Mexican teams may be rivals for MLS

[AreliusIII]

BY STEVE DAVIS
The Dallas Morning News

FRISCO, Texas - Major League Soccer, always looking for new ways to engage the nation's ever-growing - but sometimes soccer-snobbish - Latino audience, hopes to develop a high-profile annual competition involving MLS and the Mexican league.

MLS commissioner Don Garber is confident that an annual "Champions League" type competition, modeled after Europe's lucrative and celebrated intercontinental tournament, will start within five years.

Besides the splendor of the competition, it's all about gaining credibility within the Hispanic community, much of which sees Mexican soccer as clearly superior to the MLS brand.

"We believe our teams are far more competitive against international teams than many of our core soccer fans accept, and the only way we can achieve that credibility is to compete against them on the field," said Garber, in town for the board of governors meetings and Sunday's MLS Cup final.

League leaders are beginning to talk about possible formats that allow the competition to fit in the U.S. and Mexican soccer calendars and its economics, the commissioner said.

"We think it makes a lot of sense for us and for the Mexican division," Garber said.

The league's board of governors was scheduled to discuss several other important issues, including expansion and the adoption of rules that allow clubs to retain players developed within their youth systems.

Laporta headlines visitors:

Among the high-profile guests in Frisco this weekend is FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

The ranking official for the Spanish giants, one of the world's esteemed clubs, has been in Mexico City to oversee the opening of an FC Barcelona school.

Foreign clubs are gaining increasing interest in investing in the U.S. soccer market, through schools, potential team investment or player-sharing arrangements.

Representatives from five potential expansion markets are also in town: Philadelphia, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Atlanta and Tulsa.

[Jim Umber]

Good artical. Thanks for posting.

I've noticed that a lot of the latinos I've talked to are soccer snobs, too. I agree that the way to get over that, is to beat them often enough to prove that we can. And that means playing them much more often. And not friendlies where they send all their second and third string players and then have a perfect excuse if they get trounced.

Besides, how great would it be to have an American Champions League. Only thing is, how would they pay for themselves and not take away support from the MLS? I don't know how it works in Europe, either, though.

[kc_13]

I think this is a good idea, imagine having teams like Pumas, america, and others playing against REal, quakes, etc.
I find this idea quite interesting!!

what do u think?
imagine some away games in the AZTECA!
woah! sounds fun to me!
:signrocko