In this week's MLS Roundtable, four of VAVEL USA's greatest soccer minds take a microscope to the league, answering 5 burning questions that have been on everybody's mind!
Will Bradley Wright Phillips Break The MLS Record For Goals In A Season? Why Or Why Not?
Patrick Chaves: Of course he will. Bradley Wright Phillips has had critics out in full force since he joined the league. First, Red Bull fans were devastated they didn't sign his brother. (Seriously, check the comments). Next, everyone believed his productivity only had to do with being next to Thierry Henry. However, if you take out Henry's assists, BWP still has scored enough goals on his own to be 3rd in the Golden Boot race. Nobody expected BWP to surpass Red Bull legend Juan Pablo Angel's club record of 19 goals. But he did. And nobody expects BWP to surpass the MLS record of 27. But he will. He is only 7 away from tying, 8 away from setting the new record, and he has 10 games left. Add on top of the fact that this is when the Red Bulls need it most, and BWP will set a record that will stand the test of time for quite awhile. And you can bet on that.
Matthew Evans: This is a good question, I think that Bradley Wright-Phillips will break the MLS record for goals in a season. BWP has been a goal-scoring machine this season and especially with the Red Bulls still fighting for a playoff spot, they will continue to throw out their strongest side in MLS Play.
Liam McMahon: Wright-Phillips is only eight goals from breaking the single-season scoring record with ten games left, and given the pace he's been scoring at it isn't out of the realm of possibility that he could break the record. But when you look at the teams New York still has to play, I don't think it'll happen. They have to play DC United twice, Sporting KC, Columbus Crew, Toronto FC, Seattle, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. None of those are easy games. In fact, they're tough games. All of those games are against good teams competing for playoff spots, and three are rivalry games. That is a ridiculously difficult run-in. They will also play Montreal and Houston, but they play enough really difficult games that I don't think he'll score eight more goals.
Tyler Fisher: Bradley Wright Phillips will not break the goal scoring record in MLS. He will come close, but may just miss it by one goal. With the remaining schedule New York Red Bulls has, they have competitive teams in Sporting Kansas City, DC United, and Seattle Sounders. There could be draws coming out of those games where he may score one goal or none. Don't get me wrong, the constant two goals per-game performance isn't intriguing, but I see him having trouble down the road as the season comes to a close.
What Do You Make Of Erick Cubo Torres' Call-Up To The Mexican National Team? Will he Return To MLS in 2015?
Chaves: Erick Torres' call-up to El Tri is a huge deal for MLS. It shows that MLS is a league that players can use to further their careers and with him being called up makes MLS a more intriguing option to players on the fence about joining. As for Cubo returning, he is on loan and Chivas Guadalajara may be relegated. Either he will leave for more money somewhere else in the world or he will be helping Guadalajara to make their way back up to Liga MX.
Evans: The call-up of Erick Torres to the Mexican National Team is huge for him. He will now be able to show whether or not he can be a productive goalscorer on the International level. If he performs well for Mexico, then no I do not see him returning to Major League Soccer in 2015.
McMahon: I think that Erick Torres' call-up to El Tri is a big deal for MLS, not to mention a big deal for him personally. There are very few MLS players who get call-ups for El Tri, so I think this is a real validation that our league is continuing to grow more competitive. I think the only sad thing is that he isn't a Homegrown Player and is only on loan. I think it is nearly a done deal that he won't be back in MLS next year. He's on the books of Chivas Guadalajara and is only here on loan to their MLS team, and given the Mexican side's stance that they'll only play Mexicans, if he's gotten a cap for El Tri he'll be playing for them next season. It'll be a shame for Chivas USA to lose him, because he's been their best player all year.
Fisher: I think Erik Torres getting called up to Mexico's national team is a dream. He has the talent, skill, and agility to become a Mexican international regular like Giovani Dos Santos, Javier Hernandez, etc. Will we see him back in MLS next year? Possibly. All depends on what will happen and who all will [possibly] make transfer offers for him in the next transfer window. Could he be on loan? Could he make a permanent move? Nobody can predict the future of this young product. He's good, he's quick, he's aware of his surroundings and his maneuverability with the ball is excellent. So, yes it's a good thing being called up to the Mexican national team, and it's hard to tell whether or not he will be back in MLS next year.
