So, when I opened my MacBook this morning, opened up Firefox, and perused soccernet.com for my daily soccer news, I was shocked to see Alexi Lalas comparing Major League Soccer (MLS) to the English Premier League (EPL). I mean shocked. Then, I remembered from whom this was coming: Alexi Lalas.
I remember earlier this year wondering if I was the only one noticing how foolish some of the things Lalas was saying were. For example, “England should not request Beckham for friendlies.” I thought to myself, “Is this guy serious?” Sadly, I realized he was after I read FIFA’s rebuff to Mr. Lalas. Essentially, FIFA reminded him that no player is bigger than football.
So I was not as shocked to see him make this comment. I mean, he was prodded by the English media; and, who wants to be shown up by the media? Indeed, I agree with some of the things he says, including his comparison to Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. And, in my opinion, Beckham at 32 is still one of the best players on the planet. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself if you can remember the last time England has done anything successful without their iconic right-wing. Can’t remember? Didn’t think you could. Beckham, even if he is past his not-so-steep peak, is still one of the finest footballers on the planet. He is also one of the most well-known.
But the MLS on par with the EPL? Come on, man. This one was just for giggles. Could you imagine seeing an MLS club, with its Project 40 players getting paid $12,700 (don’t believe me, look up their salaries), and no players above $1,000,000 (only New York Red Bull, Chicago Fire, and LA Galaxy have even a single player over $1,000,000) trying to take on an Everton (which was a relatively modest club even a few years ago) or a Charlton Athletic? Much less one of the more storied names in English football. And the parity and quality of football can well be difficult to appraise when watching football. For example, Leeds were in the Champions League semi-finals not 5 years ago–they are now in the League 1 after being relegated from the Championship. This type of vacillation, though not common, does well to instruct the casual viewer in the sometimes deceptive quality of Premier League teams.
So, while I can’t stand Alexi Lalas (NBA fans, read: Isaiah Thomas), let’s at least chalk this one up to his frustration with the English press.