http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=589625&sec=us&root=us&cc=5901 OUCH LOOKS LIKE HE CALLED OUT THE MLS
That must be why all of their strongest markets are ponying up tens of millions of dollars to get into MLS. USL must be stronger because no USL team has won the USOC in a decade, and it doesn't look like it'll happen again anytime soon. USL must be stronger because they are selling off their top talent for $10M USD, and other talents for millions as well while MLS just loans theirs out for a couple hundred grand. USL is certainly better because their attendance is triple that of MLS, and their shirt sponsors are paying millions to get their brand out there and ESPN, FSC, HDNet and Telefutura are paying millions upon millions to showcase their product to the world. Using this one tournament to say that USL is "better" or "gaining ground" is as ridiculous as MLS fans saying that they are equal to their FMF counterparts because Houston and NE met in the final of the SuperLiga. Both are wrong and stupid to the point of idiocy. The article is just plain stupid as is anyone who believes it. EDIT: I forgot to mention that USSF certainly thinks the quality is in MLS since that is who they award their CCC/CCL spots to. And it's not like the Islanders couldn't have qualified for CCC before...there was a championship process to potentially get a team into the 1/4s. One good run does not mean anything except that it is a good run.
I wouldnt say they gotten weaker, but a full strength MLS team vs. USL, MLS will win 8/10 times. Look at the US Open Cup. When was it last that a non-MLS team won that? Edit: The Rhino's in 99' but from 96' til now MLS teams have won this cup, where we play USL teams for that title. Personally, the MLS will have trouble and be called out like this until we can afford to pay what they pay their starters(most of them) to sit on the MLS bench. We need a higher salary cap for more depth. That is when we can be like mexican teams and have mixed starting lineups for cup competitions and still play well.
Exactly. You look at clubs around the world (Arsenal being a very good example in FA Cup) of being able to compete with very different line-ups than for league matches....
This Is our second try at int competition, and both time we have done pretty good, the first we lost to the future champ and the second we lost to Jack Warner in the 90min of the semifinals.
I think what that article is saying is that USL isn't necessarily better , its just trying to use a "congested" schedule as an Excuse is BS. That they play just of a congested schedule and Number of games. That Mls making excuses is BS and that they shoudl sack up and play better agaisnt INferior compition