MIAMI, FL (Aug 11, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- The Community Shield is referred to as the “curtain raiser” on the English Premiere League season. In fact they use that term so often I wonder if I gotta pay royalties on it.
But it’s also when fans here in the United States start turning their collective heads towards Europe and South America... and away from Major League Soccer. It’s unfortunate, but MLS only really has a few months to capture the attention of those who normally prefer their soccer from other countries. That makes it important for MLS to put its best foot forward between June and mid-August.
This summer has been a significant one for American soccer, no doubt. However, with all that's occurred, it’s this Grown Man’s Opinion that virtually none of it greatly benefited MLS in any way. This is really no fault of the League itself or those working hard to make it work. Summertime is usually MLS's time to shine, but this year that shine was blocked out by too many other things, positive and negative.
While the USA’s exploits garnered headlines, raised eyebrows, and even got SportsCenter anchors to actually take the game seriously for a week or so, I’m not sure it can be argued that MLS benefited a whole lot Although Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) and Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo) both played significant roles, the side was mostly European-based. It doesn't set itself up nicely for an ad campaign on MLS influence.
Oguchi Onyewu and Charlie Davies never spent a minute in Major League Soccer, and they were the big transfers coming out of the Confederations Cup. I’ve already argued that Onyewu’s signing with AC Milan was the 2nd most important event of this summer. Though he had apparently been on Milan’s radar for a long time, his play at the in South Africa that sealed the deal.
Jozy Altidore made it clear he wasn’t going to sit on the bench for another season, recently completing a loan deal with Premiere League side Hull City. MLS influence? Sure, but it's not a direct connect to his time with the Metrostars.
From the MLS contingent, Clark and Donovan both became targets of Livorno, and it ended up being Clark signing a deal to become the third modern US player to sign with a club in Serie A. Big move, without question. But it doesn't happen until the January window and it came at a time when Onyewu was touring the United States as a member of Milan. Even when MLS completes a transfer, as it did with Kenny Cooper’s move to 1860 Munich, it comes with his Dad unleashing a wave motion gun attack on the league’s business practices. Among the gems:
“It's sad when people from other countries see your talent and reward you, and pay you what you're worth”He also blasted MLS’ insistence that Kenny Jr sign over to MLS his 10% of the transfer fee, a point of contention during negotiations with several European teams. This practice is apparently something the League has apparently done with multiple players. “They've got to understand, you don't do business that way,” says Cooper Sr.
“I still have difficulty understanding this league."
“I think that this league at times would rather reward a proven failure than unlimited potential.”
MLS commissioner Don Garber always comes across as a cool character, but you would think he sweated a bit after that information became public. There's never going to be a lot of sympathy for sticking it to players on the way out.
An MLS-loaded version of the US National Team went on a quality run in the Gold Cup that got overshadowed by the final on the League's home turf.
Then there was the slight return of David Beckham. All that surrounded his addition to the '09 Galaxy roster basically canceled itself out. Improved team? Check. Home fans booing the marquee player? Yep. Mainstream attention that veered quickly towards unflattering for MLS? We got that.As a marketing exercise, the League had Beckham's Milan, Barcelona, and the Galacticos of Real Madrid playing MLS clubs. Unfortunately, this was right after a tour unaffiliated with MLS filled a few NFL stadiums with other giants of Europe. Meanwhile, the League's version of the Mid-Summer Classic ended up featuring Everton after rumors earlier in the year linking a couple of mid-tier Spanish clubs.
To repeat a previous point, While it’s been a positive summer for American soccer, it hasn’t been a rousing success for the League. No major international successes, no great showings against visiting European clubs, not even an All-Star win. Shouldn't they have caught a break here? Yet MLS does what it does... just keeps on keeping on trying to build its brand through fits and starts.
A little fortune when the spotlight is on would be nice though, wouldn’t it?
Andrew Dixon is a soccer writer based in Miami and a weekly columnist for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at: golnoir@golnoir.net
