North American Pro Soccer 2015

[The Giant Pacific Octopus]

^ it seems to me they don't know what their fan base is. Are they trying to appeal to Europeans or North Americans? Is the NYCFC the Europeans team while the Red Bulls are the North Americans team? It just seems that they are trying too hard to appeal to people that don't seem to care about North American soccer. Do Europeans really follow these N.A teams or are they just trying to pander to them?

"He look at us, we are the "Real" or the "Sporting" or the "United" or the "football club". We are European! Now come to Atlanta Georgia or Salt lake City Utah and watch us play".

The impression I get is that they are trying too hard to be something their not. And as a result it just seems to me anyway that this league doesn't have an identity.

Granted what do I know, I don't follow this sport. I have never watched a single MLS game in my life and had to look the name of the teams up on the Wikipedia for God sakes.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Thanks for the hot MLS take from 2010. People who do watch the league have moved on. And the product has improved too.

[sportzfan]

It's just a style they want nothing more. And a name like NYCFC makes them seem to be more on par with the big European clubs than New England Revolution that sound like an arena football team. Just some teams want to brand themselves more inline with the sport by having more European style of name, and others try to brand themselves in the way an American team is named instead.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I kind of like the random MLS names. It's fun how similar and different they are. I think RSL is perhaps too forced for its own good, but their logo and colors look nice and I've moved on.

MLS is doing fine. There are new TV deals. Teams are winning over star (though admittedly older) European players who still have more to give to top flight European clubs. The USMNT hasn't collapsed even though a lot of its players have returned home. The MLS academies seem to be working.

MLS might never be a true competitor to the EPL or (top three teams of) La Liga or Serie A, but that's true for most other leagues as well. As a domestic soccer league, it's pretty good, improving every year, and attracting better talent. It's all good stuff.

[IceCap]

2. Why are teams called "Football" clubs when they play in Major League SOCCER? And why is Orlando called SC when everyone else uses the FC moniker?

The word "soccer" originated as shorthand for the term "association football," which is the "full" name of the sport commonly known as football/soccer. So the word "soccer," in many ways, implies the word "football." Which is how I justify North American teams using the "FC" moniker.

The only two European-style names I take issue with are Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City. The former because "Real" only really means anything if the club has a tie to the Spanish monarchy. The latter because "sporting club" implies more then one club. I could get behind "Sporting Kansas City" as the name of the MLS team if there were a "Sporting Kansas City" lacrosse team or a "Sporting Kansas City" Arena Football team. Or anything else really.

Everyone else? All the FCs, SCs, Uniteds, and Dynamo? I'm fine with it all. The variety is nice.

[Gothamite]

Granted what do I know, I don't follow this sport. I have never watched a single MLS game in my life and had to look the name of the teams up on the Wikipedia for God sakes.

This would indicate that perhaps you're not the best person to make sweeping pronouncements on the wisdom of their branding strategy or how they don't know their own target audience.

[2001mark]

What MLS needs is “must-watch” matches during the regular season.

Agreed. Though they probably already do & I'm simply unaware.

They need something like a weekly national game that isn't buried on a wkend afternoon against every single other summer sport - MLB, PGA, NASCAR, etc. Like a Monday Night MLS though I don't think they play Mondays.

[crashcarson15]

2. Why are teams called "Football" clubs when they play in Major League SOCCER? And why is Orlando called SC when everyone else uses the FC moniker?

The word "soccer" originated as shorthand for the term "association football," which is the "full" name of the sport commonly known as football/soccer. So the word "soccer," in many ways, implies the word "football." Which is how I justify North American teams using the "FC" moniker.

The only two European-style names I take issue with are Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City. The former because "Real" only really means anything if the club has a tie to the Spanish monarchy. The latter because "sporting club" implies more then one club. I could get behind "Sporting Kansas City" as the name of the MLS team if there were a "Sporting Kansas City" lacrosse team or a "Sporting Kansas City" Arena Football team. Or anything else really.

Everyone else? All the FCs, SCs, Uniteds, and Dynamo? I'm fine with it all. The variety is nice.

