How does the A-League compare to English Football?

[Alberto7]

Hi all,

I have a friend coming from Scotland this summer and I hope to take him to see an Impact game. This got me thinking. How can I categorize the level of play in the A-league compared to what he is used to (English and Scottish football)? A few years back I was in London and talking to a cab driver about soccer in Canada. I told him that it was comparable to the English second division(something I read somewhere). Now I don't know if this is really true as all I have ever seen from England are Premiership games and the occasional 1st division playoff. This is obviously very subjective, but can anyone who has seen a large number of 1st, 2nd or 3rd division games comment? I look forward to reading your opinions and of course seeing what my friend thinks when he sees the Impact play.

Thanks

Albert
Montreal A-league.com match reporter

[beachesl]

Reminds me of the story of the English commentator hired by an American network back in the 70's. He was asked on the air, during the broadcast of some North American Soccer League match, how the NASL teams compared to English teams. His curt answer was "Fifth Division", which may well have been accurate. He was promptly fired. I remember reading about it right after it happened.

Does anyone have any details of this story? (ie: name of commetator, name of network, name of teams playing, date?)

[Cheeta]

Well I don't think the Impact anyway would be too out of place at all when it comes to the Scottish 1st or English 2nd division. It's kinda hard to compare though isn't it? Longer season, quality of opponent, blah, blah, blah. But I'd think they'd do all right.

Just an opinion mind you. Based on some of last years Cup matchs. But the earlier rounds are hard to get less you can talk a friend with a dish into taping some matchs. Following A-League can be a similiar trial.

Sometimes even fancy Montreal at least could keep their heads out of relegation in the Nationwide 1st/Scottish Premier but I eventualy sober up.

Minority of one

[BobMontreal]

My opinion is that a good A-league team (as the impact as you mentionned) would compete with good 3rd divison teams to middle 2nd division in England.

But I haven't seen a lot of games from England to have a precise opinion about it but that's my guess..

Ultras Montréal: EXAGÉRONS
Avec Nous qui voudra; contre nous qui pourra!
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[Alberto7]

Thanks guys,

I did an informal survey in the press booth at friday's Impact game. Basically all said what you have noted: Best A-league teams can compete against bottom half English 2nd division teams and all teams in the 3rd division. That's good enough for me.

Albert

Albert Ohayon
Montreal match reporter, a-league.com

[MikeD]

quote:Originally posted by Alberto7

Thanks guys,

I did an informal survey in the press booth at friday's Impact game. Basically all said what you have noted: Best A-league teams can compete against bottom half English 2nd division teams and all teams in the 3rd division. That's good enough for me.

Albert

Albert Ohayon
Montreal match reporter, a-league.com

I don't know if I agree with this consensus when I guy like Martin Nash, who is one of the best players in the A-League, couldn't even crack the starting 11 of a club that was fighting relegation from the English 3rd division.

I travel to the UK at least once a year and I've been to two English 3rd division matches, two Conference matches (the Conference is the semi-pro national league just below the 3rd division) and two Scottish Premiership matches in the past 5 years, but I've only seen the A-League on TV (that will change when Ottawa gets an A-League club.)

In my opinion, the best A-League sides would probably be lower to mid-table in the English 3rd Division with perhaps a slim shot at the playoffs, but most would be in serious danger of relegation to the Conference.

Mike D

[matthew]

It's apples and oranges though. Richard Gough was so bad for the KC Wizards, he got pined because he was too slow and took too many fouls. A year later he started for Everton. That doesn't mean Everton would struggle to make the playoffs in MLS. Nash didn't get a chance to show what he could do in the third div.

I agree with the lower second division idea. I've seen a couple of second division games and the style is so different it's tough to compare. A-League is sort of a more continental style, played slower, more attempts at skill on the ball. The pace in England is faster, a lot of the teams play very direct (though effectively, there are people winning the long balls and when they're won, they're nodded on to someone with purpose). Wigan would have been teh class of the A-League. I bet Montreal would give Plymouth a tough game.

Guys like Gervais and Pizzolitto would have done fine and a guy like Sebrango I think would give a second division backline fits.

cheers,
matthew


The secret of life is to find moments of levity and grace in what is, ultimately, a tragedy. Watching Canadian soccer is good practice for this.

[Rupert]

I've seen A-League games during the past four or five years at Vancouver, Seattle, Charleston, Richmond and Raleigh among other places. Away teams seen include Montreal and Nashville. As far as I'm aware most of the teams I've watched have fielded part-time players. Skill-wise some have compared well to players in the English Third and Second Divisions (in which I've watched hundreds of games) but as Matthew says the English game is much faster and the players tend to be a lot fitter. I would say the best A-League teams I've seen would survive in the English Second Division for about an hour of each game and would then run out of steam. The worst are of Conference standard (another league in which I've watched a lot of games).