I’ll tell you a secret.
MLS is coming on.
Yeah, you read that right. MLS is starting to really impress me with the play on the pitch, the quality of the stadiums and the calibre of players they are attracting. While the same old issues are there in terms of the complaints we always make about the league, they are starting to get all the small things right (for the most part) and that’s what’s going to really make a difference.
I’ve gotten to see much more of MLS this season by being a season ticket holder for the Philadelphia Union, and I can tell you from that experience, the Union really go all out to be fan friendly, smart about how they conduct their business and have put out a product on the pitch that’s been fun.
It’s important to recognize that this is a time where MLS could grab a portion of the sporting public’s dollars that they have not been able to before. People will recognize if the product on the pitch is more watchable, and this year, for my money, it has been. Both New York and Los Angeles have highly competitive teams with names that people are might not be “major” soccer fans will recognize, and are becoming a “must buy” ticket when they come to town. Other clubs such as Columbus and defending champions Real Salt Lake are really impressively built squads who play attractive soccer.
It’s interesting to listen to Bill Simmons of ESPN talk about soccer because to me, he looks at the game from a very pragmatic point of view. His thoughts on why soccer will eventually take hold in this country involve how Americans are changing in their viewing habits and how they choose to spend their dollars. One of his main arguments for soccer is how compactly it fits into a time frame, which is very true. We all know that 45 minutes, a 12 minute break and then a second 45 minutes is literally the perfect way to spend two hours of time. Simmons says that for the American sporting public this type of time frame will eventually catch on, because of the ridiculous length of baseball, especially. Now, to a certain extent, most people would view MLS competing more with hockey and basketball rather than baseball, but keep in mind that MLS shares (basically) the same calendar time-frame as baseball, so his point is mostly valid.
There are a few things that must happen for MLS to continue to grow, and while some of them are structural items that are opinions (a single table, potential relegation and promotion), the rest belong in the arena of television and league presence. I personally feel that MLS should really make an effort to copy how the NBA handles their online presence. David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, has fully embraced every aspect of online technology and their league’s website is second to none when it comes to content.
I also think MLS should really put the full-court press on when it comes to ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel. If ESPN is amenable, it would behoove MLS to have not just one but two matches on their channel per week. I understand the revenue available from DirectKick and I’m sure it must be some sort of financial success for them since they’ve continued on with it. I just think they need to be in front of as many eyes as possible as often as possible when it comes to television and internet presence. This is not just the post-World Cup bump that this effort should be put towards, this is a long term need for the league to be out there and showing off their best and brightest as often as possible.
MLS gets ticket prices right. They understand, at least from my perspective, how precious the sporting dollars are and will continue to be for the foreseeable future in this country. It’s good value for your money, too, as I said, since the product on the pitch is much improved. I feel like the effort to get a lot of these clubs in soccer-specific stadiums was a brilliant stroke. While I have only been to PPL Park this season, I can say that it’s a fine grounds with good sight lines and a fairly decent pitch as well. It appears that the new Red Bulls park has been a major success and the other clubs that play in soccer-specific stadiums have done very nicely in how they’ve been perceived with the public. There are some clubs, like the venerable DC United, who need to get their houses in order with both their stadiums and their supporters. What’s gone on with DC United in terms of how that team has been run this season and how poorly they’ve done at the gate is truly sad, for a franchise that has the record and reputation they have in the league. The league needs to sort that out and soon.
All in all, I’m very bullish on MLS right now, and I think they will continue to come on. They definitely bear watching over the next few years.
