World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

[blockski]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Great summary. The shorthand I've always found helpful is MLS decided to follow the NFL model as opposed to the NASL model. Without this structure the league could've folded in the lean years (1999-2003 or so).

Could've folded? I'd say would've folded...

The great thing about the NFL analogy is the next step. The NFL needed the push from the AFL to innovate, and MLS too needs to take that next step.

I understand all the single-entity things and the structure of the league. I just think the structure has reached its limit and needs to be changed if the league wants to develop into a major profit producing entity. MLS now has viable and marketable teams. They've reached the end of the line. The only way to increase marketability and profit margins is to make the step from minor league to major league. That means meaningful TV money, not franchise expansion. MLS isn't going to attract a lot more investment unless TV rating increase. TV rating won't increase until the low quality of play increases. The quality of play won't increase until the league is willing to spend some cash on players 4-11 in the roster. David Beckham passing to Edson Buddle has more of a carnival atmosphere to it than a major sporting event. The trend of decent players developed in MLS going to Sweden, Norway and Denmark is just going to continue if MLS keeps giving these guys raw deals.

Nobody disagrees with any of this. MLS brass are all on board with everything you've laid out here.

The problem, of course, is that those are goals to be reached - not a plan on how to attain them. MLS needs to find a way to reach those goals while maintaining some competitive balance and staying financially solvent.

Right now, MLS is a cute little minor sports enterprise with a limited, low profit, regional future. It's only purpose is to provide development opportunities for the USMNT and allow the USSF to have a "domestic league" so they can get another World Cup. If you're satisfied , I don't have a problem with that, but don't be surprised that people, and I mean true soccer fans, don't care about or follow the league.

With all due respect, I think this is unfairly patronizing. I'm an MLS season ticket holder. No one wants the league to move forward more than I do, but I also don't want to sacrifice the league's long term health for short term gain.

But, by your statement, I guess I'm not a 'true soccer fan.' You'll pardon me if I think that's a load of ****.

I definitely want MLS to improve, but that's a reward in and of itself. I don't need the affirmation of the 'true soccer fans' to enjoy watching a game and supporting my local team.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Wow, even without Messi and Ibrahimovic (both dinged up and on the subs bench), Barcelona are shredding Inter. Up 2-0 after about 30 minutes (Pique, Pedro), and it just sounds like Inter are barely even touching the ball. Xavi and Iniesta are just so good at holding onto the ball and spreading it around.

 

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Fiorentina has scored a penalty, and as it stands Liverpool is out.

 

[Nathan]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Let's be honest, the FIFPro issue with MLS isn't the biggest domestic soccer story this winter. The drama between USL and TOA is far, far more interesting.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

That's a pretty archaic way of running things. They stopped that kind of crazy thing in baseball over thirty years ago and European soccer fifteen years ago.

MLS can get away with it because of the Single Entity thing. They go to great lengths to try to limit the ability of teams to get into bidding wars for players.

 

[Craig P.]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Right now, MLS is a cute little minor sports enterprise with a limited, low profit, regional future. It's only purpose is to provide development opportunities for the USMNT and allow the USSF to have a "domestic league" so they can get another World Cup. If you're satisfied , I don't have a problem with that, but don't be surprised that people, and I mean true soccer fans, don't care about or follow the league.

It's so easy to spend other people's money.

I think MLS has concluded that their best bet for long term viability is to budget carefully and try to find bargains within that budget to raise the level of play in the league. They've done very well with targeted use of DPs, not just Beckham but also Angel for NYRB, Schelloto in Columbus, and Blanco in Chicago (although there have been failures as well, see Dallas).

Players aren't going to Scandinavia to play because they're "getting raw deals". They're going to Scandinavia to play because they're doubling or tripling their salary, and at the same time getting into a better position to move up the league ladder if they show well. MLS isn't paying less out of spite, it's paying less because it has a limited budget that arises from limited interest from the American sports fan. It will inevitably remain a selling league until that interest level changes.

 

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Fiorentina has scored a penalty, and as it stands Liverpool is out.

Liverpool is out. Europa League bound.

Let's be honest, the FIFPro issue with MLS isn't the biggest domestic soccer story this winter. The drama between USL and TOA is far, far more interesting.

This is some seriously crazy shiznit. Too bad it hasn't been covered more by the media.

 

[blockski]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Well said, Craig. MLS is also well poised to get talented players, particularly from Central and South America that simply want a chance to live in the US and earn a living. These kinds of players are ones that MLS can underpay, relative to their talent level, IMO.

Anyway, there's reportedly a serious division within the league, and undoubtedly the debates within the MLS Board of Governors are at least as entertaining as those between the BoG and the Players. There are several teams that want to spend more money, expand rosters, compete, etc (DC, LA, Chivas, NY, Seattle, Houston), the rest of the league wants to continue with cost containment, and a few teams are on the fence in the middle (Chicago, Philly).

 

[Drew S.]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Liverpool is out. Europa League bound.



