Finding value in the International Champions Cup

The International Champions Cup is upon us. Please hold your applause.

Much to the chagrin of those who were looking for a bit of a reprieve from the beautiful game soccer is back to the forefront of the sports pages and television screens. It is time for that part of the season that all soccer fans look forward to: the International Champions Cup and international friendlies.

For soccer purists this is perhaps the low point of the footy calendar a time in which the spectacle is over-inflated and the actual game takes a back seat. Players are trucked out for token appearances and teams can count the dollars coming in from jersey sales.

Those that cover the game in press boxes are also subjected to trying to find out the rules of the game on the fly and how to write in multiple substitutions at the same time. Coaches try and hold back their indignation at playing such matches. Sounds like a glorious tournament, right?

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While there are many things to criticize the ICC about there is some value in holding such a tournament. Although prices for these matches are often very high for many supporters this might be their only opportunity to see some of their favorite players live. Not every person can afford a trip to Old Trafford to see Manchester United. Not every family of four can pay for a flight to Madrid