The chaos of MLS's postseason proves that soccer in the U.S. exists separate from Europe, with no need to compare
Every now and then, a clip of former Manchester United center back Rio Ferdinand goes viral. The Englishman is asked to compare and contrast Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and expertly dodges the question: "They're just phenomenal to watch. People try to make comparisons of who's better or whatever… just enjoy it, man."
The video is usually the subject of Internet memes. Recent usages include: "Jamaican patties are way better than samosas", "R9 or Mbappe?" and "I can't believe Jurgen Klopp has accepted to make a documentary in his final season at Liverpool."
In isolation, it's a silly quote from a former footballer trying to avoid answering a divisive question. But zoom out, and he makes an important point. Comparisons in soccer tend to be rather arbitrary. Unless there is an actual competition, played out in 90 minutes, then this whole thing is just waffling and social media debates.
And the words also ring true when it comes to comparing the relative quality of global leagues. A common knock on Major League Soccer, and the American game more broadly, is that the standard isn't – and will never be – as high as the Premier League. This is not a revolutionary thought, and although these things can improve, pushing to be "better" than a 100-year-old institution is a fairly arbitrary task.
Instead, MLS has steadily proved that it exists in an adjacent, independent realm. MLS stands just fine on its own, not just in relative terms to any other league. Comparisons are silly, and after an MLS playoffs in which not a single top seeded team is playing in the final four, the chaotic appeal of soccer in this country has never been more clear.
