Offsides!

Now Barca Trying To Get Into The Mix

There is something going on with MLS. Yes, it's the steady growth in tickets and fans. And yes, it does finally seem that more skilled players might be coming in then leaving. But there is an increasingly attractive quality about the league, not just only to sponsors and other players from across the world but for other clubs.

Real Madrid (Real Salt Lake) and Arsenal (Colorado) are two clubs off the top of my head that have partnerships with MLS teams. Why would an elite club form a MLS partnership?

-Growth in terms of revenue

-Increase fan base

-Stay competitive abroad in terms of revenue, fan base, and the game itself

-Spread their values and mentality that the club is so emphatic about

Personally, I don't necessarily mind these partnerships. MLS is trying to grow in America and this is a great way to spread the game. Real Salt Lake and Arsenal get to play in their sister clubs facilities and understand the intensity of the game that needs to be emanated here in America to the fans and players.

However, I do not like teams being called 'Colorado Arsenal' or 'Boston Barca'. Sooner or later these partnerships are not going to last. It is inevitable that the more MLS grows, the more money each team makes, the more these partnerships are not going to matter and other values will dominate the sister clubs values. But doesn't that make all this just so much more interesting?


article of influence here