I dont know if this is the right forum but i think it is. MLS in general so...here goes nothing... This upcoming WC, if the USMNT does well, do you think MLS will get more attention or in other words "the attention they deserve after"? If USA does well, do you think MLS will draw more media attention, new fans, new investers?? I keep hearing these rumors of the big clubs of europe planing in coming to america to establish an MLS team (Real Madrid, Barcelona, etc). Ultimately, I think Team USA holds the key to MLS taking off....my two cents.
Hypothetically, if the USA won the world cup I think it may be a little bit, just a tad, easier to sign a few "on the fence" guys who have thought of or dabbled playing in MLS. Aside from that? What? Players going to have to say, "I want to play in MLS because thats where the best players in the world are?" I don't think so...
My personal belief that the World Cup will have a significant short term effect in MLS. Average Americans tune into the World Cup, because well its the World Cup, and you'll see them go to MLS games after the World Cup is done. This effect will be magnified if US does well. I just think many people overestimate the longevity of the effect though. I think even if US WON THE WORLD CUP, that it wouldn't make MLS bigger than even the NHL all of a sudden. Long term growth is done through slowly increasing the profitability of the league via increased quality, which means stadiums, TV deals, better players etc. I am fairly confident that MLS will be smaller than the big 4 (probably even NASCAR) five years from now. I am also fairly confident that MLS will be considered a major sport 15 years from now given the steps that we're taking.
Brazil has won 5 World Cups and is considered the best country in football ever. Yet the great Brazilian players will jump at any chance to go to Europe and play club football, as has been the case with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Adriano... and those before them. I guess what matters most is who is paying top dollar for these players, and perhaps what matters even more to the TRUE football loving pros is where the best soccer is being played, which again is in Europe. This could very well change 20-30 years from now when MLS possibly becomes the club soccer stage for the world, but for now, 1 World Cup win (which aint happenin, as much as i love the US) isn't gonna do much for the MLS. It sure would help, but Ronaldo and Kaka arn't gonna run to play for our DC United or Galaxy. Maybe Roy Keane for the Metros... in a few more years
Winning the World Cup is not going to boost MLS's image for a very long time, as noted before. Our generation, those of us about to or who already have kids, are going to do that. We get them going to MLS games at a young age, and they get to see our passion for the team we root for. The plan is, as they grow up your passion becomes their's and now we have a couple of generations going to games. We bitch about little kids teams going to these games, but those kids are gonna grow up and start paying good money to watch Donovan in his last season, for some kid named Cheezi Meltz to tear up the league, for Adu to lead DC United as champs of the Copa Libertadores, etc. Every league in America has had its problems selling itself in its infancy, and MLS is still in its infancy.
Your point is very well taken, that these kids are the future, this of course is IF these kids keep their interest and don't move on from AYSO soccer as if it was the YMCA while they were young and now they can care less. This seems to be the case for the most part.
Successful USWNT = Successful WUSA Successful MNT in the 70's = popularity of the Cosmos Unsuccessful Men's basketball olympic teams = no one cares about the NBA Dominant Canadian National Hockey teams = all NHL teams are moving from the US to Canada. Anton Apollo Ohno = explosion of short track ice skating leagues in the US MNT success in 2002 World Cup = big increase in MLS attendance Dominant Men's Olympic swimming = new appreciation for the breast stroke England fails to make the world cup in 1994 = death of the Premier League yes, I see the logic behind connecting international success and growth of a professional league. New stadiums, better players, a bigger national footprint, more games on TV, longer history, a bigger salary cap. These all pale in comparison to a three week tournament across the ocean that will be on TV while most Americans are at work. That being said, I hope the US wins.
A good WC run might help casual interest in MLS a bit. I don't think it will affect the investor situation at all.
Its really simple, soccer in this country can achieve a level of interest and public acceptance similar to the NHL on its current pace. However, it will take a great cultural shift in our country's pop culture for the sport to ever become massive like the NFL. Unfortunatly, that is something i think will never happen and no slew of world cup trophies will change that. Still, an MLS with the NHL's place in american sports would be a very good league and a very respectable one.
I agree if MLS could take the place of NHL that would make it a very respectable league. Surely if the MLS had the same salary space and enough money to give players as the NHL the MLS would be able to compete with Italian Serie B, the Championship, and maybe even the Mexican League. DOWN WITH THE NHL!!! SEND THE NHL TO CANADA WHERE IT BELONGS!!!
I think the lightning in a bottle everyone hopes for is, American Gold Medal in Lake Placid = NHL growth in the USA But that happened under very different circumstances; it was at home, the key game was against our arch-rivals during the Cold War, it happened when America didn't have a lot of good things going for us, and was involving a huge David vs. Goliath story. Even if our half MLS/half Euro team stormed though Italy, Brasil, Czechs (one similarity from '80), France and then Germany, it still wouldn't match the all college/amateur Olympic hockey teams run through the vaunted Red Army (which was more dominating that Brasil was with Pelé) and then in the final face Sweden which were like facing Brasil or Holland today. Unless Germany invades France again (who cares right?) or Brasil starts boming Miami, I don't see there being quite the rise out of winning the WC than in 1980. So, just as most people have stated slow and steady growth is the key. Remember compound interest (in this case in terms of fan interest) is the most powerful force in the universe.
From looking at the US mens Camp pictures so far, im excited about this world cup. lets hope we can pull a 2002.
Explain to me how MLS could "take the place" of the NHL. Is the NHL preventing MLS from becoming popular? Weekday night, winter sport vs. weekend summer sport. I don't see the correlation. How is the NHL taking fans away from MLS?
I think that the USMNT doing well in WC2006 can only benifet the MLS short term as previously stated. I would think MLS could benifet more from a marketable story. How much did golf merch sales go up do to Tiger Woods? How many americans could name one tennis player before the likes of Venus, Serena and Rodick? The country stood behind a guy on a bike from Texas because there was a great story there. Now if we advance out of group stage as the underdog to face France in a semi-final, the average americans scorn for the French may override thier hate of soccer enough to peak intrest. A big tipsy and off subject sorry.
they could also be leaving because their families always get kidnapped. unless the mls fans start forming gangs to kidnap young mls'ers families, i think we will be ok