David Villa says people with 'nasty’ opinions of MLS have never watched a match
David Villa is Spain’s all-time leading goalscorer, he's won the World Cup, league titles and Champions League, and he's seen the very best of the best the game has to offer. Now, at 35 years old, he's one of MLS's best players. He's played at the highest level and seen it all, so he's a good judge of decent soccer. And he's sick of seeing people judge MLS harshly.
"Soccer is soccer in every country. Here it is very good – it is passionate, competitive, physical," Villa said in an interview with Uproxx. "A lot of passion to play here in MLS."
He went on to trash the idea that MLS is a retirement league.
"For me, I never thought this, I’ve done everything in my career. And if I want to retire I’ll go home and retire, I’d go through life with my family. I came here to be competitive, to be strong, to make history, and when I decide it’s the moment for retirement I’ll go home because I did everything in my life, in my career. I will continue – my body’s fit, my mind is fit, I will continue to make history. But play always the same when I was 15 years old: 100 percent, competitive. This is my job here."
Villa's still going strong, and his 23 goals and four assists for NYCFC prove that he's not ready to hang the boots up yet. He called his MVP award this year one of the “best days” of his career, no small praise considering the number of trophies he's won in his lifetime.
Plenty of world stars have come to MLS expecting a walk in the park, and it's been a rude awakening for many. International luminaries like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have found out MLS isn't what they thought the hard way, and struggled to find success in the league. It makes sense to Villa, and he says people who pan the league simply haven't watched it.
"People sometimes have opinions that are nasty, no? I mentioned yesterday – if the people coming here are watching one month, three, four games, it’s impossible to have this opinion. The people who have this opinion have never watched a game in MLS, it’s not important for the people who want to build this league because this opinion is not true. If you watch the games or if you watch the construction or building of the league."
Strong words from one of MLS's top guns.
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