It’s that time of year again folks, the Major League Soccer (MLS) season is kicking off! Yes I know this is a day late and that it started last night with the 5-1 win for Portland over new comers to the league Minnesota. I had the article ready but was unable to upload it before the start of the season. Better late than never though, right? Anyway, let’s get started with why YOU should be watching MLS 2017!
- Expansion Teams: In 2017 MLS is introducing two new clubs to the ever growing league, Atlanta United and Minnesota United. Atlanta have been the talk of the offseason with the signing of young attacking Designated Players (DP) as well as signing prolific Head Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino. Tata is known well for his time as the Head Coach of the Argentina National Team and his time at FC Barcelona in Spain. Minnesota are being lead by a man who knows expansion teams, Adrian Heath who two years ago brought Orlando City FC into MLS as an expansion club.
- US National Team Players: Whether you are a fan of the idea or not, Bruce Arena (Head Coach of the US National Team) is going to be calling in a fair amount of players for MLS. He has been open about that with the media and fans. This does not mean we won’t be seeing our European based American players, it just means we may be seeing more MLS talent involved in the National Team.
- Every Team Can Compete: In most leagues, you can typically have a good idea of what teams will be in the top four or six spots at the end of the season. MLS is a little bit different, ever single team can compete with each other in a way you don’t see in other leagues around the world. Take the Portland Timbers for example, the won the 2015 MLS Cup but failed to make the playoffs in 2016. Each year is unpredictable!
- Breaking the “Retirement League” Stigma: The 2017 MLS season will see a number of the older Designated Players leaving the league and a fair amount of younger ones being brought in. The MLS is quickly becoming a desired destination for younger players around the world to come and make their mark and become a bigger name.
- The Rivalries: Seattle vs. Portland, LA vs. San Jose, and New York City FC vs. New York Red Bulls are some of the best rivalry games you will find in soccer. These clubs HATE each other and it shows when they step out on the pitch. If you are only going to watch a couple of games, watch these!
- Homegrown Players: Sure, MLS doesn’t have the kind of academies set up as many other leagues in the world but it is up and coming. Many clubs are forming partnerships with United Soccer League (USL) clubs in division II of US Soccer. What MLS does have though is homegrown players. A homegrown player is a player that a club has signed to a contract that has been with the clubs youth academy for at least a year and have met the proper training and retention requirements. One player you may recognize from this is DeAndre Yedlin.
- The Supporters: Each year the amount of support each club is gaining in MLS is spectacular. The fans are also getting more interactive with the clubs with their banners and songs during the matches. Atlanta United have sold of 30,000 season tickets before their first game of their inaugural season, that is incredible! With support like that you can tell the league is gaining popularity.
- Attacking vs. Defending: Let’s be honest with ourselves, the MLS does not necessarily have the greatest defenders on the planet. What is does have though is a number of extremely skillful attacking players. This usually adds up to some wonderful attacking play to watch for the fans.
- Sebastian Giovinco: I mean have you seen the guy? He seems to be able to score when he pleases while sprinkling in excellent little bits of skill along the way. In his two years in MLS he has arguably been the best player in the league. If I was going to try to explain this in a way that most soccer fans will understand, I would describe him as the Messi of the MLS.
- Support Local Soccer: Most people do not consider the MLS to be one of the top leagues in the world and that is why many fans do not follow it closely if at all. Without the support of the fans there is no way for the league to grow and transform into a league that is known around the world and becomes a destination for top players. Supporters are the backbone of any league. If you want America to have a league that we can be proud of, it starts with you! Find a team to support, go to a game, buy a jersey, talk about it with your friends, and give MLS the chance it deserves!
There you have it, my ten reasons why YOU and your other soccer friends need to be watching and supporting MLS in 2017! Now get out there and do your part to grow OUR league!
-Jake
Jake Talks Soccer 