Globally criticised for its inability to popularise the nation more grossly then its ball playing counterparts, Major League Soccer is a strong and growing league with some world-class football on display. Well that’s when comparing it to the A-League at least.
Australia is one of the biggest sporting nations in the world but unfortunately can’t draw much global appeal to its major sporting leagues in comparison to the likes of the United States. The AFL seems to lack the demand of of an international crowd and rugby league will never successfully expand outside of the Oceania – despite North America’s best attempts.
The NBA and NFL on the other hand are globally supported sporting powerhouses and are both larger than the English Premier League – the most popular league in football – in revenue.
So what’s holding the MLS back? Nothing – it’s an incredible league in the world’s fastest growing sport that happens to be in an already domestically saturated sports market.
The difference between the market that the A-League falls into is no different. It’s just on a much smaller scale, or the poor man’s version. How can the A-League grow and attract superstars when it’s biggest sports and sporting leagues have been caged by its borders?
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
The A-League kicked off in 2005 and was part of Australia’s golden era of football, where the nation was brought together by a successful World Cup campaign in Germany – the Socceroos’ second ever World Cup qualification. Football’s popularity during this period was high but proved to be somewhat of a craze.
Despite the league’s best efforts, growth and popularity have slowed and – after observation – you can’t help but to see it as much more than a glorified National Premier League. Not even Western Sydney Wanderers’ triumphant AFC Champions League campaign could do much to help the situation, but the same unfortunately can’t be said of the MLS – after even the smallest glances.
The A-League has had 11 out of 14 championships shared among only three teams in some anti-climatic grand finals. The MLS on the other hand has crowned 14 champions in 25 years – an indication on the depth of quality instilled in the league.
Average attendance in the A-League stands at 12,756 for the current period compared to 21,310 in the MLS, with Atlanta United FC averaging an astonishing 52,510 alone – meaning more money and more potential.
The US has a much bigger market to appeal to leading to billionaire investment, state of the art stadiums, facilities and a much more lucrative career for its players.
This in itself has attracted the likes of David Beckham, David Villa, Frank Lampard, Sebastian Giovinco and Zlatan Ibrahimović to name only a few. Player quality like this is becoming a regularity in the MLS and it’s doing wonders for the league’s popularity.
Until Australian sport can lure in some international popularity and overseas investment, it would seem that the A-League will – as unfortunate as it is – remain stagnate.
Kyle
Guest
You made that up MLS TV viewership is higher than that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Soccer_on_television
Kyle
Guest
Where did you find those made up numbers lol? MLS numbers are higher than that. See for yourself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Soccer_on_television
MLSEXY
Guest
The MLS is a shadow of the league it could be. The US is a rich country with lots of resources and people. It could rival the EPL if it wanted to, the only thing it lacks is the same history. The only thing stopping the US from being a global football power is their lack of football culture and their insistance of following a franchise model rather than the FIFA model. There is not telling how big the MLS would be with pro/rel attached. It would transform the sport over their, it would suddenly make ever game count and their football would be the better for it. Lets hope they dont go that route, they are arrogant enough as it is and if they ever said they were "World Champions" in sokhah, it would actually mean something this time.
rolly
Guest
we are not the MLS can never be the MLS we just don't have the population or the money in the game the USA does . being a much smaller country in population we need to increase the amount of teams if we want to unearth our own stars don't worry about being the number one sport just grow the game and grow the league .next year half the comp will be with teams based in two cities that's just pathetic it does not have national appeal neither of those two cities can sustain three teams each time will tell . grow the league to 16 teams as a priority include new regions new cities Wollongong Canberra fremantle another Brisbane team for starters the league needs to grow expand into new markets soccer rich regions. The A-League has had 11 out of 14 championships shared among only three teams . this statement alone tells you things need to change to grow the sport the game the league .there is just too few teams its too predictable a competition even with twelve teams next year still not enough as six of those teams will be from sydney and melbourne thats half the comp that's not growing thats cannibalising the league and its boring because there are too few teams .
