Why Americans Hate

[@ryanjohnson6272]

I'm a DC United fan, not necessarily an MLS fan (it's always weird to me when I hear ppl call themselves a fan of a league), and I agree w/ a lot of your points! From looking at the other comments here, it seems like you either have to be in the "let's Americanize everything with no pro-rel, single-entity, hard salary cap" camp or "let's Europeanize everything with no conferences, playoffs, financial regulation," etc. We are perfectly capable of blending the best aspects of both soccer cultures, maintaining some parity while giving greater opportunities to lower-division clubs. Unfortunately, I can't see MLS ever trying pro-rel. That's something USL might experiment with in the future, and I hope they follow through on it! If only there was a USL team in Maryland... Also, sorry to be nitpicky, but it's just "MLS," not "the MLS" :)

[@worldymedia]

My god. You are a legend. I was beginning to think i may be the only person who can see there is a “best of both worlds” situation to strive for.

[@fighterck6241]

Considering that the NBA is actually bringing up the concept of relegation unprovoked, I don't think this is as out of the question as many American soccer fans believe it is...

[@davidday2373]

I'm a fan of **my team** in this league (MLS), and of **my team** in that league (the NBA), etc. How does being a fan of "a league" even work?

[@CTripodi1965]

I read that Baltimore is looking into a 10k seat soccer specific stadium. Maybe another minor league team feeder for DC United.

[@spainishheron]

@@davidday2373 I'm a MLS FAN AND I follow my team but i also like wstching other games outside of my team (el trafico, texas derby, NY derby) heck I even watched all the 2022 playoff games. that is being fan of a legue, not just watching ur own team

[@srivas180]

MlS is not boring, but they need better advertising and marketing. I think it will get better with time and with better people in charge. I agree with what he said.

[@worldymedia]

For sure, i think the games and especially attending them live is great entertainment. I think the branding is whats a bit boring to me. For sure feels less community driven and over commercialized. I think its the American model but still needs to be more attached to the communities

[@oyaml1211]

EPL and Liga MX advertise a lot more and they do it for money, like any business does. But if MLS does it if feels out of place and too "Americannized"? 🤔 Will never understand that logic.

[@worldymedia]

@@oyaml1211 “Americanized”?… i dont think there is anything wrong with advertising. But when it feels like it came from the league office rather than the individual clubs it feels very franchised, and unoriginal.

[@oyaml1211]

@@worldymedia Have you seen the advertising for Liga MX? It isn't done by the teams themselves. It's done by the TV network. Point is, for MLS every single little detail is under a microscope while other more popular leagues do the same and no one says anything.

[@worldymedia]

@@oyaml1211 I mean yeah, that makes total sense. Same with the EPL. But they are advertising their broadcast of the competition more so than the actual per team branding. I fully understand that in that aspect MLS will always be handicapped by SUM and whatever broadcast deal they have. But in terms of the way each team brands their club flows within a specific structure set in place by MLS.

[@TomCat14]

Many people who are just now [or within the past 6-8 years] getting into MLS don't remember when the league was in decline and almost folded. That was just before Beckham...only 15 years ago. To see the growth and understand that it is/has been sustainable has been fantastic. I do think at some point your notes will be more of an issue than they are now. But as a guy who remembers the inaugural season and who remembers the league's retraction, I'm okay with where we are for now. Bonus points are that the level of play and expansion in the USL and other lower leagues has been phenomenal.

[@worldymedia]

This is why I wasnt so quick to trash them completely and tried to be fair in my criticism. Because I have only followed the mls loosely for about the last 10 years and ive seen MASSIVE strides and i get some of the nuances that have put us in the position we are today. But i believe alot of the things that made that growth possible is holding us back a bit from having a truly great domestic top division.. also not sure if they will push to stray from the NFL model but i think thats within our best intrest.

[@TomCat14]

@@worldymedia absolutely. And I do feel you were fair. I don't think everyone else in the MLS sphere always is fair and objective. The reality is that pro/rel makes for some things to be more boring, but there are plenty of Europeans, Asians, South Americans, Africans tuning in because they love any team can win any game. Personally, I enjoy the parity and don't really want a league where a half dozen teams dump insane cash in order to dominate year after year (partially bc I support PTFC and fear that Seattle would be the ones shelling out $$ in that rivalry). And while realistically not every team has a chance to win every year, it's tight enough to be plausible...better odds than Leicester taking the Prem a few years back. Anyway, enjoyed the video. Cheers!

[@worldymedia]

@@TomCat14 yes! Ideally we could find a mix between balance and open market innovation. Ive tried really hard to break down the logistics of pro/rel and it really would take and insane, unprecedented move by USSF and the leagues would have to find a way to be cordial. But unfortunately the history shows, that is not such an easy task for American sports leagues. The biggest part that seems exciting about pro/rel is I think we could do it better than anywhere here in the USA. especially with a top division of 20 teams. It would be insane. Also I appreciate your feedback, I am glad you enjoyed :)

[@antman8887]

@@TomCat14 I believe you just made the case both for profit-sharing and for playoffs. Without profit-sharing, the same oligarchy of rich teams dominate, while the poorest alternate between promotion and relegation. Again, the modern Premier League illustrates this perfectly. Likewise, playoffs really DO give a large number of teams a chance to win a championship, and guarantee that the question of league champ will not be settled until the last match is played -- promoting both interest and attendance. At any rate, there now may be a de-facto system of promotion, of a sort, with the rise of the USL. So long as we continue to play the U.S Open Cup (which, it always bears repeating, is one one of the oldest continuously played championships on Earth), the chance for a Sacramento FC to sweep into the final match--defeating three MLS teams along the way--will always be there. And Sacramento may well be 'promoted' to MLS in the next league expansion. A big, sprawling, messy, multi-tiered conglomeration of professional and semi-professional leagues and titles... Sound familiar? It's a beautiful thing ... But it can only grow by producing an entertaining product while maintaining sound fiscal policy. We've tried going the "organic" route repeatedly in the U.S, and it has never been sustainable.

[@donfrossa1432]

MLS should be 16 teams each conference, 30 Regular conference and 4 Inter conference games, the inter conference games should be position matched from last season, Example top 4E 🆚 top 4W, the conference winner should be the team that finished 1st 🥇 in each conference in regular league play, this would make every match very important, the playoffs should be a 16 team 4 groups of 4 UEFA Champions League or World Cup format.

[@PoolProfessionals]

I love the MLS. It may not be one of the top leagues, but it is very entertaining.

[@worldymedia]

It is entertaining, hard to follow at times. But for sure entertaining

[@winstong7438]

The problem is American sports love implementing franchising. Relegation creates natural storylines and keeps the sport interesting for the top seeded teams as well as the lower seeded teams.

[@worldymedia]

I know. Its really an uphill battle at this point

[@davidday2373]

How is that "the problem"? The Major League system in the U.S. works great across multiple different sports. Never-end storylines, intensified Rivalries in the Playoffs, competitive... for decades and decades, for generations and generations. P.S. I'm a life-long sports fan, and I never even heard of "Promotion-Relegation" until a few years ago.

[@ja0349a]

Your last two points were spot on as far as why MLS has struggled to build up a TV audience. Games have always bounced around and there has never been a successful effort to generate interest in the players. MLS and their TV partners carry the blame on this as the league was clearly never a priority with Fox or ESPN so they always moved the game times and they never properly promoted the league on their channels. Hopefully, the Apple deal will give MLS the runway to start putting together programming that can generate human interest in the way that Welcome to Wrexham or Drive to Survive have done elsewhere.

[@worldymedia]

I agree. I think everyone wants to capitalize on the drive to survive thing but we can only hope for the best

[@hyperrat12]

What's really annoying for me as an FC Dallas fan is that none of our home games are on ESPN plus because for whatever reason they black out our home games in Dallas, you have to watch it on a local station aka you have to have cable.

[@bubba842]

I don't think putting it behind a paywall will help with growth.

[@davidday2373]

Partly to blame for that are the Soccer fans in the U.S. who follow European leagues and LIga MX. They take away from what MLS _could_ and _should_ be if we had our own people following our domestic league (and not some foreign leagues).

[@metalfuk69]

MLS is at its the best it's ever been. The games and teams are always getting better.

[@kevinwilkins7851]

Which is why MLS has lost the CONCACAF CL 22 out of the last 23 years and regularly loses to Central American clubs.

[@adamrafeedie1543]

lafc lets gooo

[@davidday2373]

A year and a half since this video was posted, and MLS is even bigger and better. Some of these people just look for anything to complain about.

[@beauzest5525]

The point about history is a good one. The top 5 leagues are rich in tradition. They have become part of their communities over a hundred years or more & are part of local & national identities. They have done their PhD’s whilst the MLS is in kindergarten.

[@worldymedia]

Playing devils advocate it is impossible for these mls clubs to have history in some cases, however the fact that MLS didnt die on a hill to get the cosmos and other historical brands like the battery tells us everything we need to know

[@davidday2373]

LOL... So you want MLS to jump on a Time Machine and go back 100 years? Speaking of top leagues rich in tradition, in the U.S. we have MULTIPLE sports leagues, like Major League Baseball, and the NFL, and NBA, and NHL, not to mention College FB and College Basketball, that have a track-record of rich tradition and success in the U.S. The sport of Soccer is trying to catch up, and MLS is doing a good job.

[@davidday2373]

@@worldymedia If MLS would have thrown in the towel back in circa 2001, when they were having trouble, then we would not have pro Soccer in the U.S. right now. They'd be talking about giving it another shot after 2026 or something. To be honest, we should be grateful that MLS even survived.

[@frankf684]

I don’t think it’s hate,it’s apathy.Average American doesn’t like or understand soccer.

[@fishandsticks9339]

If you're an American who hates MLS because it doesn't have pro/rel or because the quality of play is not up to par with the other leagues, fine. Keep "supporting" teams you have no personal connection to. I, for one, am glad the sport has a spot in an already cluttered American sports landscape thanks to MLS and the USL systems. If America was like 99% of the world where this sport is either number one or two, I'm sure things would be different, from the sports landscape to quality of play, etc. Also, as much as I would love to see pro/rel, it will likely happen with the USL system. If it doesn't happen, 'MERICA! The sports leagues here are closed systems. If you want pro/rel for what is known as soccer here, pro/rel should also be advocated for NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL.

