In search for better CCL performance, MLS misses something

Pachuca's Champions League triumph last night makes it five consecutive years that a Mexican club has won CONCACAF's top club competition -- the longest winning streak by any domestic league in the history of the tournament.  It's also been more than nine years since a MLS club was the champion side in CONCACAF.  Even those triumphs by DC United and LA Galaxy in 1998 and 2000 should be heavily discounted -- neither team had to play outside of their stadium during the Champions' Cup tournament back then.  After nine seasons of failing to advance beyond the semifinal round of CONCACAF competitions, with copious heavy defeats to Mexican clubs and some embarrassing results against sides from Central America and the Caribbean, MLS has finally formed a subcommittee to examine what needs to be be done to be more successful in the CONCACAF Champions League. 

The subcommittee consists of officials from MLS sides that have competed in the Champions League (Houston, DCU, Columbus) or will compete later this year (Seattle).  The inclusion of Dominic Kinnear is a good choice as his Dynamo teams have been the only MLS sides that looked competitive in CONCACAF play, although that wasn't true this season. 

There are a number of issues that the subcommittee will address such as scheduling, travel logistics, and roster size.  Scheduling is always going to be an issue, especially in the knockout round when MLS is in offseason, so teams that advance that far will just have to deal with it.  Travel demands are another fact of life for teams competing in continental competitions, which explains why the better sides have strength in depth.  MLS teams do have more players on their Champions League roster than in previous seasons, but it is still fewer than Mexican squads and even some Central American teams.  In short, these three topics under discussion by this subcommittee are matters that are important but not that difficult to remedy. 

However, I have not seen any mention from the subcommittee about getting or developing players who can compete at the level of international club competition.  And in my opinion, that's the dominant issue for MLS representatives in Champions League.  It has been evident since the start of the two-leg format in the Champions' Cup in 2002 that the domestic competition provides little preparation for the requirements of international club play.  I've bemoaned the inability of MLS sides to hold possession for appreciable periods of time, to play tactically sound soccer especially in defense, to take advantage of the few scoring chances available to them, to exhibit good game management in two-leg series.  You can see this in the composure of the South American imports against the American players who are alongside them.  You can also see this in the ability of the Mexican sides to incorporate their younger players in the CCL without a serious dropoff in quality.  MLS sides are not even remotely close to being able to do the same. 

It is no coincidence that the MLS sides that have been most competitive in CONCACAF competition have had South American players in their lineup -- with the big exception of the Dynamo.  Just once has an MLS-based player scored more than four goals in a Champions Cup/League season (Luciano Emilio).  The most than an American player has scored in the competition has been three.  That's just not good enough for success in the Champions League.

MLS can make all the accommodations and incentives that they desire to their representatives in the Champions League so that they have adequate time to recuperate and prepare from CCL matches and have a sizable platoon of players to do well on both fronts.  These measures are not going to matter at all if MLS sides don't have quality players.  They don't have to wait until the 2011-12 season to do something about that.

Comments

[Dave Clark]

The larger roster issue makes me laugh. If size of roser mattered Liverpool would have won the UEFA CL, and Colombian sides (they average nearly 40 players on senior rosters) would win the CL.

It is roster DEPTH that matters. Overall quality is what counts. Adding 200 players to the Crew wouldn't help. But getting 3 or 4 more starting caliber players would make a difference.

[Brendan Doherty]

First of all, I want to thank you for writing about this topic consistently and publishing your data online.

I've been complaining to any of my friends who would listen to me about how much it bugs me that MLS teams don't take the CONCACAF competition more seriously.

The depth issue speaks to the convoluted roster system in the MLS, with the cap and designated players and league owned contracts.
I think it will be hard to get American viewers behind a competition in which the NY Red Bulls are eliminated by a team from Trinidad and Tobago. This presents a chicken and egg scenario to me.. In order for MLS teams to take it more seriously, there has to be economic incentive. In order for there to be economic incentive, there needs to be sponsorships deals. The sponsorship and prize money is related to TV viewership and that revenue depends on MLS teams performing better in the competition.
Also, the Canada/US/Puerto Rico, MLS/USL/NASL situation makes it difficult for the passive soccer fan (let alone passive American sports fan) to access the tournament. Steps are being taken to consolidate the system in the USL/NASL - Second Tier area, but that still leaves the ambiguity of domestic leagues including multiple countries.

All of these things, (roster rules, sponsorship and fan interest, the inter-league structure of lower divisions), but it's all happening too slowly for my liking.
I've had lots of arguments, both face to face and through virtual media, about the speed of change and reform to American soccer. But when it comes down to it, I want to be able to cheer for my team in a system, both domestically and continentally, that doesn't short itself short while i'm still young. There are only so many years when it's socially acceptable to paint my face, wear my scarf, and chant along with other drunken shirtless fans in a stadium.