Unless you have been under a rock or in a "safe space," you know that Virat Kohli is widely considered one of the world's greatest athletes. Kohli has put forth a series of astounding batting displays to lead India to an easy series victory over England, showcasing why Team India is the No. 1 Test cricket team in the world. Even people who hate Kohli love him.
A topic of debate in sports bars from Mumbai to Manipur is imagining how great India would be at football if top-level cricketers like Kohli played the sport instead. It is well known how India practices football in their training sessions, after all.
Seasoned United States fans have heard this before. American football superstar Odell Beckham has stated that he would have played for Real Madrid or Barcelona if he stuck with the sport he dominated as a child, choosing instead to stay in the States since he claims he didn't want to leave his family.
Both India and the United States have professional leagues in which the best players tend to be over 35 years old. MLS commissioner Don Garber claims that his league can produce the next Christian Pulisic yet still trumpets Frank Lampard's impact on the league. Supporters of MLS brag that the stadiums are first-rate and fans are enjoying the matches - even though the championship was won by a team without a shot on target for a 120-minute match.
There is little question that MLS-level caliber of football can also be produced in India's Super League. Players such as John Arne Riise, Florent Malouda, Lucio, Diego Forlan and Mohamed Sissoko all operate there, and the eight-team league is thriving.
That number eight should be noted since only major Indian cities have clubs for a three-month season. Unlike the expansion of MLS to almost 30 teams, soccer in India is getting light exposure in order not to water down the league. In that sense, an IPL team probably has the same amount of quality as MLS and attendance has averaged over 27,000.
It's not hard to imagine India's football league soon topping MLS since the goal is to eventually compete with the Japanese league as the best in Asia. The J-League's credentials can't be questioned after Kashima Antlers took Real Madrid to extra time in a spirited display in the Club World Cup championship.
That's the same competition in which CONCACAF champion Club America were hammered by a jet-lagged Real Madrid in the video below. Of course, no MLS team has had the quality to oust a Mexican team to gain entry to the event so it shows where the league truly ranks in the pecking order of football. This week was proof that MLS is no match for the J-League.
India has two teenage footballers as trialists in Spain so the real question is whether the next Virat Kohli will choose the sport rather than cricket. It's a tough call in India since cricketers get fame, fortune and the best Bollywood models, much like American football players in the States. It's worth watching how much football develops in India and the United States as they vie for the status of having the best 35-and-over league in the world.
Bias aside, are you sure the J-League is better than the K-League?
ReplyDeleteSouth Korea has 11 AFC CL titles and five runner-ups, whereas Japan is at five and three respectively. Japan didn't even have a team in the quarterfinals last year and haven't had a team in the finals since 2008. A South Korean side has appeared in six finals since 08, winning four of em. Jeonbuk is the current champs, and Korea has held the higher point total in seedings in 2015, 2016 and 2017, with 2018 seemingly likely as well.
Well if you notice the argument wasn't between the J-League and K-League but about comparing MLS to the J-League. But if you want to add the K-League as also being superior to MLS, I'd agree 100 percent.
ReplyDeleteThe important thing is we realize where MLS is in the pecking order or leagues in the world - and soon will be passed by India as well!
Ahh I got you above I called the J-League the best. My bad and I apologize to the blogosphere in Korea for this.
ReplyDeleteI'll let it slide...this time. But really, yes, the MLS is hot garb. We can all get behind that idea!
ReplyDeleteAnd being hot garbage like MLS is isn't bad. It's just the fact like they try to convince the U.S. lemmings that it will soon be one of the 'best in the world.' Do the commissioners in Japan and Korea do that?
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