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• Westchester United FC, based in Westchester, N.Y., is the WPSL‘s latest expansion side, the league announced Thursday. The team will debut in 2021. The 4-year-old club already fields a…
• Indiana Futsal director Justin Becht joins host Kevin Johnston for a discussion on the latest happenings at Indiana Soccer, coaching, his trips to Cuba to build futsal courts, Fulham,…
• U.S. Soccer unveiled head coach Gregg Berhalter’s roster for the upcoming U.S. men’s national team friendlies against Wales on Nov. 12 and Panama on Nov. 16. The Wales match…
• Norwich City turned in its most comprehensive attacking display of the season Saturday in a 3-1 away victory at Bristol City. Following the conclusion of the weekend’s fixtures, the…

INDIANAPOLIS — On a night the Indy Eleven upped their franchise attendance record to 20,215 at Lucas Oil Stadium, they also took out the Hartford Athletic 1-0 to grab three points in their home opener.

Indy struck the woodwork numerous times in the match, but an own goal by Hartford defender Nikolaj Lyngo ended up being all that separated the two clubs at the end of 90.

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Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbMeh.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

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Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

It was an eventful day at McCormick Place in downtown Chicago for the annual MLS SuperDraft filled with the usual excitement and unexpected turns this event typically consists of. College soccer’s top players waited patiently to hear their name called by commissioner Don Garber with their hopes of a career in professional soccer hanging in the balance.

Here are my grades for every pick in the first round of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft:

1. FC Cincinnati – M Frankie Amaya, UCLA
FC Cincy gets the best player in the draft by selecting crafty and technical midfielder Frankie Amaya. The U.S. U-20 international was very impressive against Mexico in the U-20 CONCACAF final, holding his own against some of Liga MX’s top prospects and was the youngest player in the draft at only 18. It’ll be unclear what his role is with FC Cincy this upcoming season, especially since he will likely be missing a big chunk of the early portion of the year to go to the U-20 World Cup in Poland, but there is no question there is great value to this pick and I would not be surprised if Amaya ends up a crucial part of this club’s midfield for years to come, if not sold to Europe for a sizable profit.

Grade: A

2. San Jose Earthquakes – M Siad Haji, VCU
The Quakes had plenty of options to pick from as there was no real clear consensus No. 2 pick in this draft, and opted to go with the very skilled attacking mid from VCU. Haji had tremendous production in his collegiate career scoring five goals and recording an impressive 10 assists in 18 games. Haji is a perfect example of someone who benefits from this draft process as he was playing Division 3 soccer just two years ago. Haji is ripe with potential and will be an exciting player for new head coach Matias Almeyda to work with in the future.

Grade: B+

3. Orlando City SC – F Santiago Patino, FIU
Patino, a strong, classic No. 9 striker may be viewed as a disappointing pick to some considering Orlando previously tried to sign him as a homegrown only for his homegrown status to be rejected by the league. Had that signing gone through, Orlando would have been able to select someone else with this pick, and with some of the talent available on the board at No. 3 it is understandable why Orlando City fans could be wondering “what if” in this situation. But the bottom line is Orlando got a talented player they are familiar and comfortable with, not to mention an understudy for the aging Dom Dwyer, and that should be viewed as a success.

Grade: B  

4. FC Dallas – D Callum Montgomery, UNC Charlotte
Historically speaking, defenders selected in the SuperDraft have gone on to have the most success in MLS and I have a feeling this will be the case for Callum Montgomery as well. A mature, senior center back, Montgomery has been deemed very “pro ready” and was a consistent force for the UNC Charlotte backline during his four years with the program. Drawing comparisons to another first-round FC Dallas draft pick Matt Hedges, Montgomery has a realistic chance at becoming a solid starter in MLS.

Grade: A-

5. Colorado Rapids – F Andre Shinyashiki, Denver
The Colorado Rapids made the first trade of the day, shipping $100,000 worth of allocation money to the Chicago Fire for the fifth pick. The Rapids selected the Mac Hermann finalist Andre Shinyashiki from the nearby University of Denver. The Brazil native was a prolific striker in college scoring a Denver program record of 51 goals in 83 appearances. The Rapids have familiarity with Shinyashiki, as he previously played for the Rapids U-23 team in the PDL and could be a first team option off the bench for the club this upcoming 2019 season. A good pick, but having to shell out $100 grand lowers the grade of this pick in my opinion.

