6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DIARY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 3,2007
COMMENTARY
Regional matchups make league recognized, respected
D. C. United's disappointing elimination in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions
Cup at the hands of Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara in early April still weighs on the minds of players and coaches. That much seems obvious given the comments out of the United camp leading up to last Wednesday's Copa Sudamericana clash.
BY ANDREW WIEBEB
KANSAN COLUMNIST
AWIEBEB WIEBEB.COM
Conversations with reporters revolved around payback for preseason frustration and unfinished business between the two sides. Coach Tom Soehn went so far as to proclaim the existence of a rivalry between the two clubs after only two meetings.
It's a potential rivalry that benefi D.C. United, but Major League Soccer seems to be the true beneficiary. United's appearance in South America's second-most-celebrated club competition was the third time this season that clubs from Major League Soccer participated in a tournament with their regional contemporaries.
These forays into regional club competition mark the first step in make
ing MLS internationally recognized and, more importantly, respected. By participating in competitions like the Champions Cup, North American SuperLiga and Copa Sudamericana, MLS solves two of its most profound shortcomings a drawn-out and sometimes stagnant regular season, and the league's puzzling inability to draw the interest of the Hispanic fan base in the U.S. already consumed by soccer
The most glaring weakness of MLS's regular season format is the lack of meaning attached to each regular season fixture. Eight of the 13 clubs (soon to be 14 with the addition of a San Jose franchise) in MLS make the playoffs each year, meaning even the most mediocre
regional tournaments
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP
D. C. United has played in three regional competitions this year; the CONCAFAF Champions Cup, the SuperLiga and Copa Sudamericana. Within these competitions, MLS clubs face off against clubs from North and South America, such as the Mexico's Chivas de Guadalajara.
First held in 1962
Field includes two teams from MLS, two from the Mexican Prima Division, three from Central American leagues and one from the Caribbean
- Only MLS winners are the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1998 and D.C. United in 2000
- Top three finishers qualify for Copa Sudamericana
- Tournament has recently been dominated by Mexican clubs like last year's champion Pachuca, who defeated Chivas de Guadalajara in the championship game
NORTH AMERICAN SUPERLIGA
- Four clubs each from Mexican Primula Division and MLS compete for $1 million prize
- Begins in late July with a group
Begins in late July with a group
stage followed by two-leg semifinals and a single game to determine the champion
Currently all games are played in the U.S.
■ Pachuca were inaugural winners, defeating a David Beckham-less LA Galaxy on penalty kicks in the championship at the Home Depot Center
COPA SUDAMERICANA
clubs have a chance to walk away with the MLS Cup despite finishing in the bottom half of the table. Interest generated by season openers and the arrival of new talent can only sustain the league so long until Major League Baseball drives MLS news to the back page.
- Played among 34 CONMEBOL (South America) and CONCAF (North America) clubs
- Only the fifth year in its current format
- South American teams can play in both Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores, a higher competition among South American club teams
D. C. United qualified via third place finish in CONCACAF Champions Cup
Pachuca are the defending champions
Regional competitions add variety and intrigue that can pique even marginal interest throughout a tedious seven-month season that includes only 30 league fixtures and U.S. Open Cup competition, which few MLS clubs take seriously. Furthermore, clubs are often subjected to long breaks from action that leave serious gaps in the continuity of the season.
It's hard to imagine effectively holding the notoriously short attention spans of Americans when clubs have layoffs that can last more than two weeks. By filling these gaps with meaningful competition, MLS can ensure a variety of matchups that the 13-team league cannot generate. Fortunately for soccer fans in America, MLS recognizes the value these competitions provide and are taking steps to guarantee participation by its clubs.
In an effort to maintain interest during the critical summer months leading up to the MLS Cup, an eight-team competition featuring four clubs from both MLS and the Mexican Primera Division was created and dubbed the North American SuperLiga.
Organizers bet that capitalizing on the natural rivalry between the United States and Mexico, along with a hefty million-dollar prize, would create a competition that would be taken seriously on both sides of the Rio Grande. Although all the games for this season's edition occurred on American soil, the tournament and the concept behind it was a rousing success and may be the key to attracting support from the Hispanic fans that MLS has ineffectively marketed to in the past
The key to gaining Hispanic support for MLS is to exhibit the improved quality and talent of the league by competing against top teams from Mexico and South America. The incredible attendance at SuperLiga games, mostly in support of visiting Mexican clubs, shows Hispanic fans are willing to purchase tickets as long as they respect the participants. The true surprise in the inaugural SuperLiga was the success of MLS clubs. Three of the four semi-
finalists were MLS clubs, and although Pachuca finished as champion, MLS clubs were able to hold their own against their Mexican counterparts.
The victories accomplished something MLS public relations and advertising efforts cannot. Beating Mexican
powers like Chivas, Club America and Pachuca shows skeptical fans the quality of play is improving rather than them relying on media hype that has a fraction of the credibility that winning creates.
The only downside is the lack of games on Mexican soil. MLS clubs have
be seKUre
Women in Politics Study Group: Women in Lobbying
Host: Dole Fellow Jennifer Schmidt
http://www.besekure.ku.edu
Guests: Karen Marangi & Amy Blankenbiller
Wednesday, October 3 at 4 p.m.
at the Dole Institute
·free parking
·snacks provided
This week's panel will examine lobbying in DC and state legislatures, the importance of lobbying, and how women lobbyists achieve big results.
Karen is OF Counsel to Patton Boggs, a D.C. law firm, and former Counsel to the Senate Judicary Committee. Amy is a former D.C. based lobbyist and current President and CEO of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Amy also served as an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management; where she led lobbying.
failed to record a victory in games played in Mexico in the Champions Cup. D.C. United and the Houston Dynasty both squandered opportunities earlier this year. Without showing an ability to win in the unfriendly stadium environments of Mexico, true legitimacy in the eyes of Hispanic fans cannot be attained. Clubs must finish off Mexican clubs in their own backyards before respect can be truly demanded.
ROBERT J. DOLE INSTITUTE OF POLITICS The University of Kansas
MLS squads are showing that the influx of foreign talent has indeed impacted the quality of play domestically but must make that translate into international success to garner interest from Hispanic soccer fans dissatisfied with or uneducated about the current product MLS provides.
The modest success experienced by MLS clubs like D.C. United is a sign of the gradual improvement of the American professional game. MLS is realizing which strategies work and which do not. One of its most resounding successes is the introduction of international play throughout the season through the Champions Cup, SuperLiga, and to a certain extent, Copa Sudamericana. Not only are fans of all backgrounds given a respite from the monotonous MLS regular season but they are given international matchups previously unimaginable. Fans love rivalries, and the added intrigue international play presents is exactly what the league needs to propel itself from international pretender to a genuine option for soccer fanatics worldwide.
Edited by Rachael Gray
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