Basketball has the same issue as Footy with the fouls. Allowed people to get away w acting like they were fouled, also call things differently for different levels of players so it becomes part of the game. At least both sports are now trying to penalize for faking or flopping. I could not imagine ever going down for some of the things guys hit the ground for now, embarrassing.
The US will never have the best players playing here. The money and top international club teams are too established elsewhere. I'm a huge soccer fan and haven't watched a half hour of MLS play combined in my life. We can be a retirement home home good players, kind of like Florida, for the US.
Wouldn't say that. America dominates business and sports teams value. Those other leagues have had a 100 year head start. The MLS is already a top 10 league. It's only a matter of time before it becomes the equal or better than any other.
Made game worse due to over use so it’s just flat out not interesting - allow hand checking in nba and use will go down or love line out
I hear that a lot but is it really true? Besides top 5, I wonder if the top leagues in Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, Saudi Arabia (because of massive money invested) are ahead of MLS. Then you have Turkey, English Championship and others
Perhaps I should have said we may not see it.
Relegation won't be, but only because the structure is already set. Its also a great thing, eliminates the crap tanking you see, keeps the regular season meaningful through out and rewards properly run clubs rather than just giving $ a permanent seat at the table.
+1
They would if so many teams didn't make the playoffs and there was relegation.
Don't need relegation (but I'm not morally opposed to the concept). Just reduce the playoffs to 12 teams and make the lottery draft odds completely even.....like it was several decades ago. Boom, problem solved!
Actually USL is doing it for their divisions which are basically pro levels 2-4
Only problem with that is it means fewer playoff games and less money to be made. So….never gonna happen.Don't need relegation (but I'm not morally opposed to the concept). Just reduce the playoffs to 12 teams and make the lottery draft odds completely even.....like it was several decades ago. Boom, problem solved!
OlDon't need relegation (but I'm not morally opposed to the concept). Just reduce the playoffs to 12 teams and make the lottery draft odds completely even.....like it was several decades ago. Boom, problem solved!
It’s one list. Don’t believe it. No way is Dutch or Argentine top league below MLS. Those teams would easily beat MLS teams. One can argue if MLS is even better than MX in Mexico - maybe about even ish
Both of those leagues have one or maybe two legit teams. MLS teams are already worth more than many of those. More money, more investment, better players. It's all happening in real time.
At lower levels, but it will never happen in pro sports at the highest level. Teams are already incentivized to win. It means more money for the franchise.
This is MLS argument against some other leagues, the parity due to the salary budget rules. The top teams may be a slight step down, but bottom teams are probably stronger than some of the other leagues.
But the top 5 has been the top 5 a long time with maybe the exception of League One. But the other 4 have been in the top 5 for decades and decades
I’m for promotion/relegation and the lesser teams will fight hard not to get relegated vs tanking and the better teams in the 2nd level would work really hard towards the end to try to get promoted
Every league we have is the best league in the world. Soccer will be no different. We just got started and bypassed many countries who have had leagues much longer. We weren’t talking about players. Much like the NBA though, someday those players will all come here. The money and prestige will be the reason.
Major League Rugby is far from the top rugby league.
Until the US adapts the European/ South American youth sports model of having pro teams run organizations from U10s, U12s, U18s… whatever instead of having the pay for play AAU/ LL/ PW model where parents of kids with garbage skills pay $10K+ / year to play for the Ironbound Rage, the Secaucus Pop Tart Rifflers, Cherry Hill Smog Warriors. You got the organizations like Man City, Man U, Barca, Boca, etc properly train their youth players how to play the game the right way instead of blowing everyone out 11-0 3 times a day to get the Coaches that’s getting all of those payments the Big Trophies
Rugby (MLR) is a good analogy to Soccer (MLS) with us being way better in soccer than rugby. We are reasonably competitive in 7’s but that’s about it.
Yes but we are not competitive against any top 10 team. We get obliterated
Although most will say that this stinks, I’ve always said that the draft order should be in inverse order of the non playoff teams: the best non playoff team would pick first and so on. More motivation to perform well and less tanking.Don't need relegation (but I'm not morally opposed to the concept). Just reduce the playoffs to 12 teams and make the lottery draft odds completely even.....like it was several decades ago. Boom, problem solved!
That is true. More parity among top 20 in soccer than rugby and big upsets in rugby are rare. Reason is the top countries field teams of the full-time pros and the rest are made up of part-time amateurs and semi-pros.
| Year | Host | Matches | Total Attendance | Average per Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | USA | 52 | 3,587,538 | 68,991 |
| 1998 | France | 64 | 2,785,100 | 43,517 |
| 2002 | Korea/Japan | 64 | 2,705,197 | 42,269 |
| 2006 | Germany | 64 | 3,359,439 | 52,491 |
| 2010 | South Africa | 64 | 3,178,856 | 49,670 |
| 2014 | Brazil | 64 | 3,429,876 | 53,592 |
| 2018 | Russia | 64 | 3,031,768 | 47,371 |
| 2022 | Qatar | 64 | 3,404,252 | 53,191 |
| 2026 | USA/Mexico/Canada | 104 | 6,810,966 | 65,490 |
