Major League Soccer in Cleveland: Could it work?

1. Simmons is an obvious idiot who clearly has a bias against soccer and clearly has never been to an MLS game or have enough knowlege about the sport. He needs to do his homework. The same can be said about Joe P Tone.
   I’m an American who grew with baseball, basketball and gridiron football. I’ve also lived in Europe for 11 years including 3 1/2 years in Italy, 4 years in London and 3 1/2 years in Spain. I watch the English Premiere League and La Liga regularly. I never went to an MLS game until the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston and became the Houston Dynamo. MLS is a new league who is clearly showing it can play and win at an international level. I had my doubts about MLS until actually started to watch it. While it’s true many American’s do like big names – when they actually start to attend MLS games they will stay because of the quality that is already there is so frequently maligned in the press by misinformed pundits who blindly make statements without knowledge of the sport.

2. Interesting logic, Jonathan: “I watch Major League soccer, so it obviously is going to be huge.” You ever consider running for office?
   There are years of evidence that say Major League Soccer can’t get big in the States –at least not like it is overseas. (The long tradition of indifference in San Jose, where I grew up, is a prime example). That’s what’s Simmons is looking at, that’s what I’m looking at. Could we be wrong? Of course. Shit changes. There’s poker on TV, for chrissakes. And even Simmons would have to admit that the league’s strategy — not bringing in Beckham, but building small, soccer-specific stadiums in soccer-mom suburbs — is interesting at least, remarkably shrewd at best. But when there’s taxpayer money on the line — like there is in Summit County and in San Jose — you can’t build a stadium based on the “Jonathan Brown Likes It, So Fuck It” principle.
   Then again, this is Ohio, so that’s probably exactly what will happen.

3. Saying that soccer will never catch on here is a very strong statement. For the casual sports fan who mostly follows the big 4 of Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Hockey yes, big names will attract their attention, but it will be only temporary. The fact of the matter is, big names or not, the overwhelming majority of the American sports public just does not like the game. There are many reasons for this which are too long to list.
   I am American and love the sport. I follow MLS more closely than I do any other league in the world. Even though the talent isn’t as great, it’s still OUR league, and I want to see it thrive. You have to remember that this league is still very young as it was started in 1996. No league can be expected to be quality in such a short amount of time. It is improving, however, year by year.
   Hopefully more fans of America’s traditional sports will catch on. Part of me thinks that the fact that soccer is such an international sport turns Americans off because we’re not the best at it. If you think about though, what sport are we best at? I love how we call our finals things like the “World Series” and “NBA World Championship” when in reality it’s a national competition. There could be better baseball teams in Venezuela and better basketball teams in Argentina but America does not like thinking outside its borders.
   Hopefully this changes over the next decade and more people embrace soccer. For now I’m happy with the status of the sport in the U.S. It’s exciting times right now.

4. I don’t know if soccer will ever make it in the US nor do I care one whit. I do however agree with those who think Joe P is an obvious idiot. I have been saying that for years. – R. Nick, Ca.