[@worldymedia]

God this has become my least favorite point ever made. Until the NFL, NBA, or MLB are playing soccer they do not need to be compared to MLS. Apples to Oranges. Also, i dont have a personal connection to any club because MLS closed system ensures its not as amazing of an investment opportunity to stick a club in a smaller community

[@austinedeclan10]

Imagine if the best 3 G league teams Joined the NBA then the worst 3 NBA teams went to the G league. They'd have to do away with affiliation first so G league teams could rebrand appropriately and have a second draft for prospects who weren't good enough to attract NBA attention. Your NBA dream wouldn't be dead if you weren't drafted. Go to the G league and fight for a spot in the NBA

[@michaelwalker7400]

Good point on the uniforms. MLS wanted guaranteed money for uniforms and that's how adidas became the league wide sponsor. The contract ends in 2026, but I'd expect MLS to keep adidas or bid it out to see if adidas, Nike, Puma or someone else will pay the price they want. Adidas also apparently doesn't like the idea of 3rd shirts for every team, which is why they went with a white kit for everyone. That doesn't help each team stand out as you pointed out. As far as stadiums, they are copying European stadia and unless you build onto a pre-existing stadium, like Portland's, they will be a version of a rectangle with maybe a different type of roof design used. Mexico is also copying MLS with no pro/rel for five seasons. I'd expect them to keep it because those teams in Liga MX are able to make more money with no fear of dropping down, and the players are paid better.

[@aarond23]

People know the MLS is 'minor league'....sure the in game fan experience has found people who love to go and chant and do TIFO or whatever....but its going to take generations and decades before you have things like multi generational family allegiances which is how the MLB and NFL become 'important' to the culture at large.

[@worldymedia]

This is true. It is still an infant of a soccer league! To be fair they have made amazing strides in a very short time.

[@aarond23]

@@worldymedia MLS in the 90s was marketed as so 'family friendly' as to be uncool...that is how they lost 2 teams right away, it took it kind of hooking into 'bro culture' in a few cities and hooking into Latino culture in a few others and now they have an audience. There are still 'legacy' teams like Dallas and Chicago which have never found an audience.

[@worldymedia]

@@aarond23 ahaha i am here for all the Dallas hate. Boring ass club. Boring ass games. Boring ass product. My sisters jv games were more fun. The ONLY thing we must praise Dallas for is that they are a usmnt factory haha

[@oscarlugo5765]

Red Bull and Manchester city can confirm this statement

[@luismunoz995]

I like the way the MLS is going about making the league more attractive while giving everyone a chance to lift the cup at the end of the year. In Europe, unless you are the top 4 or the worst 3, there is not much excitement for the teams in the middle of the table. They can be stuck in there for a long, long time

[@worldymedia]

Realistically very very few teams in the pl who have just sat at mid table year in and year out. With as many robust markets as we have, it would be nearly impossible to hover at mid table. The competition would be MIGHTY just to survive a season

[@worldymedia]

@@tedlasso5876 this is like talking to a brick wall. My guy. First off this is America, land of the free market economy. 2nd off you’ve just described perfect our argument. The MLS has used various tactics over the years to consolidate power and make it essentially impossible for free market competitors to challenge them because they took the top division, closed it off to outsiders and are trying to consolidate ALL us soccer power withing their markets. And dont kid yourself and think they will not begin using mls np and whatever other dogshit “mls 2” type of league and try to throw a rebranded “mls 2” clubs into smaller counties all over America where that clubs peak dreams can be to have a player come thru that eventually plays for the mls overlords. You are so focused on the fact that MLS has a artificially produced perception of competitiveness that you are overlooking the methods of which they achieve this.

[@davidday2373]

@@tedlasso5876 NFL - 8 teams in the past 10 years, and 14 in the past 20 MLB - 8 teams in the past 10 years, and 13 in the past 20 NBA - 7 teams in the past 10 years, and 10 in the past 20 NHL - 7 teams in the past 10 years, and 12 in the past 20 Liga MX - 8 teams in the past 10 SEASONS, and 10 in the past 20 MLS - 9 teams in the past 10 years, and 14 in the past 20

[@davidday2373]

@@worldymedia There's the XFL. There was the USFL, the AFL. There was the ABA in Basketball. The USL is not controlled by MLS. But if we're questioning the powers that control things...a better question is WHO THE FCK is "FIFA"?? Why do "Federations" have a say in what independent Pro League do?

[@anthonybernardi4929]

@@tedlasso5876 A few things. One, clubs have different goals. Not every club goes all in on winning the league year in and year out because they know that they either can't beat a Bayern or a City, or they prefer to focus on other competitions. Your argument, however, implies that have not clubs are those that don't win the league. Eintracht Frankfurt, despite not being particularly close to winning their domestic league, were Europa League winners this past year. Not sure anyone would call that a failed season. Overall, your argument ignores the purpose of qualifying for European football via the UCL or UEL or winning other competitions, not to mention that these leagues are more volatile than you're implying. Serie A has had a different winner each of the last two seasons, and it looks like Napoli could easily make it three in three seasons. I think there's a legitimate debate to be had about a more randomness-driven approach of the American model versus what world football uses, but to dismiss it as a have and have not system doesn't make much sense I don't think.

[@terryfox9344]

The MLS was deliberately set up from the jump to be what it is, in order to attract investors. It was wildly successful in achieving its initial goals, but structurally there is a lack of competitive motivation. It is hard to see a higher level of success for the league as it is currently structured.

[@Truman5555]

And Maybe that's enough. I have family that remembers the Old NASL days, and what killed that was too much money spent, too fast. Maybe the miracle is the fact that The US has a pro soccer league at all. Maybe we should just be the MACtion (if you know, you know) of Soccer. We so outlr own thing, unconcerned with how the rest of the world sees us. We are the league for Soccer Sickos, along with NCAA Soccer (the paint huffing of Soccer).

[@davidday2373]

MLS would not have survived if it had Pro-Rel. You people don't know what "competitive" means. You call Relegation "competitive motivation," LOL... that's insane to U.S. sports fans... Cheering "not to be the worst" is not in our DNA.

[@DookieChat]

I’m American and I love the MLS.. grown exponentially since I’ve been a fan and will keep growing even more. Can’t wait for this season with the new Apple TV stuff

[@larryfroot]

If you don't mind me asking, but from an American point of view, do you think promotion and relegation is possible or even desirable for MLS?

[@davidday2373]

@@larryfroot Frankly, as a sports fan from the U.S., Promotion-Relegation is just strange.

[@larryfroot]

@davidday2373 As a Brit, I find promotion and relegation to be essential in creating stakes, at both ends of the table. Games between two relegation threatened teams are as intense as a cup final. And teams in mid-table know that they are only a couple of losses away from being dragged into the mire, again creating pressure. We find the lack of promotion and relegation as strange as you find their presence!

[@davidday2373]

@@larryfroot I would imagine so, but as a fan of a team in MLS, we constantly get lectured/pestered by people trying to sell us on the virtues of Pro-Rel... I doubt you get the same, the other way around (ex: "the British league should add Playoffs and a Salary Cap")

[@larryfroot]

@davidday2373 A few years ago a franchise was created amongst some top European clubs. This was done in secret and then announced to the world. The idea lasted for about a week before being torn to shreds by the respective fan bases of each club.

[@krotos6134]

Not having a second division is ridiculous. There is literally no punishment for being the bottom of the table.

[@hyperrat12]

There are 2-5 divisions, and Mexico a couple of years ago also suspended pro/rel. What so many people around the world, and specifically Europeans don't understand is that you guys have had those teams and those leagues for over 100 years, I'm 29 and the MLS is younger than me. We have to have time for these fan bases to be built up before you can introduce something like promotion relegation, otherwise teams will just simply go out of business. No one's trying to go to El Paso for an away game at a stadium of 1.5 thousand people. People also forget how insanely large the United States is and how much travel costs here which makes it even more difficult for things like away fans. There's a lot that goes into the promotion relegation talk that European simply have just refused to acknowledge for so long

[@DHW3008]

@@hyperrat12 the advantage to pro/rel is it means teams keep fighting until the end. Here you can't give up because if you do it could end in relegation. As a fan of a team who frequently flirts with relegation there's no feeling of relief like staying up. We were euphoric when we got promoted back to the EFL (after relegation the year before) and there's nothing like that in the MLS. You get rewarded for failure in US sports. You lost every game? Here's your #1 in the draft. I understand these teams need to be established but all it does is prevent NASL/USL teams having a reason to push. Also lack of pro/rel means there is no chance for a team to build itself up from nothing (as in a few friends start an amateur team and rise to the top) so the American Dream is impossible in football over there.

[@hyperrat12]

@@DHW3008 My point being is, how old is your club, how much history does it have behind it, and if you get relegated will you go out of business?

[@fishandsticks9339]

Welcome to America and it's cluttered, closed-system landscape! Also, there is a second division, as well as a third and fourth division. The leagues are closed, though.

[@davidday2373]

LOL 😂... What good is having a "2nd division" for, Relegation? No other major league sports has that, or needs that. Why should MLS have it?

[@leerollins]

Last year was nice in how the games were staggered. I could watch a number of games on Saturday and Sunday. It was also nice that there was a game or two on during the middle of the week. Now with the new season most games are on Saturday and the start times are stacked so closely together it's going to make choosing which games you want to watch a lot harder.

[@worldymedia]

I would love some Monday Night Soccer. Or Thursday. It for sure allows you to follow the league alot better. There is no silver bullet tho. Mls has alot of issues holding it back

[@leerollins]

@@worldymedia I've only followed the league for a year, and am a neophyte to the sport itself, but I have heard some of the more common criticisms. Personaly, having cut the cord I am pretty happy I will be able to stream the games with no blackouts this year. If Baseball and the NHL had a similar package I would buy those too. I do understand the concern of not having the games on tv to attract new fans. I started watching MLS with my espn+ subscription and would always get annoyed when games I wanted to watch were on cable. Hopefully they can get the issues surrounding the league ironed out, but I imagine there will always be pros and cons. Edit: I just wanted to thank you for the video as well. It was enjoyable content to watch.

