Seven Ways to Improve the MLS All-Star Game
Posted on February 24, 2012 6:53 pm
On this week’s Total Soccer Show:
On the latest episode of the Total Soccer Show:
Thursady’s Total Soccer Show, in three segments:
#1 Free Youth Academies!
The Major League Soccer academy system is growing, and the majority are provided free of charge (we think.) But outside of MLS, that’s not the case. In most of America, if you want to play on an academy team then you better hope that a) your parents earn good money, and b) they are willing to spend it on you playing soccer.
For this reason a lot of kids with a lot of talent don’t make it to the academy level, soccer continues to be seen as a sport for spoiled rich kids and the United States continues to not win the World Cup.
But here in Richmond, Virginia (which is Total Soccer Show HQ) our local USL PRO team, the Richmond Kickers, have proudly unveiled their plans for a cost-free academy. The Kickers U16 and U18 players will not pay a penny, and will received coaching from USSF A-licensed coaches for 10 months of the year.
So we called up Kickers Head Coach and Director of Soccer Leigh Cowlishaw to ask how the Kickers (an extremely well-organized team by the way, about to kick off its 20th season) managed to put this all together. Not to push it too hard, but this might be the future of American soccer. So listen in.
#2 Seven Ideas to Improve the MLS All-Star Game
With the NBA All-Star Weekend about to get underway, we propose a few changes Major League Soccer could make to up interest in its own All-Star Game. Here’s a quick list of Total Soccer Show suggestions, in no particular order:
1. Scrap it all together (thanks for that one, Peyton)
2. Stop playing European teams during their pre-season (because it’s a lose-lose)
3. Return to good old-fashioned East vs West game, or
4. Play “domestic” All-Stars versus “international” All-Stars, or
5. Play MLS-All Stars versus All-Stars from another league (Mexican Primera All-Stars maybe?)
6. Add a “youngsters” game, maybe MLS Rookies vs MNT U23s or MLS Rookies vs NCAA All-Stars
7. Add a skills competition, along the lines of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest
Seriously: How good would a freestyle juggle-off between say Thierry Henry and Dwayne DeRosario be? Or a Free-Kick Challenge (sponsored by Fresca?) between David Beckham and Graham Zusi? Very good, we say.
#3 Carlos Tevez apologizes and Eddie Johnson reveals all
Tevez has apologized to everyone at Manchester City. We debate the sincerity of his sorry, how much playing time he’ll actually get between now and May, and whether or not Manchester City even need the little troublemaker. We also stand corrected on calling Eddie Johnson “unfit” last week (or at least Albert stands corrected) as one of the first things EJ did after signing with Seattle was to make it clear that Puebla basically lied about his fitness to cover up the fact that certain powers within the club wanted to sign a Mexican striker. Luckily for EJ, Seattle has no such policy. They prefer Colombians.
Click below to listen to the show, and if you have any more ideas for improving the MLS All-Star Game then please share in the comments.
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They had a skills competition back in the day. It fell short of enthralling.
Yeah, because it pointed out the lack of skills our guys had. I remember Preki being the only guy who could hit the upper corner with any regularity, even with a still ball and no defenders.
Ha, can you remember which year Dan? I know Albert searched for YouTube videos while researching the show, but don’t think he had any luck.
My guess is that it would go down much better now, especially if was done a la Soccer AM’s “Skills School,” with players representing their team in a head to head showdown.
I forget, but I want to say in the 90′s. Marcelo Balboa was in it, and I think Zach Thornton competed in the PK taking contest. It was glacially paced, and not one of those revved-up Ice Age glaciers, either, but a glacier that slept in and had a big meal.
Was ’98 in Orlando and ’99 in San Jose. And it was not at all easy to get people to come out for them…
1. Get rid of it already.
2. Get rid of it already.
3. Get rid of it already.
4. Get rid of it already.
5. Get rid of it already.
6. Get rid of it already.
7. Get rid of it already.
Any particular reason why? Surely a weekend celebrating the best of the league has a place in the MLS calendar?
I personally like that an All-Star game is very “American,” which is part of what makes MLS a little bit different, in a good way.
Agree. But East vs. West is all that is needed. Don’t go oeverboard with it. All star games are a tradition in American (US) pro sports. Just keep it simple.
The reason why East vs West originally went the way of the dodo was that we had 10 teams, and it just didn’t feel like an All-Star game. They had guys getting real minutes who were just barely above-average starters.
Nowadays they might be able to pull it off a bit better, but frankly I was quite entertained when we played mid-tier English teams like West Ham or Everton. It’s only been the ManU drubbings that have removed the shine from that format.