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The problem in the MLS is they spend their money inefficiently and are naive tactically, while in football even a 20 million dollar a year team is nowhere near world class it should be able to win in Concacaf. Getting big names is good only if you can talk it up. You have some Chinese and Middle East teams paying crazy money but at least they have won some continental titles and they have the restriction of only so many foreign players. Not only do USA get 4 teams into Concacaf champions league they have only Mexico who are in their financial league and they have not won one champions league. Compare this to the ACL you have Japan, Korea,China,Saudi Arabia ,Iran, UAE, Qatar ,Uzbekistan all with big money. A-league has different problems an obsession with excessive tactics notably the combination of the Ange philosophy with old foreign players has seen ACL performances nosedive. Now you have the back three craze with wing backs like following a fashion trend. The A-league its now preferrable to lose playing old past the hill foreign players than winning with players that you can sell off. In Europe the lower clubs cant afford to provide older players with retirement packages, they would all be broke as well without the champions league subsidy. Because the lower leagues have only one team in the champions league dont get the delusion they are producing all the talent, what happens is the club in the champions league buys the players off the other clubs because it has the showcase.
Punter
Roar Rookie
I think you have your facts wrong there. Football (not A-League) is only behind Rugby league in NSW. Football (not A-league) on way behind AFL only in Victoria.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Fad let me help you. Nigeria 190 Million Tunesia 11.5 million Tonga 109 Thousand.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Interesting that you say Australia's A-League should be like a list of pathetic countries that you list above! Your ignorance Sir, is Amazing!! Comparing Australia to those you mention on the metric you seem to deem important. Churning out top quality players which allows said nations to qualify for the World Cup. World Cup Qualification Streaks 4: Australia (2006, 2010, 2015, 2018) 1: Sweden (2018) - Failed to qualify for Brazil 2014. Pathetic. 1: Denmark (2018) - Failed to qualify for Brazil 2014. Pathetic. Couldn't even beat the WORST Australian team in two decades at the 2018 World Cup! Just awful. 0: Austria - Hasn't even qualified for a World Cup since the 1990s!! Pathetic. 0: Norway - Hasn't even qualified for a World CUp since the 1990s!! Pathetic. And these are the countries you think Australia needs to emulate? Geez. I'd say failing consistently - for decades - to qualify for the World Cup is something Australia has now MOVED PAST!! Back to the Past - no thanks Nem.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Very strange article talking up the merits of the MLS. The MLS is an absolute joke of a league. Only tired and old players well past their prime go and ply their trade in the MLS. The MLS is going nowhere fast and wouldn't rate in the Top 20 Football Leagues in the world!! All that and in the country with the world's largest economy! A joke.
Ad-O
Guest
You laugh because you are a fool that is antipathetic to the history and culture of Australian sport. Unfortunately for you, we are not Asia or Europe. Any attempt to make the A-League in an image that is not uniquely Australian will doom it to be forever to be a marginal sport in Oz. Maybe that would suit you.
Zoran
Guest
In the end it is hard to turn down silly money, the league had no choice but to accept the offer from Fox. As for free to air there is little to suggest that there is an appetite from a FTA network to cover more than one game and there definitely isn’t anywhere near the money that Fox offered. The league and teams will need to start thinking how they will operate in a post Fox Sports world come 2023
Anthony Abreu
Roar Guru
You got me!
Anthony Abreu
Roar Guru
Haha ????
Steve
Guest
What holding the a league back is the lack of a proper free to air deal witch may bring a potentially greater exposure? Not criticising what fox has done for the league but it needs more exposure.
Nemesis
Guest
"we dont have to mindlessly ape our favourite leagues in Europe in an effort to build a weak and embarrassing facsimile" I laughed and I laughed. The whole premise of this article is "mindlessly aping the MLS". And Ad-O solemnly tells us to "mindlessly ape the AFL & NRL". Wow. This is a whole new level of stu pid.
yonty
Guest
Possibly still at High School and never actually plays football other than on the video games. on the video games :laughing: Ok, boomer.
Nemesis
Guest
Had a quick glance at the writer's previous articles. He's just another EPL fanboy. Possibly still at High School and never actually plays football other than on the video games. No one reads his articles on EPL so he's realised the only way to get attention is to criticise ALeague.
Fadida
Roar Rookie
Well said Zoran
Fadida
Roar Rookie
No-one is suggesting the standard is anything like "world class". Most EPL teams aren't remotely "world class" despite budgets of hundreds of millions of dollars. Given the focus of your previous articles (top tier glamour clubs that the kids follow), I'd suggest you don't watch much A-league and that your opinions are based on guess work. The A-league is probably a 3rd tier competition quality wise, and no A-league fan pretends otherwise. But so is the MLS. You're trying to denigrate the league by comparing it to a country with another 200 plus million inhabitants. Crowds around half of the MLS for 1/10 of the population actually shines favourably on the A-league. Suggesting it is NPL level is misinformed and suggested a gross ignorance from your POV, as does the "anticlimactic " finals comment.
Fadida
Roar Rookie
What's the population of Nigeria again?