[@worldymedia]

@@leerollins Well its better now than never. You picked an exciting time to get involved. Soccer as a whole is on the up and has loads to offer! I am just like you in terms of cutting the cord. and I pay for it dearly to watch my soccer. That's one reason I am scared of apple TV. They had a great thing with ESPN and I watched a bunch, especially since Austin got a team. I will probably suck it up and pay my money but I really wish we got the same deal on a platform I already have lol. Also I really appreciate your feedback. Its comments like this and being able to share opinions and ideas that keeps me making videos so thanks to you! glad we can have this discourse!

[@nicolasjavaloyes4459]

"there's no history in the club" well it just got made

[@worldymedia]

This is sort of my issue though, you just pay money, check some boxes and congratulations your the next “top” team. Not really sure what alternative option to offer though. Its just unfortunate we dont have a better way to grow clubs organically

[@Stewy-xw9fz]

To be honest with you, USL is a better run league than MLS. If USL can improve their stadiums and make them minimum 10,000 capacity and improve on their ESPN tv rights, they can become a real competitor to MLS.

[@worldymedia]

I agree with you 100%. MLS is a gold covered shit sandwich as far as I am concerned. Looks awesome, but it will leave a bad taste in your mouth. USL is much much more pure and actually aims to include the nation at large in their soccer fun.

[@Stewy-xw9fz]

@@worldymedia with MLS locked into that Apple deal, now is the perfect time for USL to go on offense. They need to get a big mega billionaire to invest in them and then they start to improve the stadiums and increase capacity. Then they sign a great tv rights deal with ESPN to play on Friday nights and eventually USL can move up to major league status. USL is a bottom up league as compared to MLS which is a top down league and that is why I like USL. USL gives the local kids opportunities.

[@jetlifewill23]

MLS needs to stop making deals that keep the matches behind a paywall wether it be cable or streaming, also make it accessible as possible the same way we get NBA or NFL games, plus pro/rel doesn't hurt, great vid btw hope you find more success

[@worldymedia]

I appreciate your feedback! I need to get promoted to afford this new mls deal lol. Or maybe the channel will take off and i could get one of them fancy apple tv + subscriptions(and also the mls addon). Haha in all seriousness though i fully agree and paywalls suck. I never thought cable like we had in the mid 2000s would be of such envy in the modern world…

[@jetlifewill23]

@@worldymedia, as someone who grew up wit no cable i always struggled to find anything outside of Mexican football that wasn't the world cup at most a random game from Germany or Spain but 0 prem until after the 06 world cup when I finally came across fox soccer Channel at a buddies house while channel surfing lol No way I'm paying for an appletv sub just for the galaxy I'm already pulling my hair out just watching them and I hope you get to experience a few games live its a good experience just wish they had something for kids to get in cheaper it gets more families in the seats

[@worldymedia]

@@jetlifewill23 luckily i live in Central Texas so i have no lack of options. Ive been to all 3. Austin FC is by far the most fun. And is actually what brought me excitement about the mls for the first time. Houston and FC Dallas are old guard and do a pretty lackluster job at putting a live event together. Houston is MILES better than Dallas. But the most praise to Dallas on what they do for youth development. Overall a game at Austin FC is on par with games ive been to in Europe. My main issue with the MLS is trying to follow the league from outside the stadiums. Its a horrid experience for a product that still needs work

[@jetlifewill23]

@@worldymedia, I'm pretty lucky to be in California as we have the most soccer rich history imo plus all the teams we can watch from up north to San jose and all the way south with San Diego loyal in the USL which isn't too bad a league dived in head first this year mostly because of a certain Salvadoran player joining the switchbacks I feel they're only a good TV deal away of getting a piece of the pie hopefully it happens and destroys the elitist closed league MLS is

[@worldymedia]

@@jetlifewill23 i am really really really rooting for the USL. Just because they seem to understand a different aspect of growing the game. And i think you are right. A good tv deal then the investment will be even better than it already is.

[@AKUNJIG]

I've always said that the Financial Limits on the Clubs willing to spend is what's holding this League back. I'm for Salary Caps, but I want to see the MLS increase the Cap so that we'll get those Quality Players. I have no problem with some of these Cookie Cutter Stadiums. We're finally getting Soccer Stadiums! The Current MLS Schedule is subject to Change, but I like the set start times. Makes scheduling for Tailgating much better. One example was Atlanta at Charlotte, Kickoff was at 3:30 on Saturday then out of the Blue it was Switched to 1pm on Sunday by ESPN which pissed a lot of us off because we had to scrap our original plans.

[@worldymedia]

To be honest, the stadium point was absolutely weak as f**k. I shouldn’t have said that, they do a good job on that front to be fair. If you have ever even tried to get just a field constructed it is for sure a MASSIVE undertaking

[@kelvinloyola6070]

MLS has increased it's salary cap for the last 10 years, the CBA requires that increase...

[@AKUNJIG]

@@kelvinloyola6070 Needs to be at least $10-$15m

[@carlos_takeshi]

They're getting there on the spending. Toronto FC, the top spending club in MLS, spent more than $26 million last year. However, spending more money is counterproductive if the team spends itself into the grave. Over time, teams have been spending more as revenues allow, and have been improving their rosters as revenues allow. The Apple TV deal will help, and hopefully the partnership with LIGA MX will help. And hopefully MLS will be able to capitalize on 2026 in a significant way. In any case, the main thing is to not be stupid with money while still continuously improving the teams.

[@bubba842]

Well that's one massive problem there. Allowing the media companies to change times of games to suit their scheduling. Such a thing would be unheard of in any other league anywhere else in the world .

[@PatMcDonald41]

In England the glamour is in winning the league, but … the sheer, visceral drama is in the life and death fight to avoid relegation. How can a serious football league not have relegation and promotion? From the outside, football in the USA looks like rich men playing with money.

[@worldymedia]

Thats what it looks like to me from inside America too haha

[@Brookspirit]

Promotion and relegation are extremely important, i can't take a sport seriously that doesn't have it.

[@AccidentallyDecent]

A big problem with promotion/relegation in North America is the fact that it’s massive, by the time you reach the third tier it’ll be regionalized leagues (maybe div 2 because you’d have to decide what to do with the CPL). Canada itself is almost the size of Europe, so the MLS is trying to be a domestic league in an area larger than UEFA. The league definitely needs to do a better job marketing and needs either a soft salary cap or the removal of it in general

[@thetabbyguy921]

To be fair a lot of countries do that with regional leagues so I don't really see that as an issue, even Russia manages to make it work (I know most of russia lives in the west but even just European Russia is about the size of the rest of Europe combined.) Also why would you have to do anything about the CPL? It's Canada's league and we should be allowed to have our own system independent of the US.

[@Truman5555]

​@thetabbyguy921 Because of Toronto, Montreal, and the Whitecaps being in MLS. Also, there are a few Canadian teams in USL2. As we are seeing with their fed now, Canada is on life support for going it alone. I wouldn't be surprised if CPL tries to merge with USL1 or MLS NEXT PRO to save their teams in a few years.

[@joshuagarber3576]

That's what I've been saying. The pure size of the United States would make it hard to create a relegation system. Like most European countries you're at most a 9 hour drive away from the farthest club and that's in extreme scenarios. In America you would be averaging well over 9 hours a drive to get to the next club. The answer would be to fly but that is incredibly expensive and not every club could do that if they found their way into one of the top levels.

[@Randy_Butternubs]

It is boring but just like the MLB, it's a way better environment when your there in person at the games live.

[@gerulais]

I think that the Apple TV deal is going to kill football in North America.

[@worldymedia]

Hope it just turns more eyes onto the USL🤞🏻

[@robthomas5827]

Watching Champions League or EPL as an American is just watching TV. Watching and attending MLS matches in your local market is being a football fan/supporter. I love the beautiful game and have always dreamed of its growing popularity and relevance in the US. That's why I watch/support/attend MLS matches. Y'all should too. If you love the game, watching an MLS match in person is far superior to watching Messi and Neymar from the other side of the world on TV - even though the players aren't as good.

[@guedrini2045]

What an idiotic delusional statement. You’re supposed to tell me that watching Jordan Morris or Walker Zimmerman stumble around a pitch in person is better than watching Messi or Neymar on tv????? Utter shambles of comment, I would rather watch a 140p KZbin video of Accrington Stanley vs Stockport United than contract cancer watching Jordan Morris embarrass the entire nation on a football pitch in person

[@isaacgogna9856]

This is what I try and explain to people

[@carlos_takeshi]

This, a billion times over. If you have a team in your town or your region, go to a game, and feel for yourself the visceral connection created when your team scores a goal. The physical sensation of thousands of your fellow human beings experiencing joy together is on a level miles above you doing a fist pump alone in your pajamas on the couch. It's another universe.

[@jldch26]

This is you should go watch a MLS game because you're a football fan is incorrect. You should go watch your local team, even more so if they're not in MLS. For the sport to grow, the lower league teams need the support, way more than MLS does.

[@nickdoe7770]

@@jldch26 Or just as many local teams as you can, really. I have season tickets for my local MLS club, local CPL club (Canadian equivalent of USLC/1), local semi-pro club (USL2 equivalent). Less than $500 USD/year total

[@49automedon]

Nice video dude -- I wanted to add that pro/rel will help attract audiences from smaller markets to the top-flight games. Also, the USL Championship (2nd tier) announced recently that they're playing inter-conference games in the regular season, keep adding new teams across their own closed pyramid with an endgoal of pro/rel, and allow much more individual branding/culture within teams. Detroit has a great fanbase, historically successful teams like Tampa Bay and Louisville draw in like 8k people per game, tons of teams are the only professional team in their city. USL Championship teams are also starting to recruit players from Europe, making big moves, as well as giving talented young players (Osundina, Kobi Henry, Wynder, Gomez, Gallegos). The leage is super competitive every year, playoffs seem more competitive, teams actually care about not placing bottom because of no draft, and there are some great rivalries! Very good option for American soccer fans, games are all on ESPN+ which is cheaper than apple TV or whatever MLS is on

[@worldymedia]

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback! I agree with you too. The USL for sure has a few of its own issues too but they do a great job with their product and at least making every club feel unique and attached to their communities better than the MLS. I really am curious to see how this could all look with an open pyramid. The USL is much more worth my time to pay attention to compared to the MLS just because the teams like Detroit and Tampa Bay. Also cant knock the teams like New Mexico United. They are doing a bunch of great things in that league!

