MLS Passes Mexican Test but Fails Against USL

Here’s an interesting contrast: Mark Ziegler of the San Diego Union-Tribune points out that MLS teams went a woeful 3-5 against other American soccer teams in the U.S. Open Cup third round, while Ives Galarcep of the North Jersey Herald commends the league’s four SuperLiga participants for finishing 3-1-4 against Mexican powerhouses Pachuca, Chivas, Morelia and Club America.
 
It’s a bizarre showing of inconsistency: next week’s Open Cup quarterfinals feature five USL teams, two of which come from the league’s Second Division. On the one hand, USL COO Tim Holt says, “the gap between the various divisions of professional soccer in this country is not as great as is typically believed by the average fan.” On the other, Ziegler points out that MLS clubs don’t often take the competition seriously. Indeed, they often agree to play on the road — where they went 1-5 in the third round — so as not to lose money on a small home crowd.
 
Meanwhile, Galarcep says the L.A. Galaxy, FC Dallas, D.C. United and Houston Dynamo have more than held their own against Mexico’s top teams in the SuperLiga, proving worthy hosts of a tournament that continues to surprise most pundits. And somewhat ironically, perhaps, the best game by far was Tuesday night’s clash Dallas and L.A., which the Galaxy won, 6-5, to qualify for the semis.