Really? Its clearly a better overall league. Different style perhaps and there are plenty of players who could compete in both but Liga MX absolutely is a better league. Ask anyone anywhere in the world outside of the US (and many in the US), particularly in South America where Mexican teams play in Copa Libertadores.
Villareal is a legit national team prospect in the next few years. I wonder if this will affect our chances with him. I assume Mexico might pursue him too.
So, Villarreal, Michael Farfan and Rafael Baca REPORTEDLY all to Cruz Azul on one-year loans with an option to buy on all except Villarreal... Any thoughts?
Mid-table clubs from LigaMX have made runs into the KO stages of Copa Libertadores, do you think mid-table clubs from MLS would too against South America's best? LigaMX has lots of parity. Tijuana won the 2012 Apertura and finished 10th this Apertura. DaMarcus Beasley started 8 out of 17 games for 13th place Puebla. There's been 8 different champions in the last 8 Apertura/Clausura seasons, that points to the depth of LigaMX (although I wish they'd do away with Apertura/Clausura).
I have to agree here. The best teams in Liga MX are far far far deeper than MLS teams. Watching them continually crush us in CCL reminds me of that every year. Watching them compete in Copa Libertadores also reminds me how good the league is. I suppose its possible bottom third of MLS is as good as the bottom third of Liga MX. I don't watch enough of their bad teams to know for sure, but I wouldn't want to bet on Toronto, Chivas, and DC United (of last year) against any Liga MX team... not with my own money. Perhaps you could argue there is more parity in MLS... I'm not sure. I just don't see how in any rational sense someone (outside of a handful or MLS homers which I suppose makes them inherently irrational since they are homers) would see a move to Liga MX as a lateral move.
They might pursue him, but considering where he is now, he has a long way to go before he's good enough to make the full senior team. Even if you discount Dempsey for the next cycle, he's still miles behind Altidore and Johannasson, and it's questionable whether he's even better than Jack McBean.
1. another set of eyeballs looking at US talent. Take for example Herc Gomez' development down there after leaving MLS. 2. helps establish another career pathway besides the MLS-->Europe one. Different players thrive in differing environs.
No more silly of a point that trying to say MLS teams are deeper than Liga MX teams with absolutely no supporting evidence.
Where is the evidence that Liga MX is deeper than MLS? There is evidence that it is more top heavy(CCL), but there is no concrete evidence that it is deeper. There are only very weak examples that don't prove the point very well.
we have a lot promising midfielders for the next cycle, will be hard for him. many mexican fans we have not seen to play Baca and Farfan, but if cruz azul brought them they should have something special.
Well this: LigaMX has more parity than almost every league not named MLS. Their teams routinely play reserves against ours in CCL and they have a better record. They spend 3x as much on wages. As our HG players continue to develop MLS is getting deeper but we aren't close to making up the huge pay differences up and down the roster.
How do you know that MLS clubs wouldn't place well in the Copa Libertadores? Its just speculation until they actually compete in it.
How do know they would? Also, it's basically LigaMX's Europa League clubs in Libertadores as they're forced by CONCACAF to send the best finishers to the CCL. Chivas Guadalajara and Chivas USA finished basically the same position in the respective leagues, if they played 10 times, Chivas USA could maybe get 2 or 3 draws.
Why are you passing this off as a fact? Its an opinion. Just because Chivas Guadalajara is the mother club doesn't mean that they are necessarily better. They have got real problems.
We have a barometer in the CCL....MLS teams do fine against some of the central american clubs but vs a Mexico club it's usually a complete bunker-fest.
Here is the UEFA coefficient translated into CONCACAF: https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/...gue-coefficient.1187575/page-19#post-28924713 Yes, it's true that Monterrey is way ahead of everyone, and Santos and Cruz Azul are way ahead of the rest of the pack, but there are 11 different Mexican clubs with a decent coefficient, including all of the top 5 and 7 of the top 9.
Some interesting selections in the SBI most improved 11 list (many of whom we have noted in this thread) http://www.soccerbyives.net/2013/12/2013-improved-best.html 2013 SBI MLS Most Improved Best XI Rodney Wallace————Mike Magee————Lamar Neagle ——————-Kelyn Rowe———Diego Fagundez————- ——————————Uri Rosell——————————– Chris Klute———————————————Kofi Sarkodie ——————-Shane O’Neill———Chris Schuler————- ———————————Zac MacMath————————- HONORABLE MENTION Joe Bendik; Jeb Brovsky, Ike Opara, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Leo Gonzalez, Raymon Gaddis; Russell Teibert, Dilly Duka, Nathan Sturgis, Jeremy Hall; Dom Dwyer, Soony Saad.
lots of good players who i wouldnt mind bringing in for the final edition of this cycles camp strudel.