MLS Friendlies: Converting the Masses

I couldn't help but think of the comparisons as I watched my Chicago Fire take on a fully-stocked AC Milan this weekend at Toyota Park.  For starters, that sentence pretty much sums up my entire existence as a Fire fan these past five years, as I've come to love the club, the players, the sport, and MLS.  All have come a long way since that night in Soldier Field, and while the outcome was roughly the same, it could be said that so many more pieces are in place for American soccer.  The question that remains is how the evolution of the game has translated to the evolution of both the club and the league.  In most markets, MLS is still struggling in their transition from fledgling sports league to full member of the US sports world, and a closer look at big name international friendlies may be the key.

My experience is probably an outlier among newer MLS fans.  It was almost entirely self-propelled, but not without plenty of unorthodox help along the way.  A recent college grad living in Chicago, most MLS marketing never reached me.  The Fire were a fringe team in my sports consciousness until I saw for myself that I could see real live soccer with a bit of effort, and that effort was almost entirely run by people that had no official ties with the club itself.  I would not be a Fire fan today if it wasn't for beer buses running out of The Globe Pub, and I wouldn't be the loyal supporter without the various enabling functions (fan merchandise, road trips, supporters community) of Section 8 Chicago Independent Supporters Association (ISA).  Without exposure to this kind of access and support, I am still a traditional Chicago sports fan, dying hard for my Whitesox and spending most of my year waiting for football season to start back up.  For me, that first Fire match has lead to almost 5 years of committed support.

It was clear this Sunday that the usual excuses for your average Chicago sports fan faded away in light of a bit of star power.  Suddenly, Toyota Park wasn't too inconvenient to see the likes of Ronaldinho and Pato.  I want to argue its not as simple as that, and teams should be working harder to convert the fans that know their Inter's from their AC's but not necessarily their Ronaldos from their Cristiano Ronaldos.  Admitted, an MLS season ticket may not provide the caliber of soccer game in and game out as a top European league, but isn't it the job of the marketer to promote the highlights of their product?  More needs to be done to turn friendlies into the "gateway drug" for the domestic clubs.  Promotions that attempt to commit casual fans with multi-game packages or fail to highlight the home club leave out what should be a key part of any exhibition: "The local club is right here to be discovered.  Give it a chance."

Anything less diminishes the club and fulfills the casual fans prejudices.  Free tickets and multi-game requirements can put forward an image of a business hurting at the gates, desperate to drum up interest, an inferior product.  Highlighting the various support systems in place, be they great customer service, a loyal fanbase, or season ticket perks, is a step in the right direction towards bringing the more casual fans into the fold.  The reasons for staying involved with the local club should far outweigh the allure of a single game.  Give fans reasons to keep coming back or risk positioning a given friendly as a simple money grab.