Boy, this won't start a flame war... Seriously, it's hard to tell. MLS has been very good vs. MFL teams (at least before this year) in the Champion's Cup, but the Mexican clubs haven't always brought their A game to those tournaments. I'd give the edge to the Mexican League as of right now--they have a lot more money, and bigger rosters. But I don't think the difference between the two is so great that the worst team in MLS wouldn't have a realistic chance of beating the best team in the Mexican League.
A top of the table MLS team with absolutely everyone healthy could compete favorably in the MFL. The biggest difference between the two leagues is that the MFL has a far greater depth of talent league wide and larger rosters and payrolls obviously don't hurt. Many MLS teams, once past a starting eleven have nothing but crap on the bench, while MFL teams have much deeper rosters. I think it's naive to say at this point that we are on par with MFL. We are within striking distance certainly, but all you really need to look at is the payrolls of the respective teams to get a good general impression of where we stand.
Completely healthy, which is almost never, I think any MLS team could finish in the upper half of the MFL. Even the worst MLS teams have talent. If you saw DC United play SJ Quakes on Soccer Saturday, it should be evident that even when Moreno is unfit and off-form he's dangerous. If he, Olsen and Santino are healthy and on form, DC United would do quite well in the MLF. New England, the other bottom dweller, might look a little different if Llamosa, Serna and Adin Brown had been there and healthy all season. -Tron
There is no need for this thread again. I can already tell you that most MLS fans consider their league to be better than the Mexican league because obviously it only takes a couple of middle aged Americans with little knowledge of the game to start a league with little fan fare and a salary cap of less than 3 million with astonishing foriegner limits in a society of beer bellied jock strap lovin gridiron fans to topple a widely respected, 100 year old league with top class foriegners and strong financial stabilty in a society who know nothing but 'their' own football and who laugh at what their arrogant neighbors to the north seem to think is a better league. Clearly the MLS is a better league and we should be gracious that we don't have to put up with top class football.
I think we are being to generous in our comaprisons here. Maybe 3 MLS teams sould finish in the top of half of MFL this season. (San Jose, Dallas, LA) The rest would struggle. NE and DC would get smoked on a regular basis, just like they do today. It is an unfair comparison to begin with. MLS does not compare with REVENUE, payroll, roster size and reserve teams. Lacking those 4 keys, MLS does pretty well, but we would get rolled if you dropped all 10 MLS teams into MFL for a season. Check back in 5 years and it will be even. 10 years from now Mexico will be looking up at MLS. If there is an MLS.
Last two games MLS lost 3-1 and 6-1 witch was an embarrassment for me. Right now you have to face it MLS still needs the time and money. MLS needs to pay for bigger rosters and bigger salaries. How can you play a full season on an 18-man roster plus a few teens? Plus individual skill level needs to rise in the league and I don’t know if are AYSO type of playing(who is what will be most of the league future input) will give us that . We need our kids to play 5 on 5 in the streets to build great skilled players. That has not happened yet. So right now I don't think we are as good as the Mexicans. How can KC lose 6-1?
We shouldn't let our heads get too big until an MLS team actually earns a point in a competitive match in Mexico.
if the best mexican players were to play the best american players, i think the result would favor the american side.... guessing, i'd say something like 2-0, with goals being scored by McBride and Donovan.
I like the MLS more..i've never been a big fan of the MFL...i find the MLS is more interesting....hahahha good point stinky
I don't care much for the MFL, but I know it is supperior in every way to the MLS. I think the MLS needs time to develop and hopefully succeed. The MFL is deep and has a relegation system that lets the talent pool increase. The MLS has definitely improved over the last few years, but it is still not one of the top leagues in this hemisphere.
the quality of play in the mfl is alot better than mls, more entertaining. The slow of mls is very slow compared to mfl (and even some central american leagues) MFL has better coaches (mls coaches are bad) How mls can become better than mfl mls doesnt have enough talent to become better than the mfl at the moment. 1. we would need to increase the number of teams so the talent pool is bigger. 2. Get rid of the college draft and make youth systems for all the teams and let it run (it will take around 5/6 years to get the system as good as mfl's 3. hire more foreign coaches.