To be pedantic, I think Sporting Club has some sort of an affiliation with a rugby club in KC, plus their various affiliate groups and leagues. I’m pretty okay with it, all things considered.

Real Salt Lake is silly and stupid in so many ways, but that ship sailed a long, long time ago.

Everything else though, I’m generally happy with. It’s uniquely American to have a league with the Timbers and a few Uniteds, a couple Citys and a Galaxy.

Granted, the league’s three best names all reside in the same part of the country, but that’s neither here nor there.

[crashcarson15]

What MLS needs is “must-watch” matches during the regular season.

Agreed. Though they probably already do & I'm simply unaware.

They need something like a weekly national game that isn't buried on a wkend afternoon against every single other summer sport - MLB, PGA, NASCAR, etc. Like a Monday Night MLS though I don't think they play Mondays.

MLS has nationally-televised games Friday nights (on Univisión), as well as two on Sundays (ESPN/2, FS1) each week during the season.

The issue is that there are very few MLS games that are inherently interesting — and most of those are simply anything approaching “must-watch” because they’re rivalries and you watch them more than because it’s two great teams. NYCFC/RBNY is interesting, Timbers/Sounders is interesting, even LA/SJ is interesting when they play in front of 50k. But not really because of the product on the field.

I mean, just think back to the end of last season, with the Galaxy and Sounders playing an effective play-off for the Supporters’ Shield. The league will never have a more-marketable regular-season game than that one; Dempsey against Donovan, the two trendy/hip/whatever teams in the league.

And, even as a big soccer guy, it still didn’t feel like I had to watch it. I caught some of it, but didn’t plan my day around it. I think it may have been a Saturday, so I watched some college football instead.

MLS needs four or five teams that function like the Top 6 in the Premier League do for draws; if they’re playing each other, you’re tuning in. If the Sounders, Galaxy, NYCFC, etc., can get there, it’s going to be a good thing for the league.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I watch Friday night MLS games on UniMas if I'm home. It helps that they start at 4 so it's almost half over when I get home.

I don't have FS1, and Fox tends to get the better option on Sundays, or at least it feels that way to me.

A Saturday or Sunday game on ABC would be nice.

I don't know if MLS needs more important games or more games on TV. I think the general problem is that people tend to be fans of their specific MLS team rather than of the league as a whole. Perhaps if ESPN did more horse race coverage of Supporters Shield or playoff standings through the season, people might invest a little more.

[ICTknight]

2. Why are teams called "Football" clubs when they play in Major League SOCCER? And why is Orlando called SC when everyone else uses the FC moniker?

The word "soccer" originated as shorthand for the term "association football," which is the "full" name of the sport commonly known as football/soccer. So the word "soccer," in many ways, implies the word "football." Which is how I justify North American teams using the "FC" moniker.

The only two European-style names I take issue with are Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City. The former because "Real" only really means anything if the club has a tie to the Spanish monarchy. The latter because "sporting club" implies more then one club. I could get behind "Sporting Kansas City" as the name of the MLS team if there were a "Sporting Kansas City" lacrosse team or a "Sporting Kansas City" Arena Football team. Or anything else really.

Everyone else? All the FCs, SCs, Uniteds, and Dynamo? I'm fine with it all. The variety is nice.

To be pedantic, I think Sporting Club has some sort of an affiliation with a rugby club in KC, plus their various affiliate groups and leagues. I’m pretty okay with it, all things considered.

Real Salt Lake is silly and stupid in so many ways, but that ship sailed a long, long time ago.

Everything else though, I’m generally happy with. It’s uniquely American to have a league with the Timbers and a few Uniteds, a couple Citys and a Galaxy.

Granted, the league’s three best names all reside in the same part of the country, but that’s neither here nor there.

http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2011/05/affiliation-announced-kc-blues-rugby

It is really just a partnership. Although I think for the Sporting part to work the rugby team would have to be called Sporting Kansas City as well. And I would love to see the Sporting identity with an arena football team.

