Today is the last day of Interleague baseball for this season of MLB.  It ends coincidentally on the same day as the final of the Confederation Cup.  As great as the Confederation Cup has been for Soccer, Interleague play has given baseball a great boost as well.

MLB scheduled its Interleague dates to start right after the finals of the NBA.  It is a great move for baseball because it rejuvenates its fans and transitions sports fans by refocusing their attention from basketball to baseball.

MLB has begun to master its technique for giving Interleague baseball the spotlight in the crowded sports calendar and has accentuated the rarity of matchups among teams by having in-state, intra-city rivals playing one week and the next week having World Series rematches, as well as other oddly encounters. 

Drama has followed baseball’s good moves.  Anyone watching Interleague play in the last two weeks will have noticed that there has been an unbelievable amount of highlights, history and walk-off wins.  The steroid controversies, ticket prices and other problems with ego-driven players that has plagued baseball does not seem to be effecting the public’s will.  Baseball is coming through this Summer in better position than originally thought by many critics and it seems to be weathering the financial storm. 

It is also no secret that MLB is working all the angles of college baseball.  The college World Series played out tremendously this year, as its format has begun to take on more tradition and more recognition with each year that passes. 

Make no mistake about it, Soccer is competing with baseball for the American sports fan’s dollar.  More than any other sport, baseball is a thorn in the side of the growth and popularity of U.S. pro Soccer because it is a constant scene stealer.  This is a reality mostly because of the timing of the seasons they play. 

But, there is no doubt to the fact that the Confederation Cup has boosted Soccer in the consciousness of the U.S. sports fan.  It proves the U.S. is nearing equal footing with the best in the world. 

What effects will possibly winning Confed Cup and winning the Gold Cup have on recruiting new fans for the struggling professional leagues, MLS, USL and NPSL?  Will the boost from the Confed Cup and upcoming coverage of the Gold Cup help the U.S. pro leagues with attendance in general? 

Attendance should rally not only due to improved international play, but also because of hotter temperatures and better weather across the country. 

Of course, if there is no improvement in attendance or television ratings, no worries.  Soccer purists have it figured to be only that ’the public needs to have patience’ as these professional leagues develop.  After all, they are such young leagues. 

Sometimes though, it seems as if  U.S. pro Soccer can’t catch any breaks.  On the heels of the success of the USMNT in the Confed Cup comes the unfortunate link of AEG, a huge part of MLS and its future, to the July-planned Michael Jackson concert series in England.  What impact will Michael Jackson’s death have on AEG’s financials and what transferrence will be felt in MLS ? It appears certain there will be some sort of significant fallout, as AEG was way deep into its commitment with the King of Pop.

This year’s baseball season is shaping up to have more MLS cities in contention than in past years.  The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are off to really good starts, and this is not good news for MLS.  Currently, both teams sit in first place of their respective divisions.  These two cities have drawn better at the gate than any other MLS teams, but will it continue if their baseball counterparts continue to position themselves for a playoff push?

In Toronto on Saturday, Soccer outdrew baseball.  According to MLS-daily.com’s attendance and YahooSports attendance figures for boxscores in baseball, Toronto FC had 19,998 and the Toronto Bluejays had 18,331.

The one city MLS need not worry about in baseball is Washington, D.C.  The Nationals are the worse team in baseball.  But on Saturday, they still outdrew arguably the proudest MLS team.  They drew 19,9950 to the United’s 14,225.  Go figure that one.

The biggest story in baseball so far has been the Los Angeles Dodgers.  They look like they might run away with the division.  If they do, ultimately, that could be better for the 2 LA soccer teams.  But, surely they will be a story to watch for Southern California sports fans this summer.  It also looks like the LA Angels will hang around to try and win the division as they have hung around pretty well for each of the last 10 years , either winning divisions or making it close. 

The Dodgers drew 47,000 Saturday, while the Galaxy drew 21,000.  Surely, the Galaxy would have done better head to head Saturday had Manny not signed that big contract, and had Beckham stuck to the plan. 

At Wrigley Field, the Cubs drew 40,000, probably to be expected, knowing the history there.  The Cubs are a decent team this year and they carry a more than 100 year relationship with sports.  Their drout makes them always the lovable loser and an interesting team when they win.  It would be better for the Fire, who drew 10,000 on Saturday, if the Cubs have a crappy season, but that’s not happening apparently.   

The Fire need to be compared head to head to the White Sox too, who also seem to be contending.  In fact, because of parity, it seems many MLS cities are competing in baseball this year, like the Astros and Rangers.  But, maybe they’ll sail out of contention as the year moves on. 

The Royals of Kansas City would definitely seem a likely candidate to sail out of contention, but it doesn’t help MLS or the Wiz that the Royals are having a decent season.  They have been bad for a long time, so when they are good, it seems an anomaly, and fans start to pay attention. 

