MLS vs Liga MX cup competition rumored to be near fruition

Starting?

 

So it sounds like you are suggesting either LigaMX and MLS abandon CCL or the best teams from both leagues play in both tournaments? Otherwise we are back to SuperLiga 2.0 "leaving them to select from a handful of mid-tables that likely weren't going to draw in the crowds to an apathetic American audience"

 

I think that perhaps a good solution might be to hold Superliga 2.0 at a time of the year that is different from CCL. Perhaps when the new format CCL get started with the 1st tournament where neither MLS nor Liga MX teams participate-- Superliga 2.0 can begin at that time as a kind of warm up for all teams? Or maybe it can be held in the heart of the summer (mid to late july, aug)--a time that traditionally is slow for MLS (assuming that CCL begins in the spring and ends in the early to mid summer now that it's back to being a knock off only tourney.)

In South America Copa Sudamericana is always held after Copa Libertadores. I've always fell that makes a bit more sense than the way Europe does it holding both Champions League and Europa League at the same time.

 

There are more teams now which means that even if limited to non CCL clubs youre more likely to get quality matchups.

Also keep in mind that MLS doesnt do much to promote CCL for the same reason they dont promote USOC: its not their tournament. Meaning they make little, if any, money as it is. It makes more sense to prop up a Superliga instead

 

Not anymore. Starting this year the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana will be played simultaneously.

I am also not convinced this is a guaranteed slam-dunk.

A number of MLS fans still don't "get" international competition and Liga MX fans are more fascinated competing against the big South American clubs in Copa Libertadores or reaching the Club World Cup against the likes of Real Madrid (a ticket Superliga 2.0 can never offer).

 

True. The first teams eliminated in Copa Libertadores, get sent directly to the Sudamerica group stage.

 

Cup Americas Super Hardware

 

Perhaps not from the LMX side.

If the 4 CCL teams and 3 Copa Libertadores teams are excluded, you may be reaching the mid level teams for the SuperLiga 2.0

 

And if invitations get turned down (as it happened in Superliga 1.0) you could fall down even further in the Liga MX table. I specifically remember Chivas, the kind of team this would be aimed at, opting not to participate.

 

This is my point (posts above). Too many other competitions for there to be many quality teams that people are interested in seeing to draw big crowds, big TV numbers and big money in my opinion. I am not buying it at all. I honestly don't think any Mexican teams are going to draw big TV numbers on English language channels in the US.
It didn't work a few years ago and not enough has changed to make it work now.

I also don't think it will work if their only focus is the Mexican audience.

MLS has solved their attendance woes of the early days. They are still working on TV numbers. I think the focus should be pushing forward with existing tournaments for now. I definitely don't think another SuperLiga attempt is going to push MLS to the next level here in the states.

I know this is another topic but I honestly see USOC gaining in popularity over time. As MLS continues to grow and USL (and lower) continues to grow people will be curious about seeing their local lower division teams play the big boys. Looking at how much MLS and lower divisions have grown (very quickly) I see USOC having a lot to gain. When you see 4th tier amateur teams in football country south like Chattanooga pulling the attendance numbers they are, it gives me hope.

 

Someone mentioned not the term SuperLiga but a Super Cup. Which is what I woulda thought MLS HQ woulda dreamed up and beat the Guinness International Champions Cup to each Summer.. Specifically being that if we all know the big name European and LMX clubs are going to stage their own exhibitions against each other or nowadays against MLS sides (Old School folks can recall when MLS sides getting a sniff at playing a Man U was a dream, then it became a constant reality these days) than MLS HQ think tank can create a 4 group 4 team to group set up that invites 4 MLS clubs, 4 LMX clubs and 8 clubs from Europe and South America. The group winners play off in the semis and obviously a Grand Final. This format guarantees the visiting clubs from overseas the 3 group stage matches. They can as well schedule for their bench and rest of their players they have brought, their club can be promised side matches versus MLS USL teams and the like. Thus growing their Euro or SA brand in smaller cities across our nation.

And speaking of smaller cities growing more intimate with the beautiful game, it is indeed a special sight tow witness smaller Southern and Western towns showing so well for their local side week in and week out. It is always know to the soccer junkie that what your town does for a one off fixture is one thing, but to turn up week after week for minor league ball speaks to a whole different fan attachment to the sport in your city.

