Mls teams arent ready for the CL. They cant compete as visitors. Its been proven when they have to play Mexican clubs in a 2 leg series. Mexican teams are obviously the exception for conmebol...theyll do anything for more plata.
its already nuts that we have to fly 16 hour each way to Mexico and now to the USA? and than we have to come back and get ready for a game sunday? WE might as well join UEFA and compete in the Copa De Rey. The flight is shorter..Its already ridiculous as it is.
7 or 8 hours depending. 11 actual flight hours to mexico city not counting any layovers. but last I look Bogota and Caracas are still in the Conmebol.
The only good thing I can think of about MLS teams playing in the Libertadores is that I would have a chance to see my team here (DCU is a perrenial MLS power).
I agree that MLS is inferior to FMF and that overall it probably is superior to the Bolivian league, that being said the Bolivian league has put a team in the Sudamericana final 2004, and well it is part of CONMEBOL and always will be. MLS hasn't proven squat internationally yet IMO to be able to compete in Libertadores, I think one of their teams should at least win ONE away game in Sudamericana before CONMEBOL rolls out the red carpet for Libertadores. Can you Imagine New England Revolution, DCunited, Dynamo or any MLS side playing an away leg against Boca, Inter, Sao Paolo, Millos, River, Nacional, Colo Colo, Atl Nacional, etc. Or going to altitude to play teams from Colomiba, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador. Many yank fans often complain about altitude in Mexico, wait until their MLS side plays against Real Potosi at the worlds highest situated stadium (3,960mts or 12,992ft)
Hey Flamenguista, Haven't you heard?? There are more Flu supporters in the nation's capital than Mengo supporters.
Just a single word to answer the title of the thread. NO! Seriously, i'm already against mexican clubs in the Libertadores and the MLS would be much worse. Also the teams from the southern part would have long travels to play against Portland Seagulls or Manhattan Green Shorts just to hand their asses on a plate it'd be a big waste of time(also for them because they'd have to come here too). The CONMEBOL should fix the Libertadores schedules without any side of the CONCACAF, stop doing charity with them just to snatch more money why don't fix the thing instead of leeching someone else, also since they are getting their own Champions League they may as well stick to it.
people need to stop crying about this. i think the MLS will eventually get their teams if not atleast one team into the tournament but why do they deserve anything right now? How about they win a tournament that is played in north America first Let them start winning some champions cups/the new champions league then we can start talking They can’t even get out of the first round in the sudamericana and that is against a Mexican side The teams from the MLS complain a lot about how they might not be in midseason form for the champions cup or any other tournament Imagine how much they would complain if they had to travel all the way to south America when they are not in mid season form I would like to see an MLS team if not two of them play in the copa libertadores but when they are ready and can do so The latin leagues are different than the MLS season They have apertures and clausuras The MLS only has one season a year Lets see how the MLS teams keep doing in the sudamericana and how they will do in the new concacaf champions league Then they can start talking about the copa libertadores Remember, Mexican teams didn’t always go to sudamericanas or libertadores They had to get invited and now go every year The MLS has to earn their way and prove they can win And to those who are crying that Mexican teams don’t belong in the libertadores or sudamericana just need to shut up!!! They are in, they do good and it’s exciting to see the big name teams play each other They deserve to be there and that’s it Keep complaining but that isn’t going to keep the Mexican teams out of those tournaments
mexican teams have alreayd participated long time to be considered outsideres mexican teams will permanently be participating without them libertadores wouldnt exist mls teams don have waht it takes to take part
2 tournaments a year. Not 2 seasons a year (most 3rd teams from each country qualify to Lib. by gaining the most points in the season [Apertura + Clausura points]) Not every league has Apertura and Clausura also. So the "latin leagues are different than the MLS season, they have apertures and clausuras, the MLS only has one season a year" is not a reason/excuse for MLS not to take part of Copa Libertadores. Whatever I'll leave you and your "No MLS in Libertadores" agenda alone.
Ummm... yes? You make no valid point. MLS is light years behind in quality, barely competitive with leagues from Guatemala and Honduras.
This is not true, if anything MLS teams is light years ahead anyone else minus Mexico and the 2 big clubs in Costa Rica. MLS can do as well as mexican clubs in the Copa Libertadores, it just will take time for them to get adjusted, look at when DC United went to U. Catholica of Chile, they were winning at one point 2-0!! Now with their DP rule they can afford 1 to 2 top players that any big mexican or south american team can afford, probably more if they wanted to paying beckham 6.5 million a year(recently salaries have been released), so i believe with time MLS will raise their salary cap, and with this new rule will attracted good south american older pro's still good enough to do damage in the Copa Libertadores for any big club in south america, but will be attracted to MLS because we can compete with the them as far as yearly salary goes, i mean look guys in the NBA make 20million a year! Alot of the owners for each team are willing to dish 2-3 million a year if the player will make an impact. Marcelo Gallardo for DC is making close to 2 million a year at 1.8 right now, thats right up there with the biggest mexican and South American salaries he would have reciebed, San Lorenzo were only going to give him 800k a year, and that was pushing it!! I think a hand full of the stronger teams(2-3) could do ok in the copa libertadores, but beyond that the league isnt ready yet. I think all it takes is one invitation, and the rest will fall into place. But as a south american i agree, it should have stayed just conmbol teams, but hell if mexican teams are allowed to play because of money, why not let in MLS teams who have Beckham and Blanco and DC has el muneco Gallardo???
