MLS in the CONCACAF Champions League

Discussion in 'Americas' started by agoo, Sep 4, 2008.

  1. agoo

    agoo Member

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    [​IMG]

    CONCACAF has reworked the former Champions Cup into the CONCACAF Champions League. Twenty-four teams start in the competition with 16 in an elimination round joining up with the remaining eight clubs in a group stage.

    In the North American Zone, the United States send four (remember that Toronto FC and Puerto Rico Islanders, which participate in US leagues, are not eligible for these four spots). Mexico sends four. Canada sends one.

    For Central America, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama send two clubs, while Belize and Nicaragua each send one.

    The Caribbean send three teams total between the assorted countries there.

    Of the eight sides already in the group stage, two are from Mexico, two are from the US, and one each come from the Central American countries with two clubs involved.

    Chivas USA and the New England Revolution entered the first elimination round and were promptly eliminated. Chivas USA drew Tauro FC, the second Panamanian team to enter the competition. Tauro won 2-0 in Panama and Chivas could only force a draw. The Revolution, MLS's best team this season, drew Joe Public FC, a team that they should have rolled over. Unfortunately, Nicol dropped his usual 3-5-2 alignment for a 4-4-2 in both legs and the result was awful. After a 2-1 loss on the road, the Revs dropped the home leg 4-0 in front of a sparse Revolution crowd.

    USL sides Montreal Impact and Puerto Rico Islanders both won their knockout stage matches. Montreal beat Real Esteli of Nicaragua 1-0, while Puerto Rico has the upset of the tournament with their 3-2 aggregate win over Alajuelense of Costa Rica.

    So the question is, what does this mean for the MLS and the league's standing within CONCACAF? Clearly, its not good. The MLS needs to do better in these competitions to be taken seriously as a league. While the Revolution did win the SuperLiga (a competition between four Mexican teams and four MLS teams), they were in mid-season form going against Mexican sides in their preseason training.

    The main issues that people are pointing to with the performance of Chivas and the Revs is the lack of money invested in players due to the salary cap and the overly congested schedule these teams are facing which points out the clear lack of depth that the teams are forced to have. Most MLS teams are not even deep enough to get through a 30 match season that the MLS has. These four teams also participated in the SuperLiga, which added three to five matches. Key players Michael Parkhurst of the Revs and Sacha Kljestan of Chivas also played in all three Olympic matches, adding to their already too busy schedules.

    The MLS clubs need to have success in these tournaments and the league needs to make some changes to ensure that. A salary cap is still needed to avoid a repeat of the NASL collapse, but it needs to be adjusted, if only for teams participating in these tournaments. With that, the rosters need to be expanded. For teams to do well in this tournament, the Super Liga, US Open Cup, and the international friendlies that MLS wants, teams need to be able to carry more than 28 players. This change is appropriate with the increasing depth of US talent and increasing involvement of second rate players from South America, Europe, and the recent influx of African prospects. As Charleston showed yesterday, there are definitely Americans outside of MLS who can play in the league.

    The remaining hopes for the MLS are DC United and Houston Dynamo who are automatically in the group stages. Unfortunately for the reputation of the league, they are joined by all four Mexican squads.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 4, 2008
  2. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    Nice job, Agoo. I don't think the league will be a big success, but hopefully it won't do terribly. Anyway, in my honest opinion the Mexican Primera División clubs are still superior to MLS franchises. It shows yet again.

    BTW, I only edited your post to add a logo for the league for show. ;)
     
  3. Claud

    Claud Legendary

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    Yeah Mexican clubs have a lot of South American players too... Lots of Brazilians argentinians, paraguayans etc... That makes them much stronger.
     
  4. CelticKing

    CelticKing The Green Monster

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    Great post agoo.

    A lot of interesting info about the league in that post, and hopefully the US teams continue to improve.
     
  5. agoo

    agoo Member

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    I think the difference in the Mexican sides is in their depth. MLS clubs have the talent to play with any team in CONCACAF. There just aren't enough players available. Keep in mind of the 28, ten are developmental players who don't even get paid a living wage. I know 28 is a big roster, but when ten of those guys are inexperienced rookies who aren't worth a living wage, how deep are you really?
     
  6. M Two One

    M Two One Halló Veröld!

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    Not just depth, not just more foreign flavor, but older and more accomplished. It is going to take time for the MLS franchises to go further.
     

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