Apple’s major budget documentation on MLS from the producers of Formula 1: Run to survive Premiere Friday February 21 on Apple TV+. Titled Online: Major League footballThe series contains eight episodes that cover the 2024 season. Before it was released, I had the privilege of watching the entire series. Is it as good or better than Drive to survive? Let’s dive in.
Before you look at On siteI wanted three questions that were answered at the end of Docusa series. First, was I entertained? Secondly, what did I learn? And thirdly, I looked forward to hearing Lionel Messi speaking. So what would he say considering that the filmmakers, Box to Box films, had unlimited access to players from all 29 teams in 2024?
On -Side: Major League Soccer: What is a must-see
Let’s start with what the doctors do well. Without any shadow of doubt, the best part of the series is the highlights of the game. The filmmakers do an excellent job of pulling your way into the games and showing a lot never seen closely close -ups and new angles to show what MLS does best: to perform on the pitch. The most exciting part was to hear what the coaches said on the side line during the game. It’s something we rarely hear in the sport. Expretives and everything.
By making the games into the main driving force of the series, On site Delivers that you want to watch MLS games more often. This in turn should translate to more MLS seasonal subscriptions for Apple.
In addition to the games, three segments from the eight episodes stand out for praise. The first is section four with the excitement of the potential parting of Bradley Carnell from St. Louis City. The cameras give a rare glimpse in the discussion among STL’s managers about whether or not fire. After he is dismissed, the cameras roll home on his driving when we hear him share his raw reaction to the decision.
The second memorable segment is in section one where we see Riqui Puig in the comfort in his home when his friend prepares a meal for the Spanish and some of his LA Galaxy teammates. What I liked about that segment is that you understand Puig as a person and what drives him more than just about him as an athlete.
Last but not least was the life of life about Malachi Jones who came from an orphanage in war -hearing Sierra Leone to the United States, and making the big time with New York City FC was extremely convincing.
An honorable mention goes to the part of the series where Tim Parker is moved from St. Louis City to New England Revolution, and how the transfer struggles him from his newborn child and wife.
What is missing
Overall, the majority of episodes are mostly unchanging. Section 2 focuses on “Hell is real” derby between Cincinnati and Columbus. Section 3 is based on Cavan Sullivan’s story. Section 4, which I will go in more detail later, revolves around St. Louis City versus Sporting KC. In section 5 it is about New York Derby. Section 6 is the summer transfer window. Section 7 focuses on the transformation under a new coach at Atlanta United after a poor start to the season. And then section 8 ends with the MLS Cup final where La Galaxy, as we know, defeats the New York Red Bulls.
Strange and probably on purpose, the team that delivered the biggest stories and most interest in 2024 is almost invisible in the series. After the introduction of section one, On site Spend five minutes focusing on Inter Miami before it sets the stage for the Galaxy Miami game. And then the rest of the sections do not mention Inter Miami at all until the end of the series where Atlanta pulls off the shocking playoffs in section 7.
What I wanted was to see inside the dressing room of the Inter Miami team. Changing rooms from several other teams are included in On siteSo why not a second inside Inter Miami’s dressing room? In addition, we were not told a word spoken by Messi, who was one of my expectations before looking at docusa series.
MLS, Apple and Box to Box movies seemed to not want to make Inter Miami the story of On siteAnd they delivered on it.
Sometimes it is what is missing that tells more about the story than what is included. For example, during the 5+ hours with pictures from the entire series, there are zero mentions of:
- US Open Cup,
- Leagues cup and
- The replacement judgments were introduced for the season’s opening weeks because MLS could not agree on a CBA with the judge Union.
Take it for what it is worth.
Attention to detail is missing
Some improvements should have been made in this series before it was released.
First, after the introduction in section one, the opening scene has the word “Miami” which is displayed on the screen with pictures of Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Then it is a quick cut to Chase Stadium where viewers should think they are still in Miami. However, Chase Stadium is located in Fort Lauderdale, 35 miles from Ocean Drive and a completely different county. Thirty -five miles are the same distance between the English cities in Liverpool and Manchester.
Secondly, the second strange aspect is how so much of the focus for the first episode is framed around the presented game between LA Galaxy and Inter Miami as the beginning of the 2024 season. Even the graphics on the LA Galaxy vs Inter Miami screen mention “ML’s season kickoff.” Except that there is a big problem. Inter Miami opened 2024 ML’s season four days earlier when the team defeated Real Salt Lake. There is nothing mentioned about that game or result. It is as if the game has been deleted from the bow On site Docusa series.
These mistakes may have been made with the intention of building a story about Inter Miami as an “Miami team” instead of being housed at a temporary stadium that was the previous home for the failed MLS team Miami Fusion. I get it, but why not be honest with the viewer instead of trying to go past these details?
Total, On -Side: Major League Soccer Feels like two things. First, it is catering to an audience that may never have seen MLS. Part of the information throughout the series feels like a beginner’s guide to MLS where they explain who the team is, discussing the story as David Beckham who plays with La Galaxy, mentions Freddy Adu and what happened to him and how Cavan Sullivan needs to avoid a similar path.
For viewers, part of that background is boring because we know the story. Most of us already know the stories and what is happening in the games from the 2024 season, so they are not new either.
A perfect example of how the series tries to cater for Casuals is section three that focuses on Cavan Sullivan and the construction of his professional debut as a 14-year-old for Philadelphia Union. I was not moved by the episode because I knew the story, but my wife was swept away by the story and cried joy tears after Sullivan entered the field. She was not familiar with his story, but she really is now. Rating one for the relaxed!
Conclusion
In spite of their faults, On -Side: Major League Soccer Is the best documentary ever produced about MLS. I appreciate that the filmmakers did the most about games, players and coaches. That being said, I would have liked to have seen more of the other teams. Fifty-five percent of the MLS team from the 2024 season did not even receive a mention during the 5 hours of docusa series. When you have the largest number of teams in a league all over the world, it is difficult to include them all.
When I asked CEO producer and co-founder of Box to the box films Paul Martin about that subject, here is what he told World football calls. “There are 29 teams in the league, but you have to make choices on characters, players and teams to be presented. You want to show what best represents the league and what reflects what happens at that time. So we choose players and teams that are best for what happens then. “
So in response to my questions before Docuseries started, was I entertained? Yes, for some of the sections. Did I learn something? I really got more appreciation from Malachi Jones and his life story. I was moved during docusa series? Yes, sometimes. But overall over all 5+ hours, On -Side: Major League Soccer Feels more like a glorious review of the 2024 season that fans can go back and watch to get acquainted with what happened.
We are not the target group. The series is focused on winning over Apple TV+ Bonner who may not pay much attention to MLS. In this way, the hope is that it will convert these people to MLS seasonal subscriptions, and that is just worth the effort.
Will On site Change the world and make MLS a hit that Box to Box did with Formula 1? No, but it really won’t do any negative damage. Now the question is whether Apple TV+ subscribers will watch it or not.
Online: Major League Soccer will debut on Apple TV+ on Friday 21 February. The first episode is also available free to MLS season elementary. Sections two to eight are exclusively available on Apple TV+.