Grade: B+

6. Toronto FC – M Griffin Dorsey, Indiana
Griffin Dorsey was a talented winger/forward for Indiana and was crucial to their run to the College Cup semifinal this fall. Dorsey was also a member of the U.S. U-20 CONCACAF Championship team, a testament to his talent. He will likely switch to right back at the professional level as he did at the MLS Combine. This pick was a bit of a reach to me especially since there were two other Generation Adidas players available — both from the Toronto area — in Dayne St. Clair and Tajon Buchannan, who I was fully expecting TFC to pick from. But nonetheless, the Reds come away with a young prospect with speed on the wing with lots of potential which is all you can ask for in the SuperDraft.

Grade: B

7. Minnesota United FC – G Dayne St. Clair, Maryland
I like this pick a lot. The No. 7 pick in the draft covered both a need and provided high value for Minnesota United which is rare to come by nowadays in the MLS SuperDraft. St. Clair is the undisputed best GK in this draft and was fantastic in his time with Maryland. St. Clair did not allow a single goal in the College Cup tournament that ultimately led to the Terps being crowned champions. The Canadian has great athleticism and will likely be a starting goalkeeper in MLS in due time. The Loons previously only had one other GK on their roster, so in the meantime St. Clair will provide much needed depth at the position.

Grade: A

8. Houston Dynamo – D Sam Junqua, California
Sam Junqua was a surprising pick not many expected this early in the draft. Junqua was even a late invite to the combine. However, relatively unknown commodities being picked in the SuperDraft is certainly not uncommon, and Junqua did have a solid collegiate career and was an All-Pac 12 honorable mention this past season. But with four Generation Adidas players left on the board and several other higher rated outside backs also remaining, this pick to me was a head-scratcher.

Grade: D

9. New England Revolution – M Tajon Buchanan, Syracuse
One of the biggest surprises of this draft was how far Tajon Buchanan fell. Often believed to be a top-five pick, Buchanan fell right into the clutches of the Revolution who are likely very grateful for this slip. Buchanan has some of the highest potential out of every player in the SuperDraft. The young Syracuse forward has silky smooth skills and great one-v-one abilities. Buchanan did not have eye-popping productivity in college like other forwards in this draft class and is certainly still a work in progress, but nonetheless a project head coach Brad Friedel is surely excited about.

Grade: B+

10. FC Dallas – D John Nelson, North Carolina
FC Dallas’ second pick in the top 10 is a solid one. John Nelson, a Generation Adidas member, started all 41 games for the Tar Heels in his two seasons with the team and is a U.S. U-17 World Cup veteran. Nelson will be a welcomed addition to a young, rebuilding FC Dallas team.

Grade: B

11. New England Revolution – M DeJuan Jones, Michigan State
This pick is an interesting one to me due to the fact that DeJuan Jones actually has a pretty similar profile to the Revolution’s previous pick at No. 9 in Tajon Buchannan. Jones was deemed the fastest player in the 2019 SuperDraft class after finishing first in both the 30-meter dash and the agility test at the MLS Combine. Jones was an exciting attacking player with incredible pace during his time with the Spartans and will be a very interesting prospect to keep an eye on in the future with the Revolution.

Grade: B

12. New York City FC – G Luis Barraza, MarquetteClaudio Reyna dished out $75,000 to swap spots with the Galaxy for this pick and it was an unexpected one. Luis Barraza had a fantastic career at Marquette where he earned Big East Goalkeeper of the Year this past season. He is a strong shot stopper with potential to have a career in this league, but the fact that $75,000 of allocation money was given up — when NYCFC could have almost certainly been able to pick Barraza with their original 17th pick — makes this draft pick a questionable one.

Grade: C

13. FC Cincinnati – D Logan Gdula, Wake Forest
With FC Cincy’s second pick in the first round, they took highly rated right back Logan Gdula. Gdula’s athleticism and potential upside are what make this pick a solid one. Gdula started 60 games throughout his career with the Demon Deacons and recorded an impressive five assists for a defender in his senior year. Gdula will be a nice addition to the depth chart in Cincinnati.

Grade: B

14. D.C. United – D Akeem Ward, Creighton
D.C. United opted to take outside back Akeem Ward with their first-round selection. What makes Ward so valuable and a bit of a steal this late in the draft is his ability to play on both the right and left side of the field. D.C. needs depth at both right and left back so this was a nice pick for United.

