN right before an MLS game, it only reinforces the attitude of the non-soccer fan that soccer is for pussies.
I'm getting sick of that too. I don't hear other sports broadcasters berating different sports whether they know about them or not. I think the networks should really start educating and/or rehearsing these baseball, basketball and football guys to shut up about soccer. I mean usually when you don't know something about a certain subject, you try to make fun of it to make yourself look good but its really getting old and IMHO ignorant....
or fire their asses. "only pussies watch soccer... up next: soccer" might as well be "budweiser gives you syphilis... this portion of the match sponsored by: budweiser".
Yeah really. They suspended Wyanlda then fired him for talking smack to Jim Rome and so I don't know why these others continue to get away with it. I know there is such a thing of freedom of journalism but there should also be respect. I'm sure they wouldn't like it if the soccer guys talked down to or berated American football, baseball and/or basketball.