LA Galaxy in International Champions Cup, Four Clubs in US Open Cup and three more in the CCL - all today. Makes for a very interesting evening. Has this ever happened before?
You're being very generous to classify the International Champions Cup as a "competition." (And yes, each of the ICC, the USOC and the CCL -- and even MLS itself -- could be in part accused of being nothing more than an organized series of exhibition events designed to make money and perhaps crown some "winner" -- but I'd say the ICC is the most-guilty of that "SuperLiga/invitational" type offense.) And yes, I think there have been dates past when different MLS teams have been competing in (at least) three separate things like the USOC, the CCL and MLS league play all on the same day. (Do the FC Tucson Desert Cup and the Disney Pro Soccer Classic and Carolina Challenge Cup in preseason all count as competitions?)
Interesting, yes. But don't tell me July/Aug MLS games are considered important by the league when LAG is travelling across country to play in their third friendly in 10 days. I'm really split on these friendlies. Can be good for players to face better quality and I understand the money grab aspect, but damn it's tough to argue MLS games are important when there's so many friendlies mid season, which no respectable league does. Still think a July break for international competitions(GC/WC/Copa A, youth WC's, friendlies) should be strongly considered. Looks bad when teams complain about not enough depth for CCL and run out their B/C teams, yet turn around and put their A teams out their for mid season friendlies.
I'll have you know it was 3 friendlies in 7 days for LA. And with an odd number of teams in MLS, some team had to be "off" on the weekend of Aug 3/4 from league play. Makes sense for LA to cram in a multi-game business/marketing opportunity while catching a breather from league play anyway.
Which respectable league follows that model? And every team has a break in the schedule at some point. It's meant for rest, not three friendlies. How often have you heard Arena or other coaches when there's a break in the schedule point out now we can rest and heal up? All the time. Again, I understand the marketing/money aspect but IMO it comes at the expense of arguing all MLS games, especially in July/Aug are important.
All games are important. I'm not worried about MLS being "respectable" (in any/every observer's opinion) -- I'm mostly just interested in MLS playing with an even number of teams at some point and consistently so there can be a full slate of league games each match date.
You are talking about MLS teams playing too many friendlies (apparently). And I am noting that MLS teams do (while there are 19 teams in the league) have some regular holes in their schedule and there's no real negative to filling them and getting in some scrimmages versus teams prepping for their own season. And I do not disagree with you that "a July break for international competitions(GC/WC/Copa A, youth WC's, friendlies) should be strongly considered" by MLS perhaps for some/all soon future season(s).
Particularly if you have a healthy bench as it give a good opportunity to work in reserves to get playing time they would not get otherwise. Remember, "other leagues" rarely have byes and generally the off time is due to international breaks where by the starters are off on national duty anyway. So while I don't disagree a break is something that should be used when possible, I don't know that filling said break with friendlies puts any more pressure on a team as compared to teams throughout the world.
No, I'm saying it's hurts credibility, which you responded you're not concerned with. And I said sending out B/C teams in actual competitions while sending out A teams for friendlies doesn't look good, which you also aren't concerned with. Then I brought up that teams have breaks all the time and use them to rest up/heal, and those aren't used for friendlies. I understand there's positives to the friendlies. But overall I don't think it makes the league look good. You're not concerned with what my concerns are though, which is fine. Some people like mid season friendlies, others don't.
And I respect that opinion but would note that playing in something like the ICC (as gimmicky as it may be) still does (or could) also help the credibility for MLS, perhaps in some viewers' minds by seeing LAG face off against the likes of Real Madrid, Juve and Milan. What you deem non-credible might not match up with others' views. (MLS is trying to reach and serve a wide array of possible viewers and viewpoints. And that is no easy/clean task.) I'm not certain when MLS coaches are sending out B/C teams in "actual competitions" but not in things like the International Champions Cup. (And yes, I recognize that MLS teams -- LAG included -- do from time to time not send their top players/staff to all of their away competitive matches. Strange behavior there, indeed. But overall, I think LAG are a very well run and rather successful operation and team.)
I do agree with you that the ICC is contrived - just as Super Liga (or whatever it was called) was contrived. But the fans and networks seems to like it, and I do enjoy seeing at least one MLS team participate. That said, I meant to exclude MLS regular season matches from consideration. And yeah, there are a number of pre-season tournaments and such, but I think having MLS clubs participate in three other competitions during the regular season on the same day is unprecedented. Until (hopefully) MLS starts participating in Copa Libratodores.
I do agree with you that the ICC is contrived - just as Super Liga (or whatever it was called) was contrived. But the fans and networks seems to like it, and I do enjoy seeing at least one MLS team participate. That said, I meant to exclude MLS regular season matches from consideration. And yeah, there are a number of pre-season tournaments and such, but I think having MLS clubs participate in three other competitions during the regular season on the same day is unprecedented. Until (hopefully) MLS starts participating in Copa Libratodores.
Not that disagree with your premise, but a couple seasons ago Tijuana was supposed to host Chivas in the second or third week of the Mex Apertura and the game was rescheduled to later in the season because Chivas had a friendly with Barca in Miami the same day . I'd say rescheduling league games to play in a friendly is even more embarassing than playing friendlies during a bye. http://www.sandiegored.com/noticias/15556/Chivas-won-t-make-Tijuana-game-or-will-they/ so this kind of junk happens in other leagues too. I also vaguely remember a couple big Euro teams (I think it was Chelsea or RM or someone) squeezing in big cash friendlies in Qatar and UAE during the club season, but I can't produce an exact example.
A.C. Milan took Beckham to Scotland for a "glamour friendly" versus Rangers in Feb 2009. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...brAC-Milan-to-a-draw-in-glamour-friendly.html DaMarcus Beasley scored on an assist from Maurice Edu in the exhibition.
All these fans that get wrapped up in the purity of the sport would be better served following their local YCMA youth league or local adult pub league. Professional team sports (including soccer) is in the entertainment business. With the key word being "business" and the second word being "entertainment". "soccer" (football) being tangential. It's like the doping scandals in baseball and the bribery scandals in Serie A. A lot of crap is tolerated until it begins to affect the business. When playing a mid-season friendly tournament negatively affects the business of the LA Galaxy (and MLS), then those tournaments will stop happening. As it stands, it turns out that these friendly tournaments are usually pretty good for business. In moderation, that is.
This. (Or the tournaments will be moved to the MLS off-/pre-season. Or the MLS season will be moved to allow these summer friendly/exhibition club tournaments to be best played -- and be best for business -- during some MLS break or off-season.) "Business" will drive the decisions that MLS makes (in terms of how/when/against-whom their teams play their matches, competitive or otherwise).
Celtic's game in Boston last summer was on the same weekend that everyone else in the SPL played. Celtic (and their planned opponent) had a bye that week so Celtic could come to the States for the friendly.
But did LA actually use an A team in the midseason friendlies? It doesn't look like it to me. Remember that starting the A team in a friendly isn't the same as playing the A team in a competitive match, because you have a whole lot more subs. The Galaxy subbed all 10 field players by the 72nd minute against Real Madrid and subbed all 11 players by the 71st minute against AC Milan. (And they probably would have subbed all 11 against Real Madrid if not for the fact that Brian Rowe was the only keeper on the roster at 100% at the time.) The player who played the most minutes over the 3 games, Leonardo, last appeared in a MLS game on April 13. Looking at the lineups and substitutions, it's obvious that LA tried to maintain its usual weekly rhythm. Both of the weeknight matches were treated as scrimmages where everyone got on the field. The weekend match featured only 6 subs, with 3 of them made after the 80th minute, so it looks like the team used it to keep the starters at full match fitness.