Replies

Building smaller stadiums improves the experience for the fans and brings them closer to the game.

The MLS is profitable because it controls costs and delivers real value for the fans’ dollars. Football is now more popular in the USA than hockey and baseball.

And their top teams, like the German Budesliga, are cultivating youth talent. The next US World Cup team will be drawn from an existing MLS team.

The sport is well positioned for continued growth.

I still think however we need US players to play in Europe to go up against world class competition.

Look for Altidore to have a much better year at Sunderland.

The big failing of our national team has been that there were no professional “farm teams” where youth development was carried out. Kids got their exposure to the sport through school, college, and organized recreational groups. One of my friends from Mexico, on the other hand, was on the Chivas youth team by the time he was ten, and got most of his education from them too. A lot of the great Man United players came from their youth program, and many of them “graduated” to the professional team between 17 and 19 years of age. So, to the extent MLS builds a solid youth program, it'll be a big asset to the national team too.

I agree with your comment about “right sized” stadiums. The LA Galaxy played in the Rose Bowl initially, and while their opening night with Jorge Campos in goal was well attended, most of the time there’d be a crowd of 30 grand or so, and two thirds of the seats in that 95K venue would be empty. It imparted a forlorn fell to what was actually, a reasonably successful venture.

I think there's a place for big venues for big games, though. I saw Brazil vs. Mexico in a sold-out Coliseum, and it was a ball.