A minimum rule here is harmless and largely symbolic. There is only one team where this rule could realistically apply. Chivas USA is the only squad that could be inhibited by this rule. The rest of the MLS squads are in no danger of being impacted. It is limitations on MAXIMUM # of forgeigners that is the suitable regulation. Having an obsolete rule from a much different league (NASL) demographically is pointless and similar to minimum speed-limits on Interstates of 40 mph. For what is is worth, foreigners in the MLS are valuable for American player development to a point (diversity of style, experience, culture, technique). Saturation does inhibit prospects from getting playing time, but I think the MLS is far from this point.
That is a good point. MLS will not allow this doomsday scenario to happen, all owners know that MLS is for the USA. I don't think there would be a whole of interest if all teams fielded foreign players from the American public anyways. Besides, name me one league that does not have foreign players on there teams. Just out of curiosity, are you just as upset that baseball and the NBA now, are being overrun by foreign talent? Most if not all MLB clubs have foreign(Hispanic) players and most of the best plaeyrs in baseball or not American(Sosa, Guerrero, Arod, etc etc)?
Africa, maybe. But the Asians can be either expensive or not all that eager to enter the US (the Muslim parts). Besides, the Chinese League looms attractive for many.
I would say: This is worse than the NASL; at least they had a rule that required, at a minimum, 2-3 american players on the field at all times. That's a judgment call, though.
I wouldn't want to enter the Muslim parts of the US either. Why exactly would the Chinese league loom attractive for anyone?
If we are producing quality players in the numbers some here are so utterly convinced that we are why would this even be a consideration?
What do you think english fans want. Rules to be implimented that force teams to play englishmen? or Englishmen to improve to such a level that they displace these foreigners and send them packing?
I gotta tell you eveerytime I see your name I just can't help but give you positive rep for. It is pure comedic.........................Genius.
I've herd a lot of talk about seceding to Canada since the election, but nobody told me that New York City and Miami actually went through with it. Back to the original point. An inundation of foreign players is the last thing anyone who follows MLS should be worrying about. Anything that could possibly make the league more competitive should be welcomed.
wow, i really didn't want to join this assault on the english language but there, i've gone and done it.
I'm more worried about Title IX ruining soccer than I am about foreigners in MLS ruining soccer. Be aware!
This is of course all assuming that, you know, the foreigners that do sign with MLS are, you know, kinda like, you know, BETTER than the Americans on the squads. So, like, a guy say, like Dipsy Selolwane who is so, like, good and totally awsome that he, like, leads African WCQ with 5 goals is just, like, SUCKING THE PLAYING TIME of all the good, young, wholesome American talent.
When we have the last draft pick overall being mentioned for contention of Rookie of the Year, any arguement of the league being overrunned by foreigners and not giving the American's a chance holds no water. MLS is about developing young talent (foreign and americans), developing players for the USMNT, and continue the growth of soccer in the US. So far, I think MLS has done a good enough job in each aspect. Changing the rules from 3 SI to 4 SI's helps allow the growth of young players, foreign or americans. The Revs have two players who just qualified as SI, one that went to college right up the road from Foxboro. With the prior rules, the Revs would have to cut both of these players if they don't feel them worthy enough to stay on the roster compared to the other SI. But with the new rule, the Revs can now keep one (but in this case, they most likely will keep both because of another SI being released). How is this holding American's back? It's not like MLS is bringin in league max SI's. Most of the time these players are looking for a break to start their career. If you can't handle this, then that's too unfortunate. You should embrace the new players, as they will only make Americans better due to competition of finding a spot on the field. And if these SI's (and TI"s) are bumping players off the rosters, is it really that much of a deal? Do you really think these players are going to make an impact? I don't think Dallas wil bring in a SI forward and sit Johnson. Dempsey looks pretty safe in NE, same with Marshall. Again, your arguement holds no water.
Well I'm foreign born and I am also more concerned with MLS devoloping American talent. But I have confidence in the US players and if somone is not good enough, then get off the field wherever you are from. Don't worry too much about the foreign influence - I'm the only fan of MLS I know where I live, while many Americans don't care.
Ok just a thought . . . I do like the inclusion of more out of towners, but this could hurt the national team. While we will raise to level of the American player, at the same time we also help out rest of CONCACAF. This may end up bitting us in the ass, since while we cultivate our young talent, becoming the best league in the reagion will also cultivate the rest of the region. Kind of scarey.
Well that remains to be seen with Chivas who has a pipeline of young foreign talent available to them that most teams don't have the opportunity to exploit. My prediction is that Chivas is either going to be historically bad or historically good.