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Must-See Video: Chronicling the USMNT’s return from Brazil

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  1. I think the quality on the pitch (product) will generate more $$$(TV ratings) for MLS.

    How you do that is the debateable. I think selling young players like a Yedellin is a positive thing. Youre selling talent that you produced to other leagues. This gives you credibility and it also helps sway other young prospects to join your league.

    Then I think MLS should sign older more established players who are still great players like a Zusi or a Besler. This helps improve your Quality now.

    The problem is finding a right balance.

    Reply
    • Selling players will never establish “credibility” for MLS in Europe. It is what is. Best just to focus on building our league and not worry about this stuff.

      Reply
      • Yes it will, and MLS_Soccer_Talker told you the reason why.

        Anything that better produces a goal to reach for young American kids is
        the perfect way it increase everything else, especially the $$$$

      • Why would a kid want to be like Deuce making 7 mil in MLS when he can dream about going to Norway and playing on turf for 300k?

      • The reason Clint Dempsey is making 7 million is because he took a chance to go and establish himself in Europe.

      • The only reason Deuce makes 7 mill/year is because he established himself in UK and became a marketable star there. LD was not making anywhere near that. He was on about 2 mill a year. In fact, he renegotiated his contract after CD came back with that contract.

        I am still of the opinion if you can start in the top 25 teams in Europe or the top 5 leagues in Europe, you go. However, if you can not do better than Norway/Denmark/Austria/Switzerland in your prime (27-32), then you should stay in MLS…but make sure they pay you.

        The caveat is with younger players who can play at lower levels as long as they are being developed better.

      • look. every kid who wants to play soccer prodessionally is going to want to play at the highest level possible. Regardless of where it is.

      • Yes going to Europe, proving yourself coming back to MLS ( with gas still in the tank of course) almost always equates a DP deal for Yanks. See Bradley.

        Lets not forget that selling players is good business for the right price. Imagine if a team sells lets say a yoing prospect for 7 mil.

        With the $ received Teams (and greedy MLS) take aportion of that and reinvest in other areas. Whether it be Other Players, Acadamies, etc.

        Point is sometimes the right business choice is to sell and not keep a player.

        Even the best players get sold all the time. Its all about what you give up vs. What you can get out of it.

        Emotional attachment usually never wins in yhe business world.

        MLS is a business.

  2. BREAKING! MLSSoccer confirmed: Julian Green, the 19-year-old USMNT player, will be with the German giants’ first team in the United States. They based this confirmation by saying: Bayern Munich confirms Julian Green on first team for US trip

    What do you think? Guardiola puts him at the 86th minute in the MLS All-Star game?

    Reply
    • I would guess he gets 30-45 minutes. He is popular here, and if he is playing an important team member is on the injury free bench. This is a warm up game / money grab for Bayern. Having a good reason to put a scrub on the field is perfect for them.

      Reply
      • You’re probably right. It’s a money grab. Do you think Green will get any minutes with Bayern once the Bundesliga starts?

      • However, thinking it over it is a quandary for Guardiola. What if he puts Green in at the 75th minute with Bayern down or tied with the All-Stars and Green does to him what he did to Klinsmann? You know, ignite the team and score a world-class goal.

        Maybe Pep doesn’t want to be shown to be a coach of Klinsmann’s caliber?

      • Thanks. I hope that someone else will do it. But in the meantime………………………………….

  3. The one thing that differentiates the US from the German approach is that Germany realized that beiog like machines and precision (speed of thought) and physicality wasnt enough . Germany’s loss of three straight games in Euro 2000 was in fact a blessing and a turning point.. They regrouped and added technicality and skills to their already exisiting physical pace. and the Sahin’s and Kroos’s and Thomas Mullers started coming out. Its why they are starting to own the euro leagues and taken tems like barca and spain out of the map… Germans now have barca style talent added to their natural physical abilities and speed of thought. US has the chance to make this change in approach with the kids and from a very young age. Skills …with speed and thinking fast while making no mistakes no mistakes

    Reply
      • Well that doesn’t change the fact that the americans need to improve their skill…the rest is there .I just gave an example with Germany. It seems you just want to argue anything,… and get into the Germany Barca thing. get the idea of what I’m trying to say

      • Precisely. Just look at France.
        Platini, Giresse, Tigana, Fernandez…. Fourth place in the WC in ’82. Third place in ’86. Euro champions in ’84.
        Then, they don’t even qualify for Italia 90 or USA 94.
        Then, Zidane, Deschamps, Henry, Thuram, Gallas, Anelka become world champs in ’98 and follow that up by winning Euro 2000.
        Followed by disastrous showings in 2002 and 2010.

