NationStates Jolt Archive

what is it? what make your favorite league to the best?

I think the english league is the best, but the spanish also had good games sometimes.

I think I'm a fairly objective observer since I'm American (and the MLS is about as quality as minor league baseball or the European Football League.) I think the English Premiership is the best soccer around.

The English Premiership is the most competitive, all 20 teams can beat each other...Wigan outplayed Chelsea on the weekend fgs! :D

However, if you want goals, then La Liga is great, excellent football from the top two, if you don't mind watching Real & Barca stomp all over everyone else. Haven't watched much Serie A, but from what I do see, the defense is incredible, but never too many goals, and too many draws for my liking.

And which other country could have had FIVE teams in the Champion's League? :D Liverpool were European Champions, yet came FIFTH in the English Premier League. Think that says it all :D

The Champions' League of course ;)

English is my favourite but I'm not sure if it's the best one. England may have 5 teams in Champions League, but Spanish and Italian teams have won it much more often.
La Liga has my vote.

It's also great to watch the goals from Argentinian matches. You rarely see anything like that in Europe.

The English Premiership is the most competitive, all 20 teams can beat each other...Wigan outplayed Chelsea on the weekend fgs! :Dif we getting to this subject. all the big teams of england played like crap in the first game. liverpool can't win midelsboro with one more player, arsenal score his first goal from penalty kick at the 80th minute (and won 2-0), and man U. miss oppurtionites that every child can score and win 2-0 thanks to mistakes in the other defence.

However, if you want goals, then La Liga is great, excellent football from the top two, if you don't mind watching Real & Barca stomp all over everyone else. isn't la-liga is the french league. I probably wrong, so what the french league name?
Haven't watched much Serie A, but from what I do see, the defense is incredible, but never too many goals, and too many draws for my liking.at the good times of milan and yuventus, there are many goals and good soccer, but mostly they aren't in good time.

And which other country could have had FIVE teams in the Champion's League? :D Liverpool were European Champions, yet came FIFTH in the English Premier League. Think that says it all :Dif we talking about succese in europe I think spain is in the first place, and italy just after them. but those thing changed almost every year.

The Champions' League of course ;)
Champion's League sounds very interesting though...

The Champions' League of course ;)I don't sure. most of the games at the homes stage are boring.

I'd say I would rather watch the Spanish La Liga or the Mexican Premier League for skill, but i loathe the really really bad diving and pratting about...

so...in terms of excitement i'd rather have the English Premier League...


Still League 1 owns them all ;)

Scottish... :D , nah seriously... if Rangers and Celtic moved down to England then the English league would be more competiteve for the European Places....

Scottish... :D , nah seriously... if Rangers and Celtic moved down to England then the English league would be more competiteve for the European Places....rangers and celtic maybe good enough for the premier league, but all the other teams hardly survivedat the third league in england.

rangers and celtic maybe good enough for the premier league, but all the other teams hardly survivedat the third league in england.
yeah thats what makes the SPL boring

yeah thats what makes the SPL boringat least it isn't only the scottish problem. greece and natherland are other examples for 2-3 good teams leagues, and lot of crap.

at least it isn't only the scottish problem. greece and natherland are other examples for 2-3 good teams leagues, and lot of crap.
And then there's Veikkausliiga which is nothing but crap... :D

However, if you want goals, then La Liga is great, excellent football from the top two, if you don't mind watching Real & Barca stomp all over everyone else.

Well I think you may be forgetting a few teams, after all Villareal are destroying everton at the moment, Deportivo, despite bad league position last season, are still good, Valencia have a few good players, and Seville were good until Real Madrid bought their best striker, and still possibly their best defender. Spanish league is a lot better than the Premiership.

I honestly think that rangers and Celtic would struggle in the English premier League, they are just not used to playing quality opponents week in, week out whenever I see a pre-season friendly between a prem club and one of those two the prem club seems to always win. Pompey to stay up this season, hopefully!

And then there's Veikkausliiga which is nothing but crap... :D
where that one?

where that one?

Finland.

Spanish league is a lot better than the Premiership.
in that case I find it weird that england lead 13 to 0 on spain, in the polls. I was sure it will be close fight between those leagues.

Still League 1 owns them all ;)

hmm...league one? I don't know but I think the championship is a very ...hard league. If that's what you're talking about.

in that case I find it weird that england lead 13 to 0 on spain, in the polls. I was sure it will be close fight between those leagues.
If there would be as many Spanish NSers...

