Frank Lampard’s New York City FC saga latest sign that MLS has lost its sense of direction
Word is that MLS will become one of the best leagues in the world. Some are suggesting that by 2022, the biggest and most-elite players will be weighing up moves to North America at the peak of their careers. But given the latest mess involving Frank Lampard, it seems the league continues to be an afterthought for many. Something not to be taken too seriously. A fantasy land. A semi-retirement home. And it appears MLS is doing little to eradicate that stereotype.
Essentially, the league were willing collaborators in a charade that fooled, well, everyone. Instead of being signed by MLS last summer, Lampard instead agreed to a contract with City Football Group (CFG) – an organization overseeing a number of soccer franchises around the world - Manchester City, Melbourne City, New York City - and owned by Sheikh Mansour. As the veteran midfielder was paraded in front of photographers against the perfect backdrop of the New York skyline in July, the league's top brass knew they were peddling a lie.
[Related: EPL says Lampard under contract at Man City, not NY City]
They knew he would be signing for Manchester City within weeks. They knew that he'd probably spend the following season playing in the Premier League. And they knew there was no chance Lampard would be making his MLS debut the following March. Shortly after the announcement, Lampard was at Yankee Stadium to watch Manchester City take on Liverpool. And shortly after that, the reigning Premier League champions revealed Lampard would be joining them on loan for six months. But, that was theatre. A neat performance. Ultimately, CFG knew that Lampard would remain in England for as long as they wanted. They held all the cards and MLS, as always, remained a footnote.
According to MLS chief Don Garber, what instigated the chaos and confusion was Lampard's eye-catching performances for City once he joined. No one, Garber insinuated, was expecting that. It makes sense, of course. Arguably the most consistent Premier League performer of the last decade is signed by a club and does well when called upon. It is surprising.
But bizarrely, when City did reveal that Lampard would be staying with them until the end of this season, Garber recently admitted that it wasn't a shock at all.
“I sensed it was coming, and it didn’t surprise me when they (City) ultimately made their decision,” he told Sports Illustrated.
But the 11,000 NYC FC fans who signed up for season tickets were surprised. Because, unlike Garber and the other MLS administrators, they were kept in the dark. Force-fed drips, drabs and versions of the truth, they had remained optimistic that they'd see Lampard for an entire MLS campaign. They were angry. Very angry. But instead of grovelling, instead of bowing to the one aspect that makes the league an enjoyable and entertaining romp every year – the remarkable hardcore support network – MLS have attempted to belittle the entire farce, hinting that this was all just a simple misunderstanding. Speaking to Alexi Lalas recently, the league's deputy commissioner Mark Abbott said, “I don't think anybody was duped”. According to Garber, the entire saga escalated because of “a very unusual set of circumstances”. But nothing was unusual about any of this. It was all pre-arranged. MLS got involved in a bad deal, refused to be open about it because they so desperately yearned for yet another aging high-profile name and hoped against hope that Lampard would somehow arrive on time. What MLS has done is apportion all of the blame for the Lampard fiasco squarely at the door of Manchester City who Garber accused of “an error of judgment”. For a league that so badly desires progression and development, it's been humiliating.
Many have speculated on who's really at fault. Even Lampard's name has been brought up. But herein lies the biggest problem of all. Lampard is a winner, a champion, an elite athlete addicted to success. It's not a difficult decision for him to make when forced to choose between Manchester City and New York City. One promises intense competition, weekly combat against the world's best, involvement in the game's biggest league and its most-revered tournament. And the other? What's the genuine attraction of MLS to big-name players? Money, attention, a nice postscript. That's the perception. When David Beckham arrived, the league did grow. It became international. During his stint in LA, MLS became better and bigger. But now it's at a crossroads.
With growth comes increased expectation. But there's also increased responsibility. When Beckham arrived in the league, he was 32 and stayed for five years. Thierry Henry was 32 when he joined the New York Red Bulls and stayed for four years. Recently, MLS have engineered short-term deals to bring Lampard (who'll be almost 37 by the time he pulls on a NYC FC shirt) and Steven Gerrard (who'll be 35 next May) to North America. In the case of Lampard, the league has sacrificed much. It's incurred the wrath of passionate supporters – the foundation on which MLS has been built – and for what? So another ex-Premier League player can trot out a couple of seasons for a newly-launched franchise? It all sounds rather desperate.
More importantly, it sounds like MLS has lost its sense of direction.
Eoin O'Callaghan is a soccer journalist and broadcaster. Best known in North America for his TV work with Fox Soccer, he has also reported extensively for BBC, RTE and Setanta Sports. He writes about soccer for The Irish Examiner newspaper, beIN Sports, One World Sports and TheScore.ie. Follow him @EoinOCallaghan