to be honest, i can't watch the MFL....its too boring....they keep trying to walk the ball into the goal.....i like to see nice plays, with great teamwork....like the play that lead to the BRIAN MCBRIDE goal in the WORLD CUP in JEONJU against a team, well, made up of MFL players........ one time, i saw a replay of a beautiful cross to the far post where the ball was met in the air by a beautiful header into the net....oh wait, that wasn't the MFL, that was DONOVAN scoring while the US was beating the crap out of the mexican national team, made up of the best MFL players....and it happed, in all places, in the KNOCKOUT Phase of the WORLD CUP....it was such an important game....prob the most important game between the 2 countries.... plus, the MFL tends to be a little dirty....they often focus on one player and foul the crap out of him while he eats up the clock while the other team is trying to get back into the game....oh yes, just like what happed to COBI JONES in JEONJU at the WORLD CUP which resulted in a MFL player getting his arse thrown out of the game, then the whole team, made up of MFL players, walked off the field a bunch of LOSERS....... other than that, I prefer MLS... the MFL, and all its players, can go screw themselves.
The querstion was not which nat team was better, but what league is better. I believe that MFL is better in there top 10 teams. Their talent pool is far greater and have better cash flow. As far as one of y ou saying that it is too slow the opposite is the complaint of most detractors of the league. Truthfully i feel that SJ and LA would have a hard time trying to beat a full squad America or Cruz Azul but our basement deullers would be relegated that same season. The bottom of the Mfl would have a hard time with our teams in general. Final note-Mexican elite are better than mls elite Bottom dwellers in mlf are far worse than mls bottom dwellers. over all MFL is better right now. (First truly objective point of mine?????????????.....maybe
mls has a very slow pace compared to MFL, that is what keeps most hispanics away from mls. (and other things) there is too much back passing in mls, too much time on your own side of the field, not enough attacking. this could all be erased if mls got foreign coaches. MLS lacks entertainment value but it is certainly better than it was 6 years ago.
objective or not, and i understand what you're saying, or trying to say.....but the only thing i can reply with is the following....... USA 2 (Dos) MEXICO 0 (Zero)
That's funny, I have always found MFL to be played at an incredibly sleepy pace compared to MLS. And let's see, of the 10 teams in MLS, how many are not foreign? Bob Bradley Greg Andrulis Ray Hudson Octavio Zambrano Steve Nicol Tim Hankinson Mike Jeffries Bob Gansler Sigi Schmid Frank Yallop Maybe we need more Domestic coaches? After all, the guy from Brooklyn did pretty well in the World Cup, no? Score was, uh 2-0, no? (that one was for you, Stinky).
I dont think that the nationality has anything to do with that type of play but a style. Europeans are more direct and delibarate in the attack as were american is more methodical and slow. By the same token American soccer players generaly are more creative with the ball were europeans have a great ability to see the long ball pass. Because of this i think mls has the davantage of havaving both types played here. I always thought that chivas was one of the most boring teams to watch because its soooooo slow, but really like Atlas because of their speed.
If we're talking about the relative merits of entire leagues, MFL wins it. MLS: 10 teams. MFL: Damn, I don't even know! 18 or 20 or something like that though. They win. MLS: 18+4 developmental players on roster MFL: Um...ignorant again, but probably more. And MLS: $1.7 million salary cap MF: Do they have one? Are there even any teams in MFL making less than that? MLS: Losing money. MFL: Making money. MLS: One nationally broadcast game a week. MFL: More than one nationally broadcast game a week. See, I think the MFL wins. Having said that, I like MLS a lot more. Because it's my league. And my strike-force. And I just met this beautiful new...ball. As for teams...if the leagues were somehow combined, San Jose might end up in the top three, and you could probably place an MLS team at every two to three spots in the standings in the combined league, working all the way to the bottom. Last thing to consider: What percentage of the players on MLS rosters would make it on to the roster of an Mexican team (considering only skill level)? What percentage of MLS starters would make it on the roster of a Mexican team?
Riding through Whetstone park in Columbus sunday morning I saw what looked to be a local soccer game with mostly mexican youths, one team with the Cruz Azul uniform and one with an older version of the Mexican National team kit. I hope, whatever league this was, has at least one team with some jerseys donated by the crew. MLS should find a way to start a annual tournament with the best teams of the MFL. I think both leagues would benefit from the contrast in style the competition would bring.