What's better: English Div:1 MLS or SPL?

[thepremierleague]

What is the best league out of these 3? I vote for the English 1st Division.

[notebook]

I went ahead and voted for your English Division 1. But I think there is lot more disparity from top to bottom in English Division 1 than there is in MLS. In my opinion, the best teams in English 1 are better than all the MLS teams, but all the MLS teams are better than the worst English Division 1 teams.

[thepremierleague]

Originally posted by notebook
but all the MLS teams are better than the worst English Division 1 teams.

The best few teams might be, but the worst Div:1 teams are better than the worst MLS teams.

The SPL teams Celtic, Rangers and maybe Hibs are better than all the MLS teams, but the rest are about the same level

[Ringo]

Originally posted by notebook
I went ahead and voted for your English Division 1. But I think there is lot more disparity from top to bottom in English Division 1 than there is in MLS. In my opinion, the best teams in English 1 are better than all the MLS teams, but all the MLS teams are better than the worst English Division 1 teams.

I would agree with this. The EPL Div. 1 is better, but considering that MLS is only 6 years old the gap has closed pretty quickly.
Here's a question that I'm sure will anger ThePremierLeague just because many things seem to do that:
If in 6 years MLS has improved enought to be considered as somewhat of an equal to EPL Div. 1, how long until it overtakes the league in quality? will it?

[thepremierleague]

Originally posted by Ringo1725


If in 6 years MLS has improved enought to be considered as somewhat of an equal to EPL Div. 1, how long until it overtakes the league in quality? will it?

Not if it goes broke or keeps getting old rejects.

[Ringo]

if mls goes broke: obviously. duh. whatever.
old rejects? I agree, but the MLS did say no to gazza which I think was a smart move.

but you didn't answer the question, either ....
at its current rate of development, how long until MLS overtakes EPL Div. 1 or is at least of equal quality?

[thepremierleague]

Originally posted by Ringo1725
how long until MLS overtakes EPL Div. 1 or is at least of equal quality?

When it gets good young players. Take away the once great aging players such as stoichkov and Hernandez, and the rest are Div: 2 quality players.

Div:1 is full of good British players, the MLS is not full of good American players.

It reminds me of the old league when Pele was there. While all these old stars were all there the league was quite good. When they all left, the league died.

That will happen to the MLS if better young American players do not arrive regularly or good young foreign players with bigger wages paid to them.

If TV money and audiences don't increase to fund all this then the answer is never, it has reached it's peak like the old league.

[Ringo]

I saw stoichkov play last week and he was outclassed and outplayed every time he touched the ball. that was a bad example
many of the best players in the league are americans. most every one of our best young prospects for the national team play in MLS.
So, I disagree about the level of American players in the league.

What I do agree with is this:
It would be nice to get younger internationals as opposed to the aging internationals. But I wouldn't start throwing big money at them. That's what happened to NASL and look what happened. I think the MLS's plan to not throw around money too soon is sound. But, in the end, it must be American stars that drive the league.
Money and audiences must increase. This is tied, I think, to getting more soccer specific stadiums were the clubs control their own schedules and revenue. nothing worse than watching an MLS game with 16,000 people being dwarfed by a 70,000 seat stadium.

[thepremierleague]

As to whether that will happen, don't ask me. ;)

Teams are going nearly broke all over the world, even in Seria A, B, Spain and the lower 3 English Divisions. Wealth and money being spent has dropped in every industry, not just football.

That is not good for the MLS and It won't get any bigger for a long while, if it ever does.

[Newman]

MLS wisely started emphasizing picking up young international players a couple years ago-think Stern John, Vaca, and Ruiz, and now the new Q-salvadoran kid in DC. Wise move as they are hungry, and the up-side is there to sell them on to Europe (If any money is left over there). That was why the Gazza show was dissappointing. Even if he played well, all it would have done is play up the retirement-league image. That image was deserved a few years ago, and will take a while to shake.
With the successful Cup run, MLS can play up the young Americans-not just those from 02, but potential 06 guys like Twellman, Convey, Martino, Bocanegra, etc... An altogether more healthy business model than rolling the dice on the next Mattheus, Gazza, Weah...

thepremierleague-are you saying that the crunch in Europe (Skysports tonight was like a triage unit of wounded clubs...Tranmere, Fiorentina, Bradford, the SPL diffections) will hurt MLS in particular, or just the same way that all leagues have been? This might be one of those times when America being in a soccer cocoon helps us avoid a difficulty. MLS has never really lived off of transfer fees, has it? It might make it a bit easier to find international players in their prime ready to come over to the USA.

