Different In Each Country: Soccer
Soccer is the most popular sport in the World played from a casual level to a professional level in every country. Each country has a soccer league with their own rules that they follow. Major league Soccer (MLS) and English Premier League (EPL) are two professional soccer leagues in different countries. MLS is the highest level of men’s professional soccer league in the U.S, which is run by the United States Soccer Federation. While in the EPL is the highest level of men’s professional soccer league in England, which is governed by the Football Association (FA). Therefore Major League Soccer and English Premier League are different due to their rules.
Firstly, the English Premier League has one league with 20 teams. While Major League Soccer has 24 teams with 17 teams in the East Conference and 17 teams in the Western Conference. MLS season begins in March and ends in November because they don’t want to overlap with the NFL which many of their viewers are more likely to watch whereas, the EPL starts in mid-August and ends in May. Another key difference is that Major League soccer teams can obtain players from the Super Draft where college athletes get drafted by the 24 teams based on ranking. While the English Premier League teams can only buy players during the summer and January transfer window.
In addition, the revenue generated from each league is drastically different. The MLS generates around $300 million a year, while the EPL makes $7.7 billion a year. The drastic difference in generated profit leads to a salary difference, on average, an MLS player makes $350,000 while players in the EPL on average players make $2.6 million. The EPL is the most-watched sport in the World with an audience of 4.7 billion people, while in the MLS there are only 27.8 million viewers. Another difference is the ranking in the MLS there is a Conference final where the top 7 teams in each Conference go against each other to see who the best team is. In the EPL, to be the number one team, a team has to get the most points in the league.
Also, in the EPL there is a relegation and promotion system where the last three teams get demoted to the second division, and the first three teams in the second division get promoted to the EPL. In the MLS there is no promotion and relegation system, so teams don’t worry too much if they perform poorly and are rewarded with a first or second draft pick if they are bottom of the league Conference. In the EPL, if a team is first through fourth place, the team can play in the Champions League, where the best teams in Europe compete against each other. While in the MLS if a team wins the U.S Open Cup, Canadian Championship, Supporter’s Shield Cup, Eastern Conference, Western Conference, or MLS Cup the team qualifies to play in the CONCACAF Champions League, where the best teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean compete against each other to win the CONCACAF Trophy. The final difference is the number of games played in a season; the MLS plays 34 games where 17 home and away games are played, while in the EPL they play “38 games where 19 games are played home and away.
In short, it is showing us how the same game of soccer can be different in each country. Each country can have its own set of rules and tournaments but still play soccer. The differences between the leagues can be contributed to how recent MLS was created compared to the EPL. Influence is another reason that the leagues are different; the organizations around you can influence how leagues are set up. For example, the MLS is influenced by the NBA and NFL while other soccer leagues influence the EPL in Europe. Although the MLS and EPL have very different rules, and they are still playing the same game of soccer but adding their spin to the sport.
Work Cited
- Association press “The Difference between MLS and European Soccer Leagues.” KXTV, KXTV, 7 Dec. 2017, https://www.abc10.com/article/sports/the-difference-between-mls-and-european-soccer-leagues/103-497694846.
