Close Losses Do Not Equal Success for MLS Teams at Club World Cup

Three MLS teams have combined for one win in six games

The narrative surrounding MLS teams coming into the Club World Cup was that all three of them would be eliminated in the group stage and embarrass the league on a worldwide level. After all, their one previous foray into the Club World Cup was early in 2023 when the Seattle Sounders were one and done in Morocco. And while none of the three MLS teams have embarrassed themselves or the league, that should not be construed as some sort of successful tournament.

Right from the jump, it was always going to be difficult for the Seattle Sounders to advance despite playing all three group stage games at their home of Lumen Field. Getting drawn into a group feature Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, and Botafogo: two of the biggest and best teams in Europe and one of the biggest and best teams in South America. Even before the tournament started, the Sounders players got into a well-publicized spat with their owner over their share of the prize money just for making the tournament ($10 million). It would not have been a surprise, then, to see them come out and get demolished three times in three games. However, the Sounders were able to score a goal in each game, losing just 2-1 to Botafogo and 3-1 to Atletico Madrid. But make no mistake: just losing by a little to good teams does not mean MLS has made some giant leap forward.

LAFC is the one MLS team that could be forgiven for a poor showing at the Club World Cup. While many of these teams have had months, or even years, to prepare for this tournament, LAFC only had weeks. Club Leon was booted out at the last minute and FIFA organized a one game playoff between LAFC and Club America. LAFC won in extra time and in doing so earned themselves $10 million, which will go a long way in MLS. But just like the Sounders, the group did LAFC no favors. Awaiting them were Chelsea, Flamengo, and Esperance de Tunis. Again, they didn’t do anything to embarrass themselves but neither did they do anything to show the rest of the world that MLS has made any meaningful strides in their level of play. In fact, LAFC is the one MLS team that has yet to score a goal at this Club World Cup, having been held scoreless by both Chelsea and Esperane de Tunis (the latter in front of 13,651 at Geodis Park in Nashville in which Denis Bouanga had a stoppage time penalty kick saved).

Predictably, it is Inter Miami carrying the flag for MLS in this competition. There were perhaps more concerns for them coming into this tournament than for either of the other two MLS teams. They had crashed out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in spectacular fashion against the Vancouver Whitecaps and were losing seemingly every other week in MLS, to the point where Lionel Messi was having to be restrained by opposing coaches after the end of games. But, as has been the case so many times over the years, having Messi on your team makes up for a lot. Despite being held scoreless in their opener against Egyptian side Al Ahly, and then finding themselves down 1-0 after just eight minutes against Portuguese side Porto, they fought back. After equalizing early in the second half through Telasco Segovia, it was Messi who fired home a free kick to give Miami the lone MLS win so far at this tournament.

None of these are particularly devastating or ugly losses for MLS. But this is a league that purports to want to be among the best in the world. Eventually, they will have to prove it on the field. And, no, the Leagues Cup does not count because none of the Liga MX teams get chances to play games at home. For MLS to really show that they are bigger and better than ever before, they have to start proving it in competitions like the CONCACAF Champions Cup and this new, expanded Club World Cup. Each MLS team still has one group stage game remaining, though it seems unlikely that anybody other than Inter Miami can advance. But if they can somehow find a way to win these games, even if they don’t advance, it would go further towards showing the quality of the league than simply losing close. It’s something that is defintiely on Steve Cherundolo’s mind.

“We’ll have to assess how players recover from this game and then we will field the strongest team possible” he said. “I think it’s still important for us to show well in this tournament. I was very pleased with our first performance, obviously not the result. I was halfway pleased with tonight and not with the result. For me it’s still an important game not only for us but also for MLS.”

But if two of the three MLS teams go 0-3, it will be very dispiriting indeed.