I'm not usually one for letting others dictate my focus here, but today I'm going to make an exception.

Kartik Krishnaiyer has sounded off regarding the apparent poor ranking of MLS in comparison to leagues around the world.

Let me first say that I am not familiar with the IFFHS; I am not aware how well these rankings are regarded, or if they hold any weight in the international soccer community at all. I am aware, however, that these rankings are a bunch of crap.

I'll clarify, just in case you're confused. When I say that the rankings are crap, I mean purely from the perspective of MLS, an MLS fan, or anyone who wishes to see the league succeed. Some will point out that these rankings are an indication that the league is no where near as strong as its proponents claim it to be; I will point out that whether the league is more or less highly ranked then we wish it to be, it's still our league. Worrying about the ranking of MLS when compared to any other league is pointless in that it causes us to focus on subjective matters that have nothing to do with the competition on the field. As American soccer fans, we should ignore these rankings if only as a matter of principle; the league is severely handicapped by a restrictive salary structure that makes comparing it to any league, much less those in Mexico and Costa Rica, a laughable exercise. If anything, we should be heartened by the fact that MLS have managed to win anything at all against teams from a popular, well-funded, and respected league like that of Mexico.

As long as the MLS is forced to remain a financially conservative endeavor, these rankings will continue to mean nothing.