Fansided

7 reasons the International Champions Cup should be thrown down a well and left there

By Dan Voicescu

SHANGHAI, CHINA - MARCH 14: Guests attend the official launch ceremony of 2017 International Champions Cup China on March 14, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
SHANGHAI, CHINA - MARCH 14: Guests attend the official launch ceremony of 2017 International Champions Cup China on March 14, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 23: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Luka Modric of Real Madrid battle for the ball during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on April 23, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 23: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and Luka Modric of Real Madrid battle for the ball during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on April 23, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

The ICC is harmful to real soccer

The ICC isn’t fooling anyone with these late July games, no matter how much they’ve invested in the hype machine.

Any self-respecting fan is well aware that a midsummer charade serves no purpose other than to prepare players for the upcoming season. Before the ICC circus came to town friendly exhibition games were just that. Now under the auspices of corporate sponsors and a massive marketing campaign, the ICC is trying to put on a serious, competitive face.

This may seem like a harmless ploy, except that it puts a tremendous strain on the players. The top players in the world are now contractually obligated to travel halfway around the world, and participate in meaningless games against traditional foes. This can’t be the ideal way to prepare for a grueling season, especially not in a World Cup year. The effects of an entire year of soccer activity will be felt sooner or later.

Under the facade of giving fans the opportunity to see their idols in the flesh, the ICC lengthens and waters down an already long and grueling season. Any fan should know what time it is — a July El Clasico is a meaningless, fake version of the real thing. Players don’t go in hard on the tackle, take few risks and essentially go through the motions. Why bother?

Home/International Champions Cup