Finland.
it could be in almost every place on the world, and there wasn't any difference.

hmm...league one? I don't know but I think the championship is a very ...hard league. If that's what you're talking about.
He meant the second league in England.
Premiership - League One (or what ever is the official name) - League Two etc

I honestly think that rangers and Celtic would struggle in the English premier League, they are just not used to playing quality opponents week in, week out whenever I see a pre-season friendly between a prem club and one of those two the prem club seems to always win. Pompey to stay up this season, hopefully!
when... what friendlies would these be... Arsenal and Newcastle are the only teams from the Premiership teams to have beaten us in pre-season... Man Utd beat us in the Champions League but were lucky at Ibrox... they had one shot and it took two deflecyions on its way in

If there would be as many Spanish NSers...
good point. spain, brazil and argentina who ussualy represent attack-based soccer with many dribblesand personnal abbilities get nothing, while england, italy and germany with their tactics, defence, and team gaming are on the head.
another proof for the connection between sport and geography.

The English Premier League is the best without a doubt... although it has weakened slightly since Crystal Palace got relegated last season. :D

He meant the second league in England.
Premiership - League One (or what ever is the official name) - League Two etc

Yep, I think the english league system is something like premier, championship, league one, league two and the conference. Correct me if I'm wrong...

I tend to agree with you about the veikkausliiga, though I'd like believe in HJK doing well both nationally and in Europe.

it could be in almost every place on the world, and there wasn't any difference.
True. There are only few good leagues and way too many bad ones.

Yep, I think the english league system is something like premier, championship, league one, league two and the conference. Correct me if I'm wrong...

I tend to agree with you about the veikkausliiga, though I'd like believe in HJK doing well both nationally and in Europe.
Champions' League is the one where all the best European teams play. UEFA cup is the other one (those who weren't qualified into Champions league)

HJK has surprised me few times.

MLS is clearly the worst.

True. There are only few good leagues and way too many bad ones.
again it may be right statement anout almost anything in the world. somehow, the good places are always the places with the great money.

MLS is clearly the worst.
why USA always need to claim for the record in anything? let other leagues chance.

why USA always need to claim for the record in anything? let other leagues chance.

You honestly disagree? I can't stand to watch MLS.

Arsenal season ticket- £900

Barcelona season ticket- £180

:headbang:

You honestly disagree? I can't stand to watch MLS.
I never saw this league. almost all the soccer I see is from israel or england, although I watch some champions league games and national teams games.
I don't know how bad they are, so Iprefer to let other countries claim for this record before I will had opinion.

Arsenal season ticket- £900

Barcelona season ticket- £180

:headbang:
watch in TV- pay per view.

Spanish Leagues Are the best in the world

isn't la-liga is the french league. I probably wrong, so what the french league name?

Nope, "La Liga" is the Spanish League.....the French League is known as "Ligue 1"

if we talking about succese in europe I think spain is in the first place, and italy just after them. but those thing changed almost every year.

My point was that the European Champions, Liverpool are FIFTH in the Premiership, which shows how strong then English League is. The winners from Spain and Italy tend to be a handful of teams, who are almost always in the top 2-3 in their respective leagues.

Anyway, it's debatable if we're going to debate which is the best league EVER or which is the best league at the moment?

According to UEFA's current country rankings:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method3/crank2005.html

Spain has the best ranking in Europe over the last 5 years, followed by England, with Italy third.

And if we're looking over the winners of the European Cup since it began:

http://www.krysstal.com/ecup.html

Italy = 10 wins
Spain = 10 wins
England = 10 wins

So they've each won it 10 times since it started until now, so they're equal on European terms.

I don't follow "foreign" soccer leagues too closely, therefore I voted for the German Bundesliga.

I do believe that the following applies, though:

U.K.
Spain
Italy
Brasil
Germany

Bundesliga

Spanish Leagues Are the best paid in the world
I fixed it for you ;)

Scottish... :D , nah seriously... if Rangers and Celtic moved down to England then the English league would be more competiteve for the European Places....
I think Celtic and rangers would actually really struggle to ever get into the champions league, and then the UEFA Cup places would would be boring as it would probably be them in the first two places of it mostly. But it'd be good to see Arsenal stolen a Champions League spot by either Celtic or Rangers,and they'd have to make do with UEFA Cup. :p But the best league in the world, I'd go with...Welsh premier league!

I fixed it for you ;)

LOL :D

Is it the best paid though? Overall? I'd imagine the strength of the pound makes wages over here pretty decent too...

The Champions' League of course ;)


That's cheating! But I thought it would probably be the Italian or Spanish league, anyone else noticed that Beckham is having a harder time now that he plays with Real Madrid? Oh yeah, Spanish league definitely better (but not as fun to watch...odd.)

