IN 20 YEARS THE UNITED STATES WILL HAVE THE GREATEST FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN HISTORY

[juppal10z]

I feel that it is very dangerous if soccer were to succeed in America. Why because wouldnt it have all the absolute best players in the world playing in one nation's league.

Take a look at hockey, up until recently Canadians controlled it all the best players Gretzky, Messier etc played in Canada. Then the Americans really started to throw around their money, now they control it and own all the best players.

If the Americans started to like soccer and it became a large public interest then the richest country in the world could easily buy the likes of a del piero, beckham, raul, rivaldo etc.

And put them all in one league.

What does everyone think of this.

I mean it has already happened to American Football where Joe Montana and others play a game a week and make several million dollars annually.

 

[nourkteily]

I think what you are saying will never come true. Are you saying that you would play in a comparetively very boring league just because of money. I do not see [players like Raul beckham etc coming to America because they are not swayed by money alone. They would not come because they would not like it. Usa already has the money and the fans but you dont see players like the aforementioned coming to your country. Matheuss came when he was 38 (when he comes). I doubt soo much that he would have done the same thing when he was twenty 2 if they offered the same offer. American soccer is very uninteresting to worldwide spectators and players. They have made all their own rules which do not correspond fully with those of FIFA in other places. Sorry but I cant say I agree.

 

[fifafanatic]

I don't believe they'll be the best. In less than 20 they'll be competitive throughout the world. they are making the changes needed to attract more soccer fanatics. everyone agrees that their set of rules that differed from the world were a bad idea.
There young players are good (there under17 team made it to the semi's). Look for their WC2002 to do real well.
As for the MLS, all they need is a few good players in their prime to play over here. Times change, and as always, money talks.

 

[Goodsport]

<< Are you saying that you would play in a comparetively very boring league just because of money. I do not see [players like Raul beckham etc coming to America because they are not swayed by money alone. They would not come because they would not like it. >>

Strangely enough, if enough of those world-class players come to MLS, perhaps MLS will no longer become boring. Look at the New York Cosmos of the old NASL... granted, that team got most of its stars (Pele, Beckenbauer, Kruyff, etc.) when they were past their prime, but that was still a pretty exciting team to watch!


<< Usa already has the money and the fans but you dont see players like the aforementioned coming to your country. >>

It doesn't matter if the USA has the money, it matters whether or not MLS has the money, and it currently doesn't. Think about it - the league has a strict annual salary cap of 1.5 or 1.8 or something million dollars PER TEAM... there are benchwarming players in England who each get paid more money than that per year! And unfortunately there aren't as many fans of soccer in the US as there should be... but perhaps with the guidance of Don Garber (the new commissioner MLS just hired) there will be a greater awareness of the league. Heck, he's already gotten the league a much better television deal than it has ever had!


<< They have made all their own rules which do not correspond fully with those of FIFA in other places. >>

I agree that the changed rules that MLS initially implemented were stupid (like the count-down clock, official time on the scoreboard, shootouts, etc.) - almost all soccer fans in the US hated them! Perhaps you haven't heard the news lately, but Don Garber (MLS's new commisioner) recently announced that starting at the beginning of next season (March of 2000), MLS will have a count-up clock, official time kept by the referee, no more shootouts (if a game ends in a draw, there will be a "Golden Goal" overtime consisting of a maximum of two five-minute halves... if both teams are still even at the end of the overtime, the game ends in a draw), etc.

MLS may not have the greatest league in the world within 20 years, but it will be competitive and perhaps even fun (depending on how much the owners are willing to pay top-flight players, and on the development of soccer talent here in the States)!


-G




[This message has been edited by Goodsport (edited 11-28-1999).]

 

[london]

Highly unlikely. MLS has several things going against it.

1. Collegiate level. Americans regard this as highly as the pro leagues. Not only are the players not prepared for professional play at this level in terms of technique, but by the time they leave college at 22 the formulative years for developing a player are gone.

2. University education is important, but America will never have a successful league when more importance is put on education then the sport.

3. Unless MLS is made more competitive with local rivals rather then one team winning it every year, no promotion or relegation, and the fact that teams are spread thinly throughout the US rather then several teams being in each state, interest is going to be difficult to muster.

 

[ZZUB]

US soccer is growing at a steady pace, all the grass roots things are slowly evolving at a good pace. I do believe the USA will become a consistent top 20 team in the next 25 years.
There is no single #1 league or country in the world but a group of about 5 or 6. Soccer is too deep to ever be dominated forever by one nation, part of its beauty. However i am enjoying seeing the yanks slowly take on the sport the way it should be taken on, by this I mean instead of simply ch****** money at it and buying everything the base of US soccer is coming through from the kids and slow acceptance of it as a serious sport.
Just like the rest of the world would take a long long time to become as good at Baseball so it will take the yanks with soccer. Soccer requires history, tradition, infrastructure and depth that only comes from a decent lenght of time in the sport.