The last time an MLS cup won the CONCACAF Champions Cup was in the year 2000... that was 8 years ago. Plus, they get two automatic berths for quarter finals (purely for marketing reasons), same as Mexican teams... and the MLS still can't even bring a runner up to a CONCACAF Champions final. If you see the elimination rounds that against Central American teams (except Mexicans and Costa Ricans) the results are rather even, no more than a goal of difference. I would definitely not call that "light years" away in term of quality. ...and they blew that lead. Shows how mediocre MLS teams are. They couldn't even win at home if I recall correctly. There's no way MLS teams will have the performance necessary to compare them to Mexican teams. Like I said, if they can barely beat teams from Honduras and Guatemala, there's no way they can beat teams like Sao Paulo, Nacional, Colo Colo, etc. If it was about money, South American players would flood the Qatar or the Saudi leagues. They have the money... but why are those destinations not popular? Because the level is low, and sub sequently not of enough quality to be considered for a NT, for example, which is something many players have in mind when they go abroad. Money could be a way for the MLS to attract good quality players, but if the Mexican league is any indication, still not enough to win tournaments. One or two players don't make a team, specially when they come from a league that's not very competitive. If not ask Galaxy fans about their team's performance.
The only reason i say light years, is because the last result i can remember a MLS team having versus say an honduras squad was against CD Olimpia, where in their own house we destroyed them 4-1 and won in our house 3-2. Yes the last time a MLS team won it was 2000, but the league has grown ALOT since then, we have had good showings with in the last couple of years internationally, although we do still lack a win outside of the US. It happens though, thats why these tournaments are 2 game matches. Look at DC when they went to Guad. for Chivas last season for the Concacaf Champ., They scored first with a chilenita from moreno, or when they went back there for the copa sudamericana after beating them 2-1 a man down at home, and then barely losing 1-0 by a ramon morales goal that BARELY HAPPENED! MLS has grown in the last couple of years, with the influx of foreign players from SA countries, and with our new rule change of 8 foreign player max per team, no matter the age. That rule in itself will help us internationally. MLS although doesnt pay great, for foreign players it doesnt pay bad if your worth it, and you get your pay check on time EVERY month. I cant stress that enough. I'll agree they blew that lead, it was defensive mess ups from what i can recall, and not to mention they were still in their "off season". But regardless they still lost. Still growth IMO. Yes they would get DEMOLISHED by bigger teams, i dunno about the teams beyond Sao Paulo though, Colo Colo isnt all that this year, and nacional is nothing that impressive. Yes your right, those leagues do have money and many times tend to ruin great money hungry young great players, but a reason you forget is location. This is the great US of A where soccer is still not even close to the top 3, where players can live, possibly retire in almost full annoymitiy(sp.). They dont have to worry about getting hounded by the press, or worry about living in hot heat all day like in Saudi Arabia or Qatar, they can live in the subarbs, send their kids to good schoolls, some of the best collleges in the World, and just have a better quality of life all around. Not the same in the big money countries(qatar) or in mexico, argentina, brazil,etc.. And they can get paid on time as like in south america, its always a hassle trying to get your money and same goes with kidnappings and crazy shit like that. But on your point of being considered for their NT, your right. The MLS isnt for that right now, since they are only limited to the Concacaf champships and not quite yet a regular in the Copa Libertadores or Sudamericana this league has grown as fast or is as competitive as the FMF which i think is because of the foreigners and how they get invited to the CL is the main reason the league is what it is, in the TOP 3 in the Americas. They pay well and have great players willing to play over there and still get called up for the majority of their national teams, minus Arg. and Bra. for the most part. Yes money can attract big players, not necessarily to win tournaments in my mind, but more so to help american soccer grow overall. This country is dying for the south american beautiful style of play that exists in mexico(the bigger better teams play it) and in argentina and brasil. USA wants to play at that level, and with an invitation to the CL they could finally get a taste and a good black eye to show them where they stand. Personally i would love to see a MLS team right now thrown in the lion pit and torn to shreds just so they can come back and rebuild stronger. Yes this is true, but the galaxy is not a good example, their salaries and quality of player vary ALOT inbetween tehir starting 11. Beyond Ruiz, Donovan, and Beckham all making from 400k-6.5Mil in between the both of them, the rest of the players all make an avg. of 60k AT MOST! With many making in the 40s if i am right! A better example of a well balanced Roster is DC United with all the players making(their starting 11) ranging from 33k-313k, with our most expensive guy making 1.9 which is gallardo. I'd say the level of talent is about equal given that. Our 2 cheapest guys 1 is young defender who is in order for a raise, while the other is a decent keeper priced at 56k. Also here's a list of salaries for those thats interested. http://www.mlsplayers.org/files/3_31_08_salary_info_club.pdf
if it were a season, then there would only be one champion there can't be two champions in one season i never said the one regular season a year in the MLS is why they are not in it it would be hard for them to compete cuz most of the group phases are held before the actual MLS season starts so their fitness would be an excuse which they would use they are getting used to playing tournaments before their actual season starts though even though it's not as a high level competition as libertadores they participate in the Champions cup which is getting them ready for the 2 bigger tournaments of the Americas (libertadores, sudamericana) but they still struggle in the Champions cup and they will have lots of trouble if they play in the other 2 they are not ready, so they should not be playing in them yet let the MLS teams play in the new Concacaf champions league and go from there then they can look in the future at libertadores and sudamericana (even though they get a team/s already in sudamericana but haven't done anything there yet) it's still gets them ready