Grade: A-

15. Minnesota United FC – D Chase Gasper, Maryland
Minnesota gave the Chicago Fire $50,000 in allocation money and in return were able to select Chase Gasper. Gasper is a very mature and complete defender from the national champion University of Maryland. He’ll provide nice depth at left back for MNUFC.

Grade: B+

16. New York Red Bulls – D Roy Boateng, UC DavisThe Red Bulls gave FC Cincinnati $100,000 in allocation money for their 16th and  25th picks of the draft. The Red Bulls selected no-nonsense center back Roy Boateng. Boateng was a four-year starter in college, and is a good project to work on similar to how RBNY previously developed Aaron Long in the USL.

Grade: B-

17. Real Salt Lake – M Sam Brown, Harvard
Brown, a midfield general in his time with the Crimson, is Harvard’s highest MLS SuperDraft pick ever, yet another accomplishment to add to the school’s history. Brown’s strong range of passing is what attracted RSL, but this pick seemed a little too early to me.

Grade: C+

18. Columbus Crew SC – F JJ Williams, Kentucky
JJ Williams was the last of the Generation Adidas class to be selected in this year’s draft. Williams has elite athleticism and a lot of raw talent that still needs to be developed. A goal-scoring machine with Kentucky, Williams relied heavily on his superior athleticism in his time in college; however, he’ll have to adjust his game at the professional level. Williams’ potential is very high and newly appointed president Tim Bezbatchenko and head coach Caleb Ported likely did not expect him to be available at this point in the draft, but felt that this was a project worth taking on. Williams will be a great understudy to Gyasi Zardes as this intriguing player embarks on his professional career.

Grade: B+

19. LA Galaxy – M Emil Cuello, SMU
Cuello was a very talented No. 10 for SMU. However, because the Galaxy are loaded with midfield talent at the moment, Cuello likely will feature for Los Dos in the USL Championship next season.

Grade: B-

20. Seattle Sounders – M Tucker Bone, Air Force
Tucker Bone is another talented midfielder, but there are some potential complications regarding his career due to his required Air Force service. Bone will get a chance to play for Sounders 2 next season. I would have liked to see midfielder Sergio Rivas out of nearby University of Seattle picked here instead.

Grade: C+

21. Sporting KC – D Kamar Marriott, Florida Gulf Coast
This was a very interesting pick from Peter Vermes considering Kamar Marriott was not even invited to the MLS Combine. An unknown commodity in this draft, Marriott is a 6-4 center back who will get his shot at a career in professional soccer with the Swope Park Rangers in USL Championship.

Grade: C

22. New York Red Bulls – M Janos Loebe, Fordham
The Red Bulls opted to utilize their final first round pick by selecting Jonas Loebe from nearby Fordham. Loebe, a playmaking No. 10 midfielder for the Rams, will join a New York Red Bulls II team in the USL Championship that has had a lot of success at developing players.

Grade: B-

23. Portland Timbers – F Ryan Sierakowski, Michigan State
The Western Conference Champions opted to select a No. 9 striker with a track record of scoring goals in his time playing collegiately with Michigan State. Expect Sierakowski to play a role with Timbers 2 this season.

Grade: B

24. Atlanta United FC – M Anderson Asiedu, UCLA
The first and last picks of the first round of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft were UCLA midfielders. Anderson Asiedu is a typical No. 6 defensive midfielder and really benefited from his strong performance at the MLS Combine. In fact, Asiedu was named MVP of the MLS Combine. (Yes, this award is real.) Atlanta is such a complete team that there likely won’t be a role for him in the near future, but Asiedu is certainly a name to keep an eye on as his career progresses.

Grade: B+

Follow Jack on Twitter: @JackRenwick22.

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It’s officially Open Cup season once again, my favorite time of year filled with chaos and giant-slayers and more soccer than one can possibly hope to follow simultaneously. Trust me, I’ve tried.

The 2019 Open Cup features a whopping 84 teams, and while it’s down slightly from last year, there’s been a massive expansion of local qualifying and a sizable increase in the number of professional sides competing. Last year there were 42, this year 52.

This got me thinking: How many of the competing teams have never won a game in the tournament?

I narrowed this down to just the professional teams, as unlike with the professional sides, the amateur/semipro teams aren’t fixed, meaning many teams are either making their Open Cup debuts or making their first appearance in a few years.

So, that’s 52 teams left. We’ll then trim down the new-for-2019 teams that have never played in the Open Cup. That leaves us with either 42 or 41 teams, depending on whether you consider the MLS iteration of FC Cincinnati the same team that played in USL, or a different team. Honestly, it doesn’t matter, as you’ll see further down the article.

