Did anyone catch that Real Madrid/MLS game?

[Ron Mexico]

If you're Tivo'ing/taping it for later, just skip this, but if not . . . .

WOW. Remember when the original Dream Team would beat up on Venezuela and Spain in 1992? This was like the futbol equivalent of that. Why did they interrupt the MLS season for this again? To get embarassed?

[Andy]

They were hoping for an improbable American victory so they could sell the rights to Disney for much money.

Bow Wow makes a dramatic turn as Freddy Adu! Whispers of Oscar...

[NJTank]

I didnt know about it but the MLS is a joke, its not a shocked they lose to established teams.

[OMMF]

I didnt know about it but the MLS is a joke

Explain

[NJTank]

I didnt not even know there was n exhibiton between MLS and Real Madrid but I know the MLS is a joke. THey are essentially a minor league comapred to the rest of the world.

[OMMF]

I didnt not even know there was n exhibiton between MLS and Real Madrid but I know the MLS is a joke. THey are essentially a minor league comapred to the rest of the world.

That still doesn't explain why MLS is a joke. If age is the only reason, then isn't everyone younger than you a joke? You're comparing a league that is 10 years old to a team from a league that gave out its first championship in 1929. How is that a rational basis to determine the validity of a league?

[NJTank]

No I mean skill level

[pcgd]

Its getting better. There's talk of stars such as David Beckham and Ronald (2 of the most popular players in the world, not neccesarily the most skilled) coming to the US to finish their careers in the MLS. You can't expect a league to start and become the best league over night. They've been in existance for 10 years now. They've built 5 soccer only stadiums (without public funding!) and more are possibly on the way.

I still don't understand what some people have against soccer. I understand you don't like it. But its not taking anything away from any other sport. The worst thing is you have to look at yellow lines on some football fields.

Of course I continue to put my foot in my mouth about softball...

[Ron Mexico]

True, this was essentially an exhibition team playing against an established team that actually plays together full-time. And MLS is getting better. Of course they're small time compared to the rest of the world, but what do you expect? America isn't at the world's level on futbol and may not be for a couple decades.

[pcgd]

Yeah, until we win a World Cup we will always be second tier. I don't think they are expecting it (the players) but I don't think they want to accept anything less than winning it.

[DEAD!]

Did anyone notice that an MLS all-star team beat Fulham a few weeks ago, an English Premier League team? Sure Fulham is NOT Real Madrid, but it's a good result for MLS nonetheless. MLS does have quality and surely the US National team has benefited from the league. Is the MLS the preferred destination for soccer players for all over? Probably not, but it is being taken seriously by other leagues in Europe to the point that they want some of these players, which should be seen as a compliment to MLS.

[Breakwood]

Thats the problem that MLS has, people allways will say its not the best league in the world at that sport and because of it, there wont be the viewership or attendance it deserves. Yes it isnt the best soccer league but you can make an argument that it is one of the top 15 leagues in the world, and for a 10 year old league that isnt bad.

I urge everybody to at least watch a game of MLS or USL for that matter, its very entertaining, even though the announcers suck ass. I'd rather watch MLS over Serie A one of the top 3 leagues in the world anyday.

[Herk]

The MLS is better than many americans might think. The MLS is on par with many leagues in europe. Not only did the MLS all-stars crush Fulham but the Columbus Crew even beat Fulham. The Columbus game proved that a US team could be competitive against mid-level teams in the world's best soccer leagues.

[Ron Mexico]

The MLS is better than many americans might think. The MLS is on par with many leagues in europe. Not only did the MLS all-stars crush Fulham but the Columbus Crew even beat Fulham. The Columbus game proved that a US team could be competitive against mid-level teams in the world's best soccer leagues.

How many leagues? Where would you say MLS ranks among the rest of the world's leagues?

[Breakwood]

The MLS is better than many americans might think. The MLS is on par with many leagues in europe. Not only did the MLS all-stars crush Fulham but the Columbus Crew even beat Fulham. The Columbus game proved that a US team could be competitive against mid-level teams in the world's best soccer leagues.

How many leagues? Where would you say MLS ranks among the rest of the world's leagues?

I would put MLS at the same level as the Scottish Premier League.

[-kj]

The whole "MLS isn't the best in the world so I'm not going to pay it much mind" is a self-fulfulling prophecy perpetuated by people who don't want to give soccer a chance. So, people shouldn't go to MLS games because it's not up there with the best leagues in the world--leagues that have up to a century's head start on MLS. But, without people supporting MLS, MLS will never be able to raise its profile, therefore keeping it on a lower world-wide profile.

Y'know what? If you don't like soccer, fine. But get over it. A lot of this people play and watch soccer, and it's not going to just go away, no matter how much you want it to go back into the shadows.

This Nike commercial is fantastic, by the way. It's odd in a sense, it's not a commercial plugging a specific product line, there aren't Nike products splattered all over it. It's almost as if Nike made a commercial just trying to promote the game. Nike may be evil, but they seem to do rather cool things like this with their advertising on a semi-regular basis.

Oh, and pcgd: I see what you're trying to say, but I submit that the US national team winning the World Cup won't cause MLS to suddenly become big-time. It may raise the profile a bit of soccer, as it may give the general populace a chance to flag-wave about something, but I don't know how much effect that will have on them supporting the domestic league.

[-kj]

I would put MLS at the same level as the Scottish Premier League.

Many people have put the MLS teams in the range of the English Championship (second division, below the Prem) or English League 1 (third division). That's not horrible, really, and leaps beyond where they were when MLS stated.

[gosioux76]

I used to be one of those guys that had no interest in soccer.

Then I went to Europe on my honeymoon -- In Athens the day Greece wins the Euro Cup last year, no less.

As a result, I'm now a huge fan. And it's largely because of the way fans relate to the sport over there. Everybody was wearing replica soccer jerseys where I went, with names on the back I'd never heard of.

It made me realize that the rest of the world is fixated on a sport that isn't the NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL.

So I decided to start my education the Premiership and I'm learning the game for the first time. It's also caused me to pay more attention to the MLS, which is getting a stronger reputation internationally if what I read in English football magazines is to be believed.

I only relate this story to show that this is a game in which becoming a fan isn't hard if you try.

[Swiss]

Now, South Americans are having Washington playing in their "Copa Sudamericana" (it's a Cup of second range behind the Libertadores Cup that is the maximum club competition).

With that, the MLS are advancing in some level.

[Bleujayone]

Real Madrid 5 MSL All-Stars 0

Okay, not a close game but not the worst thumping either. It could just as easily be a baseball or hockey score and it wouldn't exactly be considered a slaughter.

Not to make excuses but Real Madrid is one of the most talent heavy soccer teams in the world. The equivilant to the New York Yankees of the last decade.

I mean really, did anyone think the US would suddenly have a the world's best teams in a fraction of the time it took the rest of the world? Especially when one considers that the best athletes in this country are tied up playing many of the other sports available profesional or otherwise, its going to take time to become a dominating force in the sport as a whole. Even if they had managed to beat Real Madrid, it certainly wouldn't have proven they are the better league, only the better team for that match. David can beat Goliath sometimes, but not today.

If nothing else the game was a good yardstick to show how far the league has come, and how much further it still has yet to go.