Big Name Veterans Transferring to the MLS’s Big Market Cities
Over the past decade, Major League Soccer (MLS) has seen a huge influx of older stars from the most significant leagues in Europe. The most recent include Lorenzo Insigne to Toronto FC, Xherdan Shaqiri to Chicago Fire, and Giorgio Chiellini to Los Angeles FC. These big names are a huge positive for the MLS because there are more high-quality players playing and the overall watch appeal of the MLS not only in America but also all over the world is increasing. The only issue I see with the influx of these big name veterans is that they are all going to the same big market cities.
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Frank Lampard Playing for New York FC
The cities most of these players choose to go to are Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami. Obviously, there are a few exceptions but even Chicago is still a major city in America. Small market cities like San Jose, Cincinnati, and Colorado find it hard to persuade these superstars to come and play for them. LA Galaxy has repeatedly shown the ability to attract superstars including David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. The same can be said for LAFC and the New York teams. I do not fault the players for wanting to be in those places of what they can offer not only on the field but also the abundance of opportunities off the field.
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Cade Cowell Playing for San Jose Earthquakes
The issue this causes is the lack of younger player development in these cities. Academy prospects might not get the chance to play in these cities because a big name European star decided to come to the MLS. Other cities that do not have the ability to attract these players have to rely on their academy and youth. There have been many great players that have come from this strategy including Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps), Cade Cowell (San Jose Whitecaps), and Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders). It will be very interesting to see how the MLS continues to grow and evolve. Without a doubt, however, the MLS will improve and keep developing a high level of soccer.