Comments on: Save Soccer In US ? Henry Doesn’t Have To

By: MLS Preview: Seven Intriguing Subplots: Number 7: Omar Bravo. Will He Succeed? Does It Matter? | The Yanks Are Coming

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:48:08 +0000

[...] as such, a more viable and marketable product. Those are, of course, very positive things—but—as we at TYAC warned after the Henry signing–don’t place the hopes of the league on designated players and former global or regional [...]

By: State of US Soccer Post World Cup: What MLS Could Learn from Bud Selig |

State of US Soccer Post World Cup: What MLS Could Learn from Bud Selig | — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:06:09 +0000

[...] there is work to be done. Signing players like Thierry Henry is certainly part of that process, as I wrote yesterday. Like any developmental process, however, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about it. [...]

By: d

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:59:29 +0000

Well said. What ESPN doesn’t get is that, like the South American leagues, the MLS for now and the foreseeable future is a development league. AND THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. Everyone else in the world who doesn’t live in England, Spain, or Italy roots for their hometown domestic team and then follows what’s going on in the Big Three arbitrarily according to how they see fit. And we’re all cool with that.

By: Neil W. Blackmon

Neil W. Blackmon — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:33:33 +0000

Spot-on Taylor, and my point I think. Although I’ll defend Tony Reali who hosts ATH b/c he does a nice job corralling his guests who know less. And credit Jay Mariotti (hard to even type that) for learning more about the game this summer– he was starting to get it at the end of the tournament.

As for the twilight league stuff– Jason Davis made all these points saliently in his Match Fit USA piece too– but the bottom line is that youth development is the whole point of MLS– that’s why Generation Adidas exists and oh-by-the-way has been a roaring success. Notable young alums lists could take a whole page– but bottom line is MLS is entertaining, I think, and doing just fine.

By: taylor

taylor — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:23:58 +0000

wholeheartedly agree with you. i’m so sick of the “will soccer make it in America?” question. more people watched a US round of 16 game than the NBA Finals Game 7, i don’t hear anyone asking whether basketball has made it in America or not.

and as for the “retirement league” statements, i would say MLS is the opposite in most respects. yes, many over-30 European players do come here to end their careers, but that doesn’t account for the many young players that develop their skill and go on to European leagues and do quite well. MLS has consistently been the breeding ground for young players over the past decade. i know the quality of MLS is a step below the big European leagues, but no one is arguing that it isn’t. we know it’s not as good, but it’s a very young league, and the progress it has made in such a short time is remarkable if you ask me.

Thierry Henry is not going to “save” soccer in America, because there is nothing for him to save. i hope we can get to the point when MLS signs a European star like this and people just accept it for what it is. MLS is becoming a much better league, and with it soccer is elbowing its way into the forefront of American sports. it is growing and will only to continue to grow, i just wonder when these stupid questions will stop being asked by stupid sports analysts who know nothing about soccer(Colin Cowherd, Jim Rome, everyone on Around the Horn, etc. etc. etc.)