Soccer, MLS, Orlando City discussed on ESPN FC

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And i would say why not all over nine. Because he's he has this kills and he needs to prove that he has a hunger to it as well. He's a very very i would love to agree because i'm a huge fan of the hotel. And i've seen what he's done it leeann achievers and seventy say he didn't score goals last year. What's because he didn't have the service he didn't have the players around him when he was at laon and he had said service. He scored plenty of goals. The issue with him right now is his health. He's not proven to be healthy in the last two seasons. If it can be healthy stay on the field with michel who's a very very offensive coach and get opportunities. I have no doubt he will score goals because he streaked like that but nine and a half is a big number especially for a young player young mexican player who's never played abroad. I would love for him. i just don't see it. I'm taking the under very well. We'll leave it there. spending cut. Thanks so much for your time you can catch our man on okay again available right here in spanish on. Espn plus we mentioned and you can see them in the league lifter. Friday two thirty pm eastern time. Taking on eunice moose's valencia. It's not every day on this show. At least that we get to talk to a major league soccer owner. I'd either heavy hitters. But when we got a chance to talk to mark wilf the new owner of orlando city and major league soccer and orlando pride of the n. w. sell. We jumped at it. Here's the best from that. Sit down thrilled. To be joined. By mark will new majority owner orlando city and major league. Soccer in orlando pride and the nws sell mark. Welcome to the show and welcome to the crazy world of american soccer ownership ready for it. I am ready ready to go very well. So look every day you wake up and you've got a lot of money and i'm sure there are a lot of investment opportunities in front of you. Why soccer why now. Well great believers in the sport of soccer. Personally i'm a. I'm a soccer dad. Four times over so. I know about the great game but watching it of course over the years just knowing how sports can bring a community together. being involved the vikings the last seventeen seasons we know what a great asset it is for community and just being around the game. We were minority owners in nashville for a couple of years. We've seen what the mls has done. And we just see the growth potential world cup coming up in a few years Both men and women olympics all the other opportunities and mls only going to be a big part of it. And i know in. America as young people get more and more engaged Soccer is going to be upward and onward mark. I don't have to tell you this. We're in america people here. They want the best right now. Major league soccer is not the best soccer league in the world. Or maybe even if we're being honest close to that conversation. Do you see a time period in the not too distant future where. Mls will be among the top leagues in the world. I really do. I mean that's why we're here. That's why we're investing. It's investing in the future so there's no reason why not as the game grows as viewership grows as engagement grows but part of that is in part of why we're impressed is about investment. We've been very impressed with the ownership around the table in mls and it's going to take a continued investment in this business to make it grow and whether it's media whether it's the fan experience at these games which is by the way anyone on this who's listening who hasn't been to anomalous game or even if they have make sure you bring your friends to the games because they're super exciting their party atmosphere and it's something that i think as people get more and more exposed to it will just keep growing. I'm glad you talk about investment because when you talk about the best leagues then obviously you're going to have to have the best players. One of the main features of mls right now is a pretty restrictive on a global scale salary cap. Do you see a future where that salary cap is loosened in order for owners like yourself to go out and bring the best players in the world of this league. Well what we like about the approach here is that it's not just target practice in terms of acquisitions it's about building the game so that the league becomes more and more stable and on a step-by-step basis. We can get to that level. It's not going to happen overnight. We realize that but it's going to take investment in the sport to help it grow so those salaries can increase in the ability to compete on those global markets can increase as well but we as ownership or committed to investing in youth soccer investing in the transfer market where it's helpful and to grow the game that way and i have full confidence. We're going to step up every single day. One let's say factor that american soccer doesn't have right now is open system promotion relegation. We do see it over in europe. It's a big part of the sporting culture of the game of the beautiful game. The world's game the response that we always get. Here's we'll mls owners would never go for that. They wouldn't want to risk their investments. Do you see any potential from promotion and relegation for that risk for you and other owners and.

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