No, MLS is not JV soccer. It's basically a feeder league right now.
The top 5 leagues in the world have huge amounts of cash and revenue. They buy promising players from the lesser leagues. Trades are not really what goes on in soccer, it's straight out purchases of player contracts.
The New England Revolution sold Clint Dempsey to Fulham in England yesterday for about $4,000,000. The Ny Metrostars sold Tim Howard to Manchester United for about $3,500,000. That is the function of feeder leagues. If they scout enough talent, grow their market, sell enough players, they start to grow and become larger which is the hope here.
That was kind of my point by saying it was JV.
The JV is a "feeder league" to the Varsity...
like in hockey...the AHL feeds the NHL
So do you think Beckham was having a hard time fitting in in the big leagues? Sure he probably had a guaranteed spot on his team, but probably not the playing time and role on the team that he used to have...over here he's gonna be a BMOC so the move was kind of a no-brainer. Right?