Does The Single Entity Structure Of MLS Need To Be Abolished For USSF Club Soccer To Grow? Does It Need A System Of Promotion And Relegation? Why Or Why Not?
Chaves: As my friend Matthew says below, the single-entity structure of MLS will go in time. But right now the league is only 19 years old. Regardless of all the things that Don Garber does that MLS fans think he could do better, he is the only person who has been able to make Soccer in the United States succeed. As for Promotion and Relegation, MLS fans need to use their brains. There are zero investors in the MLS who will be interested in investing in a team that they know can be relegated. With relegation comes a massive loss in fanbase and money. No investors will be interested in that, and none of the owners of MLS clubs will ever go for it either. If you are an MLS fan and you want promotion and relegation you are going to be disapointed, because it will never happen. End of story.
Evans: In time, the single-entity structure of MLS will need to go but it is going just fine for right now. Promotion and Relegation will come eventually but it is not on Major League Soccer for it not being an option right now. The lack of promotion and relegation at the current time is due to a lack of support for lower-level soccer in America. What needs to happen is MLS, NASL and the United Soccer Leagues need to come together and figure out a way to make a three-tier system work. That is the first step. The second step is a complete system overhaul. The single-entity structure would have to go and it would be on the ownership of each franchise to make their money. Finally, the other problem that faces the idea of promotion and relegation is that casual American fans don't understand it. It is a foreign idea and we Americans don't take too kindly to other people telling us what to do or how to do it. P & R is a great system, rewarding the teams who perform well and punishing teams that perform poorly. Will we see it, I'd like to think eventually, yes but I am very pessimistic that it will ever occur.
McMahon: The single entity structure needs to go. I think it really had a place in the early days of the league to make sure as many teams as possible stayed afloat, and when we were really close as a league to folding it was crucial. But now, we're in a place where MLS is more popular than the NHL and an ESPN poll this year said that in the 12-19 year old demographic MLS is more popular than MLB. We don't need the single entity structure to stay afloat anymore, and if we're going to prosper more as a league we need to abolish it. And I think certainly we need relegation/promotion in US Soccer. But I don't think we're ready for it yet. I worry that because we've never had that culture in this country, once a team that already struggles a bit for attendance is relegated, no one will show up. Will that put them into bad financial straights? Will they then close up shop? To get an expansion team, the fee is $70 million. These owners are paying $70 million for an MLS team, not a team that will be NASL next season. We need some sort of parachute package if we're going to institute rel/pro so that investors don't feel they're getting cheated out of money and so teams don't go bankrupt just because they're relegated. We've seen similar instances in other countries. Leeds United comes to mind for me right away. In the early 2000s, they were a top four club in the Premier League every season and playing in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Then, they missed out on the Champions League, lost their best players because they didn't have the money to pay them, got relegated, and almost went bankrupt. While that's certainly an extreme case, we don't want that happening to an American team. I think we're 5-10 years from being ready for rel/pro. We need it because it puts real emphasis on the need to improve quickly, but the fanbase isn't ready for it yet. I also don't think that 19 teams is enough for it. Once we've reached the commissioner's goal of 24 teams, we may be ready but I think we also need more teams at the USL and NASL level if we are to try it. All professional tiers of soccer in this country need to be ready for it. It will happen someday, but not today ortomorrow.
Fisher: No, the MLS structure does not need to go away. We're currently ranked 7th in popular leagues in the world. We're growing. With expansion teams, and many players wanting to play over here in the states, we are on the rise to becoming a big league name like English Premiere League, Serie A, Ligue 1, etc. And with the whole promotion/relegation system, I think it's a no. Yes, having other teams come up in the league would be a nice way to draw more attention, but there's so many other leagues below that it'll be a hassle to put in order, and having other commissioners agree to implementing having that system work.
A New Expansion Team In Atlanta And A Team To Be Placed In Minneapolis Will Play In NFL Stadiums. Should MLS Teams Be Moving To Play In NFL Stadiums Or Stay In Soccer Specific Stadiums?