[mattb6]

2. Why are teams called "Football" clubs when they play in Major League SOCCER? And why is Orlando called SC when everyone else uses the FC moniker?

The word "soccer" originated as shorthand for the term "association football," which is the "full" name of the sport commonly known as football/soccer. So the word "soccer," in many ways, implies the word "football." Which is how I justify North American teams using the "FC" moniker.

The only two European-style names I take issue with are Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City. The former because "Real" only really means anything if the club has a tie to the Spanish monarchy. The latter because "sporting club" implies more then one club. I could get behind "Sporting Kansas City" as the name of the MLS team if there were a "Sporting Kansas City" lacrosse team or a "Sporting Kansas City" Arena Football team. Or anything else really.

Everyone else? All the FCs, SCs, Uniteds, and Dynamo? I'm fine with it all. The variety is nice.

I know that Dynamo for Houston refers to electricity but I will always associate it with the European Dyanamos that deal with the Soviet Union. I know it's a case of a word with two different meanings, but I really like the name. It's a European style-name, while also being an American-style name (not like Columbus Crew SC which just adds 'SC' to the end).

[-kj]

MLS needs four or five teams that function like the Top 6 in the Premier League do for draws; if they’re playing each other, you’re tuning in. If the Sounders, Galaxy, NYCFC, etc., can get there, it’s going to be a good thing for the league.

So in order to have a more compelling league, you need to ensure that only a few teams will be able to win it each year?

[mattb6]

MLS needs four or five teams that function like the Top 6 in the Premier League do for draws; if they’re playing each other, you’re tuning in. If the Sounders, Galaxy, NYCFC, etc., can get there, it’s going to be a good thing for the league.

So in order to have a more compelling league, you need to ensure that only a few teams will be able to win it each year?

I agree, I believe a league to be a lot more compelling when teams 2-9 are currently with 5 points of each other nearly 20 games in (Eastern Conferene right now), than one with the top 3 teams 10 points ahead of the rest.

[4_tattoos]

Possibly a dumb question. So I know MLS has 3 Canadian clubs, but do the provinces & other major Canadian cities without an MLS club have televised access to MLS (or even a rooting interest for a particular club)? Is it like in the US with regional sports networks?

I'm going to assume people in Hamilton and/or Ottawa, Ontartio would be able to watch Toronto FC on tv. Same scenario for Quebec City and Montreal Impact. But what about the others? Who do they have access to? Who do they root for?

Hope this makes sense...

[crashcarson15]

MLS needs four or five teams that function like the Top 6 in the Premier League do for draws; if they’re playing each other, you’re tuning in. If the Sounders, Galaxy, NYCFC, etc., can get there, it’s going to be a good thing for the league.

So in order to have a more compelling league, you need to ensure that only a few teams will be able to win it each year?

Yes.

A league that has 15 teams capable of winning the title is not a good thing.

[-kj]

That seems rather ridiculous. (Especially coming from an Indy fan. )

[Breakwood]

Possibly a dumb question. So I know MLS has 3 Canadian clubs, but do the provinces & other major Canadian cities without an MLS club have televised access to MLS (or even a rooting interest for a particular club)? Is it like in the US with regional sports networks?

I'm going to assume people in Hamilton and/or Ottawa, Ontartio would be able to watch Toronto FC on tv. Same scenario for Quebec City and Montreal Impact. But what about the others? Who do they have access to? Who do they root for?

Hope this makes sense...

The vast majority of MLS games involving Canadian teams are broadcast nationwide. I have a sports package with my cable subscription and I can watch every single TFC and Vancouver game and probably all but 5 Montreal games. Those 5 being on TVA Sports 2, where as I only have TVA Sports 1.

[pcgd]

That seems rather ridiculous. (Especially coming from an Indy fan. )

Hey now, If the season ended today we'd be in the playoffs!

[pcgd]

So for some reason tomorrow MLS and the 2 NY teams have floats in the USWNT parade. The SkyBlues and Women's league have floats too and that seems a little more ok but it all still seems inappropriate to me.

Am I missing a established thing where parades have other teams in them? Do the Patriots have a float in the Red Sox parade?