I think MLS should and will be given a try in the Copa Sudamericana. It is mainly a commercial league, and having MLS teams there will not only increase the exposure of the Sudamericana in the U.S., and the MLS in South America, but rating would improve tremendously. Give them a try there, and if they do well, give them a spot or two in the Libertadores. They cant possibly do worse than some of the teams in right now
MLS teams can qualify to the Sudamericana. DC United did it twice already in 2005 and 2007 and they got knocked out in the first round both times.
I think it would be fun for an MLS team to participate in the Libertadores. They can probably take one from Brasil and Argentina or even Mexico.
You're right on the economics. However, TFC may just be straddled with immediate debt. They were one of 3 teams to be considered as profitable last year (la, tfc, and dallas). It may have been too soon from their entry into the league to take on a DP. They are definately expanding - 15mil to add another 8k seats at BMO. TFC, Seattle, and LA (post-becks) will demand a higher quality or else the fans will stay away. I think MLS success lies in S. Amer. The thing about soccer in America is that the general fan who would go to the world cup loves good soccer with an international context. MLS has no international context. The big money maker for Europe is obviously the champions league. If we played constantly in Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana the general knowledgable US soccer fan who doesnt go to MLS will see/hear a MLS team playing some known Brazilian or Argentinian team. If we do well, we will have won over the knowledgeable soccer snob and the TV ratings on that event in the US and Canada would rise (worldwide too, if they pushed Lib back by three weeks to have final 16 AFTER Uefa Champions league final). Its that international context that is as important as improving the quality of play. Many of these S. Amer. teams in Brazil/Argentina are name brands worldwide. I also dont think it would require MLS teams spending a gazzilion dollars to be competitve with S. Amer. Obviously, some MLS teams in the middle of america would not be able to support the economics of a doubled salary cap (6 mil). And that may be the quandry that the league already foresees: more serious play in varied competitions of repute but with vast inequalities between MLS teams, or a bland but cheap product for everyone. Cant we bribe Traffic with a MLS franchise in Miami or something?
The travel it's too long. We would have to go to USA and play on Wednesday andthen come back and play on Sunday for the national and state league. I'd like Libertadores to be a tournament with soutn americans only again.
that's exactly what I've been saying all along. MLS needs to integrate with South America. To some extent it has begun to do so with the Copa Sudamericana. The same needs to happen for the Copa Lib. Meanwhile bogus tourneys like SuperLiga need to be scrapped (but not the CONCACAF Champions League. Either that or integrate it with the CONMEBOL ones)
Agreed. And there's another issue not just the travel itself but visas, you need a visa to enter United States, fine, but it also happens the other way around people from United States need visa to be allowed in Brazil(soon in Argentina too). I know those things can be worked out but occasionally in CONCACAF tournaments there're troubles about players missing the matches because of that. But any contact the MLS had with the Copa Sudamericana was because of their performance in CONCACAF tournaments not because they're MLS.
Great point. There was a Costa Rican team in the Sudamericana. If CONMEBOL is gonna invite teams, then it should be the best (CONCACAF continental tournament) and not just from a league.
Yup. Imagine having to travel from Buenos Aires or Montevideo to Seattle and then back. It's ridiculous, and of course the Libertadores is not like the Champions League where there are big breaks between fixtures.
I'm guessing that MLS performance in Concacaf champions league wont lead to an invite to sudamericana. So if it is based on that, then I'm guessing the Islanders may be invited.
Are there any specific rules in play? In other words, if an MLS team had made it to the CONCACAF Champions League final or semifinals, would they have been invited? How far would they need to have advanced in the CL to receive that? As vargasv71 said, will that go to Puerto Rico or somebody else now?
Well based in the previous years it has been the best placed team that isn't playing another international tournament by the time the Sudamericana is in play, that's why last year Motagua got it, got to see, because as of now it seems it's unknown if the Puerto Rico side will be playing next season's CONCACAF Champions' League, if they qualify it's likely they won't, based on what has happened in recent years.
the islanders are a usl side right ... so I dont get it how the USL is considered the second or "B" league of the US/Canada ... they have good teams and are shieting on some of the MLS teams... look at islanders and the toronto team.
