Fatigue factor

I decided to do a compilation of the team results after participating in the SuperLiga. Pachuca, the only Mexican team continuing in the tournament, seemed to to take the competition as a good warm-up, winning 4-1.

All the other Mexican teams in SuperLiga (Chivas, America, Morelia) tied their league matches. FC Dallas won, as did DC United. Houston lost and the Galaxy tied.

Obviously, teams were likely to be more weary after playing extra matches. Perhaps this was minimized with Dallas because they played at home. Houston had the added burden of playing at altitude.

I think the SuperLiga has been a success thus far, but I think teams will have to be realistic about assessing the cost of participating.

It remains to be seen whether the SuperLiga really trips up the Galaxy in their playoff pursuit, as some players have admitted that the Open Cup did that last year. They're the only MLS team in the SuperLiga in obvious danger of missing the playoffs at this point.

I recall that in last year's InterLiga tournament, a number of Primera Division players complained about the travel, the potential for injury and starting the season already weary. This was even though this preseason tournament has a Libertadores spot as a prize. However, this year's tournament saw a number of the teams who participated in InterLiga jump out to good season starts. They just looked sharper than most of the teams who had run a normal preseason. It seemed pretty clear that participating in InterLiga could actually be a good thing.

The grumbling died down, and I think that's one reason why so many south of the border were willing to give SuperLiga a chance. The jury is still out, however.

As far as MLS goes, Houston can afford to drop a few league points here and there. The Galaxy cannot.

The Mexican teams may complain (with considerable justification) that being in preseason limits their SuperLiga effectiveness, but it also limits their league risk. Even if it gets in their way, it's only at the very start of the season.

The fatigue that takes its toll is especially costly when a team is already struggling with injuries, as LA is.

My uncle used to have a line about "It's not expensive if you can afford it - if you can't, then it is, no matter the price."

Despite the million dollars dangling at the end of the SuperLiga, I think teams have to be more canny about deciding whether participation is worth it.