[@davidday2373]

Not in the U.S. We have the NFL, MLB, the NBA, College FB, the NHL, College BB to spend our time and attention on. My team having the possibility of getting "Relegated" is definitely not a selling point.

[@49automedon]

​@@davidday2373 Thanks for the response, dude! I hear your point. However, in my own experience as a Louisville City fan and Louisville resident, the soccer team is the only PROFESSIONAL sport in a city which probably deserves more -- the college basketball has great attendance, and we had an ABA basketball team back in the 70s. All in all, we're definitely a sports city, but never got the investment opportunity because we're only the ~50ish largest metro area, and big-time team investors don't like the idea of that. College sports are very much distinct from pro sports in my view, and are more than often supported much more casually (excluding major CBB/CFB rivalries, one of which is literally in my city). I'd like to focus more on the positive side of the pro/rel system first. I've seen our pro soccer team literally take over the town over the past decade through consistent success. If pro/rel was a thing, we would be in the MLS right now several times over. One of our local kids is the national team's brightest young prospects after he came up through our youth academy. Our already league-leading attendance would probably increase even more, the potential for our team to use MLS money to get star power would give tons more kids in Kentucky an idol, and the love of the sport would just do the city well. I think that the threat of relegation is scary for owners given the idea of decreased profits, and even the very slim chance of financial ruin (which is usually mostly the fault of faulty organizational setup anyways). It also demotivates fans of teams that are already secure with top-league teams. However, sometimes teams need a wake-up call to stop sucking. In American closed leagues, several teams over the years have not been faced with real risk, causing their fans and players to suffer. Also, taking the 17-week NFL schedule as an example, a team that's already eliminated from playoffs will often just slide for the last games of the season with little reward for trying to win. With the threat of relegation, less clout and less money, teams near the bottom actually give a damn about every game of the season. Also, since literally none of the other leagues will consider pro/rel systems anytime soon, it might be nice to have one sport that does it. If your team gets relegated, you have all the right to just watch more basketball instead, y'know? The important part of sports to me is the emotional connection between teams, players, and fans. That's the stuff people will remember for decades, that what inspires any sports fan's love of the game, and that's what a pro/rel system would facilitate for actual millions of people across the country. We all love underdog stories, we all love innovative teams, we all love good rivalries -- a non-meritocratic sports league doesn't help create these as well as a pro/rel might. Using the MLS vs. the USL as an example, the only really innovative team of the past few years has been Philly's moneyball/youth revolution. Every other team still does soccer the classic way, with little noticeable change to the formula. USL teams like Louisville, Tampa, Orange County, and San Antonio are all culturally unique, have unique brands and distinct play-styles, and are more well-run than most MLS teams (and dare I say have better, more special kits). If they could get promoted, the league's leading storyline will shift from: "another European pro retires in LA" or "Will Cincinnati suck for the 4th year in a row?" to "can this exciting new team kick in in the big league?" and "how will this relegated team, poorly managed and low on confidence, bounce back and try to refresh themselves?" All in all, I think the possibility of pro/rel would actually make the fan experince more interesting and rewarding, if a little more stressful, than the closed system we have today, and it wouldn't hurt to try with one sport with dozens of successful pro/rel systems abroad to use for reference.

[@49automedon]

@@davidday2373 also, sorry for the giant essay. i have strong feelings on the topic and am also tend to ramble when sleep deprived hahaha

[@davidday2373]

@@49automedon Better thought-out than most Pro-Rel people's arguments. But ultimately the juice is not worth the squeeze FROM A LEAGUE PERSPECTIVE.

[@brianlocal3]

I absolutely love mls. Issue is you get more “story “ with the other leagues I.e. you get “to know and follow” more guys like Lewy, mbappe etc But if you follow mls writing and news you follow and get vested in the players

[@worldymedia]

My argument would be that you dont need “lewa, mbappe, etc” thats the false ideas that the mls has in their heads. Look at austin fc and atl utd. They used their dp slots to bring in club heros, rising stars, and other players that may have lacked reputation but are absolutely peaked to be at thier clubs and fully bought into the community. This is how the club can connect with their communities.

[@brianlocal3]

@@worldymedia 100% agree , I don’t feel like you need them either. I’m from STL, have followed STLFC (not CITY) our old USL team, and to me and my kids the players there were more interesting and important than any big name out there. We still run into captain Sam Fink at the park running… I have been a SKC fan for years, but my allegiance will be shifting to STL CITY.

[@brianlocal3]

Need more coverage to allow the people to have buy in and feel like they “know” players NFL and mlb do it well

[@worldymedia]

@@brianlocal3 you know that actually makes me sad that they just plop and mls team right on top of a usl team. Please continue to show love to your uls club

[@brianlocal3]

@@worldymedia the club had to be disbanded completely unfortunately in order for CITY to come to fruition. I am one of the few who would have preferred to keep a usl team over MLS I also go to gateway grizzly games over stl cardinals. Something about the grassroots of it that makes it more enjoyable

[@Krsto777]

As you mentioned, the lack of pro/reg really just saps the league of excitement. Obviously it's different in the top 5 European leagues because of the champions/europa leagues, but quite literally every position on the table is worth fighting for. Bottom 5 teams? Fighting relegation. Mid table? Fighting for European tournaments, top 6? Fighting for champions league/ the title. With the mls it's pretty much just qualify for playoffs. Not only that, but as you mentioned, teams who do not qualify are incentivized to do worse so they can get better draft picks.

[@worldymedia]

Its for sure an odd predicament of American soccer. We are so young though, im sure we can find a way to provide a better competition. I also sort of regret just throwing “add pro/rel” in there as if its just such an easy task. But we can dream, hope for more, shoot for the moon. Nobody has ever been wrong for that. Lol

[@Good100]

I'm convinced this is just something that is relevant to people who are already soccer fans. We have four other sports leagues on the continent that have proven models without pro/rel, and people find them plenty exciting, especially since there is actually a reasonable expectation that a team that gets the #1 pick will be in the playoffs before too long. The Bengals and Bills would have long since been relegated if the NFL had a pro/rel system, instead of playing each other in the quarterfinals.

[@Krsto777]

@@Good100 I personality just think it's a better model for any sport in general. It promotes more competition for all positions on the table. In america its very much not a system owners of franchises want because it's super risky. Sure the model without pro/rel is proven in america, but that's because we haven't had any alternatives to the play off system. Do you know how much more interesting American sports would be if a minor league team had the opportunity to be promoted to the major leagues? It'd give people more of a reason to support their local teams.

[@davidday2373]

Pro-Rel is not at all important. Who the hell actually "cheers not to lose"?!?!? That's silly. We have PLAYOFFS! Playoffs are infinitely more exciting. MOST OF THE LEAGUE is still invested late in the season in watching their teams, hoping to make the Playoffs, with a chance to still with the CHampionship. Pro-Rel, celebrates "Lets not be the biggest losers"... gotta be kidding me. That would never fly here in the U.S.

[@deltaboy2011]

Probably with pro/reg is lower teams can't afford the financials of traveling a large country like the U.S. along with building a bigger stadium and so on.

[@DynamicUnreal]

I agree with some things you said but I don’t agree that they should cut teams in the league. There is a market for a 40 teams in MLS, 20 in a Western Conference and 20 in the Eastern conference. I wish there was promotion and relegation to a lower tier but MLS is a closed system so it’s unlikely that it will ever happen unless the MLS creates the league below it themselves.

[@worldymedia]

I guess the logic of cutting the league in half only works if you have pro rel. But i guess maybe 2, 20 team conferences with top 4 from each doing playoffs would be the next best thing

[@samdryden7944]

So long as MLS has playoffs and no promotion/relegation, it's not a true soccer league.

[@gregorybiestek3431]

@@samdryden7944 Relegation will not work in the USA. There are limited fan bases, TV & other media will refuse to provide any coverage and until there is a sufficient culture like that in other parts of the world (perhaps in 20-30 years) implementing relegation would mean the death of the American leagues. At the present, MLS depends entirely on wealthy individuals and media coverage to allow it to exist. If you are a fan from Europe, and you have interest in, say American lacrosse, how do you start a league where only a handful of people care about the sport, hardly any billionaires or millionaires want to fund your teams, and where the local media have no interest in covering your game? Right now, unless the local team is doing well, the local fans do not support it thru bad times which means with relegation a team does not get a chance to be better, it would just fold and within a couple of years the entire league. This has already happened three times already and MLS is so far, thanks to no relegation, been able to survive and grow.

[@CTripodi1965]

The MLS fucked up by partnering up with Apple TV. No one is going to pay a ton of money we don't have just to watch our home team. Bad bad deal. Viewership WILL plummet, I guarantee it.

[@worldymedia]

Idk what will happen with that, but I guarantee you the included memberships that come with the season tickets will be baked into those numbers. Trying to make it look better than it is. You know typical MLS things

[@randomnerd2332]

Here are my ways to continue to improve MLS: 1. Continue to improve relations w/ Liga MX (it's the most watched league in the US plus I think the American Liga MX fan would be the easiest to get to watch MLS) 2. Increase the salary cap- although the salary cap is a great to to level the playing field in it's current level it hurts the depth of teams, if most of the revenue from the new TV deal goes to the salary cap that will help improve the perception that the league is only a few star players & everyone else is a terrible. 3. Expand the pool of players that MLS signs- I think the biggest negative around MLS is that the just sign past time prime European stars & Mexican players who best days in Europe are behind them. Although Brazilians & Argentinians might be hard to get signing young players from other SA countries will be helpful. I also think MLS is missing out on not investing in young players in Asia & Africa. For Asian players MLS could serve as the bridge for them to get from their domestic league to one of the more prominent European leagues. While in Africa there is probably a whole pool of players who might be missed out by from Europe & MLS could be the stage to really hit it big. 4. Move away from the college system. This might be a bit controversial but I think the college soccer actually hurts the domestic league. While it works for other American sports soccer is different because u see so many players become pros in their teenage years. I think having a large portion of the domestic pool play college first before going pro actually hurts their development as they won't face professional competition by the time they are 21-23 years old, an age a good amount of other players are already experienced starters at in Europe & South America. At the end of the day I think MLS' growth is also tied to the growth of the sport as a whole in the US so there is only so much u can control it .

