MLS Live Subscription renewed

I know I have a critical eye towards MLS and it's level of play. However, that doesn't mean I'm not going to support the league when I can so that it can grow. Yesterday I got an announcement to renew my subscription to MLS Live at the price of ~$65. I did the math and determined that it's $7/month of the season. This being January it actually comes out to $5.42/month. Is that worth it? In my opinion yes.

This season we are seeing a lot of the US Mens National Team play in MLS. While not a top level league, those players are going to get tons of minutes and will have the chance to hone and improve skills that they wouldn't get sitting the bench in La Liga or the BPL. I still don't believe it is the best move to have our best players here. There is a lot to be said for the having players at the right club level when the World Cup comes around.

The only bummer about the package is the blackout rules. Now I'm lucky in a way as I don't live in an MLS market. This means there aren't any local blackouts. But there are national blackouts for games on ESPN, NBCSN, FOX Sports 1, etc. At some point this will change. The nice thing about the package is that I can watch those games at a later date if I so choose.

The taste I got from MLS Live last year has led to this renewal. I may even try my hand at doing weekly recaps of the games and commentating on what I see and how the league may or may not be progressing. Of course I would have to find the time to do this, but hey sleep is highly overrated so it might just work out.

For those of you who are looking to help grow the sport of soccer in our country I encourage you to strongly consider subscribing to MLS Live and seeing the league. If you, like I, have cut the cable, then MLS Live is a good way to see games live and catch up on games you might not be able to watch otherwise. I enjoy having it.

US Best Players Coming to MLS

If all the rumors are true, then the best players in the US Mens National team are coming home. Except for goalkeepers, US soccer stars have a hard time staying in the top leagues in Europe. One only has to look at Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey to see that our best just doesn't seem to cut it over the pond. However, that doesn't mean that all our best players should come home.

MLS is a mediocre league at best. I don't think anyone would argue with that. Even with the infusion of English stars past their prime and America's best players, it will still be a mediocre league. Will I renew my subscription to MLS Live? Yes, absolutely, it is money well spent. It also allows me to make judgements on MLS' play vs other leagues in the world.

The bigger problem is with the US Mens National team. If our best players only play in a mediocre league than, in my opinion, we will only be good enough to get out of the group stage at the World Cup. We will NOT get past the round of 16. Other teams will have multiple players that play in the world's best leagues and there is no way MLS can compete with that.

I want to see the US get to the finals (not necessarily win it all) in my lifetime. However, if our boys can't make it in the best leagues in the world, then we will not get there. If they choose to follow the example of Landon, Clint, and now what looks like Jozy Altidore and Mix Diskerud, we will have them at home. That might be good for MLS, but it will be bad for the US Mens National team.