Also, MLS Playoffs, Muskoka United FC, Huntsville SC, and Bracebridge SC

We’re about a third of the way through the 2024-25 season in Europe’s top leagues and we can legitimately make the case that Serie A is the most interesting league so far.

And likely the best league overall in the world today. I’m intensely biased on this matter, so I must be reflective and recognize that, but an argument could be made – that’s for another piece later in the future.

Those in the know would most likely agree that at this point in the season, of the Big 4 or Big 5 leagues, Serie is the “most interesting” part while each person would have their own idea about which is “best.”

Why is Serie A the most interesting at the moment?

For starters, the Top 6 teams in the Calcio table at the time of this writing were only separated by four points. Napoli leads with 25 but fell at home to third-place Atalanta 3-0 last weekend.

Big clubs in terms of stature like AC Milan (seventh) and AS Roma (12^th) have had some decent European moments this but are struggling overall when playing domestically. The latter is in a state of madness right now (much to the dismay of this scribe), but that’s for another column.

Udinese shot up the standings early this season playing some inspired football but have fallen to eighth. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them pop back up again with another winning streak.

Every team in the league has at least eight points this season (11 matches played) so far and it’s not easy to predict results week after week.

The results are often unpredictable as well. Juventus drew 2-2 at home to Parma in a thrilling affair, Roma wins 1-0 at home to Torino before losing away 3-2 to Verona in the next match where the hosts scored two goals after the 88^th minute.

Oh, yeah, and Udinese fell 3-2 away to bottom of the table Venezia in yet another exiting match on October 30.

Every week there are multiple matches featuring three or more goals, last minute comebacks, upsets, and a general what’s going to happen next vibe going on.

Many of the world’s brightest talents are playing in Serie A as well – though the Bundesliga and EPL could argue the talent level is equal top to bottom.

Most teams (unfortunately not all teams) are playing a full-out, go for the win, attacking football – especially when the teams are on equal footing talent-wise. Long gone are the days of catenaccio, where defending and tactics ruled the day.

There’s a touch of the wild in Serie A lately and the league is better off for it.

That’s why it’s the most interesting and has been for the past two or three seasons. We’ll argue whether it’s the “best” when spring comes.

The rest – In order of most to least interesting

I like the Bundesliga and regularly watch matches. There are several exciting teams, the league as a whole plays solid football, they have big stars and strong clubs, along with some intensely passionate supporters. Canadian star Alfonso Davies plays regularly for super-club Bayern Munich, while Bayern Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Leipzig often put up challenges to the title (last year Leverkusen went undefeated enroute to a domestic double).

They’re a close second in terms of intrigue to their Italian neighbours.

The English Premier League is definitely fast paced and has exiting moments. Englishmen and people who have never played a competitive game call it the “best” league, but is it as interesting as it once was? That’s debatable.

Yes, it features some giant clubs, huge stars, and often many goals. But, outside of a few (relative) surprises here and there, it’s become pretty predictable in terms of who will score, who will win, who will be playing in Europe each year, and who will be relegated.

And that’s why it’s the third most interesting – even this early in the year. Sure, Nottingham Forest has inserted itself into the top of the table in third, but look around them – Man City, Liverpool at 1-2 then Chelsea-Arsenal at 4-5 – and it’s a who’s-who of huge clubs who will eventually finish in some order of 1 to 4.

At the bottom of the table, Wolves is winless through 10 matches with three points, Southampton has one win and four points, while Ipswich is also winless with five points. I picked two of these three to be relegated in my pre-season predictions.

If all three remain in the relegation zone the rest of the year, will anyone be surprised?

Meanwhile in Spain, La Liga is back to its uninteresting ways. After Girona shot up the standings last season and created a ton of intrigue, this year has reverted to form. The Big 3 of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid are placed in order at the top of the table.

Villareal is behind them with no real chance of breaking through. La Liga hasn’t been an interesting league since Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left. And frankly, the football (outside of the top three) is kind of mid.