[@worldymedia]

I think I unequivocally agree with every word you said. You should have written the script for this video lmaoo.

[@davidday2373]

1) MLS is already doing that (that's in the plan) 2) MLS is already doing that (that's in the plan) 3) MLS had the 6th most players in the 2022 World Cup (behind only the "Big Euro 5" leagues) 4) MLS does not rely on College players. I've never heard of MLS requiring players to attend College (like in the NBA, NFL). Sounds like fake news.

[@riccorich]

Liga MX has proble,s outside the Spanish speaking market.. not even a thought in most sports circles along with MLS, collaborating doesn't help MLS grow either

[@toob_noob4381]

​​@@davidday2373 yea. Every mls team I'd required to have their own developmental club for potential prospects Never heard of the college requirement

[@davidday2373]

@@riccorich It's called synergy

[@xiv1496]

As a football⚽️ fan from Cali who jumped on the MLS hype train after covid, I think the biggest reasons why MLS lack in TV viewership i think, is the lack of familiarity to the average American and how alienated it is from American culture. Then to American soccer fans the reason why people don’t watch it is due to its reputation as a league that shouldn’t be taken serious. I think a stronger presence in social media and in Hollywood (Netflix Show/documentary) can help, as if MLS gave Americans something to care about the sport and Americanize the sport brand the sport in our own way. Owned the sport, i think until then MLS could have more of a fighting chance against other leagues

[@adamrafeedie1543]

as an american i can confirm i like the MLS

[@playboicarlos]

I’m in Nashville and I don’t identify with my club. Their club anthem is a terrible wannabe song of YNWA.The club gives off a super friendly vibe, I want my club to be feared.

[@worldymedia]

Thats all of mls. They specifically look to provide that “nice for the whole family” environmenr. Good idea but the league needs some edge.

[@therealking6202]

Not bad. Some decent thoughts. I subscribed. You missed one big problem with watching on TV: the broadcasters are not that good. If you get a nationally broadcast game, maybe. Otherwise you've got a third rate play by play who's never played soccer next to the local Junior College coach providing the color commentary who does his best Al Bundy and compares everything to when he played. (BTW...COYG!...lol...I see that Man U scarf!)

[@worldymedia]

Up the Mighty Manchester Reds! Bald is best! Hahaha fair play was a great game last weekend!! And i do agree with you on the TV. Ive never really paid for cable though so that was a tough one to speak on. I basically gave you guys my informed opinion but didnt go too far off of things i can speak to from my experiences

[@sevargas1]

It’s super expensive even compared to other better leagues.

[@mheiseus]

The league is only 27 years old, we barely won our continents championship. It’s gonna grow but this takes time

[@domenicdaluz1677]

Add promotion from and relegation to usl, its that easy, unfortunately Americans are too greedy

[@worldymedia]

I wish. Thatd be a phenomenal start

[@jldch26]

The problem with that is the United States Soccer Federation has different requirements for teams depending on the tier they play in. A lot of USL teams would probably need more investments (and bigger stadiums) to meet the requirements put out by the federation for tier 1 teams.

[@jldch26]

I say those requirements personally need to be scrapped and let teams be as big or small as they get and let them grow organically.

[@domenicdaluz1677]

@@jldch26 but just open it up, teams in usl that get promoted will get more money just by being in the league, with time teams will have the chance to grow their team and fanbase, not saying it will be instant but it would be a step in the right direction

[@domenicdaluz1677]

@@jldch26 also stadiums will be a limiting factor, maybe we could see a Atlanta united way of stadium sharing, like rowdies at Raymond James, and with time organic growth to teams will see more competition. But if we are looking at us soccer, we will see improvement with a more competitive league, but the whole draft mentality in sports here isn't helping, youth leagues not tied to school and better scouting will be nessisary

[@josephjoestar2963]

Im argentinian. And let me tell, History, Rivalrys and Context, is what makes matches and teams, interesting. River plate vs Boca Jnrs, The Barracas cntral-Tapia corruption, The little Patronato winning the Arg Cup, and so on. When i watch the MLS. I feel like every team is in someway identical to the other, and doesnt offer anything unique. Like what did this team win or do to be recognized?. The sidneys i know they won a Concacaf cup, LA Galaxy i know they had pele, and?, What more?

[@worldymedia]

It is because the structure. Teams are not independent from one another. And everything is artificial. All “team owners” actually are just investors into the league itself, and MLS owns all the clubs centrally as a single entity. The MLS owns all the player contracts and allocates the players to teams vis a complicated system of allocations which, they don’t release a ton of info on how it works. They decide rivalries at the league office, they do not arise naturally. Its all a smoke-show to trick casual American fans and give them their professional soccer games in a format that is digestible from the perspective of someone who has only cared about American sports.

[@josephjoestar2963]

@@worldymedia Wow, thats...so cynical

[@josephjoestar2963]

If its like that, then, nothing will happen even with the passage of time. Those things, rivalrys, team culture and history, arise organically, with each team managing themselves. I hope the MLS changes for the better

[@worldymedia]

@@josephjoestar2963 they have done certain things that give me hope. And certain things that scare me. They want to rebuild the MLB it seems. Closed tier system. Probably have “AA” and “AA” type of product where majority if not all of the clubs will be rebranded “MLS 2” teams most likely owned by the same non local owners. Maybe like bring one local guy on board who is just happy to be a part of something and they will never complain about having a glass ceiling. It is also worth mentioning that just 2 years after SUM/MLS/LIGA MX partnership LIGA MX suspended PRO/REL and now SUM (which is MLS marketing arm owned by all the MLS investors) seem to be focused on making the closed tier league cup. Its really ass backward idea of competition. And it gives me very little hope that organization will ever expand in a way that benefits soccer before their pockets. Seems like a depressing and cynical view for sure, but the more u look into it it just seems so hopeless for anyone on the outside.

[@Slo-ryde]

A quick and easy remedy is to eliminate tie games… terrible to see 2 teams play for a tie in the last 10 minutes….put in PK or shoot outs!

[@Shockwave0071]

here comes some fucking soccer! lol great line had me rolling.

[@worldymedia]

😎 its true tho

[@Shock_Mike_Hawke]

The league format needs to change, let them have relegation and promotion.

[@TheHighLife4ev]

Need a post season reboot of this video for this years growth

[@jeremyferrufino6849]

I don’t know man I just can’t get into European soccer. I’ve watched EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A. I’ve had a favorite team in each of those leagues but the connection I feel to DC United is on a total other level. Maybe cause they are my local team and the league just seems much more like other American sports leagues. I love having two conferences and I love playoffs. This is what I’m familiar with. Although I would like to see Pro/Rel eventually because honestly you do see some quality soccer from USL and NISA. If I’m being honest Wrexham is doing a great job of showing us what we miss with Pro/Rel. But to be fair, we need the second and 3rd divisions and even the open divisions to have a level of sustainability before that happens.

[@worldymedia]

I agree with you, and i also think we are not able to just flip the pro rel switch and its all sunshine and rainbows. We would have to do a LOAD of work to make it happen. Across the entire ussf and soccer landscape. I also am willing to bet one of the big reasons you are so connected to dc united over the European leagues is nothing compares to the game that you can go watch live. And the mls actually has been really really good about making great experience for those in the stadium for the most part. I think a big part of the pro rel drive comes from people who are forced to support their team thru a screen either way because they dont have mls in their hometown and pro rel soccer is just more fun when thats the case… also i think we sre in an interesting chicken and egg situation because without pro rel it is very very hard for the lower leagues build out decent infrastructure. It works in all the places where there are just loads of people. But as you scale down it gets harder and harder to develop the bottom of the pyramid when all the money and intrest is being focused on 29 cities across the country

[@thiccochet]

The reason no one's watching MLS games on TV is because they're not on TV. The rights to my team are owned by YES Network, which seems to place MLS games below riveting content such as The Micheal Kay Show and Yankeeography. They're either shown in Spanish on a different channel, exclusive to some streaming service I don't have, or just not shown at all. I haven't been able to watch many games this year unless I've seen them in person.

[@chankongsun]

Make an supporter shield equal to EPL title. The MLS cup equal to league cup. And make an fa cup. Make an north american tier system like uk

[@worldymedia]

We do have an FA cup equal. The mls teams just choose to make it irrelevant for themselves so its kind of a let off when a lower league gets to play an mls team

[@kristi4113]

I’ve been a long time FC Dallas supporter, and I do hate the fact we don’t have star players in their prime. Would I EVER want to forget the fact I got to shake David Villa’s hand when he was in Frisco for NYCFC several years ago? NO. Would it have been cool if he had come to our shores BEFORE he was close to retirement? YES, but why the hell would he have left La Liga when he was still on top? That’s MLS’ problem: they snatch up aging players who have won everything there is to win in Europe and the World, and then pretend these players are here to “save” football in America. MLS/SUM/USSF act like football is this dying, fledgling sport and only 35-year-old ‘insert name here’ can swoop in like Iron Man to save the day. That season before I got to see David Villa with my own eyes…FCD won the Open Cup and Supporters’ Shield with ZERO tip-top names, and none of us batted an eye or asked questions. There was nothing to question, except where the celebrations after the matches were.

[@worldymedia]

Ive been a long time FC Dallas hater lol. I Live not too far down 35, and have been absolutely disgusted by the club refusing to try and make a move from frisco. However, have to give credit where its due. Dallas is the best in the nation at development. And we all owe yall for that. Still think its WILD how they put ntx sc into old rangers stadium instead of fc dallas

[@johnconrad6263]

Ok The San Jose Eartquakes Seattle Sounders Vancouver Whitecaps Embraced Their Heritage But Teams Like The Dallas Fc Or Burn They Threw away Their History , Dallas Tornado But Thats another story and Your right All They Do IS Open Up a New Team Make them start fresh dislodge from the previous versions and cram it down our throat

[@willster8759]

Branding and marketing are the biggest issues in my opinion. Every new team has a generic European styled name like FC, SC, City, United. Those names have no meaning here when every other league and sport at every level has some kind of mascot/nickname like Lions, Mets, Cowboys, Lakers, Yankees, Crimson Tide, Eagles and so on. You lose a lot of people. Nicknames and the way teams are branded can matter a lot to some fans. Early MLS team names were unique and American. We need more of that. Want Americans to care? We need to make the sport have our own flavor with team names and culture and not some generic European styled name that has no meaning here in the States.

