I don't shit on North American Soccer.
But I hate the MLS fans that act like if you're from North America that you can't root for a European club. I'm sorry if after all the football I've watched MLS soccer just doesn't appeal to me. It's the equivalent of you watching European basketball and then saying I'm a chump for liking the Lakers.
You want to know why I don't watch the MLS? It's because the standard of play is so low. That's the only reason. There are so many leagues I have to try and keep up with and I don't have time for leagues that aren't really playing top notch football.
My original point remains the same. Am I a glory hunter if I don't live in a market that has an MLS club? If you're American and you support a European club, does that automatically make you a gloryhunter?
I tried rooting for DC United, but I lost interest in that after about a month. The league has such insane rules with regards to contracts, and the way the leagues and titles are run have been Americanized to the point that I don't really see the point.
How many North Americans decide to root for non world class clubs? Very fucking few. You pick a top end side and run with it, you don't commit to something that needs to be built from nothing, you pick the winner wearing your favourite color and call it your own.
It's not that you can't root for one, but don't act as if you're some form of higher level fan because you cheer on a world class club that wins where you simply just picked them because they were a good team.
I sure know a fuck ton of Man U/Barca/Madrid/Man City/Arsenal/etc fans that like those teams because they are good. Is that not the definition of glory hunting or fucking what? It has nothing to do with the MLS, it's a matter of supporting a side for them being a winner at the time of your choosing.
Then again, why else would you choose a side? I guess it's not something you can really win unless you have another legitimate reason for it.
Regarding the MLS. It's not as poor as it's made out to be by followers of the best leagues in the world but that's simply a matter of opinion. It's good enough to be enjoyed which is really all that matters.
The "Americanized" comment is also an exaggeration and bit of ignorance as to why things have to be a certain way. The league would have folded shop before it's 10th birthday without the structure in place now. Markets and fanbases need to have dedication and history built up, if some owners came in with no limit to what they could do financially, most teams wouldn't be able to compete because there's not enough revenue for it.
I don't care if you don't like it, but to shit on it is completely retarded when you take pleasure out of what it's brought to the sport in this part of the world.
There's 6 or 7 MLS players on the US Gold Cup squad with a couple former MLS players who moved on to Europe. Would these players found their way on the US roster without having a league like the MLS available to play in? Or would they be still fighting for recognition in lower tier Europe leagues without MLS?