This weekend will kickoff the 24th MLS season and once again, the league will expand into a new market. MLS is one of the fastest growing leagues in America, yet they are still finding it hard to gain respect in the American sports landscape. They are also finding trouble gaining respect in the world of soccer in general. The money isn't quite the same which makes it hard to bring in the world's top players. MLS uses a draft system to bring in new players which is different than the transfer market used worldwide. MLS also has a playoff to decide their champion, unlike most leagues that crown the team at the top of the standings at the end of each season. It's an Americanized version of the sport that the rest of the world has fallen in love with. That hasn't stopped cities from wanting in.
Cincinnati will enter this year with a new, bright and shiny toy. In the same year the Cincinnati Reds will be celebrating their 150th season in Major League Baseball (the oldest team in the league) FC Cincinnati will be celebrating their 1st season in Major League Soccer. This step up to the top tier came relatively quick for the club. Starting play in 2016, it was the 2017 season that caught the eye of the nation. FC Cincy made a deep run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as a second tier USL team. A run that involved beating two MLS teams, Columbus Crew in the round of 32 and Chicago Fire in the round of 16, before losing to the New York Red Bulls in the semifinals. The crowds that showed up to Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium broke records and were a huge part of why Cincinnati became the newest member of the MLS.
Cincinnati isn't the only city catching MLS fever. In 2015, NYCFC and Orlando City joined the league. In 2017, Atlanta United and Minnesota United were the new clubs. In 2018, LAFC joined. Cincinnati's 2019 entrance won't be the last. 2020 will bring in Miami and Nashville and 2021 will bring in Austin. To top that off, there are bids to enter the league in 2022 that include Detroit, Sacramento, San Diego and St. Louis. You may think adding teams in areas that already have teams would create some anger among the fanbases that already have a foothold, but it has actually had the opposite effect.
Growing up in Ohio, the team to pay attention to was always the Columbus Crew. The Crew were part of the original ten franchises in the inaugural MLS season of 1996. Bringing home the U.S. Open Cup in 2002 and the MLS Cup in 2008, Columbus represented the whole state and made all of us proud. The introduction of FC Cincinnati was met with mixed reviews in Columbus. The addition of a club in their own state could push the possibility of their club being relocated. Rumors turned into full blown reports that Austin wanted a team and the Crew could be the team to move. Once a new owner stepped in and washed away the fears of moving, Crew fans rejoiced and welcomed in Cincinnati with open arms. The once small watch parties for Crew games in Cincinnati have now hit social media with a bang. Close to 100 people have hit the "interested" button for a watch party of the Crew's first road match to New England. 100 may not seem like a lot, but you have to take into account that this is only one watch party, in Cincinnati's Over-The-Rhine neighborhood. Not a bar in Columbus.
Expansion into new cities has created a community. You can now talk soccer with more people than ever. The downside is, the MLS doesn't have the best talent. Americans are use to having the best of the best. Elite athletes from all over the world dream of making it to the MLB, NBA and NHL. MLS, on the other hand, struggles to grow and keep top talent. It's hard to compete with tradition and the fact of the matter is, Europe is the best place to play soccer. Americans like Christian Pulisic and DeAndre Yedlin have taken their talents across the pond. Meanwhile, MLS has seemed to become a landing spot for top talent to grab one last paycheck before ending their career. David Beckham started this trend by joining the LA Galaxy back in 2007. There was excitement around the signing of one of the world's top players, and even though we saw flashes of his brilliance, it was apparent that he wasn't what he use to be. Italian Andrea Pirlo did the same when he left Juventus and spent his last playing years with NYCFC. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney have now followed in their footsteps. They both still have immense talent, but we have seen what they were capable of when they were younger and we know they are past their prime.
The growing of the game should mean more money, though. More money means better talent. With that, comes more respect in the world of soccer. The more respect we receive, the better chance we have of, not only keeping our homegrown talent, but also reaching into other countries and taking their talent. Sadly, I don't believe we'll ever become bigger than European soccer. They are decades ahead of us in the way they grow their talent and bring players up through the ranks of youth leagues. Also, most of these teams are a huge part of the cities they play in. They are the main attraction. In Cincinnati, you are a Reds, Bengals, Musketeers, Bearcats, Cyclones and FC fan. In Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, you're a Newcastle United fan. There might be a rugby match that catches some eyes, but the whole city shows up to St. James' Park on gameday to watch their Magpies. It would be nice to at least be in the same ballpark as some of the teams in Europe.
Until then, we can enjoy what we do have. New teams that have the possibilities to create new rivalries. Houston and Dallas will soon have Austin to compete with. Columbus will have Cincinnati. Orlando will have Miami. Older rivalries that are becoming can't miss matches. Seattle and Portland. DC United and NYRB. Sporting KC and Minnesota. The league is the best it has ever been at this moment and the momentum doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. I, for one, can't wait to see what is to come. Of course I'll be wearing my Orange and Blue on gameday, rooting on my new team in Cincinnati.