Leagues Cup and The FUTURE of MLS! | With Max Bretos

I brought on Max Bretos ‪@cubanhammer‬ to talk about the future of MLS and Leagues Cup 2024
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[@MLSMoves]

Is the Future bright or Dark for MLS?

[@jonathonedwardmiller]

Dark, but US Soccer has a bright future

[@ElondonOSRS]

I think it’s bright but I’m waiting for Garber to retire

[@davidday2373]

Don Garber's long-range plan has been working great. #PulisicToMLS by 2027

[@jonathonedwardmiller]

@@davidday2373 that's not happening lol. Pulisic costs way more than Messi today

[@davidday2373]

@@jonathonedwardmiller How much do you think Pulisic earns? He gets $5 million annually, we paid Carlos Vela more than that 7 years ago, LOL. Pulisic's last transfer fee was $24M, his next one will be less. Or we might get him as a FREE agent.

[@Northwest360]

I don’t know if this is under consideration, but I’d love to see the league we face different every year. It’d introduce the world to MLS, and the name “Leagues” leaves it open to that. MLS vs Dutch, Scottish, etc etc would be fun!

[@davidday2373]

Eredivise vs MLS - What would the stake be, though? With current LC, 3 teams earn ConacChampions qualification. Would it just be a giant "Friendly"/Pre-Season tournament (I'd be okay with that, but not sure how popular it would be).

[@stevenygabbyperez695]

I like it!!!

[@8GREENchocolate]

An invitational for 3-4 top teams while their in their preseason would be really cool. Get an arsenal to play and mls snobs will tune in.

[@benoitwaffle5439]

Liga MX has more fans in the US than any other league. They aren't filling stadiums with Waalwijk and Dundee.

[@ElondonOSRS]

Having Max on is awesome! WOW!

[@MLSMoves]

Max is a good dude!

[@davidday2373]

Thanks to Don Garber, and his vision of MLS.

[@stevenygabbyperez695]

I didn't expect to watch this much leagues cup since Miami is more focused on MLS but I find myself watching every night. That goal by Palacios last night was unreal.

[@danielhuynh9368]

I think MLS is gonna be fine. I actually think it will become a top 3 league by the 2040s. That said, people need to accept that MLS will never be like the European leagues. Anyway, I have a bullshit Leagues Cup end game proposal. By 2040, MLS will decide to be at 32 teams and will be structured similarly to the NFL. CPL will expand to 16 teams and will find a way to get the 3 Canadian MLS teams back. Liga MX just stops bullshitting us and says it's gonna drop pro/rel. They eventually settle on a 24 team league and drop the Apertura/Classura schedueling. And all three leagues will align on the same calendar season of March to November. How does this relate to Leagues Cup? Leagues Cup is reformed into a Champions League tournament (It kinda is now) and the CPL will join and become a permanent member. Games will now be across the US, Canada, and Mexico. There will be the typical round robin group stage. The group winners will host the group runner up in the round of 16. Unlike the UCL, all knockout rounds will be single elimination. After the round of 16, the team that hosts the next 2 rounds will be based on how they did in the group stage. The final round will be played on neutral ground as the last game of the MLS/Liga MX/CPL calendar year. So early to mid-November. So how to qualify? Simple. Qualify for your league's respective playoffs the year before. So 12 teams will be from MLS, 12 from Liga MX, and 8 from the CPL. Here's the controversial part. CCC would now become a redundant tournament. CONCACAF isn't happy but it agrees for these three leagues to breakoff from CCC. For these leagues, Leagues Cup has replaced CCC as the prestige continental competition. Both US and Canada drop their domestic competitions despite backlash. The year is 2042. And the three big trophies MLS teams all aim to win in a calendar year is now the Supporter's Shield, MLS Cup, and Leagues Cup. Win all three in a single year, it will be considered a treble. Sorry for the long post. You probably won't read it. But I love this topic lmao.

[@isaacgogna9856]

Loved your ideas. I think about stuff like this all the time. I think I’m acoustic tbh

[@rodiebakpa9368]

@@danielhuynh9368 Yr allowed to dream.

[@zyzzyx3160]

I wonder if an MLS employee will criticize an MLS product.

