This has a a lot more to do with the popularity of the Prem, and by extension English football in the US vs the Italian, German, or Spanish leagues (outside of Barca, Real). And some of us do keep half an eye on the relegation fights in those leagues if there is a compelling club involved. I've been keeping half an eye on St. Pauli this season in Germany. Same with Sevilla in Spain. I
Yes, it shows that pro/rel in itself isn’t some mass driver of interest, there are other factors at play. I trust you also object to the claim that “ no one cares about the MLS playoffs?”
If MLS wants to use play offs use the quantity that championship or Segundo uses 4 teams and that is it serie b is crazy with 8 teams
A lot of delusional points. A few facts. Preparing the excuse of "USSF is in bed with MLS and they are conspiring against USL to be a D1 because they don't want to bend the rules".
I'm assuming fans of teams in the playoffs care about the playoffs (hoping that will be me come october) same as fans of clubs involved in either promotion or relegation care about that.
honestly dd anybody know that concaf CL is on and face of mls was playing i just found out that it was from msn.com site lol
Yes, many people knew about it. Even that game was followed closely in Mexico because it determines whether the final is in Mexico or Miami. Just cause you don't know shit doesn't mean other people don't know either. I don't know what's happening in the Bosnia league does that mean no one cares about it?
This needs its own thread. Will have plenty of material in the coming years. Promotion/relegation that happens within a private company is not a real open ecosystem. The USL "pro/rel" move is good for publicity... but it's not the real thing. #ProRelforUSA— Ben Fast ⚽️ 🇺🇸 🔺🔻 (@bwfast) May 2, 2025
It’s not even some miraculous new concept, it’s pretty much a dynamic similar to playoffs with a bit more weight applied to the prize or penalty. No one is scared, some are skeptical as far as pro/rel in the U.S. being able to ignite a huge new level of interest. Because at the end of the day you’re still selling the niche product of domestic soccer.
Asking fans why they are scared of ProRel as if its our money lol. The ones that should be scared and concerned are the ones putting up the money. Which they are. Otherwise they would've done this years ago without thinking about it too much.
Lol so that is a difference between world and usa in world they count trophies in usa they count money and that is like 80-20 in importance trophy money that is why MLS is just we come for experience
Sure, in the rest of the world they count trophies. Money for them is irrelevant. It just grows on trees.
This “USA loves money, Europe loves trophies” myth is painfully naive and honestly kind of embarrassing. Both sides are obsessed with cash—European soccer’s a huge money pit, with Premier League clubs raking in billions from TV deals. And if it's not giant TV deals, it's billionaire owners propping up teams to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Promotion/relegation has nothing to do with trophies or fan engagement. It’s a system that slaps underperforming clubs with relegation’s financial abyss while giving overachievers a temporary leg up. It doesn’t make winning titles easier; it just dangles a “merit” fairy tale that billionaire owners love because it keeps fans hooked. Europeans tend to swoon over the romance of a plucky minnow rising, but let’s not kid ourselves—those “minnows” who climb and stay, like RB Leipzig or Hoffenheim, aren't sustained by fan passion, but instead by Red Bull/SAP money respectively. And with no spending cap (another American invention oft-lampooned), Europe’s pyramids tilt massively toward the richest teams. The “promise” of pro/rel is mostly fantasy. It won’t turn a six-month-old MLS club into a storied, 120-year-old giant. It won’t spike interest—when American teams tank, most fans ditch them, pro/rel or not. Small-market clubs like FC Cincinnati or New Mexico United aren’t morphing into LA Galaxy-sized powerhouses just by climbing a league. Pro/rel’s sold as this meritocratic savior, but it’s just a slicker hustle, money still talks just as loudly with as without.
Not to mention--plenty of youth and adult amateur leagues have been using pro/rel for decades. It's not as if the format is unknown here.
It is at a professional level or any level that has more than a few friends and family watching. I don't know if it's going to work or if it is going to change the US soccer landscape but this is a new thing. A fully professional league on TV is different then a bunch of people in a park. Hey can you make a pie with all the cherry picking you are doing? Shocked you didn't pull out Wrexham too. You can like or not like pro/rel but the reality is it does generate stories and narratives. And does given an opportunity for the sport to determine who is in what league.
MLS has 5 billion dollar clubs. Spain has 3. Germany has 2. France has 1. Italy has 3. Bosnia & Herzegovina has none. We can all wish the world were different, but it isn’t. Any dipshit criticizing MLS’ business acumen should be mocked.
Yes ... That's the thing about professional spectator sports. People like it for a variety of reasons and getting that alchemy right is difficult. The more hooks you give someone to watch and follow the better. Not entirely sure how pro/rel is related to the quality of play though. Not sure why you can't have both.
The relegation fight in the EPL was a tremendous story this season. So tremendous in fact, it's been over for many weeks now.
Okay it's sports what are you asking for the WWE? Should we give quadruple points on the last day to keep it alive. Maybe have a playoff were more than half the league qualifies. Yep this years relegation battle was pretty much decided by February. And guess what it was noticed. It was a detriment to the league as a whole. This weekend would be more interesting if the Everton-Soton or Ipswich-Leicester matches had things riding on them. So imagine if this was every season? League wouldn't be as interesting.