J Hutcherson over at the US Soccer Players site posited something interesting today (even if I had a bit of trouble navigating a meandering post to the point); it's nearly impossible to create a club-defining system that will ensure long term success in MLS, and teams are best served to take a "win now" approach each season without any concern for distinctive style.


I think. I may be pulling more out of it than was intended, but this closing parry is the thrust of the piece:

"Like it or not, MLS is trending towards a short-run league. Maybe not to the extent of Mexico or South America, but enough to suggest that system building is no longer the smart move."

I think the question is worthy of some examination. Because MLS is a league of parity (not "parody"), it's difficult for any team to establish themselves as a consistent powerhouse; while clubs like the Revs and Earthquakes/Dynamo have put together solid runs of playoff appearances in one case and playoff appearances and championships in the other in recent years, their type of success is extremely difficult to capture and is actually the result of great coaching rather than any broader philosophy that will carry them through across regimes.


The one club that has managed to create an institutional personality, and the impetus for Hutcherson's post is DC United, who may actually be living off of a faded past. The club's reputation for a more attractive (for MLS anyway) short passing game and clever attacking soccer was built in the early years of the league, when the ability of United's leadership to find talent others couldn't led to multiple championships and the "Tradition" label they use today.


Curt Onalfo addressed that supposed stylistic tradition when discussing his role as United's new head coach:

Onalfo's aim is to play "beautiful, attacking, quick soccer," he said. "We want to play with style and send players forward -- that is what D.C. United has always been known for." (Washington Post)

But should that really be Onalfo's concern? For a club used to winning that has failed to make the playoffs each of the last two seasons, shouldn't Onalfo just concentrate on winning, tradition be damned? As Hutcherson suggests, attempting to create a grand plan that will enable to club to sustain success over a long period is a gargantuan task; wouldn't it better to simply focus on the here and now, ignore the pull of the United style, and build a winner no matter how the play looks?


My guess is that Onalfo is giving lip service to style. He knows his job is to win, he knows the fan base is desperate to see the team back in the playoffs, and he knows (I hope) that it doesn't really matter how that happens as long as it does. But as much as the pragmatic approach makes sense in a quick turnaround league like MLS (see: Galaxy, LA) something will be lost if United no longer at least tries to play the game the way for which they're known.


MLS needs clubs that posses a traditional style, an overriding character, or something they're "known for", no matter the players who line up for them year after year. A club's "style" builds a connection with fans and supporters who come to feel pride because of it that players often can't because of the transient nature of the game. MLS lacks those connections in many cases, both because the league is built to ensure every club is essentially the same, and because long term success (which I'm defining as "multiple championships") is so difficult to achieve. What good is style if it doesn't win you anything?


United fans must now hope that if Onalfo is serious about keeping up the club's tradition of pleasing-to-the-eye soccer, that doing so doesn't preclude them from winning. If Hutcherson is right, and short-runs are the way of MLS, than every club that hope to win a title is best served to put their rosters together with little to no regard for any kind of long-reaching system. Without those grand plans for consistent success, no club will be creating any type of transcendent identity.


For me, that's a little depressing, even if it is the reality of Major League Soccer.


Let me know what you make of all of this.