# Soccer: MLS vs. Top-Tier European Leagues, Is The Quality Of Play Significantly Different? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 11, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641 "2018-02-11T18:51:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/61 "2018-02-15T16:02:14Z")
Or play up the fight with New York Blue because we started in the same year. I don’t think this has been mentioned, but the MLS All-Star team usually faces an EPL team and barely fairs decent against them. This is the best of our best versus a single team that, lets be honest, probably isn’t even trying that hard. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/62 "2018-02-15T17:16:17Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Or play up the fight with New York Blue because we started in the same year. > > I don’t think this has been mentioned, but the MLS All-Star team usually faces an EPL team and barely fairs decent against them. This is the best of our best versus a single team that, lets be honest, probably isn’t even trying that hard. If you think results in an exhibition game actually matter, MLS far far exceeds expectations in the MLS All-Star game. 7-2-4 (W-D-L) against ManU, Bayern, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Roma, etc is a phenomenal record for a team that doesn’t practice together. Of course the games mean nothing because they’re exhibitions, but if you were going to say they mattered then they reflect highly on MLS rather than poorly. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/63 "2018-02-15T17:24:58Z")
> [@gregorio](#): > > Just a nit to pick. Three teams in Canada. Yes, I know, but Vancouver isn’t as big as Toronto or Montreal to qualify as a ‘major market’. Toronto is the 7th largest metro area in North America and Montreal is 19th. Vancouver is 31st, with about the same metro population as Portland. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/64 "2018-02-15T17:35:49Z")
Ah, fair enough. I’m surprised Vancouver is that low. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/65 "2018-02-15T21:19:56Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > If you think results in an exhibition game actually matter, MLS far far exceeds expectations in the MLS All-Star game. 7-2-4 (W-D-L) against ManU, Bayern, Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Roma, etc is a phenomenal record for a team that doesn’t practice together. > > Of course the games mean nothing because they’re exhibitions, but if you were going to say they mattered then they reflect highly on MLS rather than poorly. Yeah, it’s essentially proving my point. We throw the best we have at them, they probably aren’t even trying, and we only barely have a winning record against them. Granted it’s with players who’ve never practiced together against a TEAM, but even with practice how much better would they really be? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/66 "2018-02-15T21:36:21Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > they probably aren’t even trying I’m sorry, but isn’t that bad sportsmanship in the extreme? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/67 "2018-02-15T21:46:47Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I’m sorry, but isn’t that bad sportsmanship in the extreme? Have you ever watched the NFL Pro Bowl? ---
**Author:** ![g8rguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@g8rguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/g8rguy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/68 "2018-02-15T23:49:18Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Yeah, it’s essentially proving my point. We throw the best we have at them, they probably aren’t even trying, and we only barely have a winning record against them. Granted it’s with players who’ve never practiced together against a TEAM, but even with practice how much better would they really be? Not that the results of these exhibitions are remotely meaningful, but suppose we take them seriously. I would argue that 7-2-4 over 13 games is a very respectable record: It projects to 67 points in a 38-game season (60 in a 34-game season), which would typically earn you somewhere around 5th-7th in the Premiership, or 4th-6th in the Bundesliga/Serie A/La Liga. And that’s on a schedule not salted with relegation candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/69 "2018-02-16T00:18:28Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I’m sorry, but isn’t that bad sportsmanship in the extreme? Nope, nobody cares about friendly matches. But that’s not the point really - the MLS looks like it has decent attendances, there’s proper rivalries developing, the fans are enjoying themselves, the players are pretty good, the national team more often than not get to play in the World Cup. There’s plenty of very venerable footballing nations who can’t say all of that (see my location) ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/70 "2018-02-16T00:20:19Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > In addition to what others have pointed out regarding actually making a profit on the teams, only THREE MLS teams are also owned by NFL owners. The Revolution, as you mentioned owned by Kraft, Atlanta United, owned by Arthur Blank, and Seattle Sounders, for which Paul Allen who is a minority owner for them is also the owner of the Seahawks. The rest have a far less value than NFL owners or even NBA owners. Stan Kroenke owns the Colorado Rapids and the LA Rams of the NFL. He also owns Arsenal, the Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and Denver Nuggets (NBA). He is the 57th richest person in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/71 "2018-02-16T02:06:57Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Have you ever watched the NFL Pro Bowl? That’s pro football players on a tropical vacation and playing flag football. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/72 "2018-02-16T14:04:26Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > the national team more often than not get to play in the World Cup. If only. As Og is my witness, our failure to make the 2018 Cup, thanks to a loss to Fucking Trinidad And Fucking Tobago (a country with the population of Fucking Sacramento), set American soccer back 10 years, if not 20. Our international team is a disgrace. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/73 "2018-02-16T14:27:17Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > If only. As Og is my witness, our failure to make the 2018 Cup, thanks to a loss to Fucking Trinidad And Fucking Tobago (a country with the population of Fucking Sacramento), set American soccer back 10 years, if not 20. > > Our international team is a disgrace. Just MHO, but that’s a biiiiiiit extreme. I see it more as the culmination of a many smaller problems that eventually illicited big changes. We’ll see though. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/74 "2018-02-16T15:30:30Z")
Happens every qualification that one major power and a few mid levels miss out. Law of averages says the US miss out once or twice. 1990,1998,2002,2006,2010,2014 (automatic qualification in 1994) is fairly impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/75 "2018-02-16T15:34:40Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > That’s pro football players on a tropical vacation and playing flag football. And this is pro football players on an American vacation playing to not get hurt. The comparison isn’t that bad. Playing at regular match intensity would actually be very poor sportsmanship. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/76 "2018-02-16T15:54:23Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Stan Kroenke owns the Colorado Rapids and the LA Rams of the NFL. He also owns Arsenal, the Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and Denver Nuggets (NBA). He is the 57th richest person in the US. That’s fair. He is also a terrible owner with regard to every team he owns (ask an Arsenal fan) ;). He may be ok with LA version of the Rams. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641/77 "2018-02-19T21:54:46Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > I don’t think this has been mentioned, but the MLS All-Star team usually faces an EPL team and barely fairs decent against them. This is the best of our best versus a single team that, lets be honest, probably isn’t even trying that hard. And never play the first team. > [@Telemark](#): > > Have you ever watched the NFL Pro Bowl? Almost as painful as the NHL Allstar game. Yeah I get it these aren’t the kinda games to go all out on, obviously - I think they should just eliminate the game but stick with the voting. (and also for the several-day break in the middle of the season) > [@AK84](#): > > Happens every qualification that one major power and a few mid levels miss out. I’m STILL trying to register Italy.😕 WOW. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soccer-mls-vs-top-tier-european-leagues-is-the-quality-of-play-significantly-different/808641.md?page=3)