[@FelipeCampelo0]

I bet that when they change the name to ML Football it’ll be 10x better.

[@worldymedia]

The NFL did not like that statement lol

[@kamui2970]

(Irei comentar em português porque me sinto mais a vontade) Não acho que a MLS tenha grandes problemas, mas não tem como lutar contra o tempo, uma cultura esportiva não vai surgir em tão poucos anos de liga, a liga vai melhorar conforme novos talentos regionais forem surgindo, e isso leva tempo para gerar um ambiente competitivo propricio pra isso. Mas, se eu fosse citar um fator que eu acho esquisito na MLS, o próprio formato da liga, temporada regular seguida de playoffs... eu sempre foi preferir um campeonato nacional de pontos corridos, e uma copa nacional baseada em playoffs, mas aí é gosto pessoal, os outros esportes americanos funcionam muito bem nessa formato, então não deve ser um problema.

[@carlos_takeshi]

Desculpe-me se o meu Português será um pouco esquisito. Eu mudei para o Estado Unidos como criança, então não tenho educação em Português, somente em Inglês. Ao volta ao assunto, eu acho que se o MLS fosse se formando no começo do século XX, poderia usar as estruturas mais tradicionais nas ligas ao redor do mundo. Mas como, na realidade, existe mais de cento e cinquenta anos de história esportiva no país que funciona na moda de ter uma temporada que serve como qualificação para playoffs, acho difícil demais introduzir uma estrutura inédita. Especialmente para um esporte que não tem suporte em base popular. Na minha opinião, o MLS, vai continuar a maturar, e eventualmente vai chegar a ser uma das ligas bem respeitadas pelo mundo. Não ao mesmo nível de Inglaterra, Espanha, ou Itália, mais um nível inferior.

[@kamui2970]

@@carlos_takeshi Concordo. Eu entendo que os fans da MLS fiquem animados com a possibilidade da liga rivalizar com as 5 grandes (isso se um dia conseguir). Por vários motivos, tanto por ser uma liga muito nova, tanto por motivos culturais. Estamos falando de ligas que ficam em países onde o futebol é importantíssimo. Primeiramente o interesse por futebol tem que aumentar na América do Norte, segundo, é necessário que uma quantidade de jovens se interessem pelo esporte para que entam gerem um cenário competitivo desde cedo. Na Europa e na América Latina, um menino começa a chutar uma bola mesmo antes de aprender a andar direito, e desde cedo joga contra outras crianças que tem a mesma criação. Isso é algo que vai além de investimento, por exemplo.

[@davidday2373]

(Usei o Yandex Translate do Inglês para o português) esse é o simples facto. Está a levar tempo. MLS está indo muito bem no atendimento. Temos bons estádios novos, não muito grandes, perfeitos para a MLS. Muitas das novas equipas têm uma atmosfera animada nos estádios. A área em que a MLS precisa de crescer é em termos de audiência. O desenvolvimento dos jogadores não é onde a MLS pretende obter as suas receitas. Essa maneira de pensar é comum em outros países (e funciona para eles; Brasil, Argentina, Uruguai, etc), mas para a MLS nos EUA, trata-se de receita de TV/transmissão. (I used Yandex Translate from English to Portuguese) That is the simple fact. It is taking time. MLS is doing really well in attendance. We have nice new stadiums, not too big, perfect for MLS. Many of the newer teams have lively atmosphere in the stadiums. The area where MLS needs to grow is in viewership. Player development is not where the MLS aims to get its revenue from. That way of thinking is common in other countries (and it works for them; Brasil, Argentina, Uruguay, etc), but for MLS in the U.S., it's about TV/Broadcasting revenue.

[@user-yf4gx9lw6c]

(Don’t speak Portuguese but I translated your comment) Even though I prefer the normal league method we use in most of Europe, I think MLS needs the play off system. Without play offs or relegation mid table teams have nothing to play for. Thnnka to the large number of play off spots it means that even teams that have no chance of coming first can still get something from the season if they can say they just scratched the play offs.

[@kamui2970]

@@user-yf4gx9lw6c Entendo. Os playoffs dão a chances de times menos consistentes terem a chance de lutar por algo maior. Eu concordo com isso e sei que a existência dos playoffs é necessário. Mas levando em consideração o cenário Europeu/Latino americano como base, você tem a liga nacional (baseada em pontos) e as copas e campeonatos continentais decididas em playoffs. Mais troféus deveriam estar em jogo durante uma temporada, na minha opinião. Isso porque eu sinto que os times da MLS não se envolvem tanto em sua competição continental (concacaf) como vemos em outras regiões.

[@antman8887]

Sorry, but I pretty much disagree with you right down the line...1) USA doesn't "hate" MLS -- MLS out-draws both the NBA and NHL. The TV ratings aren't there because there has not been a quality package presented by broadcasters. Hopefully the new deal with Apple TV will change that. 2) A promotion / relegation system with no salary cap doesn't add excitement; quite the contrary, it all but guarantees that the same (meaning richest) teams will win the championship year after year - and the winner has been decided, frequently, weeks before the season ends. MLS awards the Supporter's Shield to the team that has the best regular- season record, and MLS Cup to the team that survives the knockout rounds that are the playoffs. The result of this arrangement? Something like 15 different teams have won MLS Cup in a time span in which only seven have won the Premier League's championship. 3) The stuff about the jerseys all being white?? Have you actually looked at an MLS jersey recently? They are every color of the rainbow, plus some colors rarely found in nature - from pink to gold to luminescent green. If anything, they are possibly a bit over-the-top when it comes to color schemes. Going to leave it there. Good luck with the podcast, but I would watch a few more MLS games before you comment on the league again.

[@worldymedia]

Yes, obviously the MLS does a great jobs for the most part like i said. Sorry the salacious title got to you. They do have issues though. As for the jersey’s, they have improved a ton. But that is a recent phenomenon. Just a few years ago away jerseys were the same stitch with different badge and accent.. Pro/rel is amazing nearly everywhere that has it. And I think America has potential to be the best example, not sure we are there yet but there are many examples of how this keeps things incredibly exciting OUTSIDE of the first 29 markets that paid enough money to be apart of the pro soccer clique. Supporters Shied is still an odd award and deserves an * since the team that won it did not even have the same schedule as the one who didn’t…. Not saying alot of this stuff didnt come from place of good reason. But we should always be looking to improve our pyramid and look to include all markets in a linear competition with sustainable sized division to allow each team to play each-other. Edit: sorry for the typos, writing this in from the phone haha

[@Good100]

@@worldymedia The 29 in the clique are there because the ones outside couldn't have the money to afford the logistics of the schedule in the first place. Local SC is not going to be able to hop over from Chicago to New York the way Local FC can hop over from North London to the other side of London.

[@worldymedia]

@@Good100 this is the type of conflicts i was speaking of. There is much much more to all of this than “these clubs could afford it, and those clubs cant”

[@davidday2373]

1) Thats true for Average Attendance, not in TV Viewership... 2) Pro-Rel is just a revolving door of mediocrity, adds nothing to MLS success... 3) You can tell these critics of MLS are just grasping as straws, complaining about "jersey colors"?? LOL

[@worldymedia]

@@davidday2373 My brother, you must have zero perspective of this game outside of your shiny new mls stadium. Please realize this game has been played for hundreds of years, before the mls came about. They are for sure not the end all be all of this game. The clear issue with your perspective is you are thinking ONLY what is good for the MLS and not what is good for US Soccer as a whole. And every club and every soccer community around the nation. Outside of the 29 biggest ones. And before you say it, i know MLB has figured out how to do it with their tiered system. And that’s exactly what every soccer fan would like to avoid. Pro/rel provides the solution where every team from every community can win the title in the top division. Regardless of probability it is possible while it is not otherwise.

[@jshearerproductions3298]

All MLS needs to do is raise the salary cap and add pro/rel

[@worldymedia]

Stay tuned for some of the next videos. I go into this topic. In more depth. Its actually alot more effort than we think for these changes to happen

[@Dogowisdom605]

Nah I like the play off brackets instead of having pro/rel

[@Good100]

The salary cap could help, but pro/rel would not. You can't just transplant a system that emerged organically from amateur European soccer over a century into a much larger country with higher travel costs and few amateur roots to create loyalty for when you get relegated.

[@davidday2373]

MLS has contiualy and gradually raised the Salary Cap... going as planned. NEVER add Pro-Rel if you want to succeed in the U.S. sports landscape.

[@no40]

Disagree with all the reasons and points being made. Trying to make the MLS resemble the leagues in Europe will slowly end the league itself. What the MLS really needs are good marketing of players and teams and accessibility of the games for the general audience. Its going to take another decade or two for the MLS to gain traction with the US audience.

[@andh2627]

Maybe not calling Americans who tend to watch European leagues as "Euro Snob" would be a start to win them over to watch some games in MLS. I have even seen big media personalities use this term on social media. Promotion/Relegation would open up the pyramid to every single community in this country and would be a motivating reason for those who don't have a MLS team near by to watch since their own community team has a chance to play in MLS. It would also increase the intensity in the league always playing for something. Attacking play has improved in MLS and keep developing the technical play and flair players would be entertaining to watch.

[@worldymedia]

This seems like an easy concept to understand, unless you are someone who is a diehard fan of a MLS club. Also i think one of the BEST parts of soccer is the almost magical sense of possibilities. I mean, your kept glued to the end of a 0-0 in most cases because of the prospect that someone COULD knick a winning goal. I think the same idea goes for the plight of a club, the fans are attracted to the club on a human element. The possibilities, the highs and lows. Sure it sucks to be relegated and release staf, etc. However it heightens the stakes to something very real, on a human level. Edit: this is part of the reason im more attracted to USL clubs. Because im not from a MLS market, i feel more attached to the usl story than mls

[@bubba842]

If a team gets relegated, it should have no effect on fan passion. If you turn your back on your team because they got relegated then you are not a true fan. The revenue will change, but that should in no way inhibit you from filling a stadium, if you already did in a higher league. This glory hunting is one of the biggest problems with sport in America. In a passionate die hard Man Utd fan and have been since I was young enough to remember. If they got relegated I would in no way choose not to support them because it is in my blood. Having this attitude is the main reason why many fans in North America cannot build a passion or grass roots identity around their clubs. North American fans are always after the next best thing.

