MLS Season in Review

As I sat and watched the MLS Cup, and yes, some people did watch the game, I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw in Seattle. With an attendance of over 46,000, which I imagine is a record for an MLS Cup game, the stadium looked absolutely packed with fans, and the atmosphere felt much more like a major championship game than in the past. The MLS got what it wanted (partly) with LA  in the finals although I’m sure they would have preferred a more watched team than Real Salt Lake going against the Galaxy.

While there were some great things that could be seen from the game last night, the girls who brought in the MLS Cup not being one of them, it is apparent that the MLS still has a long way to go if it is to be considered one of the big boys of pro sports. The fact remains readily apparent that the quality and level of play in the MLS is still very inferior to foreign leagues and that the viewership suffers because of this. We have seen that European soccer is actually quite popular in this country and this is largely due to the level of play. Now I’m not saying that the MLS needs to try and get players like Ronaldo, Messi, etc. as the money is obviously not there. But to create a culture built around quality, they have to put the money out there to keep players like Clint Dempsey, Josy Altidore, and Oguchi Onyewu who have all gone to Europe to play. In my opinion, the MLS would be better served keeping players like that in the league than paying Beckham what they pay him. You have to build a loyal fan base, like the Seattle Sounders have done, to become a profitable team/league.

I could write a whole lot more but I truly believe the key to the MLS succeeding is talent on the field. They must keep talented young American players in the league to truly have a shot at taking out something like the NHL or NBA.