Arena wants to take on World Club Teams...

In soccer an all-star game is pointless because the national team is the all-star team.

 

I hate all-star games, but if they must have one..why not at the end of the year have the MLS Cup champion v. a team made up of stars from the other teams, like what the NHL did when they had the original 6...

 

Its a way for the league to showcase players and to make some money. If you don't like it then don't watch.

 

It's better in the middle of the season. At the end of the season, you'd lose all the players out on loan and all the players having off-season surgery. Also, you lose the fans who were left with a bad taste in their mouth by how the season ended and don't want to watch MLS for a little bit. Also having it at midseason brings attention to the league when it can still help attendance. Finally, it gives the players a rest at mid-season.

Every league plays their all-star game at midseason except the NFL. (The NFL can't because of the high risk of injury.) This may be why so few watch the Pro Bowl despite football being the most popular sport in the country.

 

All star games are such a waste of time. The season could end a week earlier, or we could have fewer Wednesday games.

I remember Jeff Bradley once wrote an article about how the NHL used the ALL Star game as their only way of being in the eye of the public. Well...in the modern age of media over-saturation...that does not work because it is just not as exciting as it used to be. The players don't care usually. It's a joke.

 

I really like the idea of having an All-Star team, and it's not necessarily true that the Nats is the All-Star team. How about the foreign players that are the best in the league. Plus that is just in MLS for the time being that the best American players in the league are on the National team.
This wouldn't be true in any other league. The all-stars from either of the top 4 leagues would be of different nationalities.

 

Bruce Arena's idea is a nice one, but the problem is fitting it in. If they played it during mid-season like they do the All-Star Game, then for most European teams would be in pre-season. For them, they'd just consider it another warm-up game and attach no importance to it, because more than likely it would be a different Euro team every year, where as it would be a regular thing for the MLS team. Alternatively, if the game was played at the end of the MLS season, then the European Leagues would already be under way and given how congested fixture lists are at the moment, it's difficult to see how'd you'd fit it in. At best, you'd probably get the reserve team show up.

The idea is cool though. An alternative could maybe be an MLS all-star team vs. another country's all-star team. Ideally, you'd want it to be the same country again and again, that way you could build up a rivalry in the game. Again though, it's difficult so see European teams letting their star players go and risk injury in what is essentially a friendly and the distances involved would probably scupper it all.

 

It's good to know that my thoughts are on the same page as Arena's. I think if you get a club team here in the preseason, you are guaranteed of seeing most of their stars, at least for the first half.

Preseason is a way for these players to get in shape, and it's a great way for MLS to market its young stars to teams with alot of money! That is really how Mathis got Bayern's attention was scoring against them in a friendly.

Plus, even if they don't take it seriously, the MLS'ers surely will, for the sake of European exposure. Perhaps whooping up on a big European Club in one of the MLS games that SportsCenter actually shows highlights of, will help convert some fans who think the league is low-rent.

With only a 10 team league, I think it is hard to justify putting 15%-20% of the players on an All Star team...that's a bit much. One MLS All Star team comprised of 18 guys, which is roughly 8-10% of the league population is a little bit more of a fair recognition of the true stars of the league.

Plus, marketing the All Star game with a radically different format than those of the "Big 4", has many possibilities. You would not only be marketing the league stars, and the city that is hosting, but big names in footy that would attract even Eurosnobs.

Let's be honest, an MLS All Star team is almost a CONCACAF All Star squad, minus Mexico (and is that really a bad thing?)

 

Re: Re: Arena wants to take on World Club Teams...

Also, players from teams that didn't make the playoffs or that were eliminated early would be sitting around for a month until the whole thing was wrapped up.

It hasn't to this point. August (usually the month right after the All-Star Game) is the worst month of the year for MLS attendance.

Yep. And, usually, some national over-the-air exposure because ABC actually deigns to carry it. Even though Saturday that got messed up a bit.

This year's Pro Bowl got a 4.3 rating on ABC (4.5 million households), more than double what the NHL All-Star Game got (1.8). Baseball's got a 9.5. Basketball's got an 8.2. That's still a lot of folks, but it's a little more than half what a regular-season NFL game gets. No ratings in yet on the MLS game.

