Article by Matt Lichtenstadter
Two of MLS’ best teams have now lost managers in season, but not to underperformance in the dugout. For the first time in years or perhaps ever, MLS teams have lost managers mid-season to overperformance. First it was Patrick Vieira leaving NYCFC for Nice, and now the red half of New York lost their manager to Europe as Jesse Marsch departed for “other opportunities”, or to be a part of the RB Leipzig set up. When Vieira left the league was certainly entering some uncharted territory, and now with two major managers leaving their clubs for European glory in the span of a few weeks, it asks important questions about the league and its place in the global soccer set-up.
Because of the schedule, the set-up, or its “Americaness”, MLS has been a bit disconnected from the global soccer sphere for most of its existence, except perhaps when aging stars got their last big pay day on these shores. One of the first steps for the league to become a part of that marketplace was not just to bring players in, but to sell players on. That’s happened more in recent years largely because American players from the league have been garnering European attention, but the league still largely brings in more than it ships out. Maybe then its odd that its best exports could be two coaches, because the only time MLS coaches have left for other jobs is to manage the US Men’s National Team.
MLS isn’t entirely disconnected from the global soccer sphere of course; both NYCFC and the Red Bulls are part of larger sporting organizations with a huge reach across the globe, so opportunities provided by those megalithic organizations are going to be there if these managers were successful. Both Vieira and Marsch certainly won over the higher ups in Europe, so they could essentially write their own ticket across the Atlantic. Time will tell whether these moves will end up working out or not, but if they do, they do cast MLS in a good light, especially showing the quality not just on the pitch but in the dugout too.
With Vieira and Marsch, NYCFC and the Red Bulls didn’t win much outside of praise for their style of play and commitment to that style of play. The legacy the two managers left wasn’t in the trophy cabinet; it was more in the identity of the clubs that they took to another level. For most supporters, that’s not good for much especially considering the lack of success in terms of winning trophies, because it’s reasonable to think that without these managers (or good players when they go abroad), form will dip. Most supporters also don’t get psychic pride watching former players or managers do well abroad.
But from the league’s perspective, Vieira and Marsch’s stories should be examples for what most clubs should try to do not just on the pitch but in the dugout too. Development of a style and identity could lead to interest elsewhere, which will not only fill the club’s coffers but allow them to transition easier when important players and managers leave for greener pastures. That’s part of every league and almost every team across the sport because there’s invariably another opportunity waiting somewhere else for players and managers to take. Because of MLS’ isolation from the global soccer market up until recently, most clubs would never have thought they’d have to see managers leave to go upward on the sports pyramid. In American sports, there are upward moves in league for coaches, but the parallels are hard to draw because those leagues and sports are the pinnacle and there is no higher to go.
MLS has entered some uncharted territory as two of its most preeminent, successful and praised managers left for European pastures new. The league and its fans are left to wonder whether its good to see managers leave like this, especially in the middle of a season. The bad comes in the uncertainty for the future, especially for two teams who with their old managers were distinct Cup favorites. They still might be even now, but that’s no longer a nailed on certainty.
Evolution can be a slow and painful process, and for a league that is still incredibly cautious, there is still quite a bit to lose if the wrong steps are taken in that process. MLS isn’t a buying league in its new global place because if it was, the league and its clubs would lose a lot of money. It can’t be what it was when the league started because the league and its clubs have chosen to look outward for talent and the connections go both ways. The middle is a league much like those in France, Portugal, the Netherlands, etc.: a league known for its development of players and managers to send on to higher levels. This is where MLS falls right now, and on its quest to become a destination league around the globe, this is a logical step in that growth. There’s nothing wrong with being here, or even staying here, but being that kind of leagues comes with its own challenges and losing managers in this fashion is one of them.
Marsch and Vieira will likely not be the last managers to leave MLS like this, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For MLS to become the league it aspires to be, it needs to become an integrated part of the soccer market, and to do that, that doesn’t just mean players will be sold on to bigger and better things.
Managers too become wanted commodities, and its by no means a bad thing if MLS’ managers are wanted in Europe. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.
