Any thoughts on an All Star format that will work, instead of the "lets try something different each year" fomat MLS is using now? Anyone else find it a little shameful that a lot of fans are against having Canadian teams in the MLS , but seem to have no problem with letting a foreign team play in our all-star game? Seems to me that by bringing in a foreign squad MLS is telling the world that we do not have enough quality players to field two squads for an all star match. I would rather watch a meaningless east v west game than a meaningless best 11 vs Fulham. There are going to be an awful lot of talented MLS players sitting at home on all star game day whose spots were taken by the Fulham squad that should have been playing in the game. If I was one of those players I would be pissed.
would you rather have a few days off in the middle of a long , grueling season? or have to suit up and play in a "meaningless" game
couldn't disagree with you more it's cool to see how our "all stars" compare to foreign teams, and it displays a different style of soccer just watch the roster for this all star game.. there are going to be plenty of players left off the list that deserve to be on, and would be on with an East vs. West game
Get rid of the all*star game. It is a waste of time in the middle of a busy schedule. The league competing with national team schedules is enough.
In the end, all sporting events are meaningless simulations of conflict. Some just happen to be less meaningless than others, and some happen to be more entertaining than others. A few of them happen to be both. The ASG is one of them. But back to the main point, MLS v Fulham is not the worst idea in the world to host a showcase on national television. East v West is pretty good too. More soccer is good, and MLS knows this.
Despite the fact we've done just that in seven of the first nine years of the league. You're entitled to that opinion. Based on what people said when RM pulled out last year and we had another East-West, I think you might be in the minority. Awwwwwwwww. Same debate two years ago. So what? Life sucks, get a helmet. Ostensibly, with only one All-Star team, it makes those spots more coveted and more likely to be taken up by higher-quality players. Raise your game if you want one of those spots. There are an awful lot of talented players every year in every sports league in the country who don't make the All-Star team and somehow they manage to pick themselves up off the carpet, dust themselves off, and continue their careers like grownups. Two years ago, MLS named a pool of All-Star reserves or alternates or whatever from which replacements would be chosen if someone on the first team against Chivas got hurt before the game. Partially to mollify those who felt All-Star berths were being cut in half and (presumably) to keep players with All-Star bonuses from getting hosed (since they came up with the Chivas thing mid-stream). The new collective bargaining agreement might address how they handle it this year and in future years, if it was well-negotiated. In any case, I wouldn't worry too much about the tender psyches of the guys who don't get to play in the All-Star Game. They're just going to have to live with it. That being said, I really don't care if MLS has an All-Star Game or not. If they're going to make it interesting and play a foreign side, well at least that's somewhat worth watching. I'll check that out. I've got somewhat of a rooting interest in that one, though I recognize it's meaningless no matter how you slice it. But East/West? I just really don't care to watch pickup soccer in the park on ABC one afternoon in the summer. Use the weekend for six league matches and get rid of some Wednesday games if you want to do something worthwhile. But that's just me.
I like the format of playing against a foreign squad (although I would like it more if it was a more exciting team than Fulham). The All Star game is intended to be a showcase event for the league, and a 6-6 draw with absolutely no defense, and two Brandi Chastain impersonations is not a real showcase in my opinion. I like that it is more difficult to make the squad in this format, in the East v. West format you really only need to be the third best player on your team to make the All-Star team.
Since league all star games do not happen in most parts of the world, I seriously doubt people would think that we can't fill two teams. Filling two teams in my honest opinion, based on the small number of teams, would from from an outsider's view say, that MLS has no real stars only a bunch of mediocre players. I like the idea of playing foreign teams because first, it gives these players a chance to shine in front of foreign coaches. Secondly, being 2 weeks away from the start of the EPL season, when the game occurs, you probably will see players duking it out for starting spots.Thirdly, if you live in an area like I do, it's a rare treat to be within driving distance of seeing a foreign club. I will be in Columbus and I'm pumped. I never thought I'd see Bocanegra and McBride playing for Fulham in person.