News: Bruce Arena says the United States will be in a position to win the World Cup by 2026

We all know MLS is not very good, that doesn't mean we should be trashing the league all the time.

It may sound silly but we have to believe and advertise our league, not as a great league but as an "exciting young league."

Small countries like Uruguay won world
Cups because of their mentality, if they sat out there trashing their own domestic league, they would have never achieved anything.

 

Explaining the things we dont like about the leagues structure and strategy is trashing the league?

We don't have to do anything. If you are going to lecture someone about promoting the league "as an exciting young league", why don't you make that someone MLS. The commissioner has claimed they will a top league in the world next year. Again, the league isn't focused on producing players to win a World Cup, but to make money. The league continues to improve, but still not great entertainment and still not enough being done to help our country win a World Cup. No amount of belief or promoting will change that.

 

I thought this timeline was 2021 or 2022?

I did a quick search and this what I found...

the following quote is from Garber back in 2011, found here.

“One of the first things that came out of that plan was we want Major League Soccer to become one of the top leagues in the world by 2022. That’s still our goal."

 

The quality of the league has improved, but it hurts my interest in it when they play old foreigners instead of exciting young Americans.

 

It will be interesting and exciting to see where the league is in 5 more years. I fully expect it to be significantly better. Whether it will be one of the top leagues in the world is another question. Among other things, it will depend upon what the measuring stick is and the person grading the league. One of the top leagues is vague enough that it leaves quite a bit of wiggle room. Considering there are those that seem to think MLS is already a top ten league while others seem to think if would be generous to put it into the top 50 I fully expect some to be criticizing the league in 2022 no matter how good the league turns out to be. Extrapolate all of the 17 year old prospects now to get some idea of potential young domestic talent for the league and the future looks pretty good. Of course, as Clint says, prospect is latin for "aint done nutin yet" so there is that also.

 

Perhaps counting how many players are in the World Cup from each league is a starting point. Not the be all to end all but especially over time can be used to gauge trends in various leagues.

 

Agreed. But I don't just limit it to young Americans.

MLS needs to spend their millions on importing young and talented south americans, instead of old and retired English or Italian.

Looks at what Mentero did in Seattle, look at what Almiron is doing in Atlanta.

MLS needs young, exciting, and talented players that the local supporters can build their admiration, support, and passion around. The league needs players that can stay and play for them for years, to grow with the clubs, and be the faces of their franchises; rather than flashing a truckloads of cash on "past their prime" players that come to collect a big fat pay check and leave in a year or two.

MLS is not going to attract new fans or build a loyal fan base with their fancy one and done retired great players. Sure people will come out to see them once or twice, but the 'hotness' will fade quickly. MLS needs to invest in young talents, develop them, and make them a part of their communities. That's how you're going to become a MAJOR league.

 

I am a foreigner who promotes MLS 24/7 but on this board people hate me because I don't advertise EPL or the English second divison as "great" leagues.

 

I'm sure it doesn't ;make too much difference but I don't hate you.

 

It's more than the media pushing PL over MLS, many times it's about the media pushing soccer at all. If you go on the LA Times and go to the sports section, the Galaxy doesn't even have their own sub-section. On the radio I've heard more about the masters or nascar than the Galaxy.

 

Meh. These boards, you don't buy into the "Europa or bust" mentality, you won't get much love, lol. But we're here to post things as we see them, not to please the masses.

 

I think the league has continued to do a better job with their selection of DP players. There still a Gerard or Lampard that don't really work out, but they've gotten quite a few of the over 30 group right. Henry, Keene, Villa, etc are very good for the league.

The signing of guys in their prime has been a big positive the last 4 to 5 years. 20 more Giovincos, or Valeris, or Piattis, etc would help the league significantly. The 22-24 yo guys like Montero and Almiron that you mention have had similar impact.

The player that I thought was going to be a big game changer and wished there would be more of was Fabian Casilas. He was to some extent what you are talking about. I actually think it might have been better off selling him a little sooner. It would seem like doing more scouting and looking for 18-20 yo South American kids to help develop to be sold to Europe or be the faces of MLS teams for 10 years would be great for the league on a number of fronts.

As far as Americans go... I'm a fan of them bringing Dempsey, Keller, Howard, Jones back, but think it was too soon for Bradley and Altidore. I'm pretty indifferent to the Zusi, besler, etc signings, but it is nice an average American player can make a decent living playing the country and think that is only a positive long term.

 

I was a cycle too soon and forgot it lined up with our failed World Cup bid. The only way it happens is by relying too much on foreign talent. The depth of our youth talent is growing quickly but w ware still a long ways from having 300 (approx 50% of 28 team times 23 players)American players capable of playing in a top league.

My main point was that the poster is suggesting "we" should be promoting MLS as a young exciting league but that isn't what MLS wants to be in the near term. Setting a goal like that with that short of a timeframe is a sign to me that they don't know what it entails. It's as silly as project 2010 was after 1998.

 

MLS has been postponing that evolution for a decade now.

The time is ripe. Playing more American youngsters does not mean not playing foreigners like Giovinco at all. That's a false dichotomy.

 

Young exciting league, no league of young players.

Some leagues are probably older than 100 years, MLS is what? 20 something...

I honestly have absolutely no respect for an American that watches EPL but doesn't watch MLS because it "sucks."

 

Some people don't want to go through the growing pains, literally. Those of us here who watch MLS know the product on the field isn't top tier but continuous support makes the league grow.

 

Except ............... they have.

 

Lampard scored 12 goals in 20 games last year. Is that not working out nowadays?

 

And 3 goals in 10 games the prior year along with off field drama of his loan to Man City. That doesn't seem like a great return on $10+ million. He had a strong season last year when healthy but not near the success as the other guys I listed who were leaders of their teams for multiple years.

 

MLS seems to be finally getting it right with ATL. That team sn't going to win anything serious any time soon but they play a type of soccer that is visually arresting and compelling. It's fun to watch. They have young stylish DP players who kids will go home an copy in their yards and in the park. They have a good manager and have nice facilities. Bobby Dodd is perfect for soccer although I think the team should get some seat covers for the unused bleacher section but else that the environment on TVsgreat. If they can keep their manager and a couple of their DPs for a year or two and establish a culture then that is the model MLS should follow. Minnesota Utd has inbuilt fan support and they are doing ok with that as well. At some point expansion will no longer be an option. MLS needs to develop and play American kids so people feel a connection to the team and tune in each week to follow the exploits of THEIR players. Without a personal connection it's just a carinval event. Add in that personal connection once people start seeing their students, friends and family playing pro soccer in front of 20k and you have something else. MLS is too slow to play young players and kowtows to the boring old guys too much. I'm saying this as a casual fan of the league. I know what good TV looks like. ATL united is good TV. DC united is not good TV. Colorado is not good TV. If MLS wants that big TV money they need to produce more ATLs and Orlandos and less bad TV.

 

Silly people think trashing MLS is a good thing, no way we win a World Cup with that mentality.

 

I have met Americans that never played soccer, they are Liverpool and Chelsea "supporters," they don't watch MLS bc it "sucks."

Till this mentality changes, no way we win a World Cup.

 

Just wondering. What's your opinion on exciting mid-career foreigners?

 

I know this is not a popular subject on this thread, but Bruce Arena's shot in the dark prediction is getting one step likelier every day. The U-20 team, missing five or so of it's best players, came out first in it's group at the Youth World Cup and is favored over it's next opponent.