Comments on: Seattle Sounders Romp and Portland Timbers Fall in US Open Cup 3rd Round

By: 2Cents

2Cents — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:55:18 +0000

I still think that the MLS should be embarrassed by how they’ve performed in this years USOC. Reserves or not, this has just been a sad showing by what is supposed to be the top league in this country. They are not just losing to NASL teams; but they are losing to USL, PDL and amateur teams and it is just embarrassing. I am just sick to my stomach at the low quality of play we have seen from the MLS in the USOC this year.

By: Yankiboy

Yankiboy — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 13:31:58 +0000

@WSW: And I’m still disagreeing with you, wanting some of that stuff that you are ingesting when you stated

“I’ve said it once before and I will say it again their is no difference in quality of play between MLS and NASL unlike other D1/D2 leagues.”

I’m also going to call you on the “between D1/D2 in all the leagues in the world our is the closest as quality of play goes.”

You could be right, and I realize that it is completely subjective but some people would argue that you could say the gap between the two top flights is very small for some countries like Swizterland or Austria.

Heck, you take out Rangers and Celtic (with previous banter having taken place that, if possible, they would bolt for the English Premiership as long as both could do it together) and I would argue that there’s not that big a divide in Scotland.

And that’s before getting to places like Serbia, or even one of our neighbors like Panama.

Those are just a few that jump in my mind at first glance.

It’s a big, big world (But you already knew that…)

By: WSW

WSW — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 05:37:06 +0000

Nobody is saying that NASL should be first division, all I’m pointing out is between D1/D2 in all the leagues in the world our is the closest as quality of play goes. even some MLS coaches have stated that some NASL clubs can easily compete if they were in MLS.

By: Demolition Man

Demolition Man — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 05:31:39 +0000

Spot on kj. Fact is many MLS teams chose not to take the USOC that seriously so they treated this as an over glorified reserve squad game with some starters mixed in. Now if these results would of happened with the full starting squads for the MLS teams in then I can see starting the talk of NASL being the real first division but let’s get real here folks – there’s a reason why MLS is the first division and will continue to be. Nothing against NASL as I love the Stars but just needing to provide an reality check for those who have been gulping a little too much of the delusional spiked Kool-Aid.

By: kj

kj — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 04:59:11 +0000

I’m a supporter of an NASL team. I love the Open Cup.

…and I wish that every year when there are upsets that people didn’t go off the deep end thinking it means that MLS should no longer be the top-flight league in the country.

MLS is the first division. That’s not going to suddenly change, no matter how much you think some other league is going to magically bring in consistently big crowds, build team-specific stadiums, and get much larger investors involved.

NASL is the second divison. USLPro is the third division. THAT’S PERFECTLY OK. Just like the Premier League is not suddenly going to swap places with the Championship, MLS is not swapping places with either of those leagues. Please, stop talking about it like it’s somehow feasible.

By: Lego7

Lego7 — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 02:30:31 +0000

WSW: Sorry pal, the USOC is not a very effective measuring tool to determine if lower division teams are truly at the same level as MLS teams. You are overlooking many factors that could be responsible for many MLS teams bowing out.

By: WSW

WSW — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 01:41:49 +0000

Premier League: 2/16 first-round losses (13%)
Serie A: 2/12 first-round losses (17%)
1. Bundesliga: 5/20 first-round losses (25%)
Ligue 1: 5/16 first-round losses, including one to an amateur team (31%)
Major League Soccer: 8/16 first-round losses (50%)

Hmmm, so MLS apologists still think their is a big difference in quality of play.