Yeah. A lot of generalized sweeping accusations with zero evidence to back any of them up. Pretty sure even you don't believe all the dumb stuff you throw out there.
I’m not attempting to argue MLS is a high quality league. I don’t think it is. But few are. In fact, less than 5% of futbol fans live in a place where they can drive to a legit high level match. It has certainly improved though from the days I used to take my wife to Buck Shaw to watch SJ. Most? Enjoy the game in person. I too love watching the top leagues on tv. Also enjoy the NYC/NYRB games I’ve gone to with my son. And it’s a different experience for him in the stadium as well, obviously.
Miami and the LA teams are perpetuating the retirement league stereotype that no longer really fits the rest of MLS. The quality of play is greatly improved in recent years due to the influx of young (mostly Latin American) players on their way up, not down. But the veteran stars get the most attention and so define what people think of when they see the league in their minds eye.
Watch Garber upend the 2023 schedule mid season just to let us all watch LAG (Chiellini) vs Inter Miami. This time the roles are reversed!
Here is the bolded that he was commenting on... Is watching Messi with 21 MLS players more entertaining than watching the best teams in the world play during their preseason. I am going with the latter if I am heading out to the stadium. Seems pretty straight forward to me, but I will spell it for you because I know younare challenged. If I am spending money to go to a game it will be an exhibition of euro clubs this summer instead of an MLS game. Id rather see field of talented players instead of a couple and a bunch of donkeys. I wouldn't be surprised if the intensity is higher in those exhibition games instead of the MLS circus.
Outside the occasional European nights, good luck going to a legit high level match with top players unless you live in 4-5 countries. I’m not here to convince anyone MLS is high level or they should enjoy it. I’ve had plenty of disagreements with the league. I also have gone wa number of matches in Bulgaria. Low quality in general. But it’s still the local league and people go to enjoy the game live. Now multiple that by numerous countries across the rest of Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Can get some high quality matches in South America but that’s not your common league game in Uruguay or Peru. So if the problem is you’ll only enjoy a game in person that includes the highest levels, that’s not an MLS centric problem. You would have the same problem in Norway or Austria or Greece or Korea or any number of places. I can agree some MLS fans are certainly obnoxious and overreact at the slightest criticism. And all the rules come across as ridiculous. But it’s not like that is determining whether I buy a ticket.
Some USMNT first/only fans are among the most obnoxious I’ve encountered in all the sports and athletic activities I’ve followed. Doesn’t affect my appreciation of the team. Oh, and give me my local USL club any day over a Euro preseason thing. I saw Dortmund vs. Benfica a few years back and for what it cost I don’t think the whole experience was really worth it.
It isn't. Usually everyone is playing to avoid injury and the stars usually only play a single half. A lot of fans see them as a cash grab for rubes (I can pay for a good chunk of my season tickets usually by selling my seats for whatever friendly there is that season) but I generally try not to judge how people show their fandom. I think the friendlies are a good "entry level" into attending live soccer games more regularly (which is the goal), but the games are usually not remarkable. If that's what you're into, though, give it shot. In general in sports, most people follow a team because they're invested in that team, for whatever reason, not because of "quality". Leeds fans don't go to Leeds matches for "quality". Neutrals or casuals care more about quality; they just want to see a good soccer match.
So you repeat the same illogical points over and over and… Attack random people for supporting local soccer… Were you also born on June 6th, 2006? We’re German scientists making Uberman clones in the 40s and som Is there an award for the top 10 worst big soccer trolls of all time? Asking for a friend
Come see this summer friendly, played with all the ferocious intensity of 22 men who really wish the whole thing weren't taking place at all! Wayne Rooney, on DCU scheduling a midweek friendly vs Necaxa: “I didn't agree with the friendly game. In between two away games, I think is crazy. It’s something maybe we need to look at in the future because I don't think any of us wanted that game, but we have to fulfill it.”— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) June 8, 2023
I bet the players were thrilled to be out there for a hugely important club friendly in Washington DC's gloriously smoky weather conditions of the past 3 days.
Come on guys. This thread is supposed to be about why we don't want Berhalter as coach. The only way MLS is relevant is that Berhalter proved what Bruce Arena made many think. The American players in MLS dont belong on the USMNT. There was all that whining from 2014 to 2016 about how MLS players didn't get a fair chance. We have had 6+ years of MLS guys getting minute after minute that they don't deserve and we have yet to see a guy show he belongs on this team. Being "good enough for Concacaf" isn't enough. If the USMNT was serious, there wouldn't be an MLS player in the team over 20 or 21 years old.
So, are you saying that going and pushing a personal opinion about MLS in unrelated threads is a bad thing? I guess I agree!
If you're into soccer only to watch the Real Madrid vs. Manchester City level games, then you're not into soccer.
It’s true MLS players don’t belong on the team until they get on a plane to Europe. But as soon as that plane leaves US airspace call them up immediately.
Yup. The Euro teams playing pre-season in the US is no different than watching NFL pre-season. starters play a little. They are just looking for reps. Starts are out in short order.
Yeah, id love it MLS fans would stop spamming every thread trying hype up the league and its players. BTW, how poor MLS players are is very much related to this thread.
That second sentence is so stupid. Spoken like a true MLS fan. The players need time to acclimate and prove themselves. In most cases that would take at least a half season. Lots of former MLS players abroad have no business being near the USMNT. This current roster has two former MLS players in Trusty and Pepi. The only one really missing is Adams. The Sam Vines of the world should just be happy that when he was gifted an unworthy callup while in MLS. His USMNT career shiukd be over.
Which is okay, though. Soccer needs casuals just like all successful sports do, whether that’s in the form of people who only started watching soccer after NBC got the Premier League, locals who are open to their local MLS or USL team simply because they like all their city’s teams, or whatever.
If we are admitting our Euro based players kind of suck would lead us to need to admit that our MLS based players really, really suck. That would lead us to have to admit that whatever stupid ranking you nutjobs want to put on MLS is being supported by foreign players and not those Americans who really, really suck.
You average 1.19 posts a day referencing MLS (thank you search function!). Your actions speak louder than this post, so I feel perfectly fine. Especially in this thread which lost its purpose months ago. I really wasn't expecting you to have much of a sense of humor or be very self aware but man you do love to take things to another level!
In fact Scally, Richards, McKennie, Zendejas, and Booth all came up through MLS academies and left for Europe when they turned 18. Reyna when he was 16 because he had the last passport (but prior to that he was in the NYCFC academy). Even Weah spent a spell in an MLS academy (though much less than the others). Aaronson and Turner are also former MLS players incidentally.