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Impressed by MLS

Posted By: John May
Date: 25 Aug 01, 2:16 am

In Response To: MLS draws (Editor)

John, I wouldn't take MLS too lightly. The US development regime is beginning to bear fruit. Even Lothar Mattheus had some complimentary things to say about MLS once he got his duff off the French Riviera and into a uniform last year. And you can certainly ask Hristo Stoitchkov in Chicago about kids like Beasley and Wolff.

I did not mean to criticize the quality of play in the MLS. The games I've seen were exciting and impressive.
However, in the UK premiership teams buy in the cream of the world's elite players from the Americas, continental Europe and Africa. You effectively have a series of world elevens competing against each other who would trounce any international side. Talent still seems to be homegrown in the US.
Another more basic problem seems to be that elsewhere soccer is a proletarian activity-it enjoys massive grassroots support. It seems to be a middle-class activity in the states-no bad thing in itself but it means a smaller talent pool to draw from.


It should also be noted that there is a cultural difference here that leads to a different brand of soccer. Mattheus noted this last year in interviews with the German press. He criticized American players for an incessant desire to attack, rather than being patient. But he also admitted that much of this is due to a rather different ethic here, in which a failure to move aggresively is seen as a sign of laziness and a dilettantish attitude. In any sport. And I do think this results in more scoring as well. Teams here just don't have the same ability to pull into a shell with a lead that you see in more advanced leagues.

Ah-that is an angle. Proper understanding of the value of defensive formations gives a team a significant edge. It allowed London's Arsenal team to dominate our domestic competitions for over a decade despite mediocre individual performers. Look for an imported European manager who imports our brand of characteristically dull & negative "entertainment".

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Messages In This Thread

MLS picks -- docriver -- 23 Aug 01, 7:51 pm
Words for the unwary -- John May -- 24 Aug 01, 2:54 pm
MLS draws -- docriver -- 24 Aug 01, 4:43 pm
MLS draws -- Editor -- 24 Aug 01, 9:39 pm
Impressed by MLS -- John May -- 25 Aug 01, 2:16 am
add Miami -- docriver -- 25 Aug 01, 11:32 am

 

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