get real …

What is the largest untapped body of soccer fans in America?

The youth. This is why I expect the academy system will be changed for MLS to the Whitecaps Model (The Whitecaps Residency finished 2nd in the Dallas Cup, beating Eintracht Frankfurt on their way to the final where they lost to Sao Paulo FC. Man City finished 4th. TFC Academy never made the playoff but did beat AC Milan). You give the kids a dream of playing at home for a lot of money in a good league, and you will have a huge body of fans. This is how the Ottawa Senators grew their base in the NHL, in a market originally filled with Canadiens and Maple Laughs fans.

What is the largest untapped body of soccer fans in America other than the youth?

Eurosnobs. That’s why there is the Beckham rule.

I wish I had seen the games. I am actually disturbed by the lack of coverage on Texas based soccer blogs who have the opportunity to see one of the best youth tournaments in the world but instead are covering every aspect of every boring MLS game. If I lived in Texas, I’d devote a whole week to the tournament. You probably have more potential world class players at the Dallas Cup than in all of MLS,USL and PDL combined.

Kartik, you may have argued that MLS is somewhere in the 40th to 50th range as you did, but I argue strongly otherwise. Even when the climate in the US is more conducive to good football, MLS matches are typified by bad giveaways, a lack of imagination, poor technique, and almost constant fouling and hacking. It’s not good football and unless you are going to play “anti football,” which by the way some national teams do play, MLS based players are at a handicap.

JOHAS did you not read the whole article as Lars said? I make those same arguments. I don’t think MLS is as low as 77th– I’ve said it’s like 40th or 50th. But what difference does it make? I was trying to explain why Bradley makes the player selections he did not anything else.

I gave that league a shot this season. No more. It’s as sloppy as a kids’ league. The nerve of them to call it “major league”. That’s false advertising right there. We should file a class-action against that league, we’d have a good case.

I’ve written numerous pieces saying essentially the same albeit in a less insulting way. However, MLS is cleverly packaged and marketed and has a lot of soccer media and footy fans in this country who are scared to criticize the league in the least bit out of fear that it will hurt the sport in this country.

MLS is a marketing machine. The Football is no doubt subpar. I’m amazed how many MLS fans say that their league is comparable to the Mexican League without watching a single Mexican League game. They’re almost told to believe certain things by clever and well packaged marketing. Almost anyone who watches both leagues on a regular basis as I do realizes the gulf between the two leagues in immense.

But MLS has done better than any other American sports league during the recession, re-upping and attracting new sponsors and increasing attendance. As I have said time and time again the football and the hubris from Garber really bother me. The league IMHO hasn’t really progressed on the field in over 10 years, but investors are now making money and the league is arguably the healthiest pro sports league on the planet, without the sort of debt or big contract commitments the EPL, NFL, etc have. So Garber keeps his job: he’s essentially sold a Chevy as a Cadillac to many in the US.

If we have the ambition of El Salvador perhaps we pick many MLS guys, but if we want to really make a splash in the world of football, we must depend on Europe and FMF based players. That is a fact. MLS simply doesn’t have the quality to get our national team beyond a mediocre status in world football.

I agree, but that doesn’t mean if you have guys like Kenny Cooper who could clearly play in Europe and who many European clubs wanted you just keep ignoring him. Their are MLS guys who are of a euro league caliber. Not many, but enough that the selection should be opened up. After all Michael Parkhurst couldn’t buy a call up for a year and a half (he had been capped in 2007 to prevent him from playing for Ireland) until he signed in Europe. Is that really fair?

I don’t know about re — allocating the CCL slots. Mexico deserves the 4 and so does MLS, I believe. While, they did struggle (besides Houston) last year … MLS as a whole stands up to any other league in CONCACAF. Sure, the top two in Costa Rica, Honduras and maybe Panama can be real tough to beat. But not collectively, outside of those teams. MLS as a league, I believe, is stronger.

Why change the slots … only one team that wasn’t from in a Mexican or US — based league made the quarterfinals — Marathon of Honduras. If the MLS had been healthy, I believe they would have done better (I’m not saying they would have won). So, who do you think is more deserving of those slots?