Is There A Major League Soccer Hierarchy?

             Is Major League Soccer developing a Barclay's Premier League vibe?  I say this only in the relation to developing a few powerful clubs.  In the Premier League, over many years and financial influx there developed a set of powerful teams. These teams now being; Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.  These teams have the deepest pockets and invoke the most power on the league.  It is almost guaranteed that one of these teams will win the league every year.  Major League Soccer and it's "soccer socialism" structure seems that a system like that could not happen, however, I feel that certain aspects of the system lend itself to the development of a hierarchy.  The designated player rule in Major League Soccer allows a club to have three players that do not count against the salary cap.  This allows a team to bring in big name players on their dime.  The owners that have the cash to do it will shell out millions.  When it comes to big time players coming to America they always tend to want to play in only two cities.  The statement always is, "I want to play in Los Angeles or New York City."  This gives these teams a certain advantage over landing worldwide talent.  In a way, the league has developed powerful teams.  These, of course, being the LA Galaxy and Red Bull New York.

There recently has been a development where the Montreal Impact can lure top talent to their club.  Another team with power will definitely be Seattle Sounders FC.  They can  lure 40,000 people to each of their home games. They can also draw designated players in due to this fact. The league is also finalizing a deal to build a downtown stadium in New York City.  I believe that that team will also be immediately thrust into the designated player hierarchy.  These big money clubs have developed considerable power in Major League Soccer.  Now, I know this system is not at all what has developed in England.  I believe that they are unique, but the fact is each league has a few powerful clubs.  The hierarchy structure development in America has not translated into a plethora of championships.  Only one of the mentioned clubs has ever won the MLS Cup.  Obviously, a great soccer team depends on more than three players. That is very satisfying to know that this environmental and money advantage has not created a league monopoly.  I hope that the league never develops a four or five team race. 

The Carolina Question

           Major League Soccer is one of the fastest growing leagues in the world today.  With this increased growth and revenue, it is obvious that numerous cities and owners are interested in expansion.  I have covered numerous options on this blog before.  The most recent development has scene an unmentioned market jump into the fray.  This market being the Carolinas.  Major League Soccer has sent a probe down in the past few months to test the atmosphere.  According to reports, MLS was welcomed by hundreds of fans that are hungry for a pro franchise.  There are numerous questions that have to be answered.  Where would an expansion team be placed in the Carolinas?  This a unique question.  If there were to be a team do you put it in North or South Carolina?  Do you place the team in one city or a region between many cities?  The Carolina region already has four professional soccer franchises.  That is right, four. The Carolina Railhawks, Charleston Battery, Wilmington Hammerheads and Charlotte Eagles all call the region home.  I don't think that South Carolina has enough populace to sustain major league sports.  This being why no other league has ventured here.  It is a shame because Charleston Battery is a great soccer brand.  Battery is the longest running professional soccer franchise in America.  The probe that came in focused on the Carolina Railhawks.

This team is the Triangle region of North Carolina, the most populous region of all the Carolinas.  This, to me, would seem like the most logical place to put a team.  It not only has the most people, it also has key MLS demographics.  The ownership group of the Railhawks are also very motivated to someday reach Major League Soccer.  I have no idea if the Carolina region will be viable enough to support an MLS team.  The population is right and the ownership is right.  There are numerous things to be addressed.  The new MLS team would have to decide if they will rebrand or keep a current team brand.  They also will need to address stadium issues.  If the stadium is not placed in the right location in the Triangle, it may lead to a major league disaster. The south has failed to support numerous professional franchises.  This thought always looms over the region when it comes to expansion.

Cristiano Ronaldo to Major League Soccer?

That's right, Cristiano Ronaldo to Major League Soccer.  This idea was the occasional pipe dream of many soccer fans here in the United States until recently.  During the recent Real Madrid preseason tour of America, CR7 did an interview in which he hinted at coming to MLS one day.  Now, this speculation has to be taken with a grain of salt.  I watched the interview and it was quite hard to tell if he wasn't merely flirting with the girl performing the interview.  He did, however, seem to have future MLS aspirations.  This move would be the biggest to ever happen to Major League Soccer.  It would make the David Beckham move look like a complete joke.  Comparing Ronaldo and Beckham on the field is not fair.  Beckham was world class, but Ronaldo's skill level far exceeds that of Beckham.



There are numerous similarities to the two players.  Both are international sex symbols.  Both are very image conscious and both are entrepreneurs.  I know many of the guys who follow soccer love CR7 for his sheer skill.  I also know girls who don't follow soccer but love CR7 for other reasons.  All of this combined lends itself to this move actually working in the future.  The trend now is for world class talent to come to our shores towards the end of their career.  I don't see Ronaldo making the move until he is basically accomplished everything he wants to in Europe.  He plays for arguably the best club in the world and has quite a paycheck.  I can see him coming over later in his career and getting paid an absurd amount of money.  If he plays his cards right he will be able to set himself up with potential ownership opportunities, a la Beckham, or he will increase his global marketability tenfold.  This will be hard to do for someone with 13 million Twitter followers, and who possibly is the most recognized athlete on the planet.  The big question is, "Where will Ronaldo play in MLS?" Unless the league's landscape has vastly changed by the time he decides to come over, the obvious choices are either LA Galaxy or Red Bull New York.  I have no idea where he will choose, if he ever does.

The Return of the New York York Cosmos

                 The soccer world has been rocked by the return of the New York Cosmos. The fabled franchise has return from the depths to become a pro team once again.  The catch is that this New York Cosmos team is not playing at the highest level.  They instead have chosen to join the North American Soccer League.  I am not knocking the Cosmos rejoining the league they once dominated, I am very surprised that they chose this route.  The Cosmos ownership had been preaching that they will be a world club again.  I find this hard to believe considering they have chosen to join the American second division.  The Cosmos have been marketing their product ever since the team folded in the 80's. They have hired Eric Cantona and Cobi Jones to increase their soccer reputability, as well as, buy skyscraper sized billboards in the heart of New York City. 

MLS commissioner Don Garber has pretty much paved the way for a second New York City franchise and the presumption was that the New York Cosmos was going to be that team.  He even stated that the league was looking into building a stadium first.The Cosmos ownership are marketing wizards. They have been making money of merchandising for years without even having a real team.  It would be amazing for Major League Soccer to have a team with that kind of marketability.  A national brand that the league really has yet to find. It is just surprising to me to learn that the team would start from the second tier.  Now, this doesn't mean that the Cosmos will not be back in the first tier eventually.  Numerous teams, most recently the Montreal Impact, have made the jump to MLS.  I believe that this would be amazing for  MLS to have two teams in the biggest city in the United States.  It will also be an instant rivalry with the big money of Red Bull New York.