johncmcleod
Youth Team
It is very difficult to judge how good the MLS is because MLS teams never play European teams (except maybe an occasional off-season friendly, but those don't really count). I think that the MLS is about as good as a middleweight European league, such as say the Belgian Jupiler or the SPL.
Now before the Europeans jump on my back, (especially Belgians and Scotsmen, don't be insulted, I have the utmost respect for those two nations' football, in fact I like the Belgian national team better than USA's), just hear me out. Sure, in a middleweight football European country, the sport is huge and everyone loves it and plays it. This is not the case in America, so Europeans automatically have a bias against the MLS and they don't think it is any good. However, America has so many people in it that we do have some people that really love football (or soccer as some of us call it) and play it all the time. So therefore we do produce some great players, such as Donovan, Mathis, Howard, Razov, Beasley, just to name a few. Another reason for this is because we really have a great sport system, and we are able to produce good athletes at any sport.
Last time MLS players played agaisnt players from around the world in a major competitive setting was in 2002 at the world cup. At that time, I believe every player in the starting lineup except for two players, though they both came from the MLS, was currently playing the MLS. And we slaughtered 5th ranked Portugal, tied but dominated the hosts, who ended up in 4th place, soundly beat Mexico, a top ten team, and we should've beaten the Germans if it weren't for poor officiating. And that was the team that made it to the final.
Now, a few players from MLS have left to play in other countries, but the only major one that has left since then is Clint Mathis, who got transferred to the Bundesliga back in January. Donovan will be playing for Bayern Leverkusen next season, but he is still in MLS right now. Cherundolo is also playing Bundesliga, but he isn't that good. Anyway, still the majority of our lineup is MLS players, and we are ranked 9th in the world. I think that alone qualifies the MLS as at least a middleweight league.
Edit: I am expanding the thread to include all leagues in the Americas. The Argentine, Brazilian, Mexican, and Colombian leagues are all very good too. I'd rank the Argentine and the Brazilian leagues as about as good as upper middleweight European leagues, and the Mexican and Colombian leagues are maybe about as good as lower middleweight European leagues, such as the Scandinavian leagues.
Now before the Europeans jump on my back, (especially Belgians and Scotsmen, don't be insulted, I have the utmost respect for those two nations' football, in fact I like the Belgian national team better than USA's), just hear me out. Sure, in a middleweight football European country, the sport is huge and everyone loves it and plays it. This is not the case in America, so Europeans automatically have a bias against the MLS and they don't think it is any good. However, America has so many people in it that we do have some people that really love football (or soccer as some of us call it) and play it all the time. So therefore we do produce some great players, such as Donovan, Mathis, Howard, Razov, Beasley, just to name a few. Another reason for this is because we really have a great sport system, and we are able to produce good athletes at any sport.
Last time MLS players played agaisnt players from around the world in a major competitive setting was in 2002 at the world cup. At that time, I believe every player in the starting lineup except for two players, though they both came from the MLS, was currently playing the MLS. And we slaughtered 5th ranked Portugal, tied but dominated the hosts, who ended up in 4th place, soundly beat Mexico, a top ten team, and we should've beaten the Germans if it weren't for poor officiating. And that was the team that made it to the final.
Now, a few players from MLS have left to play in other countries, but the only major one that has left since then is Clint Mathis, who got transferred to the Bundesliga back in January. Donovan will be playing for Bayern Leverkusen next season, but he is still in MLS right now. Cherundolo is also playing Bundesliga, but he isn't that good. Anyway, still the majority of our lineup is MLS players, and we are ranked 9th in the world. I think that alone qualifies the MLS as at least a middleweight league.
Edit: I am expanding the thread to include all leagues in the Americas. The Argentine, Brazilian, Mexican, and Colombian leagues are all very good too. I'd rank the Argentine and the Brazilian leagues as about as good as upper middleweight European leagues, and the Mexican and Colombian leagues are maybe about as good as lower middleweight European leagues, such as the Scandinavian leagues.
I just think thats low.
(and I dont have to say whos #1) 