 

[Ronaldinho Gaucho]

Give me a break the US will never have a good football league that's all bull....most of the people in the states don't even know what football is anyways....

 

[Goodsport]

<< University education is important, but America will never have a successful league when more importance is put on education then the sport. >>


I agree that is a strange dilemna for the development of soccer in America. And here's a strange thing to say on a board devoted to soccer/football: I'd rather that the kids pay attention to their education than to the sport!

Why? Well, for one thing I'd want the kids to be able to make a good living in life once their soccer/football career is over... only a handful of them could ever become rich enough in the sport (and be smart enough not to throw their money around aimlessly while their playing) to live off of it indefinitely, or to make a huge living off of being a pro or college coach.

Also, the college education and atmosphere usually (not always, but usually) allows the athlete to see more of life than just playing a sport. It allows the person to be more well-rounded and have multiple interests, and not let one single thing be their whole life. I've heard stories (no joke!) of fans around the world commiting suicide just because their team didn't win a championship or something... to me, to even CONTEMPLATE suicide for ANY reason, much less for a SPORTS TEAM, is absolutely scary beyond words!

I know that most fans aren't THAT fanatical, but still it makes a drastic point!


-G




[This message has been edited by Goodsport (edited 11-28-1999).]

 

[fifafanatic]

For all you guys who write that money is not an issue in soccer,

You mean to tell me that all those players imported from other countries who ar playing in Europe don't go over there for the money? Yeah sure, the competition is excellent, but the bottom line is dollars.

Given the same opportunities, the MLS will become a competitve league.

US soccer is growing. The MLS has money, but the teams are not allowed to spend millions of dollars on a top young soccer stars.

Whether we deny this because of fear that the US will dominate in this sport, like it dominates in most other sports, we have to accept the fact that in the near future, the United States will be mentioned in the same sentence with Italy, Brazil, England, and the other excellent soccer countries.

Only time will tell...

 

[Russian Rocket]

NASL already was one of the best leagues in the world with Pele and Backenbauer.
I don't think that it will be the same in 20 years.
Of course, players like Ravelli, Mattheus and others are pretty good but they are veterans.
I dont think that young players like Raul, Owen, Shevchenko, Buffon will come to USA to play soccer. Still, most Americans think that soccer is a boring game and soccer
will never be the first sport in USA.


Although, Americans are known because of spending money on world's sport talent...

 

[jsbach]

As an American, I think there is no way that the US League will ever become dominant, nor would I ever want it to. Part of the beauty of the sport is the internationality.

One thing MLS has done right is focus on grooming American players. NASL was not able to do this for numerous reasons. MLS is slowly succeeding at this aspect, IMHO.
I can't see them ending this policy to bring in waves of foreign stars. The quality of the foreign players will slowly increase, as will the number of teams, but the league will always focus on US players.

-A lesson being learned in Europe at the moment. England in particular is debating this issue more and more each season. (See Ginola's recent comments...)

Just one word on the changes in MLS. They are a big positive step, but what the heck is the point in having two 5 minute "Golden Goal" overtimes? I think they will find that the "Golden" goals will be rare indeed.

 

[GOONERBHOY]

20 years,
your already 120 behind sorry no chance, not even in the next 120 years.

 

[AJAX supporter]

So many hundred of millions of stereotypical american fans of NHL, NFL, NBA and baseball will for probably another 100 yrs see soccer as a dumb sport, which means soccer won't get much more recognition, which means throughout next century the American league will suck and the national team will suck.

 

[SoFrEdOr]

hahahahahahaha... Sorry... are you serious??

 

[SoFrEdOr]

Why can't american people admit that they suck at something??

 

[GOONERBHOY]

They won`t admit they suck at another thing you mean. Australia recently Beat the US in Baseball a sport that only they give a **** about so get that into ya.

 

[Goodsport]

Are you saying that they should scrap the MLS and leave me with no live Division 1 soccer/football to watch?

-G

 

[Mark]

In 20 years the U.S. will have the greatest football league in history????
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!
More chance of platting piss!!!

 

[Fotbalguy]

Actually in 20 years the stupid MLS won't even exist. Why? Because soccer is the best sport in the world but not in America. In America, baseball will. HAHA. Why even have mls now? It's nothing but insulting the true sport of soccer.

 

[GOONERBHOY]

Goodsport,
The MLS should stay, i don`t know why people are saying it Shouldn`t. Every country should have a league because there are football fans in every country it doesn`t matter how crap the MLS is it should remain. Just look at the spanish Premira that is crap football but that hasn`t been scraped.