OT: We may win the World Cup in 2026

seansherm

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Yes. Its intended goal was met. Basketball has much bigger issues than the 3 point line. Like faking fouls and “load management”.
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.
Of course, I also love much of Argentina's dark arts play and think it should only be a foul when spikes are involved.
 
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RUInsanityToo

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IMO the current rules in Soccer and how the players may fake injuries have very little to do with its relative standing or US popularity level among viewers/fans. It has more to do with the fact that the current most prominent US League (MLS) is essentially a minor league when compared to other major Domestic leagues around the world. When the US has a league and franchises that boast the best players and can compete or win regularly against the best clubs anywhere in the world.......it will mean the popularity and viewership will increase dramatically.
 

seansherm

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IMO the current rules in Soccer and how the players may fake injuries have very little to do with its relative standing or US popularity level among viewers/fans. It has more to do with the fact that the current most prominent US League (MLS) is essentially a minor league when compared to other major Domestic leagues around the world. When the US has a league and franchises that boast the best players and can compete or win regularly against the best clubs anywhere in the world.......it will mean the popularity and viewership will increase dramatically.
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.
 
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Caliknight

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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.

The league was founded in 1996. You could have bought a franchise at the time for $5MM. The average valuation of a team now is near $800MM. Another 25 years and it will be double that. As that grows, so too will the ability to buy the best players, which is ultimately what will happen.
 
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RUChet

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All I hear is people complaining about the three point line and the over reliance on it. Has it made the game better, or just different?
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
 

RUChet

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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.

The league was founded in 1996. You could have bought a franchise at the time for $5MM. The average valuation of a team now is near $800MM. Another 25 years and it will be double that. As that grows, so too will the ability to buy the best players, which is ultimately what will happen.
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

I am not sold on MLS being top 10. It’s top 20 for sure.
 

seansherm

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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.

The league was founded in 1996. You could have bought a franchise at the time for $5MM. The average valuation of a team now is near $800MM. Another 25 years and it will be double that. As that grows, so too will the ability to buy the best players, which is ultimately what will happen.
Perhaps I should have said we may not see it.
I do think the MLs model of no relegation removes some of the franchise ownership risk and inflates the valuations compared to Euro teams. Its financially a top 10 league, not sure if top 10 quality yet. Need to lure top, young talent and keep it.
 
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Caliknight

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Of course it does, but the valuations are the valuations, as they are in the NFL or MLB.

Relegation will never be a part of the American pro sports experience. Nor should it.
 

seansherm

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Of course it does, but the valuations are the valuations, as they are in the NFL or MLB.

Relegation will never be a part of the American pro sports experience. Nor should 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.
 

T2Kplus20

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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! :)
 

RUChet

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Of course it does, but the valuations are the valuations, as they are in the NFL or MLB.

Relegation will never be a part of the American pro sports experience. Nor should it.
Actually USL is doing it for their divisions which are basically pro levels 2-4
 

ClassOf02v.2

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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! :)
Only problem with that is it means fewer playoff games and less money to be made. So….never gonna happen.
 

RUChet

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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! :)
Ol
Current ranking has the MLS at 10. That's a big jump 30 years considering where those other leagues started.

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

MLS has gotten better but there is a LOT of quality in these euro leagues
 

Caliknight

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Ol

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

MLS has gotten better but there is a LOT of quality in these euro leagues
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.
 

Caliknight

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Actually USL is doing it for their divisions which are basically pro levels 2-4
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.
 

seansherm

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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.
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.
 

Caliknight

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Again, there is data around the MLS being ranked 10. But let's say it's fallible, the league is undoubtedly in that conversation. All in 30 years. The U.S. simply has the markets, IP, desire, and finances to someday be the top league. The Premiership wasn't always the best league, and someday, won't be again and they've been at it for over well over 100 years. Same with Serie A. The Spanish league is almost 100 years old. MLS has made huge strides. Would anyone really bet against the USA professional soccer league being near the best or the best in another 30 years? I wouldn't. There is simply too much know how here.
 

RUChet

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Again, there is data around the MLS being ranked 10. But let's say it's fallible, the league is undoubtedly in that conversation. All in 30 years. The U.S. simply has the markets, IP, desire, and finances to someday be the top league. The Premiership wasn't always the best league, and someday, won't be again and they've been at it for over well over 100 years. Same with Serie A. The Spanish league is almost 100 years old. MLS has made huge strides. Would anyone really bet against the USA professional soccer league being near the best or the best in another 30 years? I wouldn't. There is simply too much know how here.
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

Maybe La Liga surpasses Premiere League but Premiere League will be in top 3 for at least 50 more years

MLS will never be in the top 5 as we don’t have top 5 talent or even top 20 talent. Those other leagues, pretty much have top 5-10 domestic talent.

