USSoccerPlayers' Graig Carbino looks at the SuperLiga as an opportunity for four Major League Soccer clubs to make a significant statement in their own market.
ALBANY, NY (July 11, 2008) USSoccerPlayers -- It’s that special time of the year that all of us working folk truly enjoy. The week or two surrounding the 4th of July is precisely what we have saved all of our precious time off for. It is an opportunity to get away from the mundane routine that consumes so much of our daily lives.
Some of you may have held a party at your place to celebrate the short stint away from all the phone calls and office space. Maybe you just relaxed in the backyard by yourself and caught up on some reading. Me, I went to the beach and just soaked in the utter satisfaction that comes with being away from my email for more than one hour at a time.
On the complete opposite end of the holiday spectrum is Major League Soccer. MLS and its teams have continued to plow through the steamy summer months without skipping a beat. As my colleague Andrew Dixon pointed out yesterday, MLS teams will be involved in league play, the US Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League and SuperLiga before the season concludes.
He mentioned the SuperLiga as a good opportunity for a team from the US to finally win an international tournament. DC United, Chivas USA and the New England Revolution are all playing fairly well at the moment with only the Houston Dynamo dragging down the current form rankings.
Dixon is right. When the SuperLiga kicks off Saturday, it really should bring with it a great chance for a team from Major League Soccer to take an international scalp. Besides, we all love a little USA vs. Mexico action, more than enough reason to watch and really get into this event. After all, if you're fan of any of those four MLS clubs, you won't be seeing them play a League game for four weeks.
Beyond the obvious rivalry between the two countries that make up the tournament field is the fact that, like last years inaugural event, the SuperLiga will once again play all of its games at US venues. In fact, DC United will play all of their initial group stage games in the friendly (if not decaying) confines of RFK Stadium. The same goes for Chivas USA who will play two games at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA and one at Titan Stadium in Fullerton.
Both Houston and New England will play two homes games in the group stage against Mexican competition before traveling to DC and California respectively for their final first round matches. The fact that American teams do not have to travel to Mexico for the second consecutive year of this event should present a nice advantage when it comes to progressing deep into the competition.
As we all are well aware at this point, international games in the United States do not always guarantee pro American crowds. In fact, when US teams play foreign opponents their fans are typically outnumbered by large quantities. That has been drilled into our heads more times than I care to think about, but the “home field advantage” extends farther then just the support in the stands.
Discrediting the advantage that comes with not having to undertake significant travel and being able to sleep in your own bed would be a mistake. Look at last year’s tournament results if you require evidence.
Three out of the four MLS teams in the field survived their initial group games to reach the semifinals. In Group A, the LA Galaxy earned the top spot with two wins and one loss, while the Houston Dynamo controlled Group B with two wins and a draw. DC United finished second to the Dynamo on four points to reach the knockout stage, with FC Dallas the exception by finishing last in Group A with two draws and one loss.
Again, playing at home does not guarantee success, but it should at least help. Pachuca won the 2007 tournament in Los Angeles against the Galaxy. It took penalties to finish off the job after Chris Klein’s outrageous 93rd minute bicycle equalizer. Playing at the HDC did not ultimately catapult LA to the tournament championship, but you have to believe that they had a better chance of winning the final at home than they would have at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca.
Winning MLS Cup is the ultimate goal for any team competing in Major League Soccer. Unfortunately, competitions like the US Open Cup and SuperLiga are sometimes forced to take a back seat when it comes to line-up selections and player availability for their games. When an international tournament is being played right in your backyard though don’t you have an obligation to do whatever you can to win the darn thing?
Personally, I have had enough of the “squad is too thin to compete” complaints. Sure, it isn’t easy to win games when you field players with less then substantial salaries (and skills). Here is the solution: field your best team and go for it.
Squad selection is a balancing act for sure, but I am not yet convinced that it cannot be done in a winning fashion. Hopefully the 2008 version of the SuperLiga will finally make this point for me. If MLS teams do not begin to win some international competitions, especially those being played in the United States and designed by the League's marketing arm, what is the point of even entering the field at all?
Graig Carbino writes a weekly column for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at graiger11@yahoo.com
