The Value of Friendlies
by pdb on Jul 28, 2011 10:49 AM PDT
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PrintMLS just played its All Star Game, which as we all know was Manchester United against an MLS All-Star 11 who had never played meaningful minutes together prior to Tuesday's training session. That was always bound to not end well, and it ended in predictable fashion, 4-0 to United (following a 5-2 loss last season). By all accounts (I didn't watch it), United didn't break much of a sweat, either.
Lest anybody wonder what the reasons are for Manchester United, Barcelona, and all the other top-flight teams' preseason visits to the US and disrupt the MLS season, just know that United made $2 million from the ASG, and an estimated $8 million from the rest of their tour. Not bad for two weeks' work. Forget all the talk about "reaching out to the fans" and "growing the fan base" - or more accurately, replace the word "fan" with the word "customer" and you're on to something.
While major European clubs have every right to want to get as many dollars, euro, yuan, or whatever currency into their bank accounts as they can, one has to wonder why MLS agrees to play a part in it. What, exactly, is gained by the Timbers, or by MLS as a whole, by PTFC playing West Brom, Ajax, Independiente, or Club America? The Timbers sell out every game anyway, so it's not like these four games were oases of attendance in a desert of half-full stadium dates; I get that a lot of teams don't sell out, and I get that more games = more money, so that's good, but it's a pretty big disruption for any team to have to play exhibition games mid-season.
One of the other sort-of-but-not-really-stated desires of MLS in these games is to see how MLS measures up to the rest of the world, which to me is an awkward comparison because MLS teams never play starting lineups for the entirety of these games, coming as they do in mid-season. You look at lopsided scorelines like Seattle's 7-0 against United and think "wow, MLS really does kinda suck", but then you read about the game itself, and see that in the second half Sigi emptied his bench, and suddenly that 7-0 makes perfect sense because there is no way any MLS reserve team is going to compete with (or even belongs on the same field with) arguably the best club side on the planet.
So what's the point in playing these games, then?
I still don't see a whole lot of casual/non-soccer fans caring about MLS - and I generally try to encourage them to do so. MLS using these games to try to attract casual fans, and then seeing top European teams beat MLS teams like rented mules, pretty much just reinforces the "MLS kinda sucks" attitude prevalent in the non-soccer-fan mind; this, to me, is not the way to attract fans to MLS (although it is a great way to attract fans to Manchester United/Chelsea/Barca etc).
If European clubs want to come over here and grow their market share fan base, that's fantastic - I'd love to have them come over every July. Instead of playing MLS teams, though, have them play each other in MLS venues. I would pay to see Arsenal play Manchester United at JWP, I would travel to see Barcelona play Inter in Los Angeles. Manchester United and Barcelona are playing this weekend in DC - that's the sort of thing that MLS stadiums should be trying to host, in my opinion. Those games would be a lot of fun, would make a crapton of money, and would be more entertaining as sporting events (and as advertisements for soccer) than watching the best teams in the world beat up on MLS for 90 minutes.
What do you think? Do you like "MLS v. the world"-type friendlies? Do they serve as a good advertisement for MLS, or are they just cash machines for big European clubs?
Alright guys, I don't believe I have to say this but, just in case, please do not submit anything racist, homophobic, sexist or otherwise not appropriate for even the younger Timbers fans.
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MLS vs World, no, but...
… while poo-poohing friendlies at JW is the hip thing to do right now, they do serve to give a lot of our bench players playing time against high-caliber opponents, as well as give us the opportunity to try different formations, etc. Also, it allows for some non-pressure progression that can’t be made when they practice against each other day-in and day-out.
(However, in the future we should have less of these as we should have more US Open and CONCACAF CL games.)
But to me that's the point of a reserve team, which the Timbers also have
I have no problem with friendlies as such. I have a huge problem with mid-season friendlies that don’t accomplish anything and carry the risk of injuring a player for no real good reason. No other professional sports league in the world plays friendlies in the middle of their season, and I wish MLS would play friendlies pre- or post-season.
