How could we improve MLS?

[Stapel]

Oh, yeah, a great game. The most exciting games i've seen in this sport are the 1982 WC Brazil X Italy (a Brazilian defeat, unfortunately), the 1994 Libertadores CR Flamengo X São Paulo FC, which was pure magic (and I also skipped class to wtach it back then), and the 2001 thrilling CR Flamengo X CR Vasco da Gama, with a 3 X 1 victory of the former, in which the winner (and title goal) was scored by a majestic free kick from halfway to the midfield with a minute left to endgame.

You can see that free kick here (also note that our coach back than was none other than Zagallo, the only man involved in 4 WC wins in history of football).

And they say it's just a game...

Keeper should have had that ball .

 

[SoCalian]

wow, that's a crazy bend to the ball. but the coolest goal I've seen was when I was playing a highschool socer game my freshman year for our schools JV team. one our boys got a free kick from almost at the half line, near the left corner formed by the sideline. he kicked it, nutmeged one of the defenders 10 yards out, but the ball was still on the way up, so that when it went past two more defenders in the box who trying to keep our players from heading it in, it was about chest high, then on the way down nutmeged the keeper to go in. never seen anything like it.

 

[Olorin0222]

MLS needs to be careful about expansion, however, as it may stretch the talent too thin and lower the level of play even more (or lead to short lived teams like Miami).

 

[SoCalian]

I think that they learned that leson from the NASL, along with other important lesons, like not getting into debt by buying a bunch of foriegn talent that was way past their prime, and drowining out American talent.

 

[willemvanoranje]

..and the 2001 thrilling CR Flamengo X CR Vasco da Gama, with a 3 X 1 victory of the former, in which the winner (and title goal) was scored by a majestic free kick from halfway to the midfield with a minute left to endgame.

You can see that free kick here (also note that our coach back than was none other than Zagallo, the only man involved in 4 WC wins in history of football).

meeh.. although I must say it was a pretty nice goal and no doubt one of the greatest moments of Mengão this century, I liked Chivu's goal for Ajax against Vitesse better hehe.. I can send it to anyone who likes.


About the CONCACAF Cup.. if teams like Transvaal and Robinhood can get in so many finals as they did (and win twice even), then you know the level is really, really low..

 

[Marla_Singer]

Nothing's wrong with MLS that isn't wrong with soccer in general. Biggest problem: "injury time" after a half. Is it too damn hard to stop the clock during an injury or after a goal instead of tacking it on at the end where it seems the official is making it up as he goes along?

Football/soccer is meant to be played continuously. It's not meant to be stop-and-go as in US football, base ball or even basket ball.

I think that's by the way one of the reason Americans don't like football/soccer. Players aren't either drinking water or sprinting, during most of the time, they are simply jogging. I don't know any US sports where this is the case. I wouldn't be surprized if that's one of the main reason why Americans find footie boring... they are used to watch sports with few very intense moments, interrupted by large breaks.

If you change this and time isn't continuous anymore, then the game will massively change. Time breaks will be longer, the rythm would be broken, and the game will lose a large part of its charm.

 

[Zarn]

Football/soccer is meant to be played continuously. It's not meant to be stop-and-go as in US football, base ball or even basket ball.

I think that's by the way one of the reason Americans don't like football/soccer. Players aren't either drinking water or sprinting, during most of the time, they are simply jogging. I don't know any US sports where this is the case. I wouldn't be surprized if that's one of the main reason why Americans find footie boring... they are used to watch sports with few very intense moments, interrupted by large breaks.

If you change this and time isn't continuous anymore, then the game will massively change. Time breaks will be longer, the rythm would be broken, and the game will lose a large part of its charm.

That's actually a great observation. Europeans don't like stopping. Americans seem to like the sparks of intensity (We also like to think of possible scenarios between plays in sports such as US football).

Although there is probably a decent amount of strategy involved in soccer, most Americans don't see it as a very strategic game either. I don't even really see it, but Europeans have assured me that it is there. I'm going to have to take their word for it.

 

[Stapel]

That's actually a great observation. Europeans don't like stopping. Americans seem to like the sparks of intensity (We also like to think of possible scenarios between plays in sports such as US football).

Although there is probably a decent amount of strategy involved in soccer, most Americans don't see it as a very strategic game either. I don't even really see it, but Europeans have assured me that it is there. I'm going to have to take their word for it.

Families have been teared apart.........., friendships have been destroyed............, all due to the intense discussions about football strategies!

The classical discussion in Holland is whether to play with wing attackers or not.

 

[willemvanoranje]

That's actually a great observation. Europeans don't like stopping. Americans seem to like the sparks of intensity (We also like to think of possible scenarios between plays in sports such as US football).

Although there is probably a decent amount of strategy involved in soccer, most Americans don't see it as a very strategic game either. I don't even really see it, but Europeans have assured me that it is there. I'm going to have to take their word for it.

