MLS Thread: 2019 Edition

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

MLS will keep adding as long as the checks clear. $$$$$$$

 

[Rhodes 81]

I feel like now would be a good time to stop adding and start allowing teams to focus on improving their overall quality by spending more on players but maybe I'm just crazy.

 

[Pouchkine]

Very well said.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Sweet, bout time we got a team.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Yea I doubt St Louis getting a team would block Sacramento from getting one. If they don’t get one MLS was never really interested to begin with.

It wasn't that long ago that the league pretty much made it clear that it was down to St. Louis and Sacramento, but the next team that gets added would be the other city.

 

[David Dennison]

So when do we get to 30 teams?

2023-2024 probably if 28/29 are 2021-2022. Phoenix the favorite right now?

 

[JMCx4]

Nice to see the MLS could overlook the dumpster fire that is City of St. Louis politics and focus their expansion decision on a majority-female ownership group with piles of cash in hand.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Why would they add another team in California? Put one in Phoenix in you need another Western conference one. To me Texas with Austin coming should be tapped out and California should be with Sacramento not getting a team. I don't see any reason why any state should have even 3 teams let alone 4. Most stadiums are 20k, you don't need to be in the most populated states to fill a stadium. All this expansion is just watering down the league even more.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Why would they add another team in California? Put one in Phoenix in you need another Western conference one. To me Texas with Austin coming should be tapped out and California should be with Sacramento not getting a team. I don't see any reason why any state should have even 3 teams let alone 4. Most stadiums are 20k, you don't need to be in the most populated states to fill a stadium. All this expansion is just watering down the league even more.

You do realize the concept of state is arbitrary right?

 

[Pouchkine]

Why would they add another team in California? Put one in Phoenix in you need another Western conference one. To me Texas with Austin coming should be tapped out and California should be with Sacramento not getting a team. I don't see any reason why any state should have even 3 teams let alone 4. Most stadiums are 20k, you don't need to be in the most populated states to fill a stadium. All this expansion is just watering down the league even more.

Yeah why does the EPL only have 20 teams? Explain this to me the richest league in the world knows that 20 teams is enough to protect the quality and MLS wants to expand non stop even doing so with teams who have no soccer stadiums and no real grass. This year I've seen to many mediocre games in front of empty stadiums and fake grass.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Yeah why does the EPL only have 20 teams? Explain this to me the richest league in the world knows that 20 teams is enough to protect the quality and MLS wants to expand non stop even doing so with teams who have no soccer stadiums and no real grass. This year I've seen to many mediocre games in front of empty stadiums and fake grass.

Because England basically has the population of California and Pennsylvania. The United States can support a bigger league, it's just about getting to a point where South American players view it as a more advantageous route towards Europe. No reason the MLS can't act as a feeder league to Europe. Should be able to pay more than the South American leagues and can offer a higher quality of life.

If Europe created a Super League with land mass and population comparable to the US, there would be much more than 20 teams.

 

[Gecklund]

Why would they add another team in California? Put one in Phoenix in you need another Western conference one. To me Texas with Austin coming should be tapped out and California should be with Sacramento not getting a team. I don't see any reason why any state should have even 3 teams let alone 4. Most stadiums are 20k, you don't need to be in the most populated states to fill a stadium. All this expansion is just watering down the league even more.

Why does it matter about state? In Sac everyone goes to Sac Republic games not Earthquakes.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Why does it matter about state? In Sac everyone goes to Sac Republic games not Earthquakes.

Yeah, it's more about the cities. Ohio has 2 teams, Missouri more or less will have 2 teams.

 

[Terry Yake]

STL, Sacramento, Phoenix, and i'd say Vegas would be after them. that'd put them at 31 teams

damn, i remember when MLS was 10-12 teams who played in massive football stadiums with fans only sitting in the lower bowls. crazy how much the league has grown

 

[Fro]

Yeah why does the EPL only have 20 teams? Explain this to me the richest league in the world knows that 20 teams is enough to protect the quality and MLS wants to expand non stop even doing so with teams who have no soccer stadiums and no real grass. This year I've seen to many mediocre games in front of empty stadiums and fake grass.

I would say they have more, since the championship, league 1, league 2 etc are all eligible for the EPL

USL etc are not eligible for MLS

 

[Gecklund]

I would say they have more, since the championship, league 1, league 2 etc are all eligible for the EPL

USL etc are not eligible for MLS

I think eventually there will be relegation/promotion. Just need to make the league more attractive.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I think eventually there will be relegation/promotion. Just need to make the league more attractive.

None of the owners would agree to it.

 

[Viqsi]

I would say they have more, since the championship, league 1, league 2 etc are all eligible for the EPL

USL etc are not eligible for MLS

There's only 20 at any given time, and they're the ones getting the moneys, so I wouldn't say they have more. I suppose one could try including those teams presently receiving parachute payments if one wanted to be really picky, but I don't really know that system all that well (yes, I'm one of those American soccer fans that doesn't see the appeal of pro/rel; maybe it has something to do with following another Have/Have Not oriented league in the form of NCAA football).

 

[bleedblue1223]

There's only 20 at any given time, and they're the ones getting the moneys, so I wouldn't say they have more. I suppose one could try including those teams presently receiving parachute payments if one wanted to be really picky, but I don't really know that system all that well (yes, I'm one of those American soccer fans that doesn't see the appeal of pro/rel; maybe it has something to do with following another Have/Have Not oriented league in the form of NCAA football).

Pro/rel is good for the more neutral fans and then fans of clubs that wouldn't make the top 20/30 clubs that would be in the top tier permanently. I'm not sure why the owners or players would ever want that in a CBA negotiation, it wouldn't benefit either party, and definitely hurts the owners.

 

[Fro]

I think eventually there will be relegation/promotion. Just need to make the league more attractive.

Agree there...I have long said MLS will get to 40 and do pro/rel themselves then continue bleeding USL teams in until there are 3 tiers

 

[Terry Yake]

I think eventually there will be relegation/promotion. Just need to make the league more attractive.

there is zero chance there will ever be relegation in MLS

 

[Gecklund]

there is zero chance there will ever be relegation in MLS

Zero chance seems extreme. None of us know for sure.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Zero chance seems extreme. None of us know for sure.

You would be asking the MLS owners to accept the possibility of losing a ton of money. I don't even know why the players would advocate it either. It only benefits people not associated with the MLS.

It's the same issue with NFL players wanting to get rid of the Franchise Tag without giving up anything in return. There is no incentive for the owners to do it, and in this case, no incentive for the players either.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Relegation isn't realistic in North America. That said, there's no reason MLS shouldn't have stopped at 24 and there's no reason they shouldn't stop at 28 except that they think they need to have as many teams as the NHL and NBA. Focusing on allowing the teams that have established themselves and allowing them to spend and improve their quality would go a lot further towards becoming a better league than more expansion.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Agree there...I have long said MLS will get to 40 and do pro/rel themselves then continue bleeding USL teams in until there are 3 tiers

Yeah the only way I see it happening in MLS if they expand to something crazy like 40+ teams but even then I won’t get my hopes up because “MLS2” will still appear minor league and too much risk for these owners

I do see pro/rel coming to the USL though in the relative near future once the lower levels get established