Major League Soccer Talk - Latest Comments in Fixing Superliga

Re: Fixing Superliga

Jim — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:52:31 -0000

I think it's funny when people, mainly Mexican team fans or non-MLS American soccer fans, say "well go play them in Mexico and THEN it's a real tournament." You don't think Soccer United Marketing, the FMF, and MLS thought of that? Athletico Madrid's tour of Mexico barely brought out fans south of the border, you think a midweek matchup between Santos Laguna and the Revs is going to bring in the crowds? Sorry Charlie, not gonna happen and if the Mexican players and clubs won't own to it up publicly they know it's true regardless. I like this tournament a lot (and I did before my Revs won it) but it is a money-making venture for MLS, SUM, and the FMF teams. Is Chivas original flavor really "on the road" when they're in DC and half the stadium is on their side? The Mexican teams are here to connect with their fans in this country, MLS is trying to show them they can also support it's teams, and both organizations want to (and are) making a nice chunk of change from this. Playing this tournament in Mexico would be more "fair" in some people's eyes but in the eyes of the accountants and officials it's monetary death.

Re: Fixing Superliga

Max — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:03:50 -0000

I like the tournament and would hate to see it die, but yesterday's show of solidarity by the Houston and NE players after the match is sure to have major ramifications going forward.

Re: Fixing Superliga

Ian — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:53:41 -0000

Good post with some great ideas.

Re: Fixing Superliga

MLS Fan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:29:14 -0000

Great ideas. I fully agree that some spreading out of the games would be good - and then add home/away matches.

It is great to see two MLS teams in the final - but they all got to play home games. Certainly the final would look much different if all the games had been in Mexico...

Re: Fixing Superliga

Lee — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:26:37 -0000

1. One of the biggest criticisms of the tournament is fixture congestion. Adding more games (due to home & away) isn't going to help.

2. Agree. Also giving the FMF input onto securing referees wouldn't be a bad idea.

3. If Chivas didn't know the rules until right before their last match, they have no one to blame but themselves. The problem was clearly they assumed what the rules were, without actually taking the time to verify them nor communicate them to the players & coaches.

4. No. What makes this so attractive of a tournament is that its the regions two most powerful leagues going head to head. No one in Mexico or the USA gives a fark about the occasional Hondouran team. Thats what the Champions League will be for.

5. I don't know Spanish, so I don't know what the commentators are saying. But a little national pride doesn't hurt things, although I do wish there were English broadcasts (at least in the markets without Telefutura) to help balance things.

Overall I love SuperLiga. It provides the most compelling football that MLS clubs encounter at least until the MLS Cup playoffs (which in my opinion is in more need of an overhaul than SuperLiga).
As for the pay structure, the only reason its an issue this year (where were the howls from the players last year?) is because the players union is heading into its next CBA negotiations, plain & simple.

Thanks for the article!
Lee

Re: Fixing Superliga

Ian — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:00:50 -0000

Good post but honestly the tournament is now becoming too much in the way of violence and fighting. It needs to go away.