Now onto the fun part. Let’s eliminate from the list all of the Open Cup winners. That’s nine teams from MLS (Chicago, Seattle, Kansas City, DC, Dallas, LA Galaxy, Columbus, New England, Houston) and one from USL League One, the Richmond Kickers, who won in 1995.

And then there were 32. We can then go through every other finalist and eliminate them, too. That’s four more teams from MLS (Philadelphia, New York Red Bulls, Colorado Rapids, Real Salt Lake) and Charleston from the USL Championship. Down to 27.

We’ll narrow that down year by year, beginning in 1996 with the founding of MLS and the oldest of the teams remaining on our list, even though no other names get scratched that year. We have to wait until 1997 to remove another name from our list, the San Jose Earthquakes. Back when they were known as the San Jose Clash, they defeated the Central Coast Roadrunners 5-2 in the second round.

No other names fall from 1998 to 2000, but in 2001, we get to take another name off our list. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds appeared in their second Open Cup and made it all the way to the quarterfinals. They beat the Rapids in the first round 2-0, then the El Paso Patriots in the second round 2-1 before falling in sudden-death overtime — which was a thing back then — to the Chicago Fire.

We have another big gap now, as the next-oldest entrant in 2019, North Carolina FC, began play in 2007. Back then, when they were the RailHawks — a far superior brand than what they currently use, in my very biased opinion — they made a splash in the Open Cup by beating the reigning champion Chicago Fire 1-0 in their debut. They also beat the Kickers to make it to the semifinals, where they eventually lost 2-1 to New England in added time.

We’re down to 24, and it’s time to skip ahead again to 2010. The Tampa Bay Rowdies made their Open Cup debut under their previous name, FC Tampa Bay. In their first game, they defeated Dallas-based Legends FC 3-0 before falling 2-1 to Miami FC (no, not that one) in the next round.

2011 marks another name off our list, Orange County SC. In their inaugural season, they won their first two games against the Hollywood United Hitmen and Ventura County Fusion before losing to the LA Galaxy in the third round.

2012 doesn’t eliminate any names from our list but 2013 does. The Portland Timbers won their first Open Cup game after joining MLS, beating the Wilmington Hammerheads 5-1 to avenge their loss to Cal FC the previous year.

Onto 2014, with our biggest year to date for first wins. Sacramento Republic FC beat Ventura County Fusion 2-1 and then Fresno Fuego 6-0 before losing 2-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes. Phoenix Rising also got their first wins — as Arizona United SC — beating Timbers U23s 3-2 and OKC Energy FC 2-1 before losing to the Galaxy 2-1. The Energy also got their first win, beating the Tulsa Athletics 2-0. The Indy Eleven beat the Dayton Dutch Lions 5-2 before losing 2-1 to Columbus. With that, we’re down to 18.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

2015 marks another big year for first wins. The Charlotte Independence won 4-1 against the Upward Stars, 1-0 against the RailHawks, 1-0 against New England and make it all the way to the fifth round before losing to Chicago. Louisville City FC won 1-0 against Lansing United and 2-0 against the Indy Eleven before losing to Chicago. The Colorado Springs Switchbacks won 2-1 against Harpo’s FC and 1-0 against the Real Monarchs before losing to the Rapids. Saint Louis FC prevailed 2-1 against the Des Moines Menace and on penalties against Minnesota United before losing to Sporting KC. The Tulsa Roughnecks won 1-0 against the Seacoast United Phantoms before losing to OKC. Orlando City SC got its first MLS-era wins, beating Charleston in penalties and winning 2-0 against Columbus before, you guessed it, losing to Chicago.

Eleven teams remain.

Things quiet down in 2016, with only one team getting its first Open Cup win. San Antonio FC rose from the ashes of the Scorpions, beating Corinthians FC 3-1 and Des Moines 2-1 before losing to Houston.

In 2017, two more names fall. Reno 1868 FC got its first win, beating OSA FC in penalties before losing to Sacramento. Atlanta also snagged its first win, beating Charleston 3-2 before losing to Miami FC (yes, that one) 3-2.

