Submitted by Davila, Nov 1, 2007 03:32

The author of this article, like so many others, is totally missing the point. The popularity of soccer in this country has nothing to do with "soccer stars" from other countries transferring to the MLS. Everyone knows that the "Big Three"( Baseball, Football, and Basketball) receives all the nation's attention due to fact that they are sports that were born here and thus are very "American". Soccer is seen as more of a foriegn sport and hence will never receive equal status. I'll be the first to admit that soccer in this country has come a long way. But realistically, I cann't see it reach the higher levels of play that is seen in nations were soccer is king. We can pore all the money we want into the sport of soccer. But as long as soccer in the U.S. has to compete with the "big three" in every respect, you will never see packed stadiums where incredible soccer is being played. Mexican soccer stars are very aware of this reality and therefore have very little interest in playing in the U.S. So stop with the nonsense about the MLS not being interested in Mexican players. Don't fool yourself, they would love to have the likes of Ochoa, Gio Dos Santos , Vela, Guardado, Torrando, Rafa, Neri, Pavel, Osorio, Villaluz, Moralez, Magallon, and I could go on and on. The Mexican player dreams of playing in Europe, where they can make big money and also enjoy the prestige of playing at the highest level. Hernandez, Hermosillo, and even Blanco have only come to the MLS in pursuit of the mighty dollar. They understand that the MLS level of play is much lower than that of other leagues. But that reality works out well for players who are actually playing way past their prime. These players that have come to the MLS would have normally retired. But they saw an opportunity to make a quick buck and jumped at the chance. The MLS also knows and understands this fact. They are not so naive as to believe that these older players have come to the MLS for exposure or because of the level of competition. What they do understand and realize is that although Americans will not come to the games, the Mexicans fans just might in order to see their heros play their last games. In the end it's all about selling tickets.

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