Major League Soccer wise to expand here
John Gambadoro
azcentral.com
Feb. 12, 2007 12:26 PM
If last week's international soccer match between the United States and Mexico at the University of Phoenix Stadium was any indication, the MLS (Major League Soccer) may want to seriously consider expansion in Arizona.
Before a record sell-out crowd of 62,462, the United States defeated its rival, 2-0, in a well-played, exciting and intense match. But more importantly, fans made a statement that soccer can work in Arizona. Granted, a vast majority of the population was Hispanic and rooting for Mexico. Nonetheless the game couldn't have played out any more perfectly for those who want to bring a professional team to the Valley. And from a television standpoint, the 0.7 rating (1.1 million viewers) that ESPN2 pulled for the game was the most watched U.S. game outside of the World Cup.
While this market may be flooded with sports already, soccer could find a successful niche if it is done right. Now there are plenty of fringe sports in this state that will never have the success necessary to warrant keeping them here. The WNBA, Arena Football League, National Lacrosse League and the East Coast Hockey League are all struggling to draw fans to games and get media coverage in a market that already boasts the four major sports, plus a major university.
But with the arrival of David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the timing may never be better for Arizona to attempt to bring soccer to the state. There are currently 13 teams in the MLS, with Toronto making its debut this season. Each team plays 30 games between April 7and Oct. 21. This year every MLS game will be televised, many of them nationally on ESPN2, HDNet and the Fox Soccer Channel. Because of the excitement surrounding Beckham, 26 of the Galaxy's games will be on national television.
Arizona is a hotbed for soccer. With a climate that allows the game to be played year-round and several excellent clubs in the state, the level of soccer being played at the high school and club level has never been better. One problem may be the summer months and whether fans will attend games when it is 110 degrees outside. Night games would have to dominate the schedule in July, August and September.
As a parent of a club soccer player, I like thousands of other parents took my daughter to the USA-Mexico match. The atmosphere at the game rivaled anything you would find at a Super Bowl, World Series or NBA Finals. Again, much of that was due to the passionate Mexican fans who brought their horns, beach balls and love of the game. For people like me who were experiencing an international match for the first time, you had to come away impressed with how the whole thing came off. And to be able to share that experience with your child created a memory that will last a lifetime.
Now no one should expect that same atmosphere if a MLS team comes to town. That will not happen. Not even close. And an MLS team will not fill the University of Phoenix Stadium. If an MLS team comes to Arizona, it would first need to build a stadium to seat around 25,000 people. The Galaxy plays at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, a 27,000-seat, state-of-the-art multipurpose stadium that cost $150 million to build. The facility also has a tennis stadium and track-and-field facility.
So anyone wanting to purchase a team for Arizona better come in with the mindset that a new facility is essential - maybe the site of the old Coliseum around 19th Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix. As for the team, it would be wise to cash in on the Hispanic population here and lure a few good Mexican players to the team. That could be a major selling point to the Hispanic community. Also find a way to get Pablo Mastroeni of the USA team to play in his hometown, so there is a local flavor. Another way to sell the team is to market it to parents like me. . Soccer is an extremely popular sport at the youth sports level. Both boys and girls play the game.
A youth basketball player can idolize Steve Nash, a football player Anquan Boldin, a hockey player Jeremy Roenick and a baseball player Connor Jackson. Parents can take their kids to see those sports here, and those kids can have role models in the sports they play. The soccer players in Arizona may know Landon Donovan or Abby Wambach, but they don't get to see them play. An MLS team in Arizona would lure thousands of parents to the stadium so their children can watch soccer at a high level and so there kids can have role models in the sport.
Soccer is truly a major sport, played all over the world. It is an exciting, physical sport and when played at its highest level is quite amazing to watch. The talent level in the MLS is not comparable to the European leagues, where the best players in the world suit up. But if other players follow Beckham's lead and come to America the sport would benefit.
The MLS has grown slowly not wanting to make the mistakes that the North American Soccer League made when it had one dominant team in the New York Cosmos and flamed out due to expansion and high salaries.
The league will be very careful not to overkill the Beckham signing. But if want to expand -- and will, Arizona is worthy of a team. If nothing else the USA-Mexico match should be played every year in Glendale, Arizona to bring exciting soccer to the Valley. But the timing may be right for Arizona to have a team of their own in a sport that just might be ready to hit the mainstream.
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