Alexi Lalas Criticizes Premier League

In the piece that will appear in Tuesday’s Guardian newspaper in England, Lalas responds to the criticism by the English media regarding Beckham’s “move to Hollywood” and how Becks is now going into semi-retirement.

I’ve listened to many of the same critics on BBC Radio Five Live and Sky Sports, and I have to agree that the vast majority of pundits in the UK are talking nonsense. As Lalas says, the majority of them probably have never seen a Major League Soccer match before, so how can they really compare it?

While I don’t agree with Lalas’s statement that MLS players would quickly adapt to the Premier League and not miss a beat, there’s still a chasm between the quality between Major League Soccer and the Premier League. And, without a doubt, Major League Soccer is not one of the most competitive leagues in the world, as Lalas suggests.

Sure the gap is getting smaller between the Premier League and Major League Soccer, but Lalas needs to be careful about what he says. The last thing that we need to see happen is for Lalas to be turned into a laughing stock in the UK.