Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Republic of Ireland forward Kevin Doyle has reflected on his experience playing three seasons in the MLS with Colorado Rapids, with an interesting insight into the challenges playing in contrasting climates.
Doyle has spoken about strongly about the impact of Lionel Messi with Inter Miami but warns that the MLS could turn into a circus act if Cristiano Ronaldo made the move to America with the danger of it becoming the "Ronaldo vs Messi" show.
The former Reading , footballer has also warned inform midfielder Charlie Savage about signing for bitter rivals Oxford United.
MLS
MLS Reflections
I had no expectations of what the MLS would be like, but it is a fabulous club and a city and a place to live. The league was tough. It's a tough league. There's so much travelling, so much time difference. You're away from home so much. That side was very difficult, the atmosphere, the facilities and just how big and vast the country is, everything about it. It surprised me. The stadiums are always full.
The atmosphere is different because there are very few away fans. They get fabulous crowds, but unlike European leagues or the majority of leagues in the world, people aren't going to travel five hours for a game and be gone for weekends at times. So, the atmosphere has to be generated from the home crowd. That's the only difference, and that's the one thing I missed.
But everything else, the football, the standard, it's tough. It's hot, I think through the summer in America, it's difficult conditions. But I really enjoyed it. I thought it was, and it's only gone on and got better since I left. I keep an eye on it. The clubs, they've added clubs, and their TV rights, everything's gone up. They're still selling out all the stadiums. I think they're moving as well to align with the European leagues for the transfer windows and everything. So they're going to finish in the summer like all the other leagues and play from September to May.
That'll make a big change. I'm interested, but I don't know if that's the right decision or not. I wouldn't fancy playing in Colorado in December and January, or some of the other states. I'd prefer playing in Orlando at 40 degrees heat than a snowstorm in Denver . It's interesting how that's going to work. That'll be a big test.
Do You Enjoy The MLS?
Messi's Impact
Inter Miami was a market they wanted to get into; they'd been trying for a while, and it just turned out to be a dream for them. It's been perfect. Getting Lionel Messi was massive, and you know, he wasn't a washed-up Messi ; he was still playing pretty decently, and he's playing well out there still now.
They don't go for as many of that type of player anymore. For a good few years, there seemed to be a lot more of that type of transfer, not to Messi's level, obviously, but they seem to be trying to grow the league a bit more organically, and it's working for them.
Could Ronaldo Join The MLS?
I think it's a couple of years too late for Cristiano Ronaldo in MLS . I think the moment has passed. He picked Saudi Arabia, which would have been the perfect time to go. I know he's going to the World Cup at 40. If you play in the World Cup , you can play in MLS , but maybe only for six months or so. I think making it just Messi vs Ronaldo would be a circus act. They’re trying to make it a serious league and not just based on two players. I don’t think it would be a good thing for the league, but let’s see what happens.
Everyone is still very excited about it, still talking about it. There are not going to be too many people travelling out to the Czech Republic , I think, with the amount of tickets available. I think there are only going to be 1,200 seats or something for away fans. But if we win that, we're at home in the play-off final. I think we have a great chance.
Transfer Talk
Savage Switch
He can't go to Oxford from Reading . No, that wouldn't go down well. I saw one of his goals a few weeks ago, actually, an absolute worldly he scored for Reading. Noel Hunt is a friend of mine. I thought he had done really well with ownership problems and whether they own their stadium or training ground, which had been a big worry for the last number of years. Thankfully, that seems to be all gone past them now, and they are turning it around. The club is going to be on the up. It's a fabulous football club.
Whether Charlie Savage goes or not, the main thing is that they've sorted out their behind-the-scenes issues. It's a club where the fans and everyone seem happy again. The amount of talking and protesting is gone, and now they can focus on getting back to the Premier League . They've been there a number of times. Getting back to that, they're a big club, have a fabulous training ground, and are in a great area.
They can get back to not talking about off-the-pitch issues, but talking about Reading back in the Premier League. It seemed like it could be a long time, but they have a half a chance now that they've got their ownership situations sorted.
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