Herculez Gomez explains why the Seattle Sounders shouldn't take their opponent for granted in the first leg of the CCL final. (1:02) Major League Soccer has always felt like a bit of a waste of time in its pursuit of becoming one of the best in the world. He said on the record that he expected that degree of growth to happen over the next 10 years. It was by 2022. He told Sky Sports that he believed we would. - MLS on ESPN+: Stream LIVE games, replays (U.S.)
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The root of the message was good, but the stated goal along with the self-imposed timeline invited an artificial way to measure success. There isn't a convincing way to position MLS as one of the best leagues in the world in the year 2022, even by the loosest definitions. The league failed because it did not meet its goal.
As much as the league failed, it was not because of the messaging strategy that set unrealistic expectations. He was less specific when asked in recent years.
Failure to achieve one silly objective isn't something that should be considered when measuring the league's progress MLS has taken significant strides in the past decade, including the advancement of its on-field product. It is a fact that any MLS observer can attest to and is supported by increased financial investment in player acquisitions and academy systems.
The most important layer of validation for MLS has remained elusive. The two-legged CCL final will start in Mexico City on Wednesday with the return leg in Seattle on May 4.
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On Saturday, April 30.
• Toronto vs. Cincinnati (3 p.m. ET)
• Montreal vs. Atlanta (4 p.m. ET)
• Columbus vs. D.C. (7:30 p.m. ET)
• New England vs. Miami (7:30 p.m. ET)
• Orlando vs. Charlotte (7:30 p.m. ET)
• Chicago vs. Red Bulls (8 p.m. ET)
• Kansas City vs. Dallas (8:30 p.m. ET)
• Colorado vs. Portland (9 p.m. ET)
On Sunday, May 1
• Nashville vs. Philadelphia (4 p.m. ET)
It is rare for an MLS team to make it this far. Real Salt Lake, Montreal, Toronto FC, and LAFC were the MLS teams that reached the final before the format of the competition changed. They all lost to teams from Mexico. The last time an MLS team hosted a CCL final in the United States was when Real Salt Lake hosted Monterrey in 2011.
It would be the first MLS team since 2000 to win a continental title if Seattle wins.
The Seattle club would be a good fit to break the MLS seal. They have been one of the league's standard bearers and have shown the potential of MLS. The Sounders have never missed the playoffs since joining the league. They draw more than 40,000 fans per game. They have four U.S. Open Cups and two MLS Cups. Since entering the league, no team has had as much sustained success as the Sounders.
The only way to measure MLS against other countries is for competitive games to take place and, for now, the only place that happens is in CCL play. The Leagues Cup, which will begin in 2023, has intriguing potential. One of the most important milestones in league history would be if MLS were able to overtake Liga MX atop a theoretical power ranking.
A victory by the Sounders would not achieve that on its own. Only 12 of 46 MLS teams have advanced through the CCL knockout rounds. There needs to be a period of MLS-over-Liga MX success at all stages of the competition before MLS can claim superiority.
This conversation has been going on for a long time. It has become an annual ritual in MLS circles.
Major League Soccer's global ambitions have never seemed worth taking seriously. It is difficult to be the best in the world without being better than the league in a country you share a border with.
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