SOONER OR LATER libertadores will be available to everybody... just wait a couple of years... i ddont think the guys who post in here, and are lkike 30m or something ever expected to see mexico in a copa libertadores tournament.
Mexican clubs have a winning record against Argentine clubs, home-and away, last time I checked. I love the fact that Mexico has foreigners, it makes the league really interesting. Mexico can afford players like Suazo, Cabanas, Droguett etc... etc.The top european clubs have foreigners, look at Arsenal, all foreigners. They're quality foreigners as well. I don't even worry about this much, Chivas has done alright against south americans, and this team is all Mexican. FMF has money too, lots of it. Mexico is building new stadiums by their own merits, through private investment, and we don't need a world cup to come around to start building them. I would be surprised if any other league on this side of the pond makes more money. The league can hang against any other league in the Americas as far as competition is concerned. The players are payed well, the infrastructure of the league is great. The national team does well here (Copa America) as well, Mexico finished in third place after picking apart Brazil, paraguay, Uruguay. Only Argentina has it's number. Flame away, whatever, I rarely come here anyway.
superliga winner must go to a play off game with Mexico #3 going to copa libertadores!!!! Give some meaning or incentive to that summer tourney. Unless they send the MLS champ by invitation to one of the repechajes that Colombia, ecuas and peruvian or chileans face every late January.
It's always the same with MLS'ers, talk a big game, we're closing the gap and blah blah blah, then watch you guys crash against Mexican, Costa Rican and USL competition. You're delusional and you're basing all of this on the fact that America is a financial world power, a nation going bankrupt with civilians living on Credit. Don't reply unless it's something quick, I don't feel like reading your novel sized rants.
It's true. But too bad that in the Libertadores there're also, brazilians, bolivians, chileans, colombians, paraguayans, peruvians, venezuelans and uruguayans. Bah, why should give'em the solution of giving meaning with anything they came up with to milk mexican-american dollars? Don't we have enough already?
No rant needed (hope a paragraph isnt too long). Fact of the matter is why teams from MLS didnt do well.... is the MLS gave league play priority, along with the coaches. The Rev's team that lost to Joe Public so bad was third string, they didnt care about the tournament and at the time were at the top or close to the league in points, they cared more about that.... its terrible but its true. Same with DC United, they put out a second string team, because of injuries/ saving guys for league play putting importance over the chance at making the play-offs compared to playing well in this tournamnent. USL went all in cause for once they had a chance at doing better than MLS because they made it their #1 priority. Fact of the matter is MLS has won the CCC in the past twice in its short life of being a league, and beating Vasco de gama to be the one time champ of the america's. MLS will catch up sooner or later, once they can get tehir salary cap up. EDIT: ALso this wasnt an excuse, IMO MLS were idiots in not putting priority in the concacaf champ. league, and damaged their reputation even more, losing as bad or not even making it to the next round like they did.
The Mexican national team sucks, or has since 2006. The FMF is pretty good, I'll give you that. Speaking of which, maybe they should start inviting MLS teams to Interliga or whatever that thing is called where they decide the FMF Libertadores representatives in January. It's already held in the U.S.
I think the MLS should start with winning away from home, and then think about moving into bigger tournaments like Libertadores. If Houston, who is one of the better teams in the MLS couldn't beat Atlante in Cancun, imagine them trying to win in Sao Paulo.
I agree with you. MLS teams have yet to win a game away in international play vs. south american or mexican opposition... The closest i can think of was DC United tying in a very tough game at home vs. U. Catholica of Chile (crazy fans! IMO on par with the best in south america), and then having to have the daunting task of playing them at home, having to have a win in order to go to the next round of the copa sudamericana. They miraculiously pull 2 goals to be up 2-0, and somehow La U. get the momentum and pull a glorious win which they held in the highest regard winning 3-2. Incredible video and highlights right here, the person who made this video did a awsome job! [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10DpZwuz8b8"]YouTube - universidad catolica vs dc united sudamericana 2005[/ame]