My point -- which was obvious enough to anyone paying attention -- was that your claim that Borat FC or whatever would win MLS Cup was silly, for the same reason that claiming the Carolina Mudcats would win the World Series is silly. Clubs in minor leagues don't win titles in major leagues.
MLS is only major in the context of US soccer. In Europe, not a single MLS team would EVER get out of a (old style) UCL group. In fact they wouldn't ever get out of a UEL group. In the UECL a top MLS team could get to the round of 32 if they get very lucky and go on a mad run of upsets in the group stage. And the same goes for Liga MX. They are also a minor league. It's obvious to anyone that ever watched any league other than MLS/Liga MX.
That's not for the reasons you think. MLS teams aren't deep enough to handle simultaneous competitions. They aren't. So either they focus on the tourney or the league - they cannot do both.
Qarabag got 2 points in their Champions League season, home and away points against an half sleeping Atletico. Ironically Atletico went over to the Europa League, where they met the team Qarabag beat to qualify for the UCL, Copenhagen, before going on to win the whole fricking thing. Could the best team in MLS today beat today's Copenhagen over two legs? Possibly. Could they snatch a couple of points in a 2023/24 group stage? Possibly. We won't know. If a MLS team did ever qualify for the UCL they'd of course look very different to today.
Just to add to that, in Madrid Qarabag were outshot 33 to 4 but somehow got a point, even with a player sent off. It was regarded one of the most embarrassing performances in Atletico's history.
In all of those responses you've never made that particular point. So I'm basing it on the fact that you've posted tons of reasons except that one.
Some MLS teams have decent starters for sure, but they do get burned out and the substitutes are barely pro level.
IF an MLS team were competing in the UCL, they'd be able to use UCL financial rules........ So.... tell us how a team bankrolled by Arthur Blank, AEG, David Tepper, MLSE, etc. wouldn't have the money to bring in the depth and quality of players needed to give a respectable showing? Plus they'd have the added carrot of living in the United States/Canada AND being able to compete in Europe.... As MLS teams are CURRENTLY constructed? Yeah they'd struggle to get points, and likely get waxed by the top teams, and a few of the mid tier teams as well.
Pretty sure there’s lots of space between “top tier” and “barely.” I can always tell when you’re having one of your episodes…you post about these absurd extreme either/or choices that don’t exist in the real world. Everything is a catastrophe to you when you’re like this. You lose the ability to see any shades of gray. Take a deep breath, touch grass, and come back tomorrow.
How is it a catastrophe to me? I even self identified as an MLS nut. Just not as extreme as the poster I was mentioning.
Your didn't say "top tier pro". You said "barely" a pro. 5th tier players in England are fully professional. Looking at New York City's bench on Saturday, they had 3 full internationals, a Serbian U19 starter who scored 8 goals in 14 Serbian Super League appearances for Red Star Belgrade last season, and an England U19 starter who's garnered the interest of Man City. These players aren't "barely pros". The others, Haak and Barraza, would probably be starting in the USL Championship, which again negates them "barely" being pros. They certainly wouldn't be in top 5 league squads but there are at least 39 professional league organisations in Europe, many of which have multiple divisions, such as the EFL.
Abbreviated MLS schedule for September 7, 2024 New England (vs. St. Louis) 30,512 New York Red Bulls (vs. Sporting Kansas City) 17,708 Columbus (vs. Seattle) 20,523 Chicago (vs. DC United) 16,426 Houston (vs. Los Angeles FC) Not Reported Vancouver (vs Dallas) 23,188 TOTAL ATTENDANCE (5 games): 108,357 AVERAGE: 21,671
watched the Canada-USA game and the red and white should have won by 3 goals- looks like the USA are in a rebuilding mode with a lot of new players
Attendance at Shell Energy Stadium is now known. Houston (vs. Los Angeles FC) 17,993 TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 126,350 AVERAGE: 21,058
I wonder what it would take to get Houston attendance to ~20k. Would a few winning seasons be enough? How about getting the red bulls somewhere closer to selling out regularly?
Houston sold out regularly pre Owen Coyle so it's possible. The Red Bulls would need a smaller stadium, or to sign Neymar, Mbappe, Rodri, Kane, Bellingham and simultaneously fix their transit and parking issues.
i think some people are just the old-styled euro-snobs pissing on a growing league that has done amazing things over the past 20 years- from barely holding on and existing, MLS has become a growing and well-financed league of 30 Teams with more to come- new stadiums, growing list of academies that are developing young players that 1 day will rival the best academies in Europe, major media investors, incremental player quality, passionate supporter groups and growing attendances and multi-billionaires who see the potential for even more celebrate what has happened and dont give anytime or credibility to those who spit on the MLS- its our League and we should be proud of that
The Galaxy seem to be having a very hard time selling out el traffic... Just got my 5th email about securing my seat before its gone...