 

It's a good idea and all but it isn't Bruce's idea. MLSHQ bounced this idea around before the WC and chose the US national team after the WC.

If I remember correctly, their first choice was Real Madrid who turned them down because of schedule conflicts or somesuch.

 

With proper lead time and a little $$$ this could work out very well especially if you get either the Champions League or UEFA Cup champion. All Euro teams are in preseason training right now and the big clubs have no problem coming over here for camp (Rangers this year, Man. U next). Just like here if you schedule it as the club's last "friendly" before their league begins you would see pretty much the first squad.

Since they are already committed to coming over I would bet money on a Man. Utd/MLS All Star game next year just about this time which would be right before Man. Utd starts the Premmy.

Man. Utd vs MLS in a sold out new LA stadium..... not bad for an allstar game.

 

Arena's Great Idea ????

From the coach himself, as quoted in the USA Today,

"This was a friendly game, a nice twist and for this year it was right. Next year I'd like to see the MLS against a quality European club. A lot of them are looking for games at this time."

MLS All-Stars v Real Madrid ????

MLS All-Stars v Manchester United ?????

MLS All-Stars v Bayern Munich ????

MLS All-Stars v Juventus ????

IMHO a very intriguing proposal by coach Arena. I can't see ANY soccer fan in the USA who would have a problem with this format.

The only drawback might be whether the European clubs are willing to travel across the Atlantic Ocean, so close to the start of their seasons, since the MLS All-Star game is held in August. For that reason, the "game" would most likely have to be held somewhere on the East Coast.

I think it's worth the effort & would bring unprecedented attention, interest & prestige to the All-Star game.

Can you imagine seeing players like Raul, Figo, Zidane, Beckham, Davids, Kahn, Ballack & many, many more playing in the USA before SRO crowds?!

Discuss.

 

Black eye

Since the team would probaly have no chance to play together, they'd probably get killed. That's what usually happens when thrown together all-star teams play good club or national sides.

Might draw a lot of fans for the game itself, but it looks like a no-win situation for the league. If you win - well you're an all-star team, playing against a club team on vacation. If you lose it's because "every player on Manchester United is better" than the MLS all-star calibre.

Get 'em together for a postseason month of barnstorming. That'd be cool.

 

Arena's Great Idea ????

As long as they don't play in freaking Conn instead of Boston (as Milan did a few months ago), I'll be there! If you are a soccer fan, you couldn't pass up seeing great teams like the aforementioned ones. Of course, if they think Rangers are a top team...

 

Personally i would hate it.

Club teams vs. Club teams

National Teams vs. National Teams

Allstar teams vs. Allstar teams

There shouldnt be any interchanges.

Keep in mind people the game played last saturday was NOT our National team.

 

all-star games are a pretty american idea. i really like them and wouldlove to se something like a permiership all-star game. playing a top side would be fun, butd thatd cut down on the number of all-stars and i want to see as many top players from the league playing as possiable, plus it probably wouldnt be al that much different from the USMNT

 

I don't think it was supposed to be. It was a celebration of American soccer and gave Arena a chance to give a nice send-off to some guys (like Harkes and Lalas) who were key parts of the US Nats in the past and give them a chance to put on the red,white and blue one more time. If Caliguiri hadn't retired last year, I'd bet he'd have gotten a game as well.

I've seen English teams come over here in July, so I don't think they'd have too many problems coming over here then. At least it would be interesting, moreso than East vs. West.

The NHL had Rendez-Vous '87 with its All-Stars playing a Russian Team. I wouldn't mind seeing it, and I don't think the European team would necessarily go all-out. They haven't always when they've come over here in mid-MLS season. Some of them have gotten smacked because they look at it as a holiday.

 

MLS FOREING ALL STARS VS AMERICAN ST.

May be I was dreaming but does this game use to be FOREING MLS ALL STARS VS AMERICAN STARS ??? Really is not a bad Idea, the problem they seem to have is schedule..... Why we always have problem with schedule and timing????

 

Re: Arena's Great Idea ????

You forgot to consider MLS All Stars vs Arsenal. Imagine the great moment where Henry makes it look easy then points to Beasley saying "that's how it's done!"

 

Through any proposal, if the game:

A. Brings in a large crowd
B. Provides some entertainment

I'm for it.