To paraphrase the Smiths as MLS enters their 13th season; Major League Soccer is on the verge of lifting soccer to the elite status in the American sport marketplace. It has taken 13 years for MLS to evolve to this stage and there have been a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. Such as MLS not being able to launch right after the 1994 World Cup as well as the failed Florida franchises both of which quickly come to mind.
Thanks to the vision and deep pockets of people like Lamar Hunt who kept Major League Soccer afloat in the lean years, MLS is on the radar with many sporting fans. In no small part due to Lamar Hunt’s early vision which has positioned the league well over the last couple of years.
The ‘walk before you can run’ mentality towards the growth of MLS is now starting to bear fruit. Starting with the designated player and planned expansion to cities like Toronto, Seattle and Philadelphia have bought new blood, new players, and new fans to the game.
Major League Soccer is unique in the world of Football. Every other league in every other country usually has there own defined style. Be it with England and Scotland the hectic pace and one touch passing. While the EPL has players from all over the world they have to adapt to the British style in order to be successfully. The same goes for the continental European style that focuses on technique and positioning and then there is the flare found in the South American game. MLS combines all these difference styles into one league. While no one team is playing the game at the level of an Arsenal, Real Madrid or Boca Juniors, in MLS you see teams like the Toronto FC and New England Revolution that are rooted in the British game. On the other end of the spectrum you have teams like D.C United and Chivas USA who play the game with a largely Latin/South American style which is not commonly found in other leagues.
The future success of this league does not rest solely on David Beckham. At least off the field the Beckham signing is already a success. MLS could not buy the word of mouth advertising Beckham has bought to the league not to mention the jersey sales that have been ringing up all over the world. On the field is still a big question but Beckham has usually overcome any challenges put in front of him and there is no reason he can’t do it again.
The Beckham signing opens the doors to other European stars who at some point in there careers will seriously consider bringing there game to Major League Soccer. The likes of Thierry Henry, Luis Figo and Andriy Shevchenko have all made noises about playing in MLS. That being said, stars on the downside of there career will not be the answer to Major League Soccer’s long term success. In the short term it will create buzz and get the casual fan to purchase a ticket for the odd game but that won’t be enough going forward.
MLS’ main draw back is the simple fact that in every other American based sporting league the fans see the best players nightly. The fact that the cream of the crop will end up in Europe will never change but the influx of Latin/South American based players such as Duilio Davino, Claudio López, Marcelo Gallardo, and Gonzalo Martínez are a step in the right direction. MLS needs to position itself to become an attractive alternative to the second tier players currently playing in South America. The likes of Alexander Pato, and Breno will always move on to Europe but there are hundreds of quality young players such as a Kerlon who would make a splash in MLS since the European game may not be best suited to them. If that can ever occur the difference in talent between MLS teams and the vast majority of European based team will cease to exist.
The second part will not occur anytime soon however MLS should seriously consider a relegation structure with the USL. This is not to appease the die hard MLS fans who have been wanting such a format but more towards the casual fans. MLS needs something that will differentiate them from the other major sport leagues and this would be it. In the EPL, the drama surrounding the end of season relegation battles usually are on par with what is going on at the top of the table. You create a structure where every game means something as opposed to the other major sport leagues where one third of the teams give up in the latter half of the season to position themselves for a better draft pick.
With opening weekend upon us let us hope for the sake of the game in North America that season number 13 isn’t an unlucky one and the game is able to carry on it’s momentum that was built up over the past couple years.
