MLS could join in the Libertadores

Lame. South America just wants US money. Makes no sense for the MLS to participate.

 

Are you thinking in addition to the CCL, or instead of it? IMO, as long as there is a CONCACAF, it needs to crown its own club champion. If you're asking clubs to do both, scheduling becomes a major problem. Also, the point about travel time is a solid one.

From CONMEBOL's perspective, is including the best American and Mexican clubs really worth the effort of winnowing out the Caribbean clubs and whichever Canadian team happens to suck the least?

Sounds like a non-starter to me.

 

I think a little mini-tournament (CCL final and Libertadores final participant) or America Club Cup (winner of CCL and Libertadores face-off...more than likely two-legs) would be better.

 

Which MLS teams would we send. Would we go the Mexican approach and just send our 3 (or what ever number of teams we get) best teams not in the CCL?

 

I wish there was a way that every time someone started a MLS to Libertedores thread, their keyboard would explode and severe their hands about 2" below the elbow

 

Great news for USA soccer !!

 

Pass! MLS is just not there and our schedules our schedules are too busy as is for the talent and depth allotted.

 

I like the idea of MLS getting the chance to play more quality teams in important games. In order for us to prove ourselves to be a quality league we must play quality teams outside of our league. That said, not only are we not ready to compete on that stage we simply couldn't put our best teams in said tournament. Between CCL, MLS, and the Open Cup we just couldn't field a competitive team in all of these tournaments. We don't have enough depth. We have our hands full as it is with the Mexican clubs in CCL so let's focus on beating them more regularly.

My overall hope is that the Club World Cup continues to gain prestige. That tournament will give us a chance every year to prove ourselves on the big stage.

 

So you are only interested in following a "quality league" instead of the entertainment value of the game itself?

 

Do not like. CCL is the right way to do things.

 

Would love to see it happen someday, but not until we stop embarrassing ourselves in CCL.

 

If MLS adopt maximum budget = 1/3 of revenue, then MLS could compete.

For example, a team with $30 mil revenue could have $10 mil in salary budget. This will motivate all teams to increase their revenue since their salary budget is tied directly to it.

 

I doubt the 1/3 number would work at all, but something like the German model (without the 50+1 rule) might--a sliding scale that sets different salary cap numbers for different clubs based on the clubs' revenue (as opposed to tradable allocations handed out for... sucking, I guess). I think MLS is too happy with the league's much touted "parity" for that to happen, though, and parity certainly isn't something to sacrifice just so one or two MLS teams might go deep in the CL.

 

ummm, did I say that?

 

I'd like to see the CCL runner up go to Libertadores, with the champion going to CWC. That would solve the issue of MLS clubs participating when they're not ready.

 

That'd be interesting. The CCL Final would be who-can-put-the-most-goals-in-their-net game. Awesome.

 

Bumping this because I really think it needs to happen for MLS clubs to be taken seriously elsewhere in the hemisphere and for the league as a whole to grow. Can we please make it happen?

 

My prediction in another thread was that the 2016 Copa America will be a huge $$$ and viewing success and will hasten a merger between the confederations. Travel is an issue, but for most of our clubs, it wouldn't be much different from the Mexican teams (a couple of hours). MLS teams will be significantly stronger as the big money coming in and the big money already here will want to spend more on salaries than we currently do and the league in general will want to improve significantly over the next 8 years to get the REALLY big tv deal when the new one is being renegotiated. So, I think we are heading in the direction of a confederation of the Americas that will rival UEFA and that it will be a very good thing. I recently went to my first Libertadores match in Argentina and it was a great experience. Our clubs need to improve to compete, but with a few extra million thrown into each team, it can happen.

 

I hope you're right. With regards to travel, MLS need to let teams charter flights to these games, which will make it a lot less onerous.

 

Saturday in Portland, Wednesday in Buenos Aires, Saturday in Houston, Tuesday in Quito, Saturday in Toronto.

What could possibly suck about that?

Unless you're, you know, one of the athletes involved.

 

How does making the league taken seriously by people who don't buy tickets or merchandise help the league grow?

EDIT: I just realized this is a very old, very dead thread resurrected for no good reason.

 

Yes, that is exactly how the schedule would play out.

If the dollars/pesos are big enough, creative scheduling is not that difficult. If MLS can throw a two week break into a season for the WC, they can work with this. The first stage game and first two games of the group stage would be during MLS break. That leaves two road games in the group stage.