SPL v MLS

[djh83]

Having a heated debate with someone at work who thinks the MLS is far superior to the SPL. i disagree. It's a mickey mouse league where has beens go to retire and die in LA.

[kingantti1874]

Na, maybe 20 years ago - I think most mls teams would piss the spl

[vegas-voss]

It's ******* dire to watch just like the SPL except for Hearts of course.

[Tom Heaney]

Having a heated debate with someone at work who thinks the MLS is far superior to the SPL. i disagree. It's a mickey mouse league where has beens go to retire and die in LA.

An interesting debate. I'd like to think the SPL was a better league but having watched the dross that is served up by the majority of our teams I could understand why someone who may watch the MLS would have a different view. Unfortunatley I think the MLS will be technically better and dont agree that its a Mickey Mouse league nor do I think its somewhere for has-beens (or never have beens) to go and end their playing days. Just look at the USA's standings internationally compared to ours, that may help give us a clue as to the standard of their club level game

 

Never got into it when I lived across there mainly because I didnt get into the local team and the few games I went to were in a 60,000 capacity stadium with less than 15,000 at the game so that didnt help

[maroonshrew]

I watch a lot of MLS football for no other reason than I have sleeping issues. I would say with the South American influence, they are becoming more technical in the final third. Players who try to do things like Temps does are far more commonplace. A winger is a winger and they try to attack as such. Second notable ting is that they are far better athletes. The players (the younger american ones) could do another 90 minutes, it is quite incredible. They resort to hoofball a lot less when the game nears an end. That said, their defences are no way near as organised as ours. They dont quite appreciate the art of defending yet. Maybe it is because watching Davie Weir or Big Zal have a good game doesnt sell tickets but they would be exposed at the back. Not least because any american goalkeeper worth his salt (and theres been a few) get out of the league as soon as possible. The GK department is severely lacking. But as another poster said, their national team is progressing at quite a rate and some teams get in over 20,000 every week so they will definitely overtake us if they havent already. The hasbeen myth is true in some instances but Ljungberg was 31. A 33 year old Henry is better than anything in our league and Beckham at 36 is like a normal right midfielder at 30. i might be wrong but this is what ive taken from watching it.

[Del1812]

I watched this year's MLS final.

 

It was like watching Hamilton v St. Mirren.

 

And the winning team's first goal was set-up by Jamie Smith. Remember him? The former (and very average) Celtic and Aberdeen winger.

[Shaggy2]

No doubt in my mind that, whilst at the moment this is a debatable question, the MLS will soon leave us behind given the $$$$$$$ being thrown at it and increased popularity in REAL football over there.

[djh83]

Do lots of EPL and Championship teams snap up lots of promising MLS produced youth talent?

[dobmisterdobster]

An interesting debate. I'd like to think the SPL was a better league but having watched the dross that is served up by the majority of our teams I could understand why someone who may watch the MLS would have a different view. Unfortunatley I think the MLS will be technically better and dont agree that its a Mickey Mouse league nor do I think its somewhere for has-beens (or never have beens) to go and end their playing days. Just look at the USA's standings internationally compared to ours, that may help give us a clue as to the standard of their club level game

 

Never got into it when I lived across there mainly because I didnt get into the local team and the few games I went to were in a 60,000 capacity stadium with less than 15,000 at the game so that didnt help

 

If all you ever face are countries like Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago then of course you would have a higher FIFA ranking than a lot of countries from Europe.

[NewYorkJambo]

As much as it pains me to say it, I think the MLS is considerably stronger than the SPL.

 

David Beckham, Rafael Marquez, Thierry Henry, Landon Donovan. Any of these guys would star in the SPL.

 

Yes, of course there is dross in the league too - but there is also plenty in the SPL.

 

I think anyone that thinks the SPL is better probably hasn't seen the MLS any time recently.

[NewYorkJambo]

If all you ever face are countries like Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago then of course you would have a higher FIFA ranking than a lot of countries from Europe.