[@messynate]

Yea teams should be sponsored by different brands

[@tommcguire6472]

To most Americans,if you ask,they think watching a game for 90 minutes with 1-0 result, a low scoring draw, or what's worse a 0-0 draw. They hate diving,. And the European model, has lots of problems, and it's getting worse. Even the premier league has about half of it's teams who are never going to achieve anything substantial, because unless your an Arab oil baron or a Russian oligarch your not going to be able to field a good enough team to contend for the top 4 spots. It's come to the point that you average run of the mill billionaire doesn't have the money to own a top premier league club. And the American system would have the benefit of giving the lower ranked teams an opportunity to compete on a more level ground. Also the teams that get top players could sell them and use the money for further player development and team improvement. Though what I've seen of European football, the money will go into pockets.

[@MarioSantos-zx4bj]

You could try playing Copa Libertadores, you know that playing against South America's big teams will give good publicity and they would have good competition to measure their clubs on a continental level

[@ryritchey12]

I'm your random Ajax fan in america ( I know, uncommon). I hope the best for the MLS but as you said, lack of competition. I would like to add, now this does happen in europe, albeit on a different scale, politics. I feel like MLS teams try to push different political agendas and it just in nature feels very left wing. Something with me is when I watch sports I do not want different political messages shoved down my throat. I get it enough in my day to day life. It is partly why I don't watch the NFL as much anymore, it is boring and the political stuff gets annoying.

[@worldymedia]

Exactly! haha

[@mouhamedaminelaksiri7318]

Fun Fact:MLS title is actually more competitive than Bundesliga,Ligue 1 and Serie between 2012-2021 Combined

[@worldymedia]

That couldn’t be farther from a fact. Its also artificially induced.. If my aunt had a beard shed be my uncle.

[@davidday2373]

MLS and CONCACAF just go invited to COPA AMÉRICA and to a Tourney with LIBERTADORES Champs! THE WORLD'S BEST CONFEDERATION WANTS TO JOIN THE MLS PARTY 😎

[@worldymedia]

Money move for sure, considering COMNEBOL and SUM created a partnership. More like MLS wants to join the SA confederation lol.

[@davidday2373]

@@worldymedia You sure SUM is involved this time? Anyway, all Pro Sports is about money, expect for the kind of people that believe in Santa 🎅

[@davidday2373]

@@worldymedia I could see it already, 2024, Allegiant Stadium 🏟, Las Vegas... LAFC vs Boca Juniors... Tigres UANL vs Flamengo... 🤩🤪

[@worldymedia]

@@davidday2373 SUM is always involved if MLS is, also money is important to sports, but it is not in fact what they are about.

[@worldymedia]

@@davidday2373 not saying that wouldn’t be awesome lol. Idk why your bragging about it. Would be even better if a USL team club work their way up to that point without having to sell their soul like Cincy.

[@SuperSirianRigel]

The Supporters Shield IS important. It's not for just one conference. It's for the whole league. That's one reason. The second reason is... The winner gets an automatic bid in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Which is our Champions League. It's just that no one in America thinks about it because winning the regular season doesn't make you champion of the league in any of our other sports. lol.

[@1donjuego]

American's don't hate MLS. Eurosnobs do.

[@mgabriel225]

As a Romanian i watch the Romanian league wich has a worse football but god even if i want I can't bring myself to care about MLS it's like they are actively trying to stop me from enjoying it

[@worldymedia]

Im with you, supporting mls is like betting against your own intrest lol

[@DynamicUnreal]

I think they should get rid the TAM, GAM, and DP and have a flat minimum spending floor and maximum spending cap. They could for instance set a minimum spending of 15 million per year and maximum spending of 30, and adjust that number yearly depending on revenue growth. This would give teams the freedom on whether they want to spend the money evenly on their roster or spend most of it on one big signing. And one thing they should absolutely do is to not be ashamed to promote their stars. Everyone knows the best players of the world are Messi, Mbappe, Neymar etc. but you still have to promote and endorse your best players. Have pregame shorts/specials detailing how they grew up, what they sacrificed to get to where they are at, interpersonal and team rivalries, and showcase their talent to the viewers.

[@worldymedia]

Yeah the financial regulations are just insane. Makes being a GM much harder than need be.

[@LordMcGuire]

They're trying to be like the NFL instead of copying the Prem or La Liga. Very hard to "Americanize" a European sport, without using some aspects of the European template

[@darkneozio]

It is funny to see how different from the world are american sports and rules. In general, Europe loves to make rules simple and reward consistency ( a league with round-robin format with pro/rel) and US prefer more complex rules but no pro/rel.

[@joshuahd1719]

It's getting better. Games are filling up. But the marketing needs to get better for it to be watched more on TV. Especially with the World Cup on the way. But they need to focus on getting younger hungry players.

[@Jim-nt7xy]

Reason #1 is key. It's only a step up from watching the kids play.

[@FabioRibeiro22]

I watched the rise of J-League in Japan in the 90's, quality matters. They have 2 divisions. Saudi Arabia league most foreigners players have higher quality than MLS foreigners players. Quality players and good TV plan should increase the league profits.

[@napoleondiaz2313]

The franchise and commercial system, football is not like any North American game, it is not so pure, nor does it encourage identity, history, nor delegation and promotions in the different categories of USA Soccer. The MLS is perhaps within the top 50 or 60 of the world leagues ⚽️.

[@worldymedia]

Essentially something that I see as a huge issue is because of the model the best players dont wanna come here. They get screwed and become a pawn of the league. Not a member of the club they are signed for

[@napoleondiaz2313]

@@worldymedia MLS and USA Soccer must figure out how to participate in the Copa Libertadores for about 10 years as Liga MX did, test themselves, feel the contrasts of environment and favorable and adverse conditions, try to improve the game, USA needs to improve, they acquired a lot of picardia cancheo cunning magic, their football is very practical, tactically they are ordered to the script until there no more, and not enough, they lack an extra to transcend, they have the resources and the infrastructure to do it. The implementation of Delegation and Promotion will give it good internal competition and more players will come to nurture the national teams, since the USA is a world power, there would be economic resources for teams from categories less than the MLS to begin to emerge and fight for quotas to promote to the maximum circuit and try to compete with those who are, for me, let the franchises and their selfish fears go away. the Franchise Draw is very insignificant, that's why Seattle lost and only played one game; they lost against a club from Africa with fewer financial resources in the Club World Cup a few days ago.

[@facts2676]

As a European I like the MLS and now I am more interested since they have Messi

[@ernestojohn3225]

New subscriber checking in, the MLS has come a long way, but I agree there’s still work to do. I’m a Galaxy fan and the games are entertaining especially when they play against LAFC.

[@worldymedia]

Thanks for the sub!! And I’ve had a hell of a time at some MLS games. Glad that there are other fans of MLS who recognize that there are still bounds to be made in terms of progress. And over my life, MLS has honestly done some unimaginable progression. I just dont think we should sit and accept what they give us. Asking for more isnt always so bad

[@ernestojohn3225]

@@worldymedia what is the closest MLS team from your town? I see that you’re a Manchester United fan. My Premier League team is Tottenham Hotspur. So far this season it hasn’t been the best, but maybe next season they might get better.

[@worldymedia]

@@ernestojohn3225 its a nearly even split between Dallas and Austin based on drive time. Austin is a much much better experience! And haha thats awesome word on the street is United is trying to get Kane on a transfer also spurs is a good choice. One of the only big 6 i dont hate lol

[@ernestojohn3225]

@@worldymedia major loss for the Spurs if Kane leaves, but it’s understandable if he does leave. He is getting older and wants to add some silverware to his resume. I’ve also heard about Bayern trying to lure him as well. IMO, the PL is the most exciting European league to watch. I used to follow la liga but it got a bit boring seeing Real Madrid and Barcelona battling for the title all the time.

[@davidday2373]

See you at the ROSE BOWL🌹 🏟... or are you part of the boycotting Supporters Groups??

[@hyperrat12]

For me the whole promotion relegation thing just isn't realistic yet because there isn't enough of a want for a second division in the US. And I know we have the USL in all those other divisions underneath the MLS but they just don't generate the attention that any MLS team does. It's like this all over the US with every sport, they all have minor league teams, but those teams rarely generate more than a thousand fans per game, and on top of that their wages are absolutely minuscule. If an MLS team goes down and is paying players anything more than a couple thousand a week, that team is going to go bankrupt and not exist anymore. The league is just simply too young for it right now, just think of 25 years after the first teams in England were formed, it took a long time for other teams to be made to where enough competition could generate interest as well as profits to allow for promotion and relegation

[@bubba842]

Unfortunately, this style of league becomes a victim of its own success. Having a top league that does not have promotion or relegation bleeds money out of other leagues. You monopolise the league, have all the best players in the one league, which takes away any interest from lower leagues. This is why the European Super League was so vehemently opposed. If created it would no doubt suck all the money out of domestic European Leagues and no doubt cause bankruptcies for certain clubs. The MLS is getting bigger and this franchise system will not be able to support more than 40 teams. Fans like local rivalries and identities. The single owner model is destroying any potential creation of an identity in teams. As you said copy and pasting only makes teams feel sterile. Partnering up with the USL and the Canadian Priemier league is a perfect option. Having a 2 or three leagues with promotion and relegation and removing the stranglehold of the franchise system will bring a more grass roots system. Most MLS fans love the European Leagues. Most don't like the normal American sports. They love the European Leagues because of the grass roots passion. That passion is not compatible with a franchise system. The people want a more European and South American style of league. Give them it.