  4. The MLS needs to stop making this videos about how the league is growing so rapidly. If the world cup showed anything, it showed that the MLS is hampering the USMNT. The whole approach MLS has is laughable.

    Reply
      • To be fair, while his post could be interpreted the way you did, his main point is that MLS is underachieving when compared to other professional leagues and needs to stop its self-aggrandizement. Having a professional domestic league in the US is fantastic, but this does not place the league and its leadership above criticism from the fans. The league can, and should, be run better to become more competitive.

      • And one way to become more competitive is for the league and the teams to make more money – which comes from more fans at games and more viewers at home. Since the World Cup had such high ratings, maybe a good idea would be to market the players everyone watched for a couple weeks, and show them playing with their MLS squads. It’s basic marketing, every league in the world dos it, and MLS would be stupid not to do something like this.

      • The Bundesliga, puts together thing like it’s best 11 Bundesliga players in the World Cup to promote the league in this country. It’s not so different.

      • To be honest I think MLS just needs to create a villian. For this league to grow we need players like Jermaine Jones and more players doing what Dom Dwyer did. We need more personality!! Not just the typical “I go out there and work hard blah blah blah” We need guys with an attitude “I’m the best and I know it” kinda guys as much as the NFL acts like the don’t like the characters of guys like T.O, Ochocino, Desean Jackson… It’s their attitude coupled with the fact that they are really good that makes them news worthy. This help the premier league during Man Utd’s dominate run. Henry was the bad guy for everyone in Manchester while Roy Keane was public enemy number one in London. Look at the NBA, Lakers Celtic same thing. That should be the leagues marking angle not the modest we are growing and being humble. The league did a poor job marketing that Seattle and Portland game!! We need hero’s and villains. This is America!!! Every thing we do has them!! Look at all our wars! Presidential elections everything!!!

      • The problem is that MLS went well beyond basic marketing by issuing a statement that by 2022 (i.e., in 8 years) the league will be one of the World’s top leagues. I don’t see Eredivisie or Ligue 1 making similar grand promises to their fan bases and they have a lot more talent than MLS does.

      • Yea, when you consider that your average MLS team;s roster, probably half couldn’t make a Bundesliga 2 roster.

      • It’s what you call a stretch goal. Every well-run organization has one. It’s something to strive for. It may not happen, but you’d rather they declare “we strive to be a 2nd or 3rd tier league in the world in the next two decades?” We’re not the friggin’ Netherlands! (much as I love the Dutch), we’re the U.S., with 315 million people and counting. MLS could certainly overtake the Eredivisie in 8 years (two more world cups!) with the sport increasing in popularity and viewership. We don’t need to move the needle that much to make significant gains in a country the size of the U.S.

    • I think it is a good strategy. The level of play is moving in the right direction. It needs to continue along that trajectory.

      Trying to raise visibility, by riding the wave of excitement around world cup seems a logical move. We need more butts in the seats. We need more jersey’s sold. Of course the salary cap needs to go up, but they are going at it in a slow, measurable manner so we do not over extend.

      Reply
      • The MLS had a real chance to raise visibility by selling some of its players but it keeps signing the USMNT players to DP deals. The league has the ability to take a step forward following the world cup, then takes one step back by signing these players to DP deals.

      • Holy jeez, really? Yeah, lets raise visibility by selling all our big name players to mid table teams in Italy and Germany, and maybe they’ll be seen in the US 3 times a year. Genius!

      • No No No. Does anyone on this site understand business. People come to the stadiums to see the WC stars!! If they ain’t there they ain’t coming!!! The money Euro teams were offering for Besler, Zusi and Yedlin was laughable. MLS can make that off selling their Jerseys since they are so popular! Especially since the two teams in questions are the richer teams in the league. KC isn’t dying for some bottom feeders $5M and Seattle D A M N sure doesn’t need it. This is part of growth when you run a business! you retain key staff! Or can you imagine a fortune 500 company firing their all star CEO after he gets them out of financial crisis???

