2 votes

Where US Major League Soccer truly stands after its Club World Cup awakening

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  1. kovboydan
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    I was happy with how the MLS sides performed, especially given (1) the extreme difference in salaries between MLS and other leagues; and (2) that the three MLS sides in the Club World Cup are...

    For any team entering a global tournament that isn’t seen as a threat to contend, the prioritized side quest is to not be embarrassed. In a World Cup, each group’s minnow hopes to avoid what Thailand experienced against the U.S. women’s national team in 2019. Auckland City provided a perfect example, overcoming a brutal 10-0 thrashing in its opener against Bayern Munich to notch a famous draw against Boca Juniors in its final match.

    At a glance, MLS’s results leave a record with much to be desired: one win, three draws and six losses. In terms of competitiveness, however, the result shows a trio of teams that gave opponents a game almost every time. Lopsided results were largely absent. Before PSG routed Miami, only three of nine games saw an MLS team lose by two goals, and none by a greater margin.

    I was happy with how the MLS sides performed, especially given (1) the extreme difference in salaries between MLS and other leagues; and (2) that the three MLS sides in the Club World Cup are middle of the table teams domestically this year.

    2 votes