How does the MLS compare

From what I've seen (I've watched both a great deal), read and heard it is the same level as English Championship...division below Premiership.

 

The general opinion is that the best MLS teams would equivalent to lower EPL teams such as Blackburn, West Brom, Crystal Palace, Southampton etc.

It is important to watch the actual standard of play rather than the occasion itself when performing a comparison.

Many MLS matches are played out in empty stadia. For example the recent play-off matches have seen crowds as low as 5,000 in huge NFL stadia generally having capacities ~75,000.

However if you watch the actual teams and players the standard is quite good.

 

Premiership? la liga? No there yet, but the MLS is improving. Mexican league is slightly better but that's b/c they bring a lot of southamerican players.

 

No way! the level of the mls still it´s too low.
They always lose against mexican teams or sometimes against some central america teams and i think mexican teams will lose against lower EPL teams such as Blackburn, West Brom, Crystal Palace, Southampton etc. so i don´t think mls have that level.

So many games of the mls are really boring and the foreigners of the mls nobody knows them.

I´m think mls have the level

 

really boring????, did you happen to see the game between DC and NE for the eastern conf championship?, plus i believe MLS holds a very good record against EPL teams in the past in friendlies, so i in fact do believe MLS is at the level of the lower caliber EPL teams.

 

Yes, friendlies... but if it was a real game, the EPL players would play to win. Friendlies are not about winning and competition, they're there to get the players slowly ready for competitive football again.

Man City lose friendlies to 3rd division teams sometimes, but if they drew them in the FA cup they would hammer them to the tune of five or more goals.

I would say that the MLS is around the level of teams like Leeds United, Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday and the like.

 

Sorry, but the players have zero motivation to play the CONCACAF champions. No one pays them to play those extra games. Right or wrong, MLS doesn't put out much effort anymore. When MLS first started they actually tried to win them and they won two of the first four they participated in. But I think MLS just figured that nobody really cared enough.

The Mexican league I'd place at about the level of the French Championat. They have about the same amount money and they regularly compete for the same South American players as the French teams do, so their foreign players are about the same level. Mexican players are a pretty decent lot all in all. You won't see them in Europe because they're more expensive but they do have at least one player that's a starter in Barcelona. MLS is not at their level but they can compete. Do the math from there.

 

not to cut you down man, but:

you obviously havent actually researched this. you would find that MLS teams NORMALLY win against MFL clubs, even during offseasons, AND many teams have unbeaten records against mid table EPL clubs. like DC for example. has an amazing record in this catagorie. its not that MLS is below that standard per say, but that the two leagues DONT PLAY ENOUGH IN ORDER TO COMPARE THEM.

 

i dont think you realized this but NEITHER team would be playing to their full level. yes the both want to win, but neither can risk injuries for their seasons

 

This last sentence says it all. We really have no clue how our MLS teams would do against top competition. The only international games they play are in the CONCACAF Cup, which is played during the MLS preseason. The teams aren't in good shape at the point, and routinely lose badly. DC and KC will play in that cup next year.

It really would be great if we could enter the MLS champion into Capa Libertadores like the MFL does. The travel time needed for that probably makes it impossible, however. I'm confident MLS is better than the South American countries other than Brazil and Argentina. DC would beat Colo Colo I think, but I just can't be sure until it happens.

 

Yeah. The amount of fans in the stadium determins the quality of play on the field.

Growing? Yes, but that dosent mean they're good.

So, they just happened to "care enough to play in it" when it was a seven day tournement that took place in the US, right? And when they went to aggregate format, they just suddenly stopped trying? Stop trying to justify 6-0 losses.

No, they don't.

Friendlies. And there is no comparison.

MLS is one of the worst first division leagues I've ever seen. The way the league is run is rediculous. They play sooo slow, puts me to sleep nearly every time I watch. Horrible, horrible. Don't watch it.

 

and i watched that NE United game. It was boring. And the goalkeeping was terrible. NE's keeper got beat near post from a shot taken outside the box.

 

Now that's just silly. If there is anything that is certain it is that keepers from MLS can play in the Premier League.

 

If the 10 mls teams were put into english professional football id say the clubs would bounce between division 2 and league championship. I don't think we'd ever get past a midtable club in the english championship.

And another thing, you can't compare level to freidnlies. They're pointless. It only matters if it's competitive and a high competition for that matter.

 

Rusty your absolute hatered for the american domestic league is well documented and somethimes i get the feeling you go out of your way to take a ridiculos stance.

If you thought that game was boring then there is no hope i trying to convice you.



As for the comparison. Its not Premiership/Serie A/La Liga/Budesliga level. That said it is also better than the Scandanavian/Belgium/Swiss/Greek leagues. Not quite French league or Mexixan level...but they are closer to them than the others overall..those two leagues are much more creative though. English 1st Divison is a really good comparision for the top half of the table but i think no MLS team would have much trouble consitantly getting results against the bottom half. Also from the limited amount i have seen they are on par with J-League side..much better tactically and defensivly than them though.

 

oh ok.
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how can you defend MFL then say that? you are so hypocritical its rediculous. i wish i still had supporter so i could ignore you.

 

Now I KNOW you're a sock.

 

really, i bet its not as boring as a regular EPL match.....god so boring, there's never any pressure on the defense, they look like robots out there playing, and don't even get me started on how boring some of those ufea championship games are, oh and btw MLS is only 9 years old...compared to like 100 which is the EPL.

 

EPL has no defense. Whoever receives a pass has about 10 yards of space front and back. Heck if I'm given that space, I can even do some damage. MLS players know how to pressure. McBride sucked on the Crew. Then when he went to the EPL, he kicked a$$. Now he gets benched for no reason. Obviously all the Euro leagues are of higher quality. But quality does not equal entertainment. I've seen a billion Champions League games and they all failed to entertain me. Just look at Porto vs. Monaco final. If that's the best Euro has to offer, then give me MLS any day.

 

You really can't compare MLS to other 1st div leagues.
One MLS has a set salary cap that precludes them from signing $100 million players.
Second, the league is run by USSF with all the teams owned by the league with some heavy investors. Now if all the clubs were owned by the public (see Man Utd) or individuals or groups, and they could spend freely, then you would have a better way to compare MLS to other leagues.

Of course that approach didn't work before, see the NASL. But while I say that the Cosmos of the old NASL were a top club throughout the world. I have even read online (I will post the link when I find it again) that the Cosmos helped set the stage for other Clubs to look beyond their own borders to build strong teams.

As for where MLS is now, I think that they could put some teams in the Upper Part of the Champions League in England. Maybe even a team in the EPL. But it is all speculation until they play games against EPL teams that have meaning.

I will say this for MLS, the league can produce top players. We are seeing MLS stars going overseas now, and being successful. Be interesting to see what happens with LD.

 

I think you meant it the other way around.

 

I think maybe you should actually watch an MLS game before generallizing about all the talent. Seems that some of that talent are holding their own overseas there in the "Elite" leagues. Another barometer of how well the MLS players are would be their effect on the US NATS. The last big test was WC 02 and I should say that the US (with their MLS players) did better then some Island Nations......

Now I am not saying that MLS is on the same level as EPL, or any other Top Euro league, but I think they are doing well enough. Let's also not forget that MLS is going on 10 while the rest of these leagues we are making comparisons to are 100 yrs old give or take a decade.