Chaves: MLS teams should first and foremost be looking to have their own Soccer Specific Stadiums. However, it is not out of the question that MLS teams play in an NFL stadium so long as this stadium is specifically created to MLS' needs as well. A good example is what is going on in Atlanta. A new Atlanta franchise is coming to MLS in 2017 owned by the owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. The owner of the Falcons, Arthur Blanc, is having a new stadium created that can fit both the needs of the Falcons and the new expansion franchise. Arthur Blanc has promised there will NEVER be an MLS game in his stadium with American Football lines and that is a huge deal. As long as the owner is committed to his MLS franchise it doesn't really matter as long as the stadium can accomodate soccer properly and make it look good instead of being second to American Football.
Evans: Yes. Playing in NFL Stadiums is a good thing especially if our soccer franchises are cooperating with the NFL franchises in the business aspects of the team. The NFL is the most popular sport in the United States and that will not change any time soon, by partnering with the league, the benefits to Major League Soccer could be bountiful. Whether a team plays in an NFL stadium or a soccer-specific stadium all comes down to the local market and demand for the product. We've seen the positives and negatives in sharing NFL stadiums but the league is at a point now where it can share stadiums and still draw good numbers.
McMahon: MLS teams should be playing in MLS stadiums. It's as simple as that. From a fan's perspective, nothing is more disheartening than seeing tens of thousands of empty seats in an NFL stadium that's been "converted" for MLS play. Which really just means they're not selling seats in the upper deck and have put tarps over the seats. While we know that not every seat in Gillette Stadium is going to be sold, it's disheartening to see more than 50,000 empty seats in a massive arena. If you're able to sell it out on a regular basis, i.e. Seattle and Vancouver, it is ok. But I want to see our teams in their own stadiums, not borrowing an NFL stadium.
Fisher: The real question is, how does Roger Goodell feel about this? Other than that, I think they should stick to playing in soccer specific stadiums. I can totally understand if they can't afford one just yet, as they are joining the league in the next year or so. But it seems as [in my opinion] most NFL teams use hard turf. With Atlanta to be specific, I heard rumors of the Falcons getting a whole new stadium, and the old stadium will belong to the Atlanta soccer team coming next year. Nothing is confirmed, but it's the word on the street.
Where Is MLS As A League Right Now And Can MLS Get To Where It Needs To Be With The Way Things Are Run Currently?
Chaves: The main issue with MLS currently is the transparency (or lack thereof) of their rules. The MLS needs to be more transparent with how things are run before anybody will take them seriously. But other than that, MLS is right where it needs to be. Things are incredibly bright for the future of MLS and American Soccer and in less than 30 years time the MLS will be the second most popular sports league in the United States. Give it another 50 years or so and you won't be hearing the term "foot fairies" anymore.
Evans: Major League Soccer needs to be more clear about the rules before it can grow in a top league in the World. Right now all of the weighted lotteries and double secret blind draws are just too comical to allow the league to be taken seriously on a world stage.
McMahon: I think right now we're certainly one of the top eight leagues in the world. But we're far away from the top five. I think the first thing we need to do is win the CONCACAF Champions League. We need to firstly assert ourselves as far and away the best league in our own continent. We've long had an offer from CONMEBOL to participate in the Copa Libertadores, and after we've won the CCL we should move on to that. However, in terms of things the league can easily control that don't include knockout competitions, I think we need to steer ourselves in the direction of relegation/promotion, we need to get rid of the allocation process, and we should increase the salary cap. It's currently at $3.1 million. I say we up it to $6 million. The current maximum salary is $387,500. Up the max to $500,000 and add a designated player. One reason we are not yet top to bottom on par or ahead of Liga MX is because their players are better paid. Our top 1% of players are so well paid that the average salary in MLS in higher than that of Liga MX, but our gap between the 1% and everyone else is super wide. We need to pay our players more money.
Fisher: The MLS as a league is at a stage where we are up and coming. Not many people pay attention to the league. But if we keep improving on bringing new teams, and making partnerships (i.e New York City FC and Manchester City FC) we could be amongst the top 5 favorite leagues in the world, just beating out Eredivisie, the top tier Dutch league in the Netherlands. Not to mention, we also have big names like Andrea Pirlo PROBABLY, (emphasis on PROBABLY) making a move to MLS. It's really making me upset how people are saying MLS is a retirement league. It's not. It's just a league who is in the middle of making a transformation. A huge one at that.
That's it for this week! Thanks for joining us. If you enjoyed please make sure to come back next Thursday for our next edition of VAVEL USA's MLS Roundtable.