Why It's Time To Take MLS Seriously! | Explained

In our latest Euro Football Daily Explained we are taking a trip to North America to explore the remarkable rise of Major League Soccer. A division on the brink of collapse at the start of the 21st century, the MLS has finally seized it’s opportunity to grow Soccer in the states. When the 2022 season kicks off this February there will be 29 franchises taking part, while record match attendances, viewing figures and seismic activity in the transfer market points to a division only going from strength to strength. The recent capture of $16m Thiago Almada out of Argentina defined the MLS’ growing status as a major player on the international stage.

But how has the Major League got to this point? We explore how David Beckham helped soccer explode in America, and see how the current social media landscape has helped keep it on a path to success. And we look at the measures the MLS has taken to start it’s transition away from a ‘buyers league’ to one producing and acquiring some of the best talent in the game!

The MLS is only getting better, and this is the story of how they have achieved that!

► FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:

► FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:

This is Euro Football Daily - the home of European football on YouTube. On this channel you'll find Continental Club, Top 10s, Scout Reports, Euro Transfer Talk, Stat Wars, The Football Pyramid and much more. If you love European football as much as us then don't forget to subscribe!

[The_Antagonist]

Im American but my parents are Mexican and they never watched mls because they thought it was an interior league. I took them to a sounders game and my dad was amazed by the crowd and how intense the game was. He now watches the league regularly and is a lafc fan. If people give the league a chance they will be amazed of how far this league has come.

[lahsport]

This is a very detailed unbiased video of the MLS. Usually Europeans talk only about Inter Miami and David Beckham. But you guys did your research and see that MLS could become one of the top leagues in the world! Good video

[James-opvx]

Developing young players is the best thing that is happening in MLS, they go to Europe and in the future they will return to the league naturally with age.

[erikjansen]

One reason why I think the MLS will grow and strengthen over time is the youth. I see more kids playing organized soccer in the park than organized American Football. That being said, youth baseball and basketball in my area are still very strong.

[lazerhornet]

Really good video, shows how fast the MLS is moving into being a main sport in the US

[jusskitten]

I’ve been an LA Galaxy fan since the league started in ‘96. David Beckham’s impact on LA Galaxy and the league have been monumental indeed. Hence why he has a statue outside of our stadium. There will ALWAYS be love for David Beckham, Robbie “Keano” Keane, Landon Donovan and even Zlatan for adding to the legend of my LAG’s.

Btw, Phuk LAFC (Chitvas USA 2.0) and the Smurfs (San Jose Earthquakes)!

[KME-jjzy]

Thank you for this video, we don’t normally get a whole lot of coverage like this of our leagues state side! The change is real and Don Garber, our commissioner like you mentioned, has been a big part in it with roster rule changes. The Beckham deal was huge for the Designated Player rule, and as we’ve become more of a stabilized league now it’s evolved new rules to help turn us into more of a selling league as well. The young designated player rule (same dp rule but for u23 talents incentivized by lower financial obligations owed by the club) was recently introduced: this is your Facundo Torres, Thiago Almada, Ezequiel Barco, etc. who are looking for that stepping stone opportunity to larger leagues. We’ve also recently implemented a u22 rule where teams that have 2 of the 3 DP spots filled or less can add up to 3 u22 talent that has struggled in their current sides for playtime or whatever it may be and become a development league for those sorts of talents. Clubs with 3 DPs are able to buy 1 u22 initiative player they’re called.

My club for example, the Seattle Sounders, has 3 DPs: Peruvian Raúl Ruidíaz, Uruguayan Nicolas Lodeiro, and Slovakian Albert Rusnák. We are able to sign 1 u22 initiative player, and did last summer. We were looking to originally sign Palmeiras’ Wesley who just competed against Chelsea and featured prominently in the club World Cup. Our club is a lot more stingy with its money than Atlanta who you saw break the transfer record for Almada this window, so we got priced out by Palmeiras and instead went with another Brazilian winger, Léo Chú from Gremio. You can also use what’s called allocation money to buy down the contracts of players from designated players to a normal senior roster player. This is what we just did with Brazilian midfielder João Paulo, so that we could bring in this window and pay Albert Rusnák a designated player salary and stay within the roster rules of the league!

[maxc]

Happy to see MLS getting the credit they deserve. Just because its called soccer doesn't mean it ain't a good league

[joblaaa]

Probably my biggest criticism of MLS coverage outside of the US is the lack of attention given to sides that aren’t LA Galaxy or NYCFC - there are better sides right now. In general though it’s been incredible to see the growth and explosion of a sport that I love here in my country. We didn’t even have a team when I started taking an interest in football and now my local team is flying. We read about European clubs being founded over 100 years ago and their beginnings - we’re living through that here in the States. Another popular criticism from fans here is that we would like clubs to have more autonomy - MLS is structured in an “American way” with teams as franchises so presumably it doesn’t end up like the NASL. I think it would be cool to see clubs break away from this more and get to make more decisions independently from the league (for example teams don’t get to make kit deals - everyone has to use adidas). There’s an ongoing explosion of talent coming through - many clubs have established academies now its resulting in actual talent - the infrastructure is there now.

[Shock_Mike_Hawke]

Brenden Aaronson is good example for a talented player from MLS to play in Europe

[memolestas]

The next step for the MLS would be to start playing in the Conmebol competitions together with the Liga MX. It would be interesting to see more rivals for the MLS teams than just the mexicans; imagine LAFC or Philadelphia Union playing against teams like Boca Juniors, Sao Paulo, Peñarol, Atletico Nacional, Nacional (From Uruguay) and many others.

[brendanobrien]

I usually watch Premier and casually MLS, but starting next year I’ll be following both closely. Come on STL CITY!

[randisallah]

Am I the only one who hears " the late Claudio Reyna", he's not dead?!?!?!?

[hsjws]

Am an old head from the NASL days, so seeing MLS succeed has been especially cool. Been a fan since it started, and while it's not the EPL or LA Liga in its quality, it has gotten better year after year, also the atmospheres in places like Austin, LAFC, Seattle or Portland make the matches entertaining as Hell!!

[fmita_]

I think the fact that Daryl Dike was able to go from the MLS to Barnsley on loan in the Championship and play very well, arguably their best player in his time there, shows how far the MLS has come in the past decade

[dinandb]

Who also watches this after the goat moved to Miami?

[Carlos]

Ten years ago, I never thought the MLS would be where it's at. MLS future is bright.

[bdavidson]

Really great stuff! I'm a Kansas City supporter, the new stadium is not so new anymore!..actually opened in 2011, I was there for the first match! Cheers, thanks for posting!

[Nitehawkmk]

Great to see a proper short documentary on MLS usually it is only the big guns mentioned and of course Miami United due to belonging to David Beckham

[TechnicolorMammoth]

Holy crap. This was so extremely cathartic. Knowing this stuff as euros plugged their ears and went on about their football and how shitty MLS was. You just learn to take it on the cheek and keep working to build the sport up. The ignorant never do listen, but screw ‘em lol. Thank y’all! I even learned some new things I never knew and the captured footage is awesome! Definitely have a new sub.