One team who won’t fall out of contention this year is the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending champs.  They are riding a wave in which the core of the team is sticking around.  The Phillies have reestablished themselves with their fans via a new stadium and may make it rough on the newest expansion team for MLS next year. 

In Colorado, the Rockies seem to be in the decline, and it appears it will be a long season for their fans.  But, the Nuggets of the NBA are picking up the slack, pulling out John Elway of Arena Football League fame to announce their starting 5 in a crazed playoff atmosphere last night.  The hockey team had a bad year and the Broncos had an unusual year, so as the Rapids average 11,000 in attendance, is it maybe a result of too much sports for one town?  5 pro teams may be one too many. 

Colorado seems a good case for general managers from MLS to look to not schedule head to head against rival sports leagues. 

It seems it is best to hold back on any judgement on the Red Bulls as everyone awaits their new stadium, which looks appealing.  Next year will be interesting to see how they do head to head versus the Mets and Yankees.

The United Soccer Leagues has been a doormat to the MLS for too long.  They have allowed MLS to walk all over them.  MLS has taken multiple cities from the USL to put into their league and have not suffered any kind of legal troubles or image issues. 

This has been a coup for MLS.  They have done the deed without having to put forth the effort normally associated with bringing along brand new franchises. 

But, without any formal partnership, who is really at fault? 

The USL has a flawed business model, and the future for its First Division franchises are all in jeopardy.  Anytime a First Division franchise shows promise, its immediate goal becomes how to make MLS.  Even as new franchises come on board with USL, such as the Austin Aztex or others, it is easily apparent that with the right moves, MLS is not too far away. 

History shows that the USL should compete directly against MLS.  In both the history of football and basketball in the U.S., leagues have merged and absorbed each other. 

In football, the American Football League (AFL), consisting of teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, and Oakland Raiders, merged with teams from the NFL, which consisted of teams such as the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.  In basketball, teams from the American Basketball Association were absorbed by the NBA after an agreement of merger. 

Perhaps the USL’s future will be to be bought up by MLS to be a ‘minor leagues’ of sort.  But, the USL should consider that MLS is susceptible and it is possible that the USL could be the dominant league at some point in time in the future. 

As the USL sets its course for its future, with foundation at the youth and community levels as its bases, it should be more bold with its professional teams and not take for granted that MLS must be the ‘dominant’ league and the USL only a ‘funnel’ league.

The USL should approach an outsider cable television station like VERSUS to broadcast games on a regularly marketed basis.  It needs to bring its league closer to the American audience so that it can promote its Second Division teams sooner and form a more broad First Division.  A team in Charleston or Rochester is impressive with its own kind of marketing potential.  A league with many teams from cities or areas of 300,000- 500,000 or more people can also provide tons of soccer excitement. 

In order for Soccer to find the success it seeks in the U.S., it must make changes to the traditional rules without changing the integrity of the sport.  Soccer can be that viable alternative for sports fans in the U.S. if it plays with American rules and also promotes the game to fit U.S. sports fans expectations, not the expectations of soccer enthusiasts.

The game of Soccer, like all other American spectator sports, must be tinkered with from time to time in order to maintain its entertainment value for the newest generation.  But, the sport must not be altered significantly to where it is not recognized as Soccer.  The integity of the sport must be kept intact (10 on 10 where no one touches the ball with their hands and one Goalkeeper for each side).

In sport, it is common for rules to vary from country to country.  FIBA, the International Federation of Basketball plays its games under its rules, including a trapezoid key (paint).  The U.S. adheres to these rules during international play and reverts back to its own rules for play in the NBA.

All strategies for delivering the product must adjust to the spectatorship landscape of the U.S. sports fans.  If done with an American flavor, soccer can be an enduring spectator sport in the U.S.  It has the ability to provide unique drama, escape and entertainment.  It is definitely possible to raise the American consciousness for the appreciation of Soccer and it can become the 4th most dominating spectator sport in America. 

Soccer needs to be serious, competitive, fun, and unapologetically American.  The rules changes and marketing schemes must take responsibility in perfecting the art in the sport.  They must make sure that the skill involved in the sport is showcased and that every match is played with contemporary sports drama and theatre.  Action, tension during the contests and common sense in the rules must take precedence so that every game has the potential to rise to the occasion and be an unforgettable sporting spectacle.

There is a lot that must be done for American soccer to succeed.  Sports fans in the U.S. expect more from their spectator sports.  They are different than sports fans from other parts of the world.  They are more sophisticated and they have been spoiled.  The greatest moments in the recent history of sports have occurred in American sports or with American athletes.

The sport has been built-up significantly over time at the youth level and upwards through high-school and college levels.  But, in order for professional soccer in the U.S. to derive the most amount of fan support possible, the marketing must become event-driven and reach the diehard sports fans.

Soccer can become a fabric of the American sports fans environment just as football, basketball, and baseball have consistently achieved from year to year.  Soccer must think progressive in their rules amendments and consider what makes 4th down, the 3 and 2 count and the last-second shot so appealing to sports fans.