Playing European teams has nothing negative about it.
They still tickets, and gain a good amount of attention.
“Add a skills competition, along the lines of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest”
Seriously “American’izing” the sport…you lost all credibility.
My feeling is that the MLS All-Star Game being just another stop on Man Utd or Celtic or Everton’s preseason tour devalues the All-Star Game. Instead of being a celebration of MLS, it’s a celebration of fans getting to see a European team (though usually not the full-strength XI).
And what’s wrong with “Americanizing” the All-Star Game? Having an All-Star Game is a very American concept to begin with, so why not go all out? Just because it’s American doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
I agree. Skills competitions are not big fan pleasers. They get boring after 10 minutes and many, if not most, people lose interest. It just seems over-hyped and usually under-delivers. Not sure how I feel about Euro teams playing American all-star teams. I suppose it’s fun to watch, but seeing the US all stars lose 4-0 to an EPL team takes a lot of the air out of “all stars”, now doesn’t it?
They’re not talking about “Americanizing” the sport (a bad thing), they’re talking about “Americanizing” the All-Star game (a good thing).
I remember the skill competition. It had a power shot competition where they measured the MPH of the shots. Can’t remember what else they did. I totally agree that all star games are just pretty lame. Hopefully MLS is able to gather more interest around its real games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vguRR6lMnNI
Bullseye competition – Accuracy
That’s exactly the one I was thinking of, and remembering everyone utterly failing to hit the upper corner targets other than Preki.
Remove the All Star Game. It serves no purpose whatsoever.
Mid-season scrimmages are lame. Even more lame when they’re hyped as much as the MLS Cup.
I’m not sure it can be improved. All-star games in general are a let-down. I mean, the idea is great, but it ends up being like watching paint dry. Case in point is the NBA All-star game on right now. I like basketball when it is competitive, but this is boooooring.
The NFL Pro Bowl is already irrelevant, and people are suggesting that it be done away with. Only baseball has an all-star game worth playing, IMO.
It is what it is, and I don’t think you can do much to make it better.
Its Simple!!!1 AMERICANS DO NOT WATCH SOCCER. So bring in the FMF. The mexican league allstars against the U.S all stars. Would be the highest rated thing that day!
FMF v. MLS AllStars would be an awesome, awesome thing. I could see Mexican fans (both in the USA and Mexico) really enjoying that format, and it would give what could be a stale game the spice of a real rivalry, but in a safe, exhibition format.
Because the thing that always makes me cringe about the BigEuro FC All-Star matchups is that they become auditions for BigEuro’s benchwarmers and practice-teamers to make a name for themselves. And one of those names, one day, is going to be made on an MLS star’s knee.
I would have titled it “6 ways to make the all-star game worse, and 1 way to make it better”. #5 is a really great idea. The others not so much.
I do not work for MLS, but I did at one time.
1. Scrap it all together (thanks for that one, Peyton)
…If you can get ManU, Barca, Madrid or even Arsenal I think its fine, but thats only 4 years.
2. Stop playing European teams during their pre-season (because it’s a lose-lose)
…Better TV ratings with this format and better ticket sales, so I don’t agree with lose-lose. Plus, when the All Stars had a full 3 days or more of practice (think landon flying in the night before the game in houston) and coaching selection that wasn’t a joke, MLS did better.
3. Return to good old-fashioned East vs West game, or
…This is a dud! Did not sell out 1 stadium with this format, ever. Remember DC in 2004? Dreadful.
4. Play “domestic” All-Stars versus “international” All-Stars, or
…MLS vs MLS World in ’98, Yawn!
5. Play MLS-All Stars versus All-Stars from another league (Mexican Primera All-Stars maybe?)
…Would be cool, if you could get the other league to deliver their team. MLS owns all player contracts, Mexican league does not. Think it would require a bunch of individual contracts with foreign players which might be prohibitive.
6. Add a “youngsters” game, maybe MLS Rookies vs MNT U23s or MLS Rookies vs NCAA All-Stars.
…First. Sell out the AS game, then you can add ancillaries to provide opportunities for people who couldn’t get tickets to the actual game. If TV ratings for the AS game were gang busters, there would be a call for this. That is not the case right now. MLS have tried to have an mls academy tourney that has some games including a final at all-star.
7. Add a skills competition, along the lines of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest
…if the international club model continues, then there are not enough hours in the day to have players do this as well as make all the sponsor appearances that are required and have enough time together on the practice field. Switch to EvW then you are focusing on selling tickets to the game, full stop.
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