      • They can still sell them. In fact because SKC resigned Z and B, they might be able to get a favorable transfer fee. Personally, I think Z and B signed prematurely. Why not wait until near the transfer signing deadline and see which teams are desperate and increase the offer. My other point, is that unless they get regular playing time, like playing in 75% of league games or 2/3 of all fixtures, the move wouldn’t help Besler. Zusi is probably too old to get serious money in Europe, especially considering his diminished returns after the Portugal game.

      • No, you’ve got it backwards. MLS is making the right move for MLS by signing the best American players. No doubt this will improve quality of play and put more butts in seats. Can’t even begin to understand why you think selling our best players (at what would almost certainly be undermarket value) would help MLS.

        Now if you think this hurts these players’ chances of helping the USMNT get better, then that is a different argument.

      • +1 The problem right now is the salary cap. Teams aren’t spending to their ability because of the restriction. Can you imagine what Seattle, LA, Portland, SKC, Houston and NY would do if it was abolished? They are financially sound a would probably buy like crazy and guess what happens to a team like DC United?…… This CBA is going to be really crucial and the leagues merchandising deal with Adidas runs out in 2018 and its looking like Nike is setting themselves up for a bid. I’m pretty sure that won’t be pennies after what they’ve seen in this WC. Be patient people we are almost there

      • Arrgh! This same let’s get rid of the salary cap issue again. You do know that only about half the teams make money. I looked at the numbers at the end of last season and only about 9 (from what I remember) were in the black. About 4/5 teams could spend serious money…not because they make a ton of money, but because they have rich owners.

        You do not want Seattle/Toronto/Galaxy walking around with 50 millon payrolls when everyone else has a 5 million payroll. It would not be a competitive product and you would loose more viewers than gain. That happened with NASL. The cap should increase with growth and a healthy minimum should set. That cap should be somewhere in the middle or upper third based available budget (and keep the 3 DP exception). Based upon the new deal, I would hope that the cap goes from about 3 to about 6 (and raise it 5-10% annually).

    • Having a league where kids growing up can actually see a path to becoming a professional and perhaps even a wealthy professional, is what will progress the USMNT more then anything in the long run.

      Reply
      • I guess if you are a kid that dreams that $60k a year is a lot of money then they could dream of being an accountant or an MLS player. There are 12 players in MLS who make over $1 million a year! 12! I think most professional MLB, NFL and even NBA teams field 12 on just one team. MLS in it’s current format and pay scale will not inspire our youth to dream of being professional soccer players.

      • My point is taking steps in that direction, and paying certain more visible players in the long run will help the USMNT.

      • In 2007, no player made $1 million. In 2008, it was one. By 2012, 9 players. Now it’s a dozen. See a trend here?

      • In 2002 or thereabouts MLS contracted and was basically bankrupt. A few owners ran the entire league.

        Now we have Dempsey making $7 mil, a franchise worth $175 million and an investor putting $400 million into a new MLS club in NYC.

        Forgive me while I LMAO at these eurosnob elitists. MLS is doing just fine. No advice from them needed.

      • If after getting our asses kicked repeatedly by Mexican league clubs in the regional competition, the faithful keep chanting their mantra “MLS is doing just fine,” there is no point in continuing this debate.

      • But it’s not an overstatement or exaggeration to say “MLS is doing just fine.” Liga MX is 70 years old, culturally hugely established, and I don’t know the numbers but if be thefts a heck of a lot more tv money. MLS is catching up rapidly in nearly every respect. Give it some more time, because it really is developing just fine.

      • And what is bossing the CCL going to get MLS? Nothing. Nobody cares about that stuff.

        MLS will had 3 owners little more than decade ago. There will be 20 next year.

        You should understand the history of US Soccer and how far we’ve come in a few short years before having a tantrum about the state of MLS. It’s never been better for US Soccer. Enjoy it.

      • wasnt your original argument that MLS is doing a disservice to the USMNT? Does dos a cero mean anything to you?

      • When you’re 10 years old and playing sports, the money you could make as a pro is the last thing you care about. What’s important is that kids are exposed to soccer growing up. In the end, the sport you choose to play is what you most enjoy playing. With increased popularity of soccer, more kids will discover they love the game, simple as that.

        I’d still rather make 60k as a soccer player than as an accountant.

