Alexi Lalas makes some excellent points in his discussion with the Guardian, but it is obvious the British media wants to turn him into a laughing stock, and make him appear to be the stereotypical American. Check out the entire interview:
http://football.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,330046416-103,00.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
Lalas is correct. The British media is insular and doesn't recognize the superb skill levels of teams abroad.
Sing on brother Alexi. The eurosnobs who are based out of London have never watched an MLS match nor understand the quality we posses. They've never seen the Mexican league and the intensity and quality there. They have never seen Boca-River Plate or any action from Brazil. In Europe they are dismissive of Holland and Germany the two leagues that actually develop young talent.
The EPL as I have said over and over again on this site which itself is filled with eurosnobs that stay glued to Setanta Sports and read the Guardian is nothing more than a clever marketing scam. How many English teams have won the Champions League in the past 18 years? ONLY TWO, and both needed miracles to do so. For those counting at home that's as many continental titles as MLS club teams have. What exactly have the mighty English done in the World Cup? What have they done in the Euro Championships? What do EPL clubs do when they go abroad? How many English players excel in top leagues abroad? Thanks to these obnoxious type articles I amke it clear that I support Estonia, Israel, Croatia, Brazil, Ecuador, Portugal or whomever else the self indulgent English face in a international match.
The truth is plain to see. English Football is nothing more than a cleverly packed product which serves to mask its inferiority.
Juan Pablo Angel struggled at Villa last year and yet now he has scored 10 times in 8 games since joining the Red Bulls. What do that tell you?
While Lalas is a clown he actually makes some reasonable points here. First off several EPL players like Terry Cooke, Steve Guppy Paul Rideout and Mark Wilson have come and been totally outclassed. Secondly, in terms of player development the EPL is one of the worst leagues in the world. That's why teams in the league loan out the young potential starts in the squad to league one and league two sides.
Lalas is a freaking joke!
Sams, if you hate Europe and England so much why don't you just become an Amera-snob promoting baseball, american football, the NHL and worst of all Major League Lacrosse. Without Europe and specifically England, real football wouldn't be the world's sport.
Have you seen the war this set off on the Guardian website? Good god, either you are for the EPL or for the MLS but not both. Typical George Bush rhetoric although honestly the EPL is the "bush league" in this instance.
While the headline made Lalas look foolish the direct quotes made him appear to have an inate knowledge of the game both in the UK and abroad. Lalas is right to poke back at the snobs in Britain who have attacked MLS without a break since January and whose snobbish commentators have not once before watched an MLS match.
I listened to a recent EPL Talk podcast where the guest was a writer for Football 365 who had written similar nasty things about MLS until he came here on vacation and realized the quality of play wasn't quite as bad as he had been led to believe. I think that is very telling.
I actually understand what Lalas is saying about competitiveness. At the start of every MLS season, almost any team could have a chance at the title, which is the definition of competitive.
And if anyone has lasted a whole match between Wigan and Middlesborough you are stronger than I.
A Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew game is much more entertaining than another Man U or Chelsea thumping, oh the drama.
While many of Lalas points were spot on, he has become a lightning rod of sorts, a poster child for all the europeans think is laughable about American soccer and MLS.
I'd like to see some EPL teams play a majority of their season in 90+ degree heat on dry grass/turf and then we can compare the play.
Due to the climate, England rarely has a dry day with temperatures in the high 80's let alone 90's. The pitch is always wet and often times mushy.
The EPL game is (at times) faster, but rarely are they more creative.
Like the UK media, the league and its fans are very much into themselves and love to point fingers outwards. Pot calling the kettle black... Lalas makes some positive points, but all in all is a moron looking to stir things up and salvage his investment in Becks (pufter). One cant compare the MLS to the EPL on a league basis. Perhaps on a team by team basis, yes there are similarities. But look at the $pending done in Europe. Does it really equate to a far superior league? If the MLS had the cash, every big name player in the world would come and play here... Just like baseball, basketball, and hockey. The best players all come to America. Face it Europe, we still produce the best athletes in the world no matter how much you protest.
Dont get me wrong, I still favor waking up on Saturday morning to watch Chelsea play than spending a lazy afternoon at 4::00pm to watch RSL.
Funny, Lalas' remark about foreign critics being ignorant about MLS is almost a direct quote of mine from the first MLS Talk podcast.
Unfortunately, he didn't take my advice in last week's episode to keep his mouth shut.
He has succeeded in getting MLS some press across the pond, but why start a culture war? He could have gotten his point across without being so inflamatory.
Surely he doesn't speak for all of Major League Soccer. Where is Don Garber in all of this?
(Hiding probably.)
Screw the brits. "they know no world outside England," is a 100% correct statement.
So we now know USA 2010 is Michael Haley. And Michael, yes Lalas does owe you royalties!
If you click on USA2010, you can find out more about me.....
Post a Comment