I have to disagree to a point on MLS vs. World...
If our “team” was given more time to come together as a team, we might actually stand a chance against a Man U or other world-class side. After all, they don’t just throw the USMNT and USWNT together 3 days before a match, right? They’d need at least a week.
Blazers win!
In order to make any real difference...
you’d need a whole lot more than a week. I’m not sure a month would do.
You’re talking about playing against a team that is A) Made up of the best players in the world and, B) If full of guys who have, in many cases, been playing together for years.
The MLS All-Star team is an inferior group of players. Perhaps not hugely inferior, but if these guys were good enough to play for Man U they would be. You can give them as much time to practice together as you want and they’ll still be a weaker side.
They would need to play together for an extended time, including playing games against multiple quality teams to really become a team capable of taking on Man U. That’s just not going to happen.
Bench player benefit?
The gap between an upper level EPL team and their ilk, and the typical group of MLS bench warmers is great enough that I don’t know what football can be learned from the experience. Maybe how to handle disappointment? Or, how to shrug off humiliation? Or how to play the catenaccio defensive setup?
The purpose.
I think it depends on what perspective you have.
The travelling teams, probably enjoy the money they recieve directly, but I bet they are trying to increase visibility to ultimately increase merchandise sales. I’d bet that outweighs the appearance fee, or however they are compensated. They probably also don’t mind the warm up for the regular season.
The MLS, hopefully the league makes money too. (Concession sales, ticket sales, etc) I would imagine they also see it as a marketing tool to increase the exposure of soccer in this country. These big teams draw non regulars. If some of those non regulars have a great time, and go to a few games in their local market, it’s a win.
The fan, well personally, I think they are the winner. Personally, yeah, trophies over friendlies. I get it, and agree to a degree. That said, I love seeing players in person I’d never get a chance to see without the friendlies. I love going to a game and not being so focused on the result, but the experience of it all. I also like to see the second and third stringers putting out 100% to try to gain a foothold on some more game time.
I personally just do not see many drawbacks. Heck, if I have a commitment, and I am not moving heaven and earth like I do for a regular season game, I can sell a ticket or two to make back some money on the ST purchase…
That’s just my view…
My real problem
with the game though, is it makes MLS look bad.
Playing Man U gets lots of new eyeballs on MLS and that’s good. But if we can’t compete with them (and we can’t) that just shows the casual potential fans that MLS isn’t very good. That is not a way to create new fans.
That said, I’m not sure that the league is really ever going to create new fans. I think it’s up to the clubs to do that. So in that sense maybe it doesn’t matter.
Real Madrid played LA Galaxy six years ago I think...
It was before Beckham joined Galaxy. Anyway, Real won easily but I was still impressed that Galaxy were even on the same field. HDC looked impressive too with a sold out crowd. Call me a sucker for marketing if you like, but I got more interested in MLS after that. In 2007 I went to my first Timbers game and thought “MLS would be great here!”. I used to be an MLS skeptic but now I’m a big supporter of Timbers, TA, MLS, and soccer in general. I can’t prove it, but I doubt stories like mine are uncommon.
It’s easy to focus only on what is seen (like 7-0 and 4-0 scores), but it’s important to remember the unseen, e.g. the new people watching and thinking “SWIWS, that looks fun. Let’s go to a MLS game (or D2, D3).”
by yepyou'reright on Jul 28, 2011 7:04 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't think you are a sucker
I think you were someone who needed to have their attention focused on the MLS like a lot of sports enthusiasts. So these games do that and if they even watched the game or the Sounders game (I can’t believe I am going to say this). They would have seen that for the first half the MLS all-stars/starters for both teams outplayed Man-U at times. The difference is the fact that Man-U had 6 shots and scored on 4 of them(in the all-star game), talk about clinical.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
PROS to mid-season friendlies
One of the reasons I have heard on the pro-friendly side of the argument is this: the European teams are going to come and play here, regardless of MLS involvement. Lets not forget that the ‘World Football Challenge’ existed before MLS involvement, and that it most likely would continue unabated if MLS decided not to participate. Not only does MLS involvement with major European (and world) teams bring in lots of money, but it also keeps the focus of the soccer-watching public on MLS teams and MLS venues. Without being involved, not only would the league lose out on major paydays, but it also would run the risk of becoming irrelevant for the month or two during the summer when more popular teams (Man U) come to town.