That's cheating! But I thought it would probably be the Italian or Spanish league, anyone else noticed that Beckham is having a harder time now that he plays with Real Madrid? Oh yeah, Spanish league definitely better (but not as fun to watch...odd.)

Is he? Everytime i watched them last year, the commentators/press seemed to be raving about him as the only player who was playing anywhere near the level at which they all should have been....(Apart from Casillas of course, definitely their player of the season...)

Is he? Everytime i watched them last year, the commentators/press seemed to be raving about him as the only player who was playing anywhere near the level at which they all should have been....(Apart from Casillas of course, definitely their player of the season...)


I dunno, he's playing to his full potential right now, but he's overshadowed by the incredible Insano lord and master of all things football (Zidane). Plus, playing for the team that has the world's best doorman and the world's best strikers, he's a bit overshadowed in his own right. Still an incredible footballer though.

Is he? Everytime i watched them last year, the commentators/press seemed to be raving about him as the only player who was playing anywhere near the level at which they all should have been....(Apart from Casillas of course, definitely their player of the season...)


And remember, he's the top Englishman in the league, not to mention the world's most popular footballer. Incredible amounts of press attention will always be on him.

I dunno, he's playing to his full potential right now, but he's overshadowed by the incredible Insano lord and master of all things football (Zidane). Plus, playing for the team that has the world's best doorman and the world's best strikers, he's a bit overshadowed in his own right. Still an incredible footballer though.

Well everyone's overshadowed by Zidane :D There's no shame in that! I still think Michael Owen should have got regular starts, he had the best goals per game ratio in Europe last year!! Supreme supersub!!

Bundesliga. Always good, hard played, football. The fact I have a cousin in the league dosen't alter my vote*.

*much :D

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it whenever we're in the top flight, but for me the Coca-Cola Championship is much more fun than the Premiership, with all its fake, plastic fans that sit there in silence even when they're 3 goals up. I'd much rather have a bit of banter with fans that have travelled down from some God-forsaken part of the northern wastelands like Sheffield or Preston, or those wacky funsters from Plymouth Argyle than the fake Manchester United fans who travel in their droves from Sevenoaks and Guildford and have never even BEEN to Manchester, let alone seen their team at Old Trafford.

Honestly, I hope Glazer franchises them out to New York. Every other football fan in the country would be glad to be shot of their obnoxious arrogance.

I'm not so bothered about the plastic Chelsea fans... They'll crawl back under their rock once Putin locks Abramovich in a Siberian gulag and seizes all his assets. The only thing I fear is that some of those chavvy scummers you see around Croydon might decide to come to the Mecca of English footall (Selhurst Park, London SE25) and pollute the Arthur Wait stand with their fake Burberry and gold-plated chains from Argos.

Yes, I love life in (what should be called) the second division. Away games are more fun, we get games every single week, and it's proper blood and thunder football. The Premiership is undoubtedly a higher standard of football (if you're a purist), but it just doesn't match up to the excitement in the second flight. Plus we get another chance to watch AJ bang in a hat-trick against the hated Brighton & Hove Albion in about 8 weeks!!! Oh God I hope there are some Seaweed who play Nationstates :D

Anyway, see you later girls!

<walks off singing obscene songs about Alan Mullery>

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy it whenever we're in the top flight, but for me the Coca-Cola Championship is much more fun than the Premiership, with all its fake, plastic fans that sit there in silence even when they're 3 goals up.
right. when israeli team meet manchester united in the champions league, some thousands of israeli fans, make more noise than all the other fans at the studium. they still try to be noisiest at first, but we totally silenced them with goal at the 8th moment (they won 5-2 but who care?).

The English Premiership is the most competitive, When I see EU Championship games..I see Manchester all the time.
For the last 10 years or so.

When I see EU Championship games..I see Manchester all the time.
For the last 10 years or so.
but they mostly end in the third or second place. it isn't like they was the only champions at that time.

. it isn't like they was the only champions at that time.no, but they are Champions most of the time.

no, but they are Champions most of the time.
the 90's was there best decade. now they mostly can't stand chelsey and arsenal, and they lose the championship very early.
anyway, every league as some top groups who stay many years at the top table. it isn't necceserly make the leagues less competetive.

the 90's was there best decade. now they mostly can't stand chelsey and arsenal, and they lose the championship very early.
anyway, every league as some top groups who stay many years at the top table. it isn't necceserly make the leagues less competetive.I most other leagues...a cinderella team can make it to the International Championships...

even win it all in Japan.

