I don’t think as a team sport, the MLS is ever going to compete with the NFL, or MLB.
But more and more, Americans are following the Top-Flight European Leagues. And also support of the National Team is becoming more typical of support of the National teams around the world. Americans have bought the most WC tickets of any country outside of Brazil...actually this has been the case for the last few WCs.
What’s missing is that household name, that American “Messi” or “Ronaldo”. The one who can inspire young kids the pursue playing the game at the highest levels.
I think that’s the true.
That said, the MLS will remain profitable because it has found a way to bring football in line with American tastes without compromising the classic game.
There’s a lot of new talent. We’re not the best in the world to be sure but we’re getting there.
I come from an area where they’ve been playing soccer instead of football as the fall high-school sport for at least sixty years. Here are the two biggest problems with professional soccer that we don’t see at the high school level that leave me cold: “flopping” and other fakery on the field, and playing for two hours to a 0-0 tie, then deciding the game on 5 penalty shots.
I would also like to note that hockey and soccer are basically the same game, but hockey does not have these problems. Indeed, I’d say make it more like hockey: when you call a penalty on a guy, put him in a penalty box for five minutes or whatever. Two penalties, two guys in the box.