[@tiagonogueira664]

The best thing going for the MLS is the financial side you you get way more money because the teams are not relegated, also every team has a good quality stadium, kit players etc. In other countries only the top teams get good things. Also relegation is kind of irrelevant in the talks to make the sport better, it is only relevant if you want to produce better players which can be done by abolishing the territorial rights and discovery right rules and having every club owning many academies in the country maybe 2 or 3 in each state and they all play each other. I would like for MLS to increase the salary cap slowly but consistently like 2 or 3 years for example 7,5 M in 2025, 10M in 2026, 12,5 M in 2028 and 15M in 2030. And adding a rule that the franchises can't move or change names so that the owners go to the club to make them successful instead of being there a few years before moving them for more profit. I'm expecting the league to grow and get to 40 teams and get to 20 on the west and 20 on the east doing a normal league style instead of you will now play teams in the other side of the country. After that the leagues cup should end and start a new cup only with MLS, MLS next pro, MLS 2 and MLS 3 if they are created. Also a Supercup and more excitement for the supporters shield. The supercup should include the top team at the west conference playing the top team of the eastern conference and the open cup/new leagues cup winner playing the playoff winner. Right now, I only want to see a football (Soccer) guy being like co-president with Don garber and making decisions together without being all on the financial side of things, the way forward should be to do a deep analysis of how europeans do it and copy only the good things and the things that can be applicable to MLS, you can't play without conferences and implement relegation, like in europe because that would be a logistical nightmare.

[@davidday2373]

Relegation would be stupid for the U.S./MLS.

[@davidday2373]

MLS Average team salary is $17 Million (2023). It has been DOUBLING every 5 to 6 yrs. If it continues, MLS avg will be $35 million by 2028.

[@tiagonogueira664]

@@davidday2373 Of course, not only because of the culture in the U.S but also because every fan gets a good product, also, after the league gets to 40 teams it will be way easier to expand to lower tiers and occupy cities without MLS teams making the production of great young talents way better and easier to get those players to MLS teams

[@tiagonogueira664]

@@davidday2373 That seems fast if no Minimum spending required rule is created, i was also talking about the salary cap, so no dp's included, the point was to have balanced squads with better players. You can double the salary by including more dp's, making the teams so unbalanced the league will suffer because of it

[@ZDoko-rv7zj]

We need a Unified league for all of America, and by America, I mean the entire western hemisphere.

[@joeyfosterWVU]

Great video and excellent guest....WTG

[@MLSMoves]

Thank you Joey!

[@erickbyarushengo4726]

I’ll never understand why we need this leagues cup. It won’t determine which league is better. I thought that was the reason behind playing teams in other leagues in CONCACAF Champions League/Cup. And until MLS teams start winning every now and then, it won’t matter what happens in leagues cup. Unfortunately the creation of leagues cup shows that MLS and Liga MX are two franchise leagues with wealthy owners who only care about their bottom line.

[@favianrenkel5486]

MAXXXXX!

[@codycomer4623]

Top end talent is always gonna make the headlines and get the eyes on the league so I absolutely understand all the chatter about that, but I really think the bottom of the rosters is the biggest problem in MLS right now. The talent gap is so massive because of how low the cap is and FC Dallas has been an unfortunate showcase for that this year. 2/3 of our DPs went down and all the sudden you go from $3M/yr guys to $80k/yr guys and a kid right out of the college draft playing their spots. The DPs that the league is able to bring in have gotten so much better and that’s awesome, but it’s also made the need for better core roster guys absolutely urgent so you’re not 1 or 2 injuries away from being totally uncompetitive.

[@jonathanfauxbel6803]

Apple excuse is not good enough, max you know this! It's not good enough. BS, true US club soccer fans know tradition is way more important to participate FULLY in US cup than leagues cup. # lBoycottLeageusCup

[@kevinwilkins7851]

Max is employed by MLS---Garber fires him yesterday if he criticizes that league. His shilling is still over the top!

[@phillipsuchicital4850]

I would like to make a suggestion for future leagues cup: to help cut down on travel time, have I highest team in each group be the host of their respective group play between the 3 teams. Also, alternate host nations between US and Mexico each year, so that Mexican fans could get more involved.