5. Joe, I’m tired of hearing soccer bashers who clearly aren’t fans of the sport but don’t do their homework, have obviously haven’t been attending MLS games and obviously have a limited knowledge about soccer and Major League Soccer.
   BACKGROUND: Soccer has been played in this country from its infancy. Although it had no firm organized rules > Football resembling today’s game of soccer football was played in the 1600s on the Boston Commons. A similar game was played by Native Americans which preceded play by European settlers and immigrants. During the latter half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, soccer was a fairly popular sport. In the 1930s – the United States made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup. After World War II, Baseball, basketball, and Gridiron football did a much better much better job of promoting their sports in the United States.
   THE SEEDS WERE PLANTED: At the time Pele arrived in the United States and put the North American Soccer League on the map in the 1970s – there was no organized soccer being played in this country. The United States hadn’t even been able to field a team in the World’s most popular sport. We (collectively as a nation) hadn’t qualified for the World Cup in over 30 years.
   When Pele arrived and with the start of the North American Soccer League > soccer took off in this country. Unfortunately, there was no firm base for soccer in the United States. Prior to the start of the NASL there were no professional soccer players in the United States, only amateur players or those who had played in other countries. When this league of superstars failed due to mismanagement – professional soccer at a high level was gone until the start of Major League Soccer in 1992.
   WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BEWEEN NASL AND MLS?: The difference is that Pele and those other players from the North American Soccer League planted the seeds for soccer in the USA. . Many of these young players who grew up with soccer have never had a professional soccer program so the number of these young players and former players will continue to increase the attendance of MLS. Two hundred and seventy million people, about 4 percent of the world’s population, are involved in soccer (actually playing, coaching or officiating), according to the Big Count 2006, FIFA’s most recent study of the game around the world, conducted with figures provided by 207 national associations. ¶The United States Soccer Federation has the most registered youth players (3.9 million) in the world, with 2.3 million male players and 1.5 million female players. Germany is second and Brazil third. Most of these clubs have coaches and trainers from almost country in the World as well as those of have grown up in U.S. Soccer of the past 25 years. Major League Soccer (MLS) and United Soccer League (USL) both have youth player development programs. The soccer talent in the United States has gone from poor to mediocre to World Class.
   It’s obvious that you and Bill Simmons haven’t noticed that MLS teams have been playing and beating high caliber, international clubs. Currently in the regional Superliga Championship – three of the four semi-finalist teams are from MLS. Do your research and you find out which top European teams have been beaten by MLS teams. In addition to MLS – there is the USL (United Soccer League which in terms of total teams is larger than MLS. Many of the top USL are on par with some of the lower level MLS. At the beginning – MLS lacked the luster of the great European clubs and also lacked the excitement of the NASL with players such as Pele and George Best.
   Bringing more well know international player’s into MLS will continue to bring in more fans. At the same time they will also be bringing their skills and work ethic and will continue to build on the high quality of play which already exists in the league.
   Many American’s are very ignorant about soccer and never have attended professional games. This is already changing. Many of those who are coming to watch Beckham are seeing the high level of play in their hometown MLS teams and will be returning to support their home teams.. Like with any other sport you actually have to start attending games, understand the sport and create an emotional bond with the team. Soccer is by far the most popular sport in World and there is a reason for this.
   I’ve attended MLS games for the past 18 months and found the atmosphere and tempo to be electrifying. The 2006 U.S. World Cup 23-man roster featured 11 MLS players (at the time of the tournament) and 18 players with MLS experience. In 2006, MLS had 92 players born outside the United States representing 44 different countries.
   THE MOST NOTABLE MLS PLAYERS: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy): Current Real Madrid midfielder and former England captain is scheduled to join the Galaxy later this summer. Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (born January 17, 1973) is a Mexican football striker, who currently plays for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer and for the Mexican national team, where he has a Golden Boot and a Silver Ball, both in Confederations Cup. He is regarded as one of the best strikers and most controversial football players in Mexico of all time. As of July 1, 2007, he is on the roster of Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire, and he played his first game with the team in a friendly against Celtic F.C. on July 22, in which he scored Chicago’s only goal in a 1-1 draw. Juan Pablo Ángel (born October 24, 1975 in Medellín) is a Colombian football striker, who is currently playing for New York Red Bulls. . Ángel became Aston Villa’s record signing at £9.5 million on January 12th 2001. In his time at Villa, he was reportedly Villa’s highest earner. After an indifferent start to his Aston Villa career, and family difficulties, Angel settled down and started to produce the form that persuaded Doug Ellis to shell out the massive transfer fee. He very quickly became a fans favourite and finished as the club’s top scorer in the 2003-04 season with 16 goals in the FA Premier League[3], but could not maintain that form as Villa struggled and he only managed seven goals in 2004-05. Despite being in a struggling team at Aston Villa, Juan Pablo Angel still managed a respectable 62 goals in 204 games. The Holte end fondly remember him for his effort and committment. Aston Villa fans even gave him the nickname “the Angel of Death” after witnessing countless times his clinical match winning goals in the Premiership. Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy): At 24, considered the best American player today. Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas): One of the most prolific strikers in MLS history, two of the Guatemalan’s bicycle kick goals were among the top five MLS goals of the decade. Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo): De Rosario, from Scarborough, Ontario, is one of the League’s most exciting and dangerous playmakers. He has scored the League’s Sierra Mist Goal of the Year twice. Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution): The 2005 MLS MVP and Budweiser Golden Boot winner. Twellman has scored more MLS goals than any American player during the last five years. Freddy Adu (Real Salt Lake): Adu, 17, was recently traded to Real Salt Lake where he will be the focal point of the team’s offense. Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo): One of the best attacking players in the air in MLS, the Hawaiian native was a member of the 2006 U.S. World Cup team. Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards): Veteran defender was a standout for the U.S. World Cup team in Germany. Christian Gómez (D.C. United): Clever Argentine midfielder was the 2006 MLS Honda MVP. Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards): One of the most promising young forwards in MLS and for the U.S. National Team.
   The MLS attendance already is higher than NHL. MLS has secured long-term national television agreements with ABC, ESPN, Univision, HDNet, Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español. All MLS teams have regional television agreements. Every MLS match will be televised in 2007, either nationally or regionally.

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