 

 

Erm, San Marino, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Estonia etc etc

 

The US can only beat what is put in front of them. Also, they actually compete when they get to a World Cup. The MLS versus SPL is open for debate, but if you are asking whether the US national team is better than the Scottish national team that is a no brainer - yes! Yes we could beat them in the odd game but in a best of 10 they would beat us

[Snake Plissken]

Erm, San Marino, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Estonia etc etc

 

The US can only beat what is put in front of them. Also, they actually compete when they get to a World Cup. The MLS versus SPL is open for debate, but if you are asking whether the US national team is better than the Scottish national team that is a no brainer - yes! Yes we could beat them in the odd game but in a best of 10 they would beat us

 

Yes but Scotland also have Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands to compete against.

 

America have Mexico.

 

The USA are almost certainly a better side but I do feel their ranking is artificially high because they have such feeble local opposition.

[NewYorkJambo]

 

The USA are almost certainly a better side but I do feel their ranking is artificially high because they have such feeble local opposition.

 

Agreed.

[Tom Heaney]

If all you ever face are countries like Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago then of course you would have a higher FIFA ranking than a lot of countries from Europe.

Really? Did you take a long think before you posted that ? Methinks perhaps not

 

Be honest, do you think Scotland would beat the USA if they were to play ?

[Stupid Sexy Flanders]

No doubt in my mind that, whilst at the moment this is a debatable question, the MLS will soon leave us behind given the $$$$$$$ being thrown at it and increased popularity in REAL football over there.

 

A terrifying thought.

 

The American way of having sporting events seems hideous to me, (The phrase "Matchday experience" can only have been inspired by the Yanks. Also stuff like post-goal music etc. Yuck.) The threat of their league becoming stronger is very real, and with the amount of money they could throw at it, the Yank influence on world football could become huge. This, IMO, would be disasterous for us European football fans. The thought of watching the "Edinburgh Wildcats" playing at the TescoDome, in games of four quarters is not an appealing one. With the USA being the most powerful, richest country and Fifa being the corrupt organisation that it is, the Yanks could probably change whatever rules they wanted to suit themselves.

[Tom Heaney]

A terrifying thought.

 

The American way of having sporting events seems hideous to me, (The phrase "Matchday experience" can only have been inspired by the Yanks. Also stuff like post-goal music etc. Yuck.) The threat of their league becoming stronger is very real, and with the amount of money they could throw at it, the Yank influence on world football could become huge. This, IMO, would be disasterous for us European football fans. The thought of watching the "Edinburgh Wildcats" playing at the TescoDome, in games of four quarters is not an appealing one. With the USA being the most powerful, richest country and Fifa being the corrupt organisation that it is, the Yanks could probably change whatever rules they wanted to suit themselves.

If its "The Yanks" as you seem to like to call them then we neednt worry as there are only a handful of teams that play in what would be termed "Yank" territory. Bit like us being called Jocks I guess

[Stupid Sexy Flanders]

If its "The Yanks" as you seem to like to call them then we neednt worry as there are only a handful of teams that play in what would be termed "Yank" territory. Bit like us being called Jocks I guess

 

Ah, lets all ignore the opinions expressed in the post and indulge in some good, old-fashioned pedantry! By "Yanks" I just meant "Americans", maybe you could re-read my post and do your own substitution?

 

 

 

 

 

(I've never in my life been offended by the term "Jocks", I wouldn't imagine Americans are that touchy about "Yanks" either.)

[Tom Heaney]

Ah, lets all ignore the opinions expressed in the post and indulge in some good, old-fashioned pedantry! By "Yanks" I just meant "Americans", maybe you could re-read my post and do your own substitution?

 

 

 

 

 

(I've never in my life been offended by the term "Jocks", I wouldn't imagine Americans are that touchy about "Yanks" either.)