Onward to 2018, the most recent completed tournament, where more names fall. Tormenta FC, now of USL League One, got a win in its Open Cup debut by beating the Myrtle Beach Mutiny 2-1 before losing to Charleston. Fresno got its first wins, 2-0 against Orange County FC and 2-1 against Sporting Arizona FC before losing to Los Angeles FC — LAFC’s first win. The Las Vegas Lights beat FC Tucson 4-2 before losing 2-1 to FC Golden State Force. Nashville SC earned its first wins by beating Inter Nashville FC 2-0, Mississippi Brilla 3-1 and the Rapids 2-0 before losing to Louisville. Minnesota United FC also got the first win of its MLS era, beating FC Cincinnati in penalties.

And then there was one.

Just one of the professional entrants with prior U.S. Open Cup experience has failed to win a game: New York City FC. They’ve played four games in four tournaments, and have lost all four.

In 2015, they drew the New York Cosmos in their first Open Cup game. Kwadwo Poku gave City a 2-0 lead by the 57th minute, but Leo Fernandes scored in the 65th and Lucky Mkosana in the 90th to send the game to extra time. There were three yellow cards handed out but no goals scored, and thus, penalties. The gods of the PK did not smile upon the Pigeons, and the Cosmos moved on.

They had a chance at revenge in 2016, once again playing the Cosmos for their first game of the tournament. Danny Szetela scored the only goal of the game in the 88th minute to eliminate NYCFC for the second year in a row. 2017 meant City would play their cross-Hudson rivals, the New York Red Bulls. Daniel Royer gave the Red Bulls the lead in the 67th minute, his first career Open Cup goal, and yet again NYCFC was out after its first game.

After three years, one might think things would be different. They’d be wrong. In 2018, City drew the Red Bulls again, playing in Red Bull Arena again. Vincent Bezecourt gave the Red Bulls the lead in the second minute and they never let up. Three goals and 88 minutes later, City was out again in embarrassing fashion after a 4-0 loss to its biggest rival.

In four games, NYCFC has scored just twice while conceding eight times and receiving seven yellow cards. Fifth time’s a charm, maybe?

Oh, and before I forget, the Cincinnati question. I treated the MLS incarnations of USL and NASL teams as separate entities, which they legally are, so Cincinnati is treated as a brand new team for 2019. If, however, you consider them a continuation of the USL club, their first Open Cup win came in 2016, a 2-1 win over the Indy Eleven’s now-defunct NPSL side.

Stay tuned for more fun U.S. Open Cup stories and analysis from us here at Soc Takes. I just can’t wait for the tournament to start!

Follow John on Twitter: @JohnMLTX.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

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• Indiana Futsal director Justin Becht joins host Kevin Johnston for a discussion on the latest happenings at Indiana Soccer, coaching, his trips to Cuba to build futsal courts, Fulham,…
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Image credit: Liga BBVA MX

Overwhelming evidence demonstrates that in recent times, the success of a football club comes with economic ambition and sports intelligence.

The previous argument was mostly seen in European leagues like Germany, France, Spain, Italy and England. It’s also seen in the UEFA Champions League, in which teams with substantial economic power dominate the local and international competitions.

Nevertheless, in lower-class leagues like the Liga MX, the model of investing considerable capital is gaining popularity.

The factors are straightforward; investing a significant amount of money can get you a championship team. However, does this work on a league with two tournaments per year and a playoff system like the Liga MX?

2013 MONEY BOOM

In the late 2000s, the market of the Liga MX was very low priced. The most significant acquisitions were below $5 million, meaning the negotiations for a talented player were around $2 million, or even less.

The transaction that broke the market happened in the 2011-12 season. In the blink of an eye, Santos and America negotiated for Ecuadorian striker Christian Benitez. America paid $9 million for his services, doubling the previous most expensive transactions.

Benitez was living proof that the Mexican market could afford talent at a higher price. From 2013 to 2019, transactions of $5 million or more per player became an annual activity in the Liga MX. And at the same time, it was limited to certain clubs.

Eleven out of 18 clubs could afford at least one player in the $5 million to $7 million range: Queretaro, Toluca, Pumas, Tigres, Monterrey, Santos, Cruz Azul, America, Chivas, Pachuca and Leon.

Seven teams obtained at least one footballer from $8 to $9 million: Chivas, Tigres, Monterrey, Pachuca, Xolos, Cruz Azul and America.

And just six clubs invested $10 million or more in a player or multiple players: America, Chivas, Tigres, Monterrey, Cruz Azul and Pachuca.

