From Kartik’s article:

MLS has to make a decision. Try and be a good American league, keeping the core of the national team player pool at home or be a global player by releasing the purse strings on clubs budgets and spending and allowing individual clubs to promote themselves outside their “assigned” market. (ie. Allow DC United to advertise on billboards in Dallas about Jamie Moreno, or even in South America, for example)

Right now, MLS is neither a good American league as the vast majority of US MNT pool players ply their trade abroad, nor a global player that has allowed clubs to build its own brand. MLS is a tweener league for lack of a better term. It is neither a league committed to developing nor promoting the American player, which would lead to one set of fans embracing it and promoting it, nor a bona-fide big league which would bring in even more fans.

Read the full article, which is in the context of atrocious MLS TV ratings.

…As an experience, not just for me but also for my family, I could try to play a year probably in the United States. If I did it, it would be for the experience. If not, it’s clear that I will finish my career here (at Real).

For those of use born and raised in the US, I think at times we forget what a special place this country is in so many ways. Even for a player who helped lead his team to 6 La Liga titles and three European cups, the chance to live in America and play the sport he loves is appealing.

The bad news: he’s not drawn to the US because of Major League Soccer. Now I know you aren’t supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth (whatever that means), and I would love to have Raul spend a season in the MLS. But the quote I wish he said 3 years ago was

…As an experience, not just for me but also for my family, I want to play for the final 5 years of my career in the United States. If I did it, it would be for the experience, for the passion of MLS fans, and the quality of the league.

What’s the missing piece in drawing stars like Raul for 5 years instead of their final year? I believe it is passion.

Now, the US doesn’t have the almost psychotic passion for any of our sports that some other countries display. During the World cup you hear stories of countries grind to a halt, then experiencing an economic boom if they win. No similar cultural phenomenon exists for the Super Bowl, World Series, or NBA Championship (and perhaps the sheer number of sports we love has a diluting effect).

I do see that the beautiful game is growing in popularity. However, even among passionate soccer fans that passion is often directed back across the atlantic. One of my favorite MLS players Juan Pablo Angel spoke of enjoying his time “a lot,” but admits

I miss a number of things – the passion of fans in the Argentinian Superclasico and the time I had in the English league, the best championship in the world. When you play those leagues, passion is tiring, but you miss it in the end.

What I believe we need first is not more stars coming west across the atlantic, but more soccer passion staying here at home. And you can bet your ass that is what ColoradoRapidsFan.com is here to do!

View the story about Raul, Retirement, and Rafa at ESPN Soccernet

1. 1.2 million viewers on ESPN2: the most watched World Cup Qualifier ever on that network
2. 5.9 million viewers on Univision: the most watched sporting event in our Spanish-language TV history
3. For ment 18-34 and 18-49, the most watched program of the day in major markets like Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, and Dallas; it beat out first-run English-language primetime shows like American Idol and Lost

While I believe the MLS still has to meet the challenge winning over American viewers, clearly US Soccer is alive and well.

For more stats, check out the article at SI.com