    • non american here…listen man ; I found myself missing US wc games and couldn’t wait to get home and watch the repeats… game like the portugal game, were fun to watch. in other words people all over are getting hooked on this team and are fun to watch wether that is MLS or players going to europe and vice versa I dont know. I think its both and the fact that Americans are run as well as the german Bundslg in terms of organizing things. there is no unequality and megastars in excess….but it still is a great league

      Reply
      • Just one opinion from europe here, snobbery if you will –

        US were wonderful to watch, and many here agreed, but that doesn’t change their opinion much of the American game. I heard the, “wow, this team is actually pretty good,” or “brave, showed a lot of heart” but I’m pretty sure people here said that four years ago and then forgot about it. If anything they’ll remember the Belgium match, and the huge difference in talent between, us and them, and of course, what a great game it was in the end. Actually World Cup memories disappear quickly.

        Opinions will only change about American soccer if the league starts to compete with the best in the world, and consistently. Right now it can’t say it does. Mexico bosses the CCL and goes to the world club cup practically every year. An MLS team never has. Tactically it’s way behind here long balls still win games, guys who can’t make a premier league team become leading scorers – which is fine in itself, except that at the same time fans, club presidents, coaches and players still get excited about signing 37 year old has-beens, and still no world class star has been produced in MLS.

        I love and follow the league because I always have since the Metrostars in ’96, but I feel like as fast as it progresses the rest of the world’s top leagues are progressing faster, mainly at playing the game, and without all this self-hype. I’ve never been convinced that MLS cares (or knows?) as much about what happens on the field as it does its own numbers – tv, money, attendance – or its own sideshow, as evidenced in this video.

      • The quality in the league is growing…and growing very quickly. I was watching the SKC-LA Galaxy the other day and honestly the thing that came to mind watching SKC was how much they looked like one of the top Championship sides in England…to be honest, in terms of style and tempo, they strongly remind me of Southampton. Tottenham was EXTREMELY fortunate to get away from Seattle the other day with a tie – yes, yes, I know it was the Spurs’ first game after a long layoff and it was a mixed roster missing their World Cup guys…but still. Even with Dempsey, Seattle was doing it with something like the square root of the payroll Tottenham was putting on the field, and there were areas on the pitch where there were clear mismatches – the Spurs simply had no answer for Dempsey and Martins, Osvaldo Alonso was completely bossing the midfield, and DeAndre Yedlin was drawing doubles every time he touched the ball by the end because he was doing damage every time he came forwards. And then Seattle put out their young guys, and there really wasn’t much drop-off then either. Usually when MLS teams go to the bench in these friendlies the game tumbles into the gutter.

        There’s some very good ball being played in spots in MLS. Seattle, Sporting KC, and RSL would all be very solid teams in the Championship in England…and the fan bases of several MLS clubs are well ahead of typical Championship sides – Seattle would have a Top-5 fan base by EPL standards.

        Contrast that with where the league was 10 years ago and the progress has been nothing short of amazing.

      • 1st, MLS has produced Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and….Tim Howard (did you forget?) You can quibble about Jozy being “world class” but Donovan, Dempsey and Howard have shown their class on the biggest stages.

        2nd, what league has progressed faster than MLS? the J league? Name another 20 year old league feeding a national team that has advanced out of its world cup group 3 out of 5 times with one of those being a quarterfinal appearance? Getting out of a group with Germany, Ghana amd Portgual? Unheard of in 1996…But name a 20 year old league that HAS produced a world star…

        The emphasis on hype is a bit naive as well. This is the United States…we all know what happened to the NASL. AND, soccer must compete with the king of all spectator sports, the NFL (not to mention NBA and MLB), something La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Premier League dont have to worry about…

      • Yes…We all see how much the EPL is helping England’s national team get results. Thanks for the comment.

    • 1. In what way was this video about “how the league is growing so rapidly”?

      2. The World Cup showed the MLS is hampering the USMNT? Were Dempsey, Besler, Yedlin, Beckerman, and Omar not some of our best players?

      3. This video showcased World Cup stars returning to the MLS…it’s a pretty straightfoward way to promote the league. Far from laughable.

      Reply
    • Its ignorant people like you who also have a pessimistic attitude who are holding this sport back. If you don’t support American soccer get the hell outta here.

      Reply

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