Either way, it is sad seeing those clubs hurting. The 442 article on Scotland was really sad, with some 300 footballers possibly losing jobs as squads cut back. MLS may pass the SPL and English 1st Div. the wrong way(standing still while those leagues drop), if those leagues continue to suffer financial upheaval. If MLS starts reserve teams as has been talked about, and can expand in 04 it can be a well respected middle level league, with prospects of bigger and better things in the long haul.

As to whose better, difficult to say as MLS has no opportunities to play these clubs in meaningful competition. Seems a matter of taste (OF dominate too much for me to get excited about SPL, 1st div. promotion playoffs were on FSW and were very enjoyable, MLS is my league-but just my opinion). I just hope they are all financially healthy in the coming years so the arguments can continue...

[Dan Loney]

I think the myth of British soccer has finally been exposed. Paul Gascoigne, the best player in English history, is sent home without a contract - it's pretty obvious that if it wasn't for media hype, he wouldn't have been seriously considered. It's a good thing the Premiership overpays their players, because otherwise they'd have to come over to MLS, and suffer the same abject humiliation that Luis Hernandez, Khodadad Azizi and Paul Gascoigne did.

I honestly don't think there are five players in England who could start for any MLS team. They should stay at home, where it's safe.

[usscouse]

Originally posted by Dan Loney
I think the myth of British soccer has finally been exposed. Paul Gascoigne, the best player in English history, is sent home without a contract - it's pretty obvious that if it wasn't for media hype, he wouldn't have been seriously considered. It's a good thing the Premiership overpays their players, because otherwise they'd have to come over to MLS, and suffer the same abject humiliation that Luis Hernandez, Khodadad Azizi and Paul Gascoigne did.

I honestly don't think there are five players in England who could start for any MLS team. They should stay at home, where it's safe.
The gospel according to Dan LOOney of Hollywood...:D

[photar74]

While I think there is a rough equivalence among the three sides, I voted MLS. This is because MLS is at least a competition for a title. The SPL title is among only two teams, and Div I is only for promotion.

[Maczebus]

Originally posted by photar74
While I think there is a rough equivalence among the three sides, I voted MLS. This is because MLS is at least a competition for a title. The SPL title is among only two teams, and Div I is only for promotion.

Each division has a title and they are fought over just as much as as the teams in MLS,EPL serie A fight for their respective divisions.

And promotion from Div 1 to the EPL isn't just about getting your name on a shiny cup.
It's worth tens of millions of $ to the clubs.
Watching the playoffs at the end of the season will tell you that it's not 'just' about promotion.

[Crazy_Yank]

Honestly, I think all 3 of those leagues are about equal.

[Prenn]

I think the SPL has the two strongest teams; Rangers and Celtic.

I think the best teams in MLS could be about as good as some of the top teams in the first division.

I think the first division has the most quality throughout.

I think that a significant portion of the sides from MLS or division 1 could win the SPL if they replaced Rangers and Celtic.

Division 1 is the richest of the 3 leagues.

[sinner78]

Division one is slightly better overall .
But the quality is sometimes hit and miss depending on which teams get relegated from the premiership.
The SPL is all about Rangers and celtic.
As for the MLS ...LOL
lets not compare pub football with professional leagues.

[thepremierleague]

Originally posted by sinner_ronald_monk
As for the MLS ...LOL
lets not compare pub football with professional leagues.

You crack me up sometimes. :D

[kpaulson]

Originally posted by Prenn
I think the SPL has the two strongest teams; Rangers and Celtic.

I think the best teams in MLS could be about as good as some of the top teams in the first division.
Hmmm. I think MLS teams would do ok in first division, but I think MLS is definitely a few steps below what you see every year in the promotion playoff: I really like MLS, but the talent and intensity isn't quite at that level.

I also wonder how MLS teams would do over the long season because of the limited rosters. But I think the starters in MLS compare well enough to mid-table first division players and they'd be competitive on a game by game basis.

As for the SPL, I think Rangers and Celtic are clearly the best of the whole group. But take a look at who plays for the other SPL teams to try and gauge how the rest of the league would be. One thing I notice is the number of Canadian internationals that have held spots on SPL rosters. With no disrespect to Canada which can form a fairly solid defensive team, I'd have to say that, individually, most Canadian national team players aren't quite good enough to play in MLS. It's really hard to gauge how good these teams are since the only time I see them, they're perpetually getting spanked by the old firm, but I'm guessing the level is somewhat below MLS.

[AminKor02]

Originally posted by sinner_ronald_monk
As for the MLS ...LOL
lets not compare pub football with professional leagues.
Don't be so hard on the Div 1 and SPL guys. They try hard, they really do.