This is some seriously crazy shiznit. Too bad it hasn't been covered more by the media.

Do you think rafa intentionally wanted to be in the Europa league this year so his team was more ready for it next year? It actually might work out pretty well for them.

 

[Terrierbyassociation]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Do you think rafa intentionally wanted to be in the Europa league this year so his team was more ready for it next year? It actually might work out pretty well for them.

Yes, that's it exactly.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Let's be honest, the FIFPro issue with MLS isn't the biggest domestic soccer story this winter. The drama between USL and TOA is far, far more interesting.

You mean the USL/NASL drama?
http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/nasl-33446-returing-.html

But I wouldn't worry too much about the MLS/MLSPU drama too much.The union is trying to use all avenues to position themselves for the CBA talks.

 

[Nathan]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

This is some seriously crazy shiznit. Too bad it hasn't been covered more by the media.

You mean the USL/NASL drama?
http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/nasl-33446-returing-.html

The best coverage on the USL - TOA battle (and the currently proposed dueling Minnesota Thunders) is from The Kartik Report and Inside Minnesota Soccer.

Every day a new drama.

USL/TOA/NASL is a mess right now. TOA can't break away because their headline franchises will both be gone in two years when Vancouver and Montreal bolt. USL can't exist without the TOA because they only have Rochester, Austin, Portland and Puerto Rico right now.

They need each other to exist, or everyone (except those in Portland, Vancouver and Montreal) loses.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Where's Montreal going? I had heard rumblings that the Impact would be joining MLS but nothing official.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Where's Montreal going? I had heard rumblings that the Impact would be joining MLS but nothing official.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=702561&cc=5901

SEATTLE -- Major League Soccer would like Montreal to become its 19th team in 2012, if it can get a stadium remodeled.

MLS commissioner Don Garber said Sunday night at the MLS Cup title match that Montreal is a strong candidate for the next round of expansion after Vancouver, British Columbia, and Portland, Ore., enter the league in 2011.

The only existing, soccer-ready stadium in Montreal is 14,000-seat Saputo Stadium. That's home to potential MLS owner Joey Saputo's team in a second-division league.

Garber says the league is working with the government of Quebec to find a funding plan for the needed remodeling to Saputo Stadium.

Some cities that missed out on the 2011 expansion are considered candidates for the 19th and possibly 20th MLS teams. Those include St. Louis and Ottawa.

Garber has said he'd like to have three MLS teams in Canada.

 

[Nathan]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Where's Montreal going? I had heard rumblings that the Impact would be joining MLS but nothing official.

Garber said they're the 19th team in 2011.

Sounds like it'll be Montreal, Vancouver and potentially Portland.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Garber says the league is working with the government of Quebec to find a funding plan for the needed remodeling to Saputo Stadium.

Fail. You guys should know better than this.

 

[Red Cloud]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Garber said they're the 19th team in 2011.

Sounds like it'll be Montreal, Vancouver and potentially Portland.

Vancouver and Portland are already confirmed. Montreal I heard rumblings about but nothing concrete, especially not if MLS is going to try milking the provincial government for cash.

 

[blockski]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Vancouver and Portland are already confirmed. Montreal I heard rumblings about but nothing concrete, especially not if MLS is going to try milking the provincial government for cash.

Well, it's a little more complicated than that. Joey Saputo is a stubborn guy. Since MLS pools game day revenue, they want to ensure that Montreal can generate some revenue for them - hence the need for stadium improvements. They've also increased the expansion fee - which Saputo balked at last time around (or Montreal likely would have replaced one of either Portland or Vancouver in the last round of expansion announcements). There are other rumors about concessions he could make to MLS - forgoing the right to an expansion draft, for example, and just transferring most/all of his USL squad to MLS.

Saputo's also taken quite a few shots at MLS after he got passed over, so he's got to repair some burned bridges. My guess is that Saputo is balking at expanding his stadium/adding more luxury boxes and wants to milk the Province because he's stubborn. We shall see.

Either way, Montreal is a market that makes sense for MLS. Between them, Toronto, and Vancouver, there's potential for a Canadian nation-wide TV contract (Toronto gets great ratings). Montreal has good fan support, and rivalries have been developing in the Canadian championship.

 

[jmh]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Huh, if I'd realized how early people in my office were planning to leave for the holiday, I would've planned to head uptown and watch the Fulham-Blackburn match at the bar. Oh well.

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: World Soccer XI: To South Africa, and Beyond!

Either way, Montreal is a market that makes sense for MLS. Between them, Toronto, and Vancouver, there's potential for a Canadian nation-wide TV contract (Toronto gets great ratings). Montreal has good fan support, and rivalries have been developing in the Canadian championship.

Yeah, Montreal and Toronto is as natural of a rivalry as Cats vs Dogs. Wouldn't take much of an incident for their to be bad blood between those two clubs. You throw in Vancouver and you would have enough to have a fairly decent contract with CBC I would think.