American soccer fans.

There are many things I admire about my fellow American soccer fans. There are many things I do not like about them as well.

One thing that I don't like is them obsessing over whether a player should play in the Premier League or the Championship, the latter being the second tier of the English soccer/football system. My thinking goes like this -

If the player is a starter in any Premier League team then that's fine. If he isn't and finds himself on the bench more than a season then it's better to move to a club that gets you playing time in order to develop, even if that means going to the Championship.

The Championship is a fun league to fun and it's hard to get promoted from due to there being 40+ games. If it helps, many notable players and managers like the second tier of the English system because they see it as more "pure." Take that as you will. Nonetheless the little brother of the top flight has its fans and it's well-deserved. 

Americans' holding of the mentality of "top flight or nothing" is like a parent obsessing over whether or not his kid will be accepted into a top ranked university. It's understandable but at times it can get very irritating.

If the player is a Championship caliber player, playing in the top half of the table, then so be it. It's better than being an MLS starter and not getting on the national team.

Another thing I don't like their protectiveness over American players. I simply don't give a crap if an American player is trashed if their play is crap. What I don't like is American players being hated simply because they're American when they play overseas or if they're used as a scapegoat for a poor season (see: Brad Guzan when he was at Aston Villa). I'll defend a player if someone says he's shit when he's not, and I'll be nice about as well, not defensive.

There are other things I do not like, but those are for another day if I feel compelled to rant about them.

Note: MLS is slowly getting better; I'm a support of the league.