Not sure how you rate MLS, but the league has been compared to Sweden, Norway, and even close to Denmark. Yeah it's not the EPL, but people pay good money in those countries to see good soccer. There are a number of teams in MLS that play good soccer.
How they compare to other third/fourth tier leagues is irrelevant, all that matters is your second line there. Its not the EPL, and until its damn close you're going to have a hard time convincing a lot of NY soccer fans that its worth watching over the EPL/La Liga, even if its live instead of on TV.
The games are entertaining. The stadium is AWESOME. And the build up to the game (bars, restaurants, march over to the stadium, supporters groups) are AMAZING. We aren't lacking soccer culture on game day. That's for sure.
I'm aware, I'm just pointing out that gameday culture means nothing to most soccer fans in the area because in the end MLS is noticeably less skilled than the top tier leagues, and therefore not worth their time. The only thing that the great gameday experience changes is that they come away saying "Well that was fun but the quality of the game was shit" instead of just "Well that was shit".
But the quality of games is NOT shit. That's the point. It's an excellent game day atmosphere and even at the worst games the quality is "decent".
You're right that its not "shit", that was my Eurosnob impression, but there is still a significant gap in quality. I say this as a huge MLS fan, but after watching nothing but the top tier leagues for awhile it can still be jarring to switch over and watch an MLS game. The good news is that MLS is getting better every year and closing that gap, its just unfortunate that to most people in the area decent quality and great gameday experience isn't more appealing than excellent quality and zero gameday experience.
Just explaining the experience I've had talking to soccer fans in the area over the past few years, next time I'll add the little disclaimer that the views and opinions expressed in my posts are not those of the writer
Well we can all agree the Red Bulls have been shit their last few games. And it's a shame that the live experience is just so much better than on TV but lots of people don't give it that chance. There is a lot less of a jarring EPL vs. MLS experience that you can sometimes get from TV alone.
When people talk EPL they usually use the league name as shorthand for only the top 4 or 5 teams. I would rather watch a Red Bull game than watch Stoke vs Wigan or WestBrom vs Sunderland any day. Some of the most exciting soccer games i've ever watched have been MLS games. Our league is not as crappy as some people think--on the contrary it's a great time to be an MLS fan!!
One of the great things is that there isn't too much margin for error. Because of the salary cap any team can beat any other team on any given day. Makes for close exciting games most of the time.
While our game don't become a consistent one, game after game, the stadium will remind empty, regular people, (I mean not unconditional fan) don't like crappy teams and our beloved RBNY has been a crappy at most games and years for Seventeen years.... Only elephants skin people like us, can resist a sever punishment for so long of a time and all of the time...
It is nothing wrong to be a MLS fan, We love to watch our own team Red Bull perform and enjoy the experiences of live soccer in the stadium, unfortunitely we imported too many near retirement players year after year and year thereafter they were the rejects of their own countries. We got to develope our own young players to serve our league and country. As for the quality of play, I remembered when Mancester City in town vs MLS their forward Mario Balotelli shown his disrepect to MLS by forsake of a clear shot at the 6 yard line and he turned 180 around and used his back heel to shoot at goal. That is an example of how MLS being valued in the world of soccer crappy or not.
Exactly my point of view.... We don't win or build anything bringing old rejected players from Europe that no body bet a zinc penny for them and that only come to increase they retirement account to insure they last days on this earth...Our way to go is with ours youngsters, develop them and if we can subtract from Collage, our reserve system or imported from any Country, 3 or four every year, always wil count with at least 16 genuine footballers on the team, making easy to fill a half empty glass than to fill a empty one like we are doing today....Isn't no matter if this youngsters are from a Rafataria Country or from Europe, the case is to develop players of or own, players that can stay on our system for 6 or more years, enough time to create and maintain a team own system of play, but if we will import the principal players like do RBNY (15 Foreigners) and because they are oldest that my Grand Pa can't stay for more than one or two years and if they do will be like vegetarians like Miller, Marquez and Tainio, them we don't have any.... And yes our MNT by rebound will suffer the consequence....
Well said Metz as always, this is the future for America soccer and our MNT we are talking about, and most importantly RB can play their own efficient style instead of feeding the big name players ball after ball caterring to their needs.
What you mean...or suggest, .......that we have to bring Messi and Ronaldo to help him?....Come on, be real, Henry is a old player, too old to play this game, wasn't for any other reason that Barca let him go, ....and he can't play two game in a row at the same rhythm, no even more than one in three games, because that is what he need to recuperate his energies after one good game, two games to recoup his energy or two weeks what ever you like........Henry was a good player a excellent one, a player that never need a help to play his game, but that was in the pass and this it is now and now he is too dam old... Period....
He is pretty good a dam good for 15 minutes or one game in every three, but have not the energy to play the same, two games in a row....and that in my book isn't a good enough....
In your prolific history of saying questionable stuff, I think your assertion that Henry did not need help in his former teams has to go right up near the top. Poor Thierry, having to lift those talentless Arsenal and Barcelona teams onto his back. Henry is still class. Watch his exploits last year with Arsenal. When given service he will score against top competition. He's not going to outrun the entire back line like in his salad days but he is the best striker currently playing in MLS in my opinion. He has 14 goals and 12 assists this season. I honestly can't imagine how anyone could think he is somehow too old or incompetent for this league. That really blows my mind. Henry would benefit greatly if RBNY had a player who prospers in combination play sitting underneath or above him. Kenny Cooper could not be further from that description with his horrible first touch and Cahill isn't that player either. Someone like David Ferreira or Javier Morales to use two MLS examples.
Wondo illustrates my point perfectly. He is an out-and-out poacher of the first rate who relies on service from his teammates, be it on knockdowns and link-up play with the two physical target forwards (Lenhart and Gordon) or the solid fullback pairing of Morrow and Beitashour who whip in crosses. He rarely creates his own chances. They have a system in place that provides consistent service to the forwards. Wondolowski is absolutely terrific. I would never argue otherwise but he dovetails nicely with my argument. Oh and who provided the service for his goal in the All-Star game?
Shall I bring this back on topic? http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/news/2012/10/backe-refutes-swedish-report-claiming-red-bulls-depature Hmm... sounds like he's gone to me. Probably it would take winning the MLS Cup to even get them to give him a thought.