[@donfrossa1432]

MLS should be 16 teams each conference, 30 Regular conference and 4 Inter conference games, the inter conference games should be position matched from last season, Example top 4E 🆚 top 4W, the conference winner should be the team that finished 1st 🥇 in each conference in regular league play, this would make every match very important, the playoffs should be a 16 team 4 groups of 4 UEFA Champions League or World Cup format.

[@worldymedia]

This is an interesting take, ive honestly never though of a format like this. For sure leans into the American model over europe. Which seems worse than it is. Logistics of not splitting it east and west is kinda nuts

[@donfrossa1432]

@@worldymedia Facts, This format is basically a US/European hybrid, regular season games needs to be more important, not just playoff or decision day games, the 4 Inter conference games could be turned into another competition as well during regular season.

[@worldymedia]

@@donfrossa1432 yeah its a lovely refresher to hear another opinion that’s actually trying to think about a creative way to overcome the challenges that are unique to here

[@donfrossa1432]

@@worldymedia thanks man, we will continue to try, hopefully they will listen.

[@ballakick9080]

I this say this for the longest since round 2005 makes a second league call MLS2 keeps 18 teams in MLS and in MLS2 the rest of teams can be in MLS2, and I been saying it don't like Adi do all the kit because the league didn't start out like that, I know why the leageu did that, to make it easier for the invest so they don't have to go out and for kit supplier. awboy ..

[@davidtoscanomedia8899]

They are providing the storytelling through the Apple TV required content, which will only be a good thing

[@worldymedia]

We hope they will, it will be great if they do well. But it is unfortunate that you will be paying close to 20$ a month if you dont already have apple tv

[@eggsII]

They’ve built their league, from a competition perspective, like the NHL.

[@worldymedia]

Good for that live product. Nhl and mls both do a great job there

[@shane9956]

More issues with MLS, awful seats, expensive food and even water, parking or access to facilities, owners don't care about the game, basically its all about profit not to build a beautiful game. Basically MLS wants to trick you to love thier team. This is from someone who loves soccer.

[@shawnevans26]

Not all Americans hate MLS!! I’m an American and I love MLS!! I’m a huge Orlando City Soccer fan!!!

[@worldymedia]

I didn’t say all.. haha i know there are some die hards for sure.

[@javiojeda521]

Pro-Rel won’t work in American professional sports. This is because American pro sports have monopolized the professional sports world so much that if Pro-Rel was implemented it would mean fianacial collapse for many teams that get relegated. Particularly at the lower levels. There just isn’t that same level of infrastructure to support it. However, Pro-Rel could absolutely work in college sports. They have the infrastructure, the fan support/loyalty, etc. And I think there wouldn’t be the same level of financial strife since the colleges back the teams and fans are used to the Cinderella runs of NCAA.

[@nicolaiagger7240]

I randomly stumbled upon your channel, and I’m incredibly surprised by the quality of editing in this video, along with your commentary. Definitely deserves a sub 👍

[@worldymedia]

I appreciate it! Been working to try and just make better quality videos more than anything. Glad you liked it 😁

[@klausbrown1442]

I think it's the quality of the production, it's not up to the standards of the EPL, La Liga, and the rest of the power 5. The commentary is bad, not just for MLS but for soccer in America. The World Cup proved that. Another problem I have is when the radio broadcast is just the TV commentators, there are long pauses without descriptions, because what? They don't know or can't pronounce the players? Can't accurately describe the game, so and so forth.

[@MarioSantos-zx4bj]

They say in Europe only the richest teams win; true, but in the US only the richest teams CAN win, because the poorer teams can't enter the competition. Also I'd you stop watching a club's ( or franchise since it's more for money than for sport) games because they relegated, then you can't call yourself a fan. River Plate fans (one of the big five in Argentina) supported River even when it was relegated in 2011; so saying fans will stop supporting relegated clubs just shows that you aren't real sports fans.

[@worldymedia]

Haha exactly, Ive never understood when people say “if my team gets relegated im not supporting them” thats like toddler level temper tantrum thinking. Its not like the club changed. They just had to face the consequences of being shit haha

[@MarioSantos-zx4bj]

@@worldymedia And then they say tanking isn't bad and rewarding being shit is good, I don't get it. It's like celebrating a participation trophy in the face of the gold medalists

[@Hide_and_Tweak]

the financial structure of the league does not allow for a relegation system because teams have to pay to be in the MLS.

[@JP-xq7fo]

Part of the fun is transfer windows, they need to trim back the Ridiculous and hard to follow financial rules.

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

Couple things here. 1. The US can't be compared to any of the 5 top leagues in Europe because the country is the size of all of Europe to begin with. Travel is in itself a nightmare and having an East/West conference solves this issue outside of tournaments. 2. The USL isn't in a position to be a second tier league. There is no way in hell a team like Inter Miami, with it's stars and stadium would be playing away games at a local community college. The infrastructure needs to be built and those teams need academies. 3. The biggest wedge between the average fan/non-fan and the MLS is national coverage. Period. They don't speak about it on national networks, local sports radios don't even cover the league a lot of the time. To them, it's a new sport. They grew up with the big 4 being the ONLY thing that matters and to them, the rest of the country must feel the same way. There is a lot of buzz in my city who's the 30th expansion team. (SD). Which is already a huge soccer town. I think that with time a lot of USL teams who are in smaller cities will invest in their future with hopes of future pro/rel but US soccer needs to make it clear what this path forward will look like. At some point, the league will have to release ownership rights for this system to work. Until that happens, it's impossible for it to work.

[@joblaaa]

💯 totally agree with everything you’ve said. I’m an MLS season ticket holder and have been saying the same stuff for years. Teams desperately need more autonomy. I fell in love with soccer originally because of the culture and history around the world. It was easy to support my local team when they were introduced but it’s so challenging for the league to attract neutrals and local(traditional) sports fans.

[@worldymedia]

Thats sorta how it seems to me. I go to the odd Austin fc game when i want to make the hike and they are fun. But i dont have a local team so i just stick to the pl mainly

[@davidday2373]

Really, you agree with everything he said??? Having so many teams -- MLS expansion has added to the excitement, the quality, the viewership, and the significance of MLS. So having "too many teams" is not a problem at all. Having no Relegation is a POSITIVE for MLS. We have Playoffs, a much better more competitive system. Pro-Rel in the long-run, promotes a LACK OF PARITY in a league (less competitive). Attracting neutrals and other sports fans will come with the addition of bigger "star" names, see: the arrival of Messi "and friends". Mark my words: after the 2026 World Cup, MLS will grab-up "star" names from North America, like Pulisic, Alphonso Davies, the next Mexican star, etc.

[@josephomundson5234]

Making it so nobody can watch the games is surely going to help!

[@worldymedia]

Yeah as long as they get to fill the stadiums at inflated ticket prices, sell overpriced merch, and generally ruin everything good about theb sport they are happy

[@Embargoman]

They need to promote it in network TV like FOX that on the weekend, they show a game instead showing it on Apple TV.

[@Mikeytheb]

Being from New England I’ve been to a couple Revolution games, it’s always fun and I’m in to it, bought a scarf and all that. Having said that, I’d still rather watch the PL on tv than the MLS

[@worldymedia]

Exactly my feelings toward the league

[@DCThorn6]

After learning that MLS owns all the teams but basically just allow others to run teams and are franchise financial investors. Promotion and Relegation would make it better but they need to fix the financial ownership issues before that could happen anyway.

[@worldymedia]

Yeah its all screwed up

[@gregorybiestek3431]

Relegation will not work in the USA. There are limited fan bases, TV & other media will refuse to provide any coverage and until there is a sufficient culture like that in other parts of the world (perhaps in 20-30 years) implementing relegation would mean the death of the American leagues. At the present, MLS depends entirely on wealthy individuals and media coverage to allow it to exist. If you are a fan from Europe, and you have interest in, say American lacrosse, how do you start a league where only a handful of people care about the sport, hardly any billionaires or millionaires want to fund your teams, and where the local media have no interest in covering your game? Right now, unless the local team is doing well, the local fans do not support it thru bad times which means with relegation a team does not get a chance to be better, it would just fold and within a couple of years the entire league. This has already happened three times already and MLS is so far, thanks to no relegation, been able to survive and grow.

[@chasebance5070]

A yes now we have to pay 100 dollars just to watch the mls now thanks to Apple TV

[@worldymedia]

"BuT tHeY nEeD MoRE MoNEy"

[@davidsevillano2509]

Totally agree with this video. When I do want to watch MLS. First thing is the pitch. I hate there playing on crappy artificial turf. Makes the game look amateur. Second is the uniforms. No style. Everyone looks the same. Monopoly on kits.

[@thomaswright5492]

The Apple situation has irritated me to no end. Seattle Sounder fan!

[@gracielynn9623]

Lionel Messi watched this video and said hold my beer…

[@neastsports1408]

The Problem with MLS which by the way still an MLS Fan. They need to tap into the untapped Markets through Promotion/Relegation allow Midsize U.S. Cities a chance at MLS and also allow 2-3 Teams springing up in Major Cities to beef up Cross City/Crosstowm Rivalries. MLS has lots of potential for Growth but with their Current System they're limited meaning they can only reach a Certain Height or Limit and that's it. Pro/Rel can really expand MLS past those limitations and also help expand U.S. Pro Soccer as a whole because your tapping into every Community and giving them a Chance at the Big Stage.

[@xaviercopeland2789]

Relagation would just mean that those small cities will never get into the big leagues. The bigger cities have all of the best people and many times more money,

[@neastsports1408]

@@xaviercopeland2789 How is that when you have some USL Championship Teams that play better than some MLS Teams?

[@mikexstad1121]

The marketing, jerseys, so many other things. I was a huge fan of MLS, my city even got a team, one promoted from NASL even. I had season tickets for years. Just decided that I don't really care anymore. MLS wants to mirror the NFL, which treats its fans as stupid cattle to eat up everything in front of them. I literally don't care anymore and I was a diehard fan at one point

[@worldymedia]

Yeah man, just follow a usl club if one is nearby. I promise its a better and more in touch experience. If not, try to find npsl or something they can be tons of fun too. But yes. This is why i am more of a fan of the prem. These exact reasons haha

[@hvaldi31]

They need to relax on the designated player rule. It’s ridiculous at this point it exist.

[@davidday2373]

They've added even more TAM and given teams more flexibility to spread the Payroll around.