The Growth of MLS and the Influx of Stars

      On July 21^st, 2007, nineteen cameras were focused on one of the world’s most iconic athletes, superstars and role models as he made his professional debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy. That man is David Beckham.  This hype, of course, was well deserved. Although many Americans may not have been soccer fans back when Beckham ventured to the United States, a five year $250 million dollar deal is going to turn heads and draw speculation no matter what the subject is.  Beckham left renowned Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the summer of 2007, and the rest is history.

       Looking back, over the past 7 years, the influence of Beckham’s move to America and playing for a Major League Soccer (MLS) team can be widely debated. However, in terms of gaining fan popularity, the notable increase in other European players coming to the US and the expanding number of professional teams in the MLS, it is safe to say Beckham’s impact on the growth of the sport in the U.S. has been prodigious. In 2012, an ESPN poll determined that soccer was America's second-most popular sport for those aged 12-24, with the NFL listed as most popular. And on May 7^th 2014, an ESPN poll showed that MLS equaled popularity with Major League Baseball among kids. For a league that hasn’t even had its 20^th season yet, MLS is making serious strides. And there is no evidence of this growth slowing anytime soon.

      

       Recently, MLS announced the establishment of its 20^th team, New York City FC, that is expected to begin playing in the 2015 season. The team’s first signing, 32 year old Spanish striker David Villa, has won a World Cup and a European Cup with Spain. And if that initial signing wasn’t enough to kick start NYFC on the right path, the signing of Frank Lampard, a prominent English Footballer who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, surely will bring excitement, hype and popularity to US soccer fans. An additional team being added to MLS is one thing, but to have two world class stars with immense experience playing at the highest level, such as Villa and Lampard, be among the club’s first few signings proves that the league’s talent pool is continuing to expand and is clear evidence that the game itself is flourishing here in the States.

Prior to 2007, less than 100 European players had been playing in the MLS. Since 2007, the year Beckham arrived in the US, over 160 European players have made the move to MLS. Also, over 100 different nationalities have been represented in the MLS, proving its diversity, which is essential to attracting talent from all over the world and a key to the league’s long term success. 

       The talent that the US national team displayed at the 2014 World Cup and the excitement the team generated seemed to signal to the world that the US is not far off from becoming a dominant force in world soccer. The influx of talent and stardom to the MLS as well as the growing popularity of the sport reveal the positive direction in which American soccer is headed. With all of this progress made in a league only in its 19^th season, one can only imagine the heightened quality of the league in another 19 years. And with a world class soccer league in the United States, the perfect platform would be set for America to truly be a contender to win the World Cup! 

A World Cup to be Remembered: Yet the Most Important Issue Lacks Proper Attention

The 2014 World Cup will go down in history as one of the greatest World Cup tournaments ever, for so many different reasons. The tournament displayed everything: attacking soccer at its finest with an average of 2.7 goals per game, Suarez biting his Italian opponent Giorgio Chiellini, the dazzling skills of Neymar and Messi, James Rodriguez proving his worth as a rising star. Upsets. Yellow cards. PKs. Controversial calls. It was all there, and will be talked about for years to come. Except there was one issue that appeared to receive a little bit of attention, but was quickly washed away in the ensuing excitement of the tournament: concussions and proper medical attention.

From the beginning of the Cup this issue was brought to light. During Uruguay’s group stage match against England, Alvaro Pereira was knocked unconscious, clearly suffering a concussion. Yet, as the medical team was assessing him, he shooed them away, as the need to finish the game and fulfill his “warrior” status for his team weighed superior to his health. What player is not going to try and fight to stay on the pitch and play for his country on the biggest stage in world soccer? That’s exactly the problem. The player should not be the one to give the jurisdiction that they are healthy enough to continue playing.  Adrenaline, pressure, nerves and the excitement that a player experiences in the heat of a match contribute to their ability and desire to play through anything, as if they are invincible.

Taylor Twellman, former U.S soccer star whose career was cut short after suffering a serious concussion, was one of many who conveyed the importance of concussion protocol. A prominent analyst and commentator of the tournament, Twellman voiced his opinion on the matter loudly and clearly via television and social media, even tweeting at FIFA president Sepp Blatter,  “Hey ‪@SeppBlatter let me know when you want to address head injuries in our game. Pereira should've been taken off. Has to stop. ‪#URUvsENG” The controversy ensued following the game, with writers, analysts and fans alike discussing the matter and the need for change. Yet, the issue seemed to dwindle down as the tournament progressed, despite the multiple head injuries endured from the group stages to the final.

And on came the World Cup Final, where Germany faced Argentina in a thrilling match that wasn’t settled until extra time, where Mario GÖtze displayed a piece of magic, trapping a ball from André Schürrle on his chest and volleying the ball past Romero into the side netting. Brilliant. And no doubt, the goal dubbed all of the headlines following the game. However, two serious incidents occurred during the game, which continued to be neglected. Concussions.

In the 17th minute, German midfielder Christoph Kramer suffered a heavy blow to the face in a collision with Argentina defender Ezequiel Garay. It was evident to anyone watching that he appeared disoriented and concussed. His medical staff addressed him, yet he continued to play for 14 minutes before being subbed off in the 31^st minute, clearly unable to continue. Gonzalo Higuain also received a serious knock to the head on a collision with German goalie Manuel Neuer, yet received no attention. (video of Higuain can be viewed here) http://thebiglead.com/2014/07/13/gonzalo-higuain-was-leveled-by-manuel-neuer-during-world-cup-final/

The scare of suffering concussions and secondary concussions is not properly addressed by FIFA and continues to present a hazard to players at all levels. The professionals at the World Cup are the role models of millions of young soccer players, who act and base their performance off of their favorite players. So what is a young boy going to do when he gets a concussion in the finals of his local tournament? Pereira played on after getting hit. Kramer played on for a little as well after being knocked in the head. Of course, the boy will probably play on, or at least try to. The ripple effect of the players at the highest professional levels has a serious impact on the youth and rest of the world. For concussion protocol to be effective, it must start at the professional level and be followed in every league and every nation. And for those who protest that this is an unwanted change to soccer and isn’t “traditional”, look at the changes being made in modern soccer. We now have goal line technology, so why not have concussion protocol?

FIFA must take a step in order to alleviate this issue and promote player health and safety as the number one priority. Whether it is a 2-minute test given to a player on the field after suffering a head injury, a temporary substitution or cognitive computer test, something must be done. In a world as technologically advanced as we live in today, there is no excuse why the causes, effects and symptoms of concussions are not properly addressed.