 

If you could solve the issue of the CCL lacking relevance, I'd openly lobby for you to become CONCACAFs next prez; the region is so massive (and the revenue so minor) that it's likely a money-loser for the majority of teams that participate (hence the new format to help cut down on travel costs.)

As you mention, a new SuperLiga that simply draws from the same collection of mid/bottom table teams isn't going to work. If FMF and MLS are serious about a new tourny, they'll need to devise a way to ensure that the best teams want to participate, and in order to do that they need to come up with a formula that gives the competition meaning.

I'm not trying to argue that MLS needs to ignore the CCL in favor of this new tourny--much like you, I'd love to see MLS teams treat the CCL as the top title they can win--but a joint FMF/MLS tournament does offer the best potential to make money (and drum up interest) for each respective league.

 

The new CCL format is basically a Superliga once you get past the first round. Assuming of course that Liga MX and MLS live up to their reputation. Asking MLS participants to travel to the Caribbean/Central America once per year for the sake of inclusiveness isn't too much to ask. CONCACAF after all has the mandate to grow the game throughout the confederation.

A "money first" competition will once again place all games in the US and as a result the legitimacy will suffer. Can you say Liga MX pre-season kick around designed to make MLS look good? And we still haven't answered which fan-base is supposed to carry this competition even if Liga MX are willing to deepen the relationship. For Mexican fans the pinnacle of international play isn't facing MLS. This may hurt MLS pride but is an unfortunate reality. They have their eyes set on the likes of River Plate, Corinthians (Libertadores) or Real Madrid and Barcelona (CWC, accessed through CCL).

I say some kind of Super Cup or a combined All-Star game might make sense. Nothing more.

See above. The only way to give Superliga additional meaning at this point is throwing prize money at it. There will never be a CWC ticket on offer (a competition that could radically change in 2019 according to Infantino).

 

The whole point is to not have non-MLS, non-LigaMX teams.

 

SuperLiga came about because in the 2 1/2 years leading up to it, CONCACAF club competitions only featured two games between MLS and LigaMX teams. A two game series between DC United and Pumas (I think).

Because of the threat of the success of SuperLiga, CONCACAF redid the CCC (now CCL) so that there was a group stage of four teams that featured a bunch of MLS/LigaMX games.

After SuperLiga was ended, CONCACAF changed the group stage from four teams to three teams and the number of MLS/LigaMX matchups has fallen dramatically.

The desires of the voting membership of CONCACAF and that of MLS and LigaMX aren't the same.

The whole point of an MLS/LigaMX competition would be to explicitly not have to deal with Real Estreli, CD Saprissa, W Connection, Arabe Unido and so on.

 

Define "regularly". I don't consider 2 to 6 games/year between two leagues of roughly 20 teams each to be "regular"

 

Actually an earlier poster offered up what I think would be an good suggestion.

The ACC/Big 10 Challenge (which is no longer just Men's Basketball, and has seen copies - SEC/Big 12...)

Yes, it can be a LigaMX preseason game(s). But just match up the 18 LigaMX teams with 18 MLS teams and over a two week period have them play home/home series.

Yes, it would be a stunt. But then we all get crazy around here when MLS teams join the USOC en masse for a few days.

If you've got 18 MLS/LigaMX matchups over three days (Tue-Thu), then second legs a week later, I think it would hit a critical mass of interest.

And it would serve its marketing purpose far more than a rehashed SuperLiga with MLS teams 5-8 (with 1-4 in CCL).

Sure. There would be stinkers - in the stands and on the field. But then we see that in every competition. But I think it's the sort of thing that could steadily grow.

 

The first CCL was 2008-2009. In the previous 2 1/2 years in the 2006, 2007, and 2008 CCCs there were:

D.C. United vs. Chivas Guadalajara in 2007
Houston vs. Pachuca in 2007
D.C. United vs. Pachuca in 2008

There were no MLS vs. Liga MX games in 2006. D.C. United vs. Pumas was in 2005.

 

Both of those 2007 series were so damn close that either DC or Houston couldve won them. Chivas was so bad that DC shouldve won. C'est la vie.

 

Because CONCACAF as a whole has other interests.

 

The MLS teams competing in CCL and the best teams in MLS are not the same thing.

 

As the league grows to 28 teams, there's going to be plenty of teams for multiple tournaments.