I dinnae ken what Pedantry means so I'm fecked

 

As for Tesco Dome, dinnae be giving Vlad any ideas

[kingantti1874]

Do lots of EPL and Championship teams snap up lots of promising MLS produced youth talent?

 

Yes Tim Howard, brad friedel, brad Guzan, Clint dempsey, jonathin Spector, Stuart Holden ( Scottish really tho), Maurice edu, Eddie Johnson, hanneman of the top of my head. There are quite a fee in European leagues as well.

 

I would say these players dontprove the strength of the mls tho, I think our league is taken far more seriously and as a result is more competitive and better to watch, for technical ability and quality the mls is out in front

[grumpy rebus]

I know a couple of guys involved at the level below MLS (one player and one coach) and they reckon it's behind SFL div 1 at the moment. The MLS will become better than the SPL due to the $ being pumped into it. But losing out on the 2022 WC may damage football in their country, thereby delaying it's growth.

[maroonshrew]

I think weve come to an amzingly civil and logical conclusion. Except for those that seem to think Scotland are a superior national side. FWIW I think the USA are stronger cos we dont have enough players playing in foreign leagues, same can be said for England. We produce good footballers at times but not good characters. The likes of Riordan couldnt even got to Glasgow, let alone Germany. He turned down leagues like the Bundesliga which is crazy. Players like Wilkins, Beckham, Ince, Platt and Lineker will all tell you what they learnyt from European leagues. I think our lot should experience as much as possible away from Scotland and indeed England.

[Guest juvehearts]

wel the MLS has been going for over 10 years proper now.

 

the include teams from canada mexico (chivas & toronto)

 

they wont get the fan case at away games like we do because of the travelling envloved

 

ours is an old proud professional organisatin with old coffin dodgers at the helm its no wonder people are putting this up for debate

 

it isnt a far fetched idea that teams would stroll over some of the SPL games.

 

i think they would struggle & even get humped by the OF, hearts, dundee utd, abereen (under brown) Killie, & st mirren, i even would go as far and say teams like raith rovers, dunfermlline, livi, partick, falkirk & inverness would give any of the MLS teams a go.

 

the difference is ???? and will always be. NBA, NFL & MLB will always dwarf the MLS but they can still pull in some impressive marketing revinue figres.

 

to sum up if i think the MLS is better than the SPL.

 

answer is NO & will always be NO

 

juve

[Hereward]

I watch both leagues closely and my feeling is that the SPL is superior to MLS. MLS is an athletic league, but not a physical one. In the last number of years there has been a gradual influx of central and south american players, so the technical standard is improving, but it is still poor. Games are very defensive, most teams play "ArenaBall" away from home (after american coach Bruce Arena) wherein they park the bus in front of goal and timewaste, playing for a draw and hoping for a set piece or error from the home team. The diving, gamesmanship and timewasting in MLS is quite dire at times. The refereeing is of a lower standard than the SPL (!) with only one or maybe two decent refs, the rest are appallingly poor.

 

The only reason, in my view, that people would even consider this comparison, is the failure of the two tv contracts in the SPL in the last half-dozen years. If the majority of the players who have been drawn down to the Championship because of the inability of Scottish teams to pay even comparable wages, were still in the SPL, the quality would be streets ahead. Remember that MLS is a salary cap, and roster-restricted league. Outwith the Designated Player (and only 6 teams in MLS have more than one), MLS teams can only have a maximum of 2.3 million dollars in player salary, or about a tenth of what Hearts paid last year. In addition, there is a maximum number of full professional players that MLS teams can have on their rosters, around 23 (plus youth players for the upcoming season), which means teams are stretched when they are involved in cup competitions (US Open cup, CONCACAF Champions League).

 

MLS is improving, and the salary cap is slowly growing, so the standard will get better. If the economic or tv contract situation in Scotland does not improve, the MLS may one day catch up, but as it is, in my opinion, MLS teams would struggle in the SPL and SPL teams would do well in MLS. Obviously there are structural differences between the two leagues.