[@MLSMoves]

Interesting change

[@davidday2373]

@@phillipsuchicital4850 They're doing "host" cities for four Liga MX teams... Gotta wait and see how well that plays out.

[@michaelpeli2429]

I'd just say the top 8 teams in each league gets to host a group.

[@user-ec5xc9ym8x]

Im less attached to the usoc then most I think theus soocer prymid would get dussurupted it might not be recognizanle. Usl seem to be in a worse place then they thought . Nisa is in a horrible place. Npsl vs upsl is a mini civil war tearing apart ameture us soccer

[@TeamChaos19]

For those that doesn't follow Liga MX ambitions, the reason is Liga MX clubs won't care about Leagues Cup is because it doesn't take you anywhere as in winning the CONCACAF Champions League will take you to the Club World Cup Finals. Liga MX Championship #1 priority. CONCACAF Champions League #2 Liga MX Cup #3 Leagues Cup? Nah

[@marklentz1095]

MLS/USSF need to move heaven and earth to join UEFA, and thus UCL. The money for all would be gigantic. US broadcasting rights would be second only to NFL. There's no end game with Garbers MX fetish. MLS just trying to drain MX fans wallets. That's it. When LC loses all relevance cuz eventually MLS are routine LC winners there's nothing left. Europe needs to be the Holy Grail for MLS/USSF. Europe is the pinnacle of soccer and the American market will only truly embrace the absolute best.

[@davidday2373]

LEAGUES CUP Winners to LIBERTADORES..!?? Winner and Runner-up qualify directly to Copa Libertadores Rd of 16. We need to eliminate the LC Group Stage to make the dates line-up. So it would be 20 MLS and 12 LigaMX teams, in a 15-day tournament. And Conmebol would have to adjust their tournament too, to make room for us.

[@davidday2373]

Imagine, LAFC wins LC, Miami is 2nd. Conmebol gives them the 8th and 9th Seeds: LAFC vs Penarol and Inter Miami vs River Plate!!!

[@milkdab6977]

Eliminate the leagues cup. The CCC is a more fair tournament.

[@TrevorThwing-wn6zp]

I was actually scary they would beat us badly

[@massoik4411]

Don't worry mate, onle cub America is taking this seriously, all other are here trying to get grouped

[@milkdab6977]

@TrevorThwing-wn6zp if you were scared of mx teams sweeping you don't know ball outside mls

[@r2dad282]

Supporting Leagues Cup tells me USSF/MLS supports integrating Mexican soccer culture in the US over developing American soccer culture. And that's why I'm not watching this competition, and support Open Cup (and USL) instead. I don't care about MLS/Garber/billionaire ROI, and USSF's rep has been degraded by their submission to Garber.

[@MLSMoves]

Interesting point

[@jesuscruz7033]

It’s funny how both liga mx fans and mls fans are against this cup.

[@nathanmckinzie6479]

@@jesuscruz7033 attendance said otherwise

[@davidday2373]

"Integrating Mexican soccer culture"... Huh? It's actually Liga MX/fans being "integrated" into U.S. sports culture. And stop the flipping LIES!!! US Open Cup has NEVER been important in the U.S. The sport of Soccer has mostly been a JOKE in the U.S. for generations and generations. Our "U.S. soccer culture" = "Soccer is for wussies" THAT CULTURE is what MLS has been working to change over the past 20 years. League Cup is actually fun. But it won't last forever, it'll serve it's purpose and go away (which is also "soccer culture"; so many tournaments that come and go)

[@jesuscruz7033]

@@nathanmckinzie6479 well the Mexican American fanbase always shows out. But online it seems like both fan bases don’t like the tournament

[@marklentz1095]

It is what it is: MLS cynically squeezing every last dime out of MX expats that it can. That's all it is. Dollars.

[@ktm4042]

Leagues Cup is a money grab pure and simple. MLS and Don Garber following in the footsteps of Televisa. Cash grab. We have champions league. Bring back pro/rel to Liga MX, and introduce it to MLS. USL is more than ready to step in. Season ticket holder for LAFC since day one I have not and will not buy tickets for Leagues Cup. Never. More than one inter league competition is RIDICULOUS.

