Will MLS ever be as coveted as the European leagues?

With David Beckham announcing his successful bid for a new MLS team in Miami, the legend will no doubt seek to bolster his team by attempting to attract great European talent, as well as grow youth in the US. MLS recently has been quite successful in attracting players who have had success in Europe in the past, but their ailing legs won’t allow them to compete at the highest levels. Is this a good attitude to take, or should MLS teams aim to attract young talent from Europe too?

With Atlanta’s capture of Ezequiel Barco from Argentina, it is clear that it is not the youth that believe the MLS to be an inferior league. Instead it is the hierarchy of soccer in Europe itself. With a very different structure, it is fair for key figures in UEFA to be skeptical of a league of such a foreign format. However with the numbers of Central and South American players who have had success in MLS, perhaps it is time for up and coming European players to try and make their mark abroad. After all, the goal is to make the national team, in the long run. Players such as Albert Elis of Honduras, and Blas Perez of Panama have had success in MLS, and transferred that talent onto the national field too, with Perez the 3rd top scorer in 2014 World Cup qualification behind only Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski; not bad company. By performing to a high level game in and game out, this would bolster the chances of any young player of making their mark for club and country.

To achieve glory akin to Europe, MLS needs one thing; money. Money for better coaching, money to pay out more lucrative wages and transfer fees. Money to keep fans happy and stadiums filled. Most MLS teams are owned by very wealthy consortiums, yet are not given the chances for true growth. Until this changes, not only will players elect to stay elsewhere until their dying years, but also talents like Bobby Wood and Christian Pulisic are better off staying away from a league like MLS and their toxic, backwards mindset. There is unquestionably potential to grow into one of the best leagues in the world, but a culture change is needed to achieve this. Maybe Miami Beckham FC can be the start of a new era of soccer in the US.

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