by Chris Nee of twofootedtackle
There may well come a time when either pressure or circumstance leads Major League Soccer to scrap the idea of parity in order to improve quality and make clubs more competitive on the international stage. But my advice, having watched the Premier League develop into a predictable and relatively dull beast, is enjoy it while you can. That's not to say I believe parity is the future of MLS, but that the internally competitive nature of the league is worth soaking up before it's removed.
A little while ago I posted to my own site about the domination of the Premier League's notorious "Big Four" in England. Their persistent presence in the top four spots in the table is, in my opinion, very damaging to English football. I'm a football addict and I'll watch any football, anywhere, anytime. I also just happen to support a Premier League club. And yet I have little time for the league itself. If my team were relegated, God forbid, I'd find it hard to justify watching it at all.
As always, it comes down to money and the long-term possession of money. Manchester United have a huge fan base and have brilliantly marketed the club over the last two decades. Liverpool have fans and history, both of which foster revenue streams. Arsenal and Chelsea are, perhaps, a little different. In recent years, the Gunners empire has been built on the back of a superb managerial appointment and some wonderful signings. Chelsea's success has resulted entirely from financial strength.
Of course, once a club of such strength reaches the top, it stays there. And that, along with the general obsession with cash, is why the Premier League is boring.
So it was with interest that I listened to Jason's discussion about parity on the Match Fit USA podcast. It's an interesting concept, and one defined by a number of methods which are often mentioned in philosophical arguments about how to make European football more exciting, but will never be feasible. We'll never have salary capping, drafts or central ownership. The status quo is too dominant, having grown over more than a century.
The situation is very different in the United States, for obvious reasons, and creating a league from scratch requires parity in the beginning - without it, the league just never gets off the ground. But the dichotomy between forced parity and the evolution of "quality" is an argument destined to haunt Major League Soccer for years to come. The idea that any team can win the league in any given season, based on college draft picks and salary capping, is a very American one.
I don't mean to be out of line here, but you guys are used to that way of working. You're comfortable with it, it's what you know.
But bubbling under the surface is a growing concern that Major League Soccer is hamstrung by its own policy. MLS fans, quite naturally, want the league to be a world player. Native supporters are used to MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL dominating their sporting worlds. Soccer is a different matter. The world powerhouse is European football, dominated currently by England and previously by Spain and Italy. Germany and France have strong leagues, and the Netherlands isn't far behind. Elsewhere, Argentina, Brazil have leagues which overshadow MLS globally.
That said, I don't think MLS should abandon parity - at least not yet. It's partly that I'm jealous. Betraying my loyalties, I'm far more likely to be celebrating a DC United win in MLS Cup than a Premier League win for Aston Villa, and that annoys me. It must be difficult, in a nation of sporting excellence and Eurosnobs, to accept Major League Soccer's place in the football pecking order and enjoy it for what it is, but trust me, a level playing field is something many English fans desire above all else.
One day, a Major League Soccer comprising 22 or 24 clubs might draw the crowds and have the stability to gamble on its place in world football. It might even be absolutely necessary to do so. With clubs in flux (by this I specifically mean FC Dallas, who struggle for attendances, and DCU who still have the stadium issue hanging over them), the league is purely and simply too young to abandon its model. It may happen, but until then make the most of parity. It's not all that bad.
Chris shares his views on all things football at twofootedtackle, and produces a weekly podcast of the highest quality with co-host Gary Andrews.