[@davidday2373]

Future of LEAGUES CUP : Teams from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Saudi will be hand-picked to play against MLS teams.

[@kevinwilkins7851]

Max is the eternal MLS shill!

[@1972dsrai]

I’m sorry, but you guys are deluded about players coming to the MLS at their peak unless they’ve failed at the highest level in Europe. Everyone sees the MLS as a final move before retirement.

[@davidday2373]

I gladly welcome Antoine Griezmann, but he's not Caitlin Clark.

[@sheldoninst]

Support for the MLS is difficult… on one hand, it caters far too much to foreigners living in the USA who prefer their own country’s clubs (let alone the dumb names like chivas USA, racing, real SL), and then the rosters are mostly foreign too (granted, they get decent Latin American players for relatively low sums)… But in reality I’d prefer the league cater to the US fan, and frankly limit the number of foreign players to no more then 3-4 per team.

[@davidday2373]

No. Actually, Soccer fans who live in the U.S. are CHOOSING to support FOREIGN LEAGUES (EPL and LMX) rather than their own domestic leagues (MLS, USL, NISA, etc). Those people could be supporting MLS teams, but it's not "cool" for them to do so. For us who DO SUPPORT MLS teams, we enjoy the league, we love the direction we're headed, but we are expecting to improve faster, so that we can challenge bigger/better leagues... and real fans don't let "names" be some reason not to support a team (that would be pathetic as a real fan).

[@sheldoninst]

@@davidday2373 Your points are well taken for this day … however, going back to the 90s and early oughts when these teams with foreign names first appeared, the MLS was too new and immediately marketed and tried to appeal to the latin american population here, which I think estranged the potential casual fan. The american fan has indeed gravitated their loyalties to European teams obviously in the past decade or so, and more recently accentuated with the arrival of competent US players. However, in the initial stages of the MLS, I do think they erred with team names. Of course these days with a credible fan base the naming is less relevant as you rightly pointed out. The reverse is true with all the mediocre foreign players, and considering that these days there are many competent US players that are being left behind. Frankly, other than the superstar signings, most of the foreign players are really just average no better than US players.

[@sheldoninst]

@@davidday2373 One more thing, while the american fan base is following European based teams, in the USA with a ginormous mexcan population (nearly 90 million now), it’s only logical they’d follow Liga MX teams, further proving my point that the MLS should NEVER have tried to appeal to this mexcan fan base. It’s plausible we’d have a more intense rivalry with liga mx teams, thus making the inter league games more interesting.

[@davidday2373]

@@sheldoninst No offense, but that's some bullstht. In the 1990s it was the experimental phase; the clock thing, no ties/draws, shootouts, etc and NONE of that was appealing to Latinoamerican fans (aka, Mexican fans). And the 2000s saw some British bloke take over MLS (Beckham), alongside US National Teamers (McBride, Donovan). The ChivasUSA experiment was one attempt, but the league was withering on the vine at that time. They were compelled to try, since there was very little investment, owners were leaving MLS

[@sheldoninst]

@@davidday2373 I rather liked the experiments, thought they were excellent and bold. Interestingly, FIFA has been reconsidering the shootouts over PKs. And NO, nothing I said is bs on any level, and has more thought and justification than you’re willing to admit, and some of your naive dogma are NOT related to what I’m pointing out. The arrival of Beckham certainly helped and it was even bigger than Messi is now, but unfortunately short lived. I still say focus on the US fan, limit the foreign players, and develop more academies. PS. The clock management in soccer is a disaster, yet so easy to fix.

[@lora1757]

You are right! I live in Maryland and my team is DC United but I do not care any more since they destroyed the team back in 2002. Now I prefer to watch Messi Inter Miami. I would be interested again if DC United gets real players not the trash team what we have now with no big names.

[@MLSMoves]

Not even the Wayne Rooney playing days interested you?

[@lora1757]

@@MLSMoves No, we need to fix this team staring with the person that decides what players to bring Dave Kasper and the owners. That person needs to leave the organization because he made so many mistakes in bringing trash players.

[@brando7266]

​@@lora1757do u like their stadium?

[@lora1757]

@@brando7266 No, I think other MLS stadiums are better than the DC United stadium. I was hoping a nicer stadium.