Major League Soccer Talk - Latest Comments in MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Ian — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:20:01 -0000

NJ maybe it was from me on Big Soccer?

I'm tired of MLS making its own rules. It's time FIFA stepped in.

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

NJ — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:18:41 -0000

I've heard this somewhere before, and I don't recall where. It may even have been from you Kartik, but is the FMF and MLS ultimate goal to have a club system that crosses borders. They both already travel alot, whats another hour or two in the air. In that scenario, you get the US $'s and the Mexican talent. I dont' know how you decide what teams participate and how promotion and relegation would work, but could that be the long term plan for the FMF and Sum????

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Ian — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:12:52 -0000

The ties are worrying and not proper in football.

I can understand the desire for MLS to survive in a climate hostile to football, but FIFA must have something to say about this. It is inproper for two domestic leagues to have such a close association with one another independent of the governing confederation, in this case CONCACAF.

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Liverpool John — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:32:58 -0000

Superliga is a sham. No question about it. When a Champions League exists the idea of having a tournament that is around simply to make money for two entities: MLS and the Mexican Federation should be viewed as a tournament outside the rules or setup of FIFA. Both leagues should be sanctioned for creating and participating in the event. I understand it was made for TV, so that MLS and Mexico could take TVC money away from CONCACAF. The whole Superliga fiasco is all you need to know about MLS' business practices.

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

J Harris — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:52:43 -0000

SUM is really a scummy operation.

AEG and MLS HQ essentially runs it and as Football Detective mentioned it is more or less competiting with MLS even though the money goes to MLS.

The operation itself is shady with some people representing themselves as SUM and MLS or as one or the other.

I don't care for this whole thing. Thank you for bringing further light to the situation.

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Peter C — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:33:03 -0000

Just head over to SUM's website, www.sumworld.com and you'll see the web of affiliations including:
MLS, USSF, Gold Cup, InterLiga, SuperLiga, Mexican National Team, Chivas de Guadalajara and the new Barcelona deal.
Speaks also to what owners buy into when they pay their franchise fee to join MLS, as they are buying a piece of SUM(as far as I can tell).
Makes it difficult to separate an MLS club making money and its owner making money.

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Football Detective — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:17:52 -0000

Lee - you're off base - USA is becoming a soccer country in that there is a market for high profile games. Just ask Chelsea, Barcelona, Mexican clubs and national team.

The point here is that the saturation of better and more well-known teams is limiting MLS and the USA national team.

But if MLS' investors make good money from these other friendlies (better even than their own league games) what is their motivation for improving the product?

It is a massive conflict of interest.

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Joe — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:45:40 -0000

You've written some absoulte rubbish on this site and your other sites lately but this is a fantastic piece. Absolutely fantastic.

Many of my friends and myself have wondered what this relationship is all about. Why does MLS play right through international breaks while setting up these sham tournaments with the Mexican League? Why does the FMF use interliga to determine Copa spots and not the league table? Why is Mexico constantly playing matches in the US? Why do Mexican league teams spend all their off season in the US?

The whole thing makes sesne now. I guess all these factors I was aware off but had never put them all together into one puzzle.

Oh and by the way it does hurt the US Team big time from an exposure standpoint. Probably from a playing standpoint too as your other article mentions.

Re: MLS and the Mexican Federation: A Beautiful Friendship

Lee — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:26:37 -0000

I am not sure how having the Mexican NT play games in the US is hurting the US NT... Clue me in.
I mean its not as if Mexico stops, suddenly those fans will flock to the US games, its been well documented that they will not.
While I find it humbling a foreign team gets better support than our nations own, the fact of the matter is we're simply not a soccer country. And won't be in any of our lifeteimes.

Oh not to mention, especially in this day & age, sports is business. MLS & SUM have a more pressing issue than international dates to worry about right now: staying afloat. If that means an MLS kickoff time that that conflicts with a NT kickoff time, well thats business baby.

-Lee