It boils down to this: MLS is making the best out of a bad situation. This is a case of ‘if you can’t beat em, join em’. Yes, friendlies in the middle of a league season isn’t the best situation, but really, is the alternative any better?
But that's kind of my point
Lets not forget that the ‘World Football Challenge’ existed before MLS involvement, and that it most likely would continue unabated if MLS decided not to participate.
Absolutely. And that’s a great idea. Turn the World Football Challenge into the biggest, best preseason tournament European teams have to offer, and every year you’ll get a rotating cast of the best teams. And have it at MLS stadia, so MLS teams get a taste of the revenue.
I don’t know how much MLS teams get for playing friendlies currently, but it’s presumably far, far less than the $2 million/game Manchester United is making; if MLS were to host, organize, and sponsor a proper World Football Challenge, it would result in far more revenue for MLS than they’re realizing now.
You nailed it here:
" MLS using these games to try to attract casual fans, and then seeing top European teams beat MLS teams like rented mules, pretty much just reinforces the “MLS kinda sucks” attitude prevalent in the non-soccer-fan mind; this, to me, is not the way to attract fans to MLS (although it is a great way to attract fans to Manchester United/Chelsea/Barca etc)."
I see your point...
But not sure if I agree. Those new fans are there to see the European teams. They expect the win, and should. However, if they enjoy the atmosphere, or see a flash of brilliance on the MLS side, they may come back. I just don’t think seeing an MLS team get tore up reduces the likelihood of a soccer fan checking out MLS in the future.
ManU tears up EPL teams. Anyone that thinks we are going to compete with them anytime soon, is simply delusional. Every single position is two or three deep, and many steps above nearly EVERY player in the MLS. This is why they make the money they do!!!
MLS is damned if they do, damned if they don't
If they don’t play teams like Man U when they visit then MLS naysayers will say, “MLS sucks. Not good enough for Man U.” If they do play Man U and predictably get thrashed then naysayers will say “MLS sucks” anyway. I say make the best of it and take the money.
As for other friendlies, those will continue to happen as long as fans still show up for them and both teams still see football/marketing value in it. I don’t particularly care for three in one month that congests the schedule for the team. On the other hand, it’s good for reserves to get more time besides the ten reserve games.
From a purely selfish point-of-view I enjoy seeing teams like Ajax and West Brom in person and would probably go again.
I agree
Yes, can you believe it I agree with you :).
I liked the friendlies, I just wish they would have been a little more spaced out but you can’t do that with the schedule the way it is now. Don Garber the MLS commish did mention about pushing the start of the season into March and then February soon, which would take some of the congestion out of the schedule.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Didn't mind the Timbers international friendlies
Good entertainment for a weeknight, better than the girlfriend’s sitcoms, LOL.
Didn’t watch the all-star game, forgot it was on. ‘Predictable loss’, agreed. An all-star team versus a top club? No chance. Shoot, a tight MLS side like LA or Red Bulls would probably whoop a Premier League all-star team that had only trained together once the day before.
The big mistake MLS did...
in regards to this friendly debate is have their schedule completely not line up with other leagues around the world… because now when those clubs want to have a match with a MLS side and come to the US, that means it will be in the middle of our season. And yes, you are right that the Timbers don’t need to worry about selling out games, but many other MLS sides do, so they will gladly play these friendly matches and get destroyed.
However, I am still fine with the Timbers playing these friendly matches as well. It is revenue from a sell out none the less… And in all honesty they have helped expose some players like Sal Zisso as players needing more time on the field in MLS league play.
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