The tactics in american football are plays from the book.. real football doesn't have much of this, the tactics are developped by the decissions players make on the field. A coach only determines the tactic by choosing a formation (4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2) and the players on the field (eg: if you want to have a lot of passes from the side into the goal area you play with fast players strong at dribblings and crossings.. if you want to make sure you don't get a goal against you will have a strong block defence and a defending/controlling midfield.. etc.). Do you want players to make dribbles, hold up the ball, shoot from distance, do you want one player to be the spill (eg quarter back), long passes, short passing, more player or ball movement, two strikers or winger or maybe a hanging striker or just an attacking midfielder to back up the offence.. wing backs or fixed backs.. lot of stuff to choose from!

 

[Zarn]

The tactics in american football are plays from the book.. real football doesn't have much of this, the tactics are developped by the decissions players make on the field. A coach only determines the tactic by choosing a formation (4-4-2, 4-3-3, 3-5-2) and the players on the field (eg: if you want to have a lot of passes from the side into the goal area you play with fast players strong at dribblings and crossings.. if you want to make sure you don't get a goal against you will have a strong block defence and a defending/controlling midfield.. etc.). Do you want players to make dribbles, hold up the ball, shoot from distance, do you want one player to be the spill (eg quarter back), long passes, short passing, more player or ball movement, two strikers or winger or maybe a hanging striker or just an attacking midfielder to back up the offence.. wing backs or fixed backs.. lot of stuff to choose from!

See. I knew their was something.

In the defense of US football (you seem to think it is only play calling from the sideline): The center of the offensive line has to assign who blocks who (from getting to the QB) seconds before the play starts. Problem is that he has no idea who is going to actually try to sack the QB. QBs change the play all the time, when they think the defense will do a certain thing. They also have to know when the throw the ball away. Running backs can cut at a different time than originally intended (they think they can gain more going another route). Receivers can even break off from their route (usually this requires a deep connection between the receiver and QB to pull it off). US football is very complicated, and there are alot more situations than what I have just described.

Another big thing is that if you want someone to support soccer, don't attack US football. They won't think you have any idea what you are talking about.

 

[fifafan247]

Get rid of the conferences.

 

[SoCalian]

I don't see why, conferences are a pretty big part of american sports.

 

[fifafan247]

But why???

 

[ummmm........]

Organization and competition.

 

[fifafan247]

I prefer one big league. With MLS your team doesn't play half the other teams until playoffs....which I don't like either.

 

[ummmm........]

I'm not familiar enough with MLS to say for certain but AFAIK every sport (even baseball ) features inter-conference play. You play mostly teams from your own conference (or division, league, whatever) and that helps to build rivalries and increase competition, since the top team from a division will get an automatic bid while others with potentially better records will have to fight for open playoff spots.

The round robin format more popular outside the US defeats the purpose of post-season play altogether. If the conference champion already played everyone, why have playoffs or a tournament at all? You'd be eliminating the most exciting part of any sport . . .

 

[fifafan247]

But why have post season? Why not have a seperate cup, like the FA Cup.

 

[SoCalian]

tradition. and yes, MLS does play everyother team, a season only against 5 other teams would be borring.

 

[Zamphyr]

But why have post season? Why not have a seperate cup, like the FA Cup.

A) We like playoffs
B) Sponsers like playoffs

C) another cup ? like the US Open, which has been running for 90+ yrs ?

 

[Rhye]

ok, one thing I think we could use, besides a better tv deal, is more meaningful international competition. The inclusion of DC in the copa sudamerica this year was a good start, and I hope it continues. That is a good route to competition against south american clubs, but what about against European clubs? I think that the US is in a very nice and unique position to become a place of fusion between the European and south American styles, and for compeating against both. That's why I propose that MLS or the USF hold a cup every summer between American and European teams. Call it the Transatlantic cup or something like that. It deosn't have to be big to start (16 teams?), and doesn't necisarily need to have the bigest clubs from Europe either. It just needs enough competition to spice up the MLS season a bit. I like the summer time slot, because it would be durring the middle of the MLS season when teams are in thier best form, and it is durring the European off season, when they are not in thier best form, thus giveing MLS teams a bit of a leg up, something that they need for thsi kind of competition. I could see a few teams wanting to participate for several reasons. 1) alure of hardware, another trophy to ad to the shelf is always nice. 2) Increase fan base abroad, especialy in the United States and Canada, and thus more money. 3) Pre season tours. a lot of the big clubs do this anyway, so giving them the option to come to america for a preseason competition could be more apealing than just a series of friendlies.

forget the fact that euro teams will agree to another competition in the few moments of holiday or during the hard pre-season.
Top teams or not doesn't matter...maximizing the strength for the new season is important to everybody. Especially for a team who fights for relegation.