Serie A...

The Football Leauge, the championship, Or League 1, the Prem is to predicatble.

whatever league has Park Ji Sung (or is it Ji Sung Park) will get my vote

so at the mo its the premiership

WE LOVE YOU PARK

but seriously
i think the premiership is better, maybe not in quality of teams, but in all round excitement

and about fake fans, so sue me if i've never seen united play live, i'd give anything to see them but i can't afford it, so what should i do, change from the team i loved when i was 7 (the time i started liking football) to some other team just so i won't be seen as a fake or a glory hunter, i doubt it, i'll love United for the rest of my life and the day i got to Old Trafford was one of the best in my life

The Football Leauge, the championship, Or League 1, the Prem is to predicatble.

you've got a point there...

Check out this biased poll. This poll is as obvious as a poll about which political leader most likely sucks nuts. We all know who the populous is gonna vote for. Personally, I like the Spanish or Italian league better than the EPL.

I support Sunderland AFC... Now a Prem team, but that's not why England has the best football league.

The Championship, and Leagues 1,2 & 3 are great as well. Oldham have always performed well in the FA Cup, as have Sunderland and Wrexham.

Even though my team are in one of the best leagues in the world, the English Championship League is way better.

England Rules!

England Rules!

yeah, they did extremely well against Denmark the other day... :rolleyes:

no, but they are Champions most of the time.
What you're talking about Man U has won it only twice. Once in the 90s and I can't even remember when was the first time.

Or do you mean Champions in Premiership?

The EPL! I used to get weekly EPL matches on free-to-air TV but now I have to put up the dodgy highlights in the news now.

you've got a point there...
Thank you.

What you're talking about Man U has won it only twice. Once in the 90s and I can't even remember when was the first time.

Or do you mean Champions in Premiership?

Manchester United have won the English League 15 times in total (including before the Premiership). They won the Champion's League twice, once in 1968 and once in 1999. As I said before, these are the number of times each country has won the European Cup (a.k.a Champion's League):

Italy = 10
Spain = 10
England = 10

So they're equal on European terms, and you can't separate them.

Hence, I think you have to look at the other teams in the league, other than the top 4, in order to determine which is the best league overall. I still personally think it's the English Premier League because of its competitiveness and high tempo. I find it more exciting.

The Championship is the best!

It's only Englands second league tier, but it is the 4th most supported league in Europe...It has more supporters than Serie A!

And the football is excellent, much less divers than in the Premiership, which is the best top flight league.

yeah, they did extremely well against Denmark the other day... :rolleyes:

hey Brazil lost to Mexico a couple of months ago! :D Stop rubbing it in! At least it was only a friendly :D

Allsvenskan, without a doubt. I mean, we´ve got...er...well...ok, but we HAD Zlatan, Fredrik Ljungberg, Henrik Larsson, and a lot of other great players...in the fifties...

Nah, seriously, I´ve always loved Milan, so Italy it is. I also love those beatiful, beatiful dives all over the place. Someone nudges someone else, that person tumbles, rolls over and start to scream. Never any injuries after those kinds of falls though, weird...

My favourite league isn't the best in the world by a longshot. Major League Soccer only started up in 1996 and two of the teams are brand new this year. But the two new teams have come about through the wonders of the American invention known as "expansion teams" rather than the promotion of two minor league teams to the First Division.

The league started off rather gimmicky in comparison to top flight football:

* Countdown clocks.
* Shootouts determined winners for draws after 90 minutes. Later, two five minute golden goal overtime periods replaced the shootout, but if the score remained drawn after 100 minutes, the match was a draw.
* Referee stopped the clock for injuries and the like, so no stoppage time.
* Playoff series were best of three (the team had to win two matches to advance).
* The final was a one-off match that had two 15 minute golden goal overtimes before the shootout, which was abolished after the 1998 season, shortly after Don Garber took over as Commissioner for Doug Logan.

Since Garber became Commissioner, the league:

* Started countup clocks with referees keeping time on the field and stoppage time
* Established, then abolished overtime as a way to decide a winner. A draw after 90 minutes was a draw (which I still hate to this day)
* Playoff series were best of three at first, but a team had to earn five points to advance, so a win and two draws could see a team through. A win and a loss would mean extra time IIRC. Later, the teams would play two game aggregate goal series.
* Team names have begun to reflect those of other teams worldwide. For instance, the Dallas Burn have renamed themselves FC Dallas, whilst the two new teams are named Real Salt Lake and CD Chivas USA (Club Deportivo, translated as Sporting Club). D.C. United was one of the few "traditional football names" in the league at its incepetion.