SPENDING CHART

In Mexico, five teams surpass the rest in economic power. Those entities have made a significant financial effort since the 2012-2013 campaign:

Monterrey – The CONCACAF champions spent $123 million.America – The most laureated team in Mexico invested $117 million.Cruz Azul – The third most popular team of the league reached $104 million in reinforcements.Tigres – The team of the decade spent $100 million; however, Tigres made an upper-level effort in the free agency.

Chivas – The country’s most traditional team invested $100 million in Mexican talent.

Even when the numbers of the most relevant teams double or triple the budget of their pursuers, the total playoff appearances of Cruz Azul and Chivas are still less than Santos, Toluca, Morelia, Pumas, Pachuca, Xolos and Leon. 

COMPETITION FOR EVERY BUDGET

Operating with a lower budget is not a synonym of failure. In Mexico, eight out of 18 teams classify to the liguilla. And it doesn’t matter the position in which they enter.

The playoffs were made to generate surprises. They are exciting because the majority of the time, the best team of the competition doesn’t win.

In the last decade, only two out of 40 clubs that finished first won the league, while the eighth-place team lifted the trophy three times.

In the Clausura 2019, Club Leon had the best season ever in the Liga MX. They broke the points record and streak of consecutive victories. Leon ended in first but lost the championship game against Tigres.

🦁🔥UNA FIERA DE RÉCORD 🦁🔥

El León es el primer equipo que en 76 años de historia profesional consigue 11 victorias consecutivas, luego del 3-0 sobre Puebla. pic.twitter.com/N523qqkV4m

— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) April 13, 2019

Every semester there’s one or a couple of clubs that over-perform their football capacity. It’s normal to have surprises in short tournaments, because in 17 weeks the margin of error decreases. There’s not enough time to recover a deficit of points.

Indeed, any team can qualify for the playoffs and beat the No. 1 seed. But not every club can be a champion.

OTHER CONTENDERS

Over the past several years, the relevance of clubs like Santos, Pachuca and Leon has risen above Chivas and Cruz Azul. Combined, they’ve spent $111 million since the 2012-13 campaign. Nevertheless, they combined for six championships in the last decade, five more than Cruz Azul and Chivas together.

A football team represents a luxury, especially in Mexico. It is not always a reliable business. However, Grupo Pachuca (owner of Pachuca and Leon) and Grupo Orlegi (owner of Santos) are two enterprises that profit directly from their football clubs. Or to put it into simple words, they survive from football.

While Tigres own a fleet of players in South American leagues, Grupo Pachuca and Orlegi base their sports model on thorough scouting for the first team and solidifying their professional academies.

Sometimes they buy cheap, but they sell expensive. Pachuca profited $20 million from the transactions of their graduates, Irving Lozano and Erick Gutierrez, to PSV. Santos got the same quantity for Darwin Quintero and Christian Benitez when they left for America, three times more than their initial cost.

The transfer records of Grupo Pachuca and Grupo Orlegi demonstrate that both can disburse $20 million in one year and not invest a dime in the next tournament. However, their market value rarely decreases out of the top eight.

WHAT’S THE REAL FORMULA, THEN?

In a study by Soc Takes in collaboration with mathematician Luis Felipe Jacobo, the results established that the annual investment doesn’t have a significant connection with the yearly position, finals played and titles achieved. However, the study reveals that the relation between the market value and league finals disputed is relevant. And at the same time, it’s increasing.

It makes sense.

Since 2013, America, Tigres and Monterrey adapted to a more demanding market. They began to build their vision way before the rest of the league realized that football was changing — not only in the economic aspect, but their sports intelligence also improved exponentially.

For example, America and Monterrey have the best academies in the country. And Tigres began their expansion to South America; they own more than 30 players outside of Mexico and loan them to South American and Mexican squads.

Year after year they acquired talent, and — most importantly — retained their base of players by offering them substantial salaries. With time and exponential relevance, the squad value increased.

Currently, America, Monterrey and Tigres don’t need to buy a whole squad every summer. Their only mission is to fill a couple of spots because they already boast an excellent and competitive base of players. And if someone important leaves, they bring in another asset as valuable as the last one.

Thirteen out of 18 teams can find one or a couple of talented footballers for a fair transfer or loan price. But they can’t retain them. Half of Mexican football lives out on loans. And part of the business model of Pachuca, Santos and Leon is to buy and sell the talent for profit.

The study shows that the tendencies regarding the value of a squad and finals played are increasing. While there’s no certainty of predicting the future, this correlation grows annually in Mexico.

Follow Luis on Twitter: @LFulloa.

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