Let’s see what’s available for viewing today:
7:45 am – ESPN2 – Blackburn vs. Arsenal
9:30 am – ESPN3.com – Schalke 04 vs. Hannover 96
10:00 am – Fox Soccer Plus – Chelsea vs. Stoke City
10:00 am – Fox Soccer Channel/FSE – Tottenham vs. Wigan
12:00 pm – DirecTV – Hercules vs. Athletic Bilbao
12:00 pm – Fox Soccer Plus – Udinese vs. Genoa
12:00 pm – ESPN Deportes – Schalke 04 vs. Hannover 96 (Delayed)
12:30 pm – Fox Soccer Channel/FSE – Manchester United vs. West Ham United
2:00 pm – GolTV – Malaga vs. Valencia
2:00 pm – ESPN Deportes – Blackburn vs. Arsenal (Delayed)
2:45 pm – Fox Soccer Channel – AS Roma vs. AC Cesena
4:00 pm – Telefutura – Columbus Crew vs. FC Dallas
4:00 pm – Fox Soccer Plus – Leicester City vs. Reading (Delayed)
4:00 pm – ESPN Deportes/ESPN3.com – Levante vs. Sevilla
5:30 pm – GolTV – Internacional vs. Botafogo
6:00 pm – Fox Soccer Plus – Wolverhampton vs. Newcastle United (Delayed)
7:00 pm – Direct Kick – Toronto FC vs. Real Salt Lake
7:20 pm – GolTV – Once Caldas vs. Nacional
7:30 pm – MSG – New York Red Bulls vs. San Jose Earthquakes
7:30 pm – Direct Kick – New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union
8:00 pm – Telemundo – Monterrey vs. Jaguares
8:00 pm – Telefutura – Santos Laguna vs. Atlas
9:30 pm – Fox Soccer Channel – Colorado Rapids vs. Houston Dynamo
9:30 pm – GolTV – Independiente Medellin vs. Real Cartagena
9:45 pm – Telefutura – San Luis vs. Atlante
10:30 pm – ESPN – Seattle Sounders vs. Chicago Fire
10:30 pm – Direct Kick – Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Kansas City Wizards
As you can see, it’s a very busy day everywhere. The Sounders-Fire matchup tonight should be interesting to see, if for nothing else, to see if any of the Sounders make a run at Freddie Ljungberg. Freddie didn’t leave on the best terms. At any rate, enjoy your day, thanks for your clicks and comments, and give me some thoughts on how you’re perceiving MLS right now in comments. Thanks.
I agree with you; I’ve found myself actually enjoying my MLS watching this season, and I’m not sure why that is.
I think part of it, though, is that the Premier League is LESS interesting in a way. Part of that is bias (it’s not nearly as much fun to watch when Liverpool sucks and teams I don’t particularly like don’t), but that’s not all of it; the play can be a bit TOO tactical at times, whereas in MLS there’s genuine open, attacking play. I’m not sure it’s always TECHNICALLY sound, but’s it’s still fun to watch.
And soccer outside of England isn’t all that much better. How much drama is there really in a La Liga game that doesn’t involve Barcelona meeting up with Real Madrid? Last season, you could make a case that Sevilla, Valencia, and Atletico had their moments, but with the first two stripped down for parts how much can that hold?
The only league with a reasonable amount of parity in Europe, really, is Germany, which is ironically the hardest league that’s not French to watch in the States. Which brings us to MLS, which still maintains the actual drama between the competitions; every team really can beat any team, and as long as you’re in the wide-open playoff race you still have a shot at the title. You could be mid-table and still be playing relevant games right up to the last week; it’s the best part of a playoff structure.
I hate to say this about one of our own, but Jonathan Spector has no business being on the field today, total pants.
The same could be said for O’Shea for United- the entire first half has sounded like, “_______ gets around O’Shea…”
Also, Giggs and Scholes are still wonderful players- just ask Spector.
I was in KC last weekend for the KC-NE game – the experience was as horrible as expected for wedging a MLS game in a MILB park, but the play was very engaging. Can’t wait for the new stadium.
The one thing that frustrates me – and maybe I’m not paying attention to the right places – is I always find out about the “summer tours” a week before they happen. I think the MLS should do a better job of communicating who is coming over where and when.
Glad to see another KU and KC area fan on these pages. You’re right that CAB sucks, but we only have to wait 9 more months before the new stadium opens! And based on the construction updates and my recent drive-by, it will be one hell of a stadium.
The play you refer to, esp in that game is the result of (1) the Wizards’ high-pressure, attack-minded approach (kind of like the full-court press in basketball and (2) the Revs inexplicable decision to go to a 3-5-2 just before the game, which opened up acres of space for KC in the final third of the field. Hence the 4 goals. The other team KC scored 4 against this year, DC, was the only other team that has tried a 3-5-2 against KC. I think that experiment is officially dead.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s hear it for out current Champs League qualifying team, Wolverhampton! Ok, so three more games are being played today, and they are going to be passed in all likelyhood, but it was still strange looking at the results table and seeing that name in 4th place.