It has steadily improved, but it's no better than perhaps Class AA baseball or NFL Europe, as was stated earlier.

I support Sunderland AFC... Now a Prem team, but that's not why England has the best football league.

The Championship, and Leagues 1,2 & 3 are great as well. Oldham have always performed well in the FA Cup, as have Sunderland and Wrexham.

Even though my team are in one of the best leagues in the world, the English Championship League is way better.

England Rules!

(to the Boney M song Daddy Cool)

Darren, Darren Powelllll....
Darren, Darren Powelllll!!!!

;)

Oh, and Sarzonia?

I know exactly where you're coming from. I've been on holiday for the last two weeks, so I've been having some rather late nights, and I've caught some MLS on Channel 5 at about 4am. I'd put the standard of football at about CCC level. That's meant as a compliment.

And the style of football is quite admirable as well. It's got all the pace of the shall we say the anglo/celtic countries (i.e. England, as most of them end up there, the good ones at least), combined with a bit more new-world zip about it. Good brand of football. I haven't chosen a team to support yet though. :)

yeah, they did extremely well against Denmark the other day... :rolleyes:

Absolute disgrace in the second half... Hopefully they get a kick up the backside from SGE. Wales are going to catch a backlash in the World-Cup qualifier, I suspect :D

Absolute disgrace in the second half... Hopefully they get a kick up the backside from SGE. Wales are going to catch a backlash in the World-Cup qualifier, I suspect :D

Any coincidence that as soon as we sub David James on with a number 13 jersey on, that we ship 4 goals? :D

Any coincidence that as soon as we sub David James on with a number 13 jersey on, that we ship 4 goals? :D

Last time he got a clean sheet bonus was when he wiped himself off on the hotel curtains...

I'd agree that MLS is about CCC level, it will improve but at the moment it's poor, even DC United only just managed to beat Forest in our religation season.

Sarzonia I guess thay put MLS back to 'treditional' soccar rules because FIFA pressured you into it.

England = 10 European Cup Winners
Italy = 10 European Cup Winners

Real Madrid = 9 European Cup Wins

Just thought I'd weigh into the debate as a one-eyed Real Madrid supporter. I say La Liga is the world's best.

England = 10 European Cup Winners
Italy = 10 European Cup Winners

Real Madrid = 9 European Cup Wins

Just thought I'd weigh into the debate as a one-eyed Real Madrid supporter. I say La Liga is the world's best.

But 1 team doesn't make a League :) Reason why people haven't mentioned the Bundesliga much is because Bayern Munich dominate their league so much...a few years ago La Liga was the best, with Valencia, Barcelona, Deportivo and real Madrid all being worthy challengers for the league title....now it looks like a two-horse race between Real and Barca...

The English Premiership is the new La Liga in terms of competition...Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United and Liverpool are all strong contenders for the title :)

I'd agree that MLS is about CCC level, it will improve but at the moment it's poor, even DC United only just managed to beat Forest in our religation season.

Sarzonia I guess thay put MLS back to 'treditional' soccar rules because FIFA pressured you into it.Not necessarily. The league fired Doug Logan when attendance stagnated and hired Don Garber (ironically enough, from the NFL or NFL Europe IIRC) as Commissioner. He took some time to look at things and seemed to start gradually installing changes a few months after taking over.

I'm not sure how much FIFA had to do with the rules changes or if Garber decided to implement them on his own. Either way, MLS has gradually evolved into a league that isn't loaded down with gimmicks but has some sensitivity to American conventions, such as a playoff system determining the league winner and no promotion/relegation (which I keep trying to sell to other Americans, but to no avail).

And as to your example of D.C. United, they played Forrest in 1997, when the league was just over a year old. Two-plus years in, they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup, beating two Mexican League teams to do it. Then they won a two-legged series against Vasco da Gama for the InterAmerican Cup. This year, they played Chelsea fairly tough although it still was a loss.

For a league that is short on history in comparison to the top flight leagues around the world, I'd say they are making a fairly good account of themselves.

Well, it was close between the Allsvenskan and the English Premiership, but somehow in the end I managed to decide that the English Premiership just tops the Allsvenskan in terms of quality of players and games. (A very close thing you understand...)

The English Premiership is the new La Liga in terms of competition...Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United and Liverpool are all strong contenders for the title :)

Well maybe 4 teams can win the premiership this season, but man united are a fading force, and arsenal are a shadow of their former self now. The league will not stay competitive for long. Its only a matter of time before chelsea get some real quality in their team and storm the competition.