Quote:
Originally Posted by stevebydac
As I said, I know enough (a little) about soccer to be dangerous in my opinions. 
I fully realize France has a much better national team than the US - the US isn't going to win a World Cup in my lifetime probably. But what I meant is the potential for MLS to someday be as good as the French league. The French top league isn't as strong as the leagues in England, Germany, Italy or Spain, right? Or am I wrong? My perception is that most of the top players are in those four (though I realize some top French players do stay in their home league). Please correct me if I am loony with this opinion. |
Watched a bit of French ligue. The teams have an innate understanding of the game that will take quite a long time to develop over in the US. Literally, a lot of the good teams play like Arsenal in their style of play. Just because Lyon or Marseille have not made it to the Champions League Final doesn't mean that their not incredibly good footballing teams.
Just for some information, Lyon is 10th in the UEFA Club rankings, Marseille, Lille and PSG are 39, 40 and 42nd respectively. which is ahead of Fiorentina, Atletico Madrid, Udenese, Parma, Bolton, Everton and Man City.
phightin, most of your points are exceptionally well argued, and unfortunately true.
But I stand by the belief that the culture of football is still not around. There is a difference between 30,000 people at a sounders game for the first year before the novelty wears off, and Fenway Park selling out every game for the last however many games. The difference is that Baseball is firmly entrenched in the psyche of the American public, where as I am arguing that it isn't for football. The Revoloution played in front 11,000 for a playoff game and Utah played in front of 7,000. Why was the Revolution crowd so down? Was there a NFL match on that day? If so there is my point.
Also have you won a Pan Pacifc Championship yet?
And I agree that Greece sucked and shouldn't have won that Euro. And if America did do that they'd do it with more poise and grace than they did.
And for the Youth system, I'm sure LA Galaxy has a fine youth system, but the difference is that they're not Real Madrid, and that's because Football arrived too late in America for there to be Real Madrid. If I argued that the Italian Baseball League in a few years would be as good as the Nippon League would you agree with me? In fact thats unfair, compare it to the Sporting CP youth system. That's a smaller youth system and they've produced Ronaldo, Nani, Velouso, Boa Morte, FIGO, Quaresma and Viana.
Football in the US is always going to compete with NFL, Baseball and Basketball and will never be as strong as France and Portugal for that reason.
Will it be bigger than the NHL? Probably.
