Differencess in tactics between MLS and EU

[Unregistered]

I have not followed soccer for a very long time but it appears to me that MLS teams constantly just try to get the ball to the attacking third of the field as fast as possible. Passes tend to be long, risky passes and the ball is turned over very often. EU teams seem to be more patient, and focus more on possessing the ball while occasionally attacking quickly.

[Unregistered]

Agree that is the biggest difference. EU soccer is more enjoyable to watch as a result IMO.

I have not followed soccer for a very long time but it appears to me that MLS teams constantly just try to get the ball to the attacking third of the field as fast as possible. Passes tend to be long, risky passes and the ball is turned over very often. EU teams seem to be more patient, and focus more on possessing the ball while occasionally attacking quickly.

[Unregistered]

I have not followed soccer for a very long time but it appears to me that MLS teams constantly just try to get the ball to the attacking third of the field as fast as possible. Passes tend to be long, risky passes and the ball is turned over very often. EU teams seem to be more patient, and focus more on possessing the ball while occasionally attacking quickly.

MLS also has everyone fall whenever someone even comes close....Kinda like Neymer just without the talent or skill.

Fact is MLS is where EU people go to end their career. An MLS all star team with a year to prep would still be bottom 3rd in just about any major EU league.

[Unregistered]

Is there any MLS team that most resembles an EU style of play?

[Unregistered]

Is there any MLS team that most resembles an EU style of play?

I do not think so. MLS is pure athleticism and no thinking.

[Unregistered]

I do not think so. MLS is pure athleticism and no thinking.

That's unfortunate. There may be more fans if MLS adopts the EU style of play. I've also seen many youth clubs play the MLS style.

[Unregistered]

That's unfortunate. There may be more fans if MLS adopts the EU style of play. I've also seen many youth clubs play the MLS style.

People get pissy when games are low scoring. It would be like watching hockey with out the fights.

[Unregistered]

That's unfortunate. There may be more fans if MLS adopts the EU style of play. I've also seen many youth clubs play the MLS style.

when mentioning EU, there are a ton of different leagues, should I assume Hungary or Spain or EPL. even styles in leagues are totally different as well. MLS is just one of those leagues

[Unregistered]

You are comparing a 20 yr old league to leagues that have been around for over 100 years. It's not that they decided to play at a lower level it's that they can't play at a higher level. Until you have 15 yrs of proper youth development you won't see a difference.

[Unregistered]

You are comparing a 20 yr old league to leagues that have been around for over 100 years. It's not that they decided to play at a lower level it's that they can't play at a higher level. Until you have 15 yrs of proper youth development you won't see a difference.

Youth development should have taken off on the men's side back in 94 with the World Cup in the US and in the early 2000's for the women's side. Instead the men's is a shell of its former self and the women's is going in the wrong direction.

[Unregistered]

Well, the charitable way of describing what you are seeing is that MLS practices the US professional sports model known as parity, in which teams are restrained from vastly outspending each other and are more evenly matched. Theoretically this produces more attacking soccer because neither team fears much going at the other; whereas in European domestic leagues you are likely watching, the mismatches can be much larger and the strategy of at least one of the two teams you're watching in any given match is much more likely to be cautious and deliberate, trying to stay in the game as long as possible to steal a goal and perhaps a point from a tie, rather than being run out of the park trying to go toe-to-toe in an aggressive attacking style.

Of course you're also watching much better players in the European leagues you are probably talking about.

[Unregistered]

Well, the charitable way of describing what you are seeing is that MLS practices the US professional sports model known as parity, in which teams are restrained from vastly outspending each other and are more evenly matched. Theoretically this produces more attacking soccer because neither team fears much going at the other; whereas in European domestic leagues you are likely watching, the mismatches can be much larger and the strategy of at least one of the two teams you're watching in any given match is much more likely to be cautious and deliberate, trying to stay in the game as long as possible to steal a goal and perhaps a point from a tie, rather than being run out of the park trying to go toe-to-toe in an aggressive attacking style.

Of course you're also watching much better players in the European leagues you are probably talking about.

Thank you for the in-depth perspective. I'm a novice in soccer viewership so these are interesting points that I have to keep in mind when watching.

[Unregistered]

Youth development should have taken off on the men's side back in 94 with the World Cup in the US and in the early 2000's for the women's side. Instead the men's is a shell of its former self and the women's is going in the wrong direction.

Youth development takes off when clubs decide to invest serious money not when you have a world cup. You have to have kids practice at least 4x a week 2 hours per practice at 12 and up to start with. The training should increase as they get older and that had to be consistent for some time. You are just getting the first batch of youngsters product of this level of training. It's coming but it takes time.

[Unregistered]

Youth development takes off when clubs decide to invest serious money not when you have a world cup. You have to have kids practice at least 4x a week 2 hours per practice at 12 and up to start with. The training should increase as they get older and that had to be consistent for some time. You are just getting the first batch of youngsters product of this level of training. It's coming but it takes time.

The youngsters that are a product? *** are you smoking? The youngsters doing anything in EU clubs are the ones that have actually trained in EU clubs for years.

We have bottom feeder EU club players that dazzle people with "I went to this academy and even trained/coached at this academy" then come here and play minor league and get coaching jobs because they have an accent. I have family and friends in England and Italy, some even went to an academy and played same level as these coaches. It's a way of life over in EU. Kids with talent and skill get chosen to go to school to play. Kind of what the MLS does but on a much much larger scale. Until US Soccer starts having MLS, NWSL and other leagues participating in the fifa solidarity training compensation system the best clubs in the US will continue to have to have a pay for play system.

[Unregistered]

The youngsters that are a product? *** are you smoking? The youngsters doing anything in EU clubs are the ones that have actually trained in EU clubs for years.

We have bottom feeder EU club players that dazzle people with "I went to this academy and even trained/coached at this academy" then come here and play minor league and get coaching jobs because they have an accent. I have family and friends in England and Italy, some even went to an academy and played same level as these coaches. It's a way of life over in EU. Kids with talent and skill get chosen to go to school to play. Kind of what the MLS does but on a much much larger scale. Until US Soccer starts having MLS, NWSL and other leagues participating in the fifa solidarity training compensation system the best clubs in the US will continue to have to have a pay for play system.

The pay to play system has made “academy” teams worse. The coaches and clubs only care about wins. The more wins the more kids the more money. Just look at how badly PdA was beat by Barcelona. PDA was all kick and run and Barcelona was all Possession and passing.