The MLS Needs its Best to Perform… NOW!
The American sport culture is built on the underdog. The team that even if you don’t watch sports, you have an innate devotion to. The 1980 US Men’s Hockey Team, the 1983 NC State men’s basketball team, or the 2007 colorado Rockies are all examples of why we love sports. We want to see that team that comes from seemingly nowhere to challenge the “Big Bad Brother.” Think of the earliest stories we hear, nursery rhymes like Little Red Riding Hood or the 3 Little Pigs, or even the story of the Little Tugboat that Could. Our society is founded on the triumph of the affable underdog. The unfortunate part of this is that we fail to recognize when we must forgo our child-like admiration and realize sometimes the “Big Bad Wolf” is needed and thus supported.
Major League Soccer consists of an overabundance of convoluted, above average talent; just last season Real Salt Lake won the Lamar Hunt Trophy (MLS Cup) with a losing regular season record. While a great story, it is exactly what the MLS does not need. Soccer in this country is already perceived outside (and inside in some cases) the US as a lower-tier product somewhere in the neighborhood of MLB AA or the NBA D-League. No doubt it is gaining credibility as former stars gain foothold in European lineups (i.e. Stuart Holden) but it is far from where it needs to be.
Why is the English Premier League so thrilling? Because every year their perceived best win (for the most part). You can always expect Chelsea and Manchester United battling it out for tops or you know which 4-6 team will be leading the table. Their best perform and traditionally succeed. Of course they have the occasional rise of an unforeseen team but normally there’s a reason why the term “The Big Four” has its maxim. This goes for Serie A (Italian league), the Bundesliga (German), and the Spanish Primera. Their best win and most cases handily.
Parody is great but you need an established league. I love the phrase “on any given Sunday.” The belief on any day you win is what sport is made of. But before you can have parody you must have truth; in this case truth meaning teams you know are going to be at the top year after year after year until it makes you cringe how much they win. You need a clarified upper echelon to the league. The MLS has shown it has no clearly defined top. This year 3 out of the 4 lower seeds came out victorious in the first round. Since the league’s inception in 1996 only 30% of Supporters Shield winners (given to the best record in the regular season) have gone on to win the championship. With its most recent version, the 2009 Columbus Crew, losing in the first round [As of writing this article the 2010 Galaxy lost in the Conference finals after winning the Shield].
Soccer in the US is buzzing at an all time high (worse than a South African World Cup match). The US may have underachieved by some expert standards (and my own) but nonetheless was successful in rallying the troops. I still get chills when I see Donovan’s goal against Algeria (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V83pv2tiLY&feature=related) and by the looks of the other fans I would say it was the one of the greatest moments in US Soccer History.
Brand new MLS franchises like Philadelphia and Seattle are becoming business-savvy soccer franchises and the MLS continues to expand with new franchises in Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal. Life for the MLS is at its best since its ’96 inception. However, the last thing the MLS needs right now is for its best not to win.
The LA Galaxy represent all the attributes we ask for in the “Big Bad Wolf” aspect. First they reside in a city that already perceives itself as better than the masses. Second they are owned by multimedia mogul AEG. And lastly they carry the best and most expensive talent in the league; contrary to the blue-collar nature of most Americans. With arguably the league’s top two well-known stars in Landon Donovan and David Beckham, this team is built to take its place as the undeniable force of the MLS. Do I want them to win? No. Do we and the MLS need them to win? Yes. With the perception of the MLS being lower-tier, the most devastating event to happen would be for the league’s “Golden-boy” and “Superstar” to lose.
Answer me this, if the league’s best team keeps losing to inferior talent (and yes it is much inferior), what does say about our “best?” American soccer needs to show the world its best take care of business and are our best for a reason. When we refer to our best we know what we are talking about. Our best, whom could play in Europe, choose to stay home not because they can’t cut it but because they know what winning will mean. To our culture, when our best win its shows we know how to build franchises properly, with consistency; that we know how to develop home-grown talent. When our best lose it makes the entire league look overestimated. I can hear someone cheeky chap in the pub speaking with me saying “Your National Team players can’t even beat a bunch of hacks!”
Now I don’t mean to say Colorado, FC Dallas, or San Jose are sub-par but definitely not carrying the the Galaxy’s talent. Stars like Donovan/Beckham, an aging professional like Eddie Lewis, or a potential National Team player like Omar Gonzalez (not to mention Edson Buddle). Losing in a year when the MLS has its most eyes watching in a long-time would be a detriment and major setback to the league’s public perception.
The LA Galaxy needs to take the championship by the throat and not let go. For all our sakes.
***Editors Note: The LA Galaxy lost to the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS Conference Championship. The 2010 MLS proceeded to have the lowest rating ever for an MLS Cup***
