Major League Soccer deserves credit for recognizing the value in its teams playing in real international competitions — whether it is the Concacaf Champions Cup, SuperLiga, Copa Sudamericana or the forthcoming Concacaf Champions League (and maybe one day in the Copa Libertadores).
But saddling its teams with impossibly busy schedules, playing against teams in the middle of their seasons and with little depth on M.L.S. rosters is more of a Pyrrhic victory. (Note: D.C. United did win the Champions Cup and the Interamerican Cup in 1998.)
The latest example came Wednesday night when D.C. United lost to Pachuca of Mexico, and the Houston Dynamo, two-time defending M.L.S. champions, were dispatched by Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica in the Champions Cup semifinals. Sure, it would have been nice to see an M.L.S. club in the final, with a berth in December’s FIFA Club World Cup in Japan on the line. But do not forget — M.L.S. clubs are early in the 2008 season (even though these two have been training for several months and already played in Cup games) and were playing their fourth games in only 12 days.
What is the answer? Bigger rosters? Better scheduling? Changing the M.L.S. calendar to be in line with the international calendar (for example, not playing through the summer or on international “fixture” dates)?
All of the above? None of the above?
Perhaps an M.L.S. team will soon break through again and win another regional club competition. That day may come soon and the lack of success internationally has to smart at M.L.S. HQ in New York.
