CITY VIEWS | A Tale of Two Cities

With the A-League and the European leagues finalising I’ve made the conscious decision to give the Major League Soccer (MLS) a crack in the off season.  Ideally I would be running around and watching some state league football but with an already chaotic schedule the MLS is a much more convenient football fix.

You can draw comparisons between the A-League and MLS with their closed ownership markets, no threat of promotion/relegation in the near future and a salary cap with marquee or designated players.  The American market is substantially larger and league is at a higher standard but you can see the similarities.

With an established link between Melbourne City FC and New York City FC through the ownership of City Football Group (CFG) it seemed on face value I had already inherited a team to support.

Whilst there is understandably some push back towards the CFG from Melbourne City fans after how the previous season ended and the inability to keep key players at the club we must also remember without the current ownership Melbourne City could potentially resemble Central Coast Mariners or Gold Coast United at this point in time.  Whilst impossible to say how Melbourne Heart would be faring without the CFG involvement we are all fully aware of how freely Heart was bleeding money in their first four seasons.

Whilst not sold on NYCFC I thought it at least a courtesy to the CFG who I believe saved my football club to give them first shot at being my MLS team to support.  When I say support, it’s more a passing interest than the unwavering support I give my current sporting teams.

I have now sat down and watched NYCFC a few times over the last month and have felt no real affinity towards the team.  Sure they are a good squad with some of the world’s biggest player’s football names in their shirt but their team feels all too manufactured for me.  I much prefer a team to grow organically attract real fans and not those interested in short term gains through a few big name players playing a few seasons.

There is also the David Villa factor that still has many Melbourne City fans offside.  The ten game guest stint that quickly became four is still a sticking point for many who question where the Melbourne club stands in the CFG thought process.  When the Spaniard was abruptly taken from AAMI Park and sent packing to New York for marketing purposes many rightfully felt let done by CFG and bridges were burnt between ever establishing a feasible fan base between the two clubs that fall under the same ownership.

It could also be the fact I cannot support a team playing out of Yankee Stadium, being a Red Sox fan.  Combine this with the fact Frank Lampard occasionally graces the pitch and it’s easier to find reasons why NYCFC isn’t the team for everyone.  Whilst CFG are prepared to buy into the US market the quality of players bought into the team will never be questioned but personally I just cannot support such a team.

So my search continues for a MLS team but even without one I must admit to enjoying the league.  The standard is a decent calibre and the league seems very competitive.  At the end of the day it’s not essential you ‘support’ a team in every league you watch, as long as the football in enjoyable.  For now the MLS will remain a passing interest and good filler for the winter months in Australia.

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