Ligue 1 shouldn’t even be considered among the best leagues in the world anymore – it’s basically the best of the next lot after the top, top leagues. However, some people cling to their ideas like a sloth to a tree, so here are my thoughts: while there are a few bright spots like Canada’s Jonathan David and his Lille side, the league as a whole isn’t great on average, the top of the table is super predictable and no one outside of France cares about who might be relegated. PSG will win the league (yet again) and they’re not even close to being that interesting anymore. On that note, if you haven’t done so yet, have a look at what’s up with Calcio these days, you may just get hooked.

MLS should forget this best-of-three silliness

Look, I know a lot of North American non-soccer fans love seeing “best-of-three” or “best-of-five” or “best-of-seven” series, but it has no place in our beloved sport.

There is no point for Major League Soccer to have an obnoxious, out-of-place best-of-three first round of their playoffs when a more traditional two-legged, aggregate goals affair would still offer each club to get a home match.

It started last year and wasn’t great. It’s worse this year. Look, I get it, more chance for upsets. But, in a league still finding its footing on the world stage and is being driven by its best teams and biggest stars, upsets are not a good thing – really, they’re not.

And with the rest of the MLS Playoffs being single-game eliminations scenarios hosted by the higher seed this best-of-three round is absolutely useless.

So far, Vancouver has been screwed by this format. They outscored LAFC 3-2 over the first two matches, then fell 1-0 on Friday night in Los Angeles. The teams were tied 3-3 in aggregate after three matches. There was no outright winner in terms of the full scenario and Vancouver deserved to be through. The Whitecaps should be among the first in line in the offseason to say “NO MAS” to this nonsensical format.

Orlando should be through having won the first match 2-0 with the second match ending in a 0-0 draw. However, due to the format, the second match went to penalties because it had to have a winner. Sure enough, Charlotte, who hasn’t scored a goal yet won the shootout.

So, now a deciding game three in Orlando is being held and hopefully the football gods do the right thing and help the home team through. If not, that will be yet another black eye on this MLS experiment.

New York City FC is travelling to Cincinnati today for a winner-take-all game three. But they won the aggregate 3-2 already and have been the better team in both matches. Now, they’ll likely be eliminated because home field is virtually everything in MLS.

Now, the final and most intriguing game three will be between Inter Miami with its plethora of world superstars and the plucky Atlanta United side that just seems to have the formula to cause what would be the league’s biggest playoff upset ever.

However, this is the only outlier where both teams won 2-1 at home so far. Tied on aggregate. Tied on overall play – though admittedly Miami has been slightly better overall. But you have to feel like had that second match gone to extra time and penalties, the Supporters Shield holders would have made it through on some magical Messi display.

Hopefully that happens tonight, because the league needs the biggest stars on display throughout the playoffs.

Don’t be surprised to see a huge advantage in calls – especially 50-50 calls – going the way of the team in pink.

Muskoka United FC

The Muskoka United FC U17 Boys Team are 2-0 in their indoor season after defeating Newmarket 3-1 on November 2 at the Hangar in Toronto in PISL action.

Lucas Hills scored twice, with Dante Occhiuzzi adding the other for Muskoka.

Also, offer letters have been sent to several teams ahead of the 2025 calendar year, with only the U14 Girls team (players born in 2011 and 2012) left to finalize their squad.

Huntsville Soccer Club

The Huntsville Soccer Club is hiring for a winter indoor youth program coordinator to run weekly sessions from January through March, and two to three summer program coordinators to run the house league programs (as well as help with some pre-season duties) from mid-May through end of July.

Those interested should send inquiries or resumes to administrator@huntsvillesoccer.ca

Bracebridge Soccer Club

The Bracebridge Soccer Club is hosting their AGM on Monday, November 18th at 7 p.m. in the Bracebridge Sportsplex.

The club is looking for some more board members and the following positions are open: sponsorship coordinator, social media coordinator, adult recreational coordinator, vice president of programs, and a U9 to U12 house league coordinator.

For more information on the club, visit: https://www.bracebridgesoccer.ca/

That’s all for this week! Ciao For Now Everyone!

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