All of the top 5 except Italy have top 5-6 domestic talent for sure

Look at our top 4 pro leagues

NFL - obviously we are the dominant power

NBA - we don’t gave a top 5 player but we probably have 15 of the top 25 and 50 of the top 70

MLB - we and the DR about even in elite talent about we probably have 50% of the top 100 players and rest of world the other 50%

NHL - widely regarded we have the second most talent after Canada and we are catching up

MLS - outlier as we don’t have top 20 talent. We don’t have 1 top 100 player.
 

RUChet

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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.
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
 

RUDiddy777

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IMO the current rules in Soccer and how the players may fake injuries have very little to do with its relative standing or US popularity level among viewers/fans. It has more to do with the fact that the current most prominent US League (MLS) is essentially a minor league when compared to other major Domestic leagues around the world. When the US has a league and franchises that boast the best players and can compete or win regularly against the best clubs anywhere in the world.......it will mean the popularity and viewership will increase dramatically.

I don’t think that’s as big of an issue as you think. The best players in the world end up playing in Europe - this is especially true of the South American teams. The MLS is rapidly improving its academy system - our issue has been developing talent and the MLS academies will have a big role in that.

You’ll see a lot of that in the 2030 USMNT - American kids developed in MLS academies playing for top European clubs.
 

Caliknight

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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

Maybe La Liga surpasses Premiere League but Premiere League will be in top 3 for at least 50 more years

MLS will never be in the top 5 as we don’t have top 5 talent or even top 20 talent. Those other leagues, pretty much have top 5-10 domestic talent.

All of the top 5 except Italy have top 5-6 domestic talent for sure

Look at our top 4 pro leagues

NFL - obviously we are the dominant power

NBA - we don’t gave a top 5 player but we probably have 15 of the top 25 and 50 of the top 70

MLB - we and the DR about even in elite talent about we probably have 50% of the top 100 players and rest of world the other 50%

NHL - widely regarded we have the second most talent after Canada and we are catching up

MLS - outlier as we don’t have top 20 talent. We don’t have 1 top 100 player.
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.
 

Fat Koko

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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.

England's 10-team Premiership, France's Top 14, and the United Rugby Championship (16 teams from 5 countries) are the top leagues. The best club teams in the world are in France, England, and Ireland. The economics of pro rugby are tough. Major League Rugby is down to six teams, and in 2023 three of the top England Premiership teams went bankrupt and folded, and these teams had been successful for over 100 years.

The irony is the US national team players are not good enough to play at the top levels in France, England, and Ireland, and Major League Rugby doesn't pay enough for the US's top players to commit themselves full time to the sport. During the last World Cup qualification, the US team lost to Uruguay, Chile, and Canada, then failed to make it out of a losers bracket featuring Hong Kong, Portugal, and Kenya.

Some pundits have described the US as rugby's sleeping giant. I'm not seeing it. When FBS schools offer 13,000 or so football scholarships to American high schoolers, and the best players now get paid, not many US youngsters are going to take up rugby in place of football.

All that said, I enjoyed playing the sport and still watch it. Plan to be in LA in 2028 to watch the Olympics and will attend some World Cup games when the US hosts in 2031.
 

Caliknight

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Never even heard of major league rugby lol.

PLL which is the pro lacrosse league is in its infancy and has some good funding with billionaire backers. They just raised $100MM. I’m hoping to be part of an ownership group which will happen in the next year when franchises go to market.
 
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tico brown

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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.
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
 

RUChet

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Major League Rugby is far from the top rugby league.

England's 10-team Premiership, France's Top 14, and the United Rugby Championship (16 teams from 5 countries) are the top leagues. The best club teams in the world are in France, England, and Ireland. The economics of pro rugby are tough. Major League Rugby is down to six teams, and in 2023 three of the top England Premiership teams went bankrupt and folded, and these teams had been successful for over 100 years.

The irony is the US national team players are not good enough to play at the top levels in France, England, and Ireland, and Major League Rugby doesn't pay enough for the US's top players to commit themselves full time to the sport. During the last World Cup qualification, the US team lost to Uruguay, Chile, and Canada, then failed to make it out of a losers bracket featuring Hong Kong, Portugal, and Kenya.

Some pundits have described the US as rugby's sleeping giant. I'm not seeing it. When FBS schools offer 13,000 or so football scholarships to American high schoolers, and the best players now get paid, not many US youngsters are going to take up rugby in place of football.

All that said, I enjoyed playing the sport and still watch it. Plan to be in LA in 2028 to watch the Olympics and will attend some World Cup games when the US hosts in 2031.
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.

MLS will never be a top 5 league IMO