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USMNT striker Jozy Altidore pays Liga MX a serious compliment

By Rucker Haringey

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 19: Jozy Altidore #17 of Toronto FC battles for the ball with Luis Rodríguez #28 and Hugo Ayala #4 of Tigres UANL during the first half of the 2018 Campeones Cup Final at BMO Field on September 19, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 19: Jozy Altidore #17 of Toronto FC battles for the ball with Luis Rodríguez #28 and Hugo Ayala #4 of Tigres UANL during the first half of the 2018 Campeones Cup Final at BMO Field on September 19, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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Jozy Altidore believes MLS is catching up to Liga MX, but that means he believes Liga MX still reigns supreme in the battle of North American leagues.

Liga MX isn’t generally a subject that gets a lot of praise from members of the US Men’s National Team. American striker Jozy Altidore did unwittingly pay the Mexican league a compliment last week.

He told reporters that he believes MLS is making real progress in their fight to achieve equality with Liga MX. On one hand, those words won’t sit well with fans of Mexico’s top domestic league. There’s a solid argument to be made that Liga MX is still head and shoulders above their American counterparts. On the other hand, if MLS is still chasing Liga MX, it means the Mexican league still is the superior competition in Altidore’s estimation.

In fairness to Altidore, his Toronto FC came within a few penalty kicks of being the first MLS side to win the CONCACAF Champions League this season. Chivas ultimately prevailed, but the contest was much closer than it’s been in years past. Toronto FC also knocked out Tigres and Club America on their way to the finals.

Altidore believes Liga MX’s advantage comes from the bottom of their league. Specifically, he claims that the bottom teams in Mexico’s top flight are capable of outspending their peers in MLS. Until more financial parity is present in MLS, it may continue to lag behind the depth of Liga MX.

On the other hand, Altidore is also quick to point out his opinion that MLS has a brighter future. Much of that is due to the impact the salary cap should have on parity within the league. That sort of concept is noticeably absent in Mexico.

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Before Liga MX fans get too critical of Altidore’s assessment, they should understand that Tigres coach Tuca Ferretti also is highly complimentary of his Toronto FC side. He recently told reporters that he thinks the MLS slide would be a legitimate title contender if they were housed in Liga MX. That sort of thing definitely could not be said about the top teams in MLS in the past.

In the end, it’s fair to say that MLS is making progress on closing the gap. The real question is how long it might take them to completely make up their deficit. Until MLS produces a truly dominant team, they’re still going to lag behind Liga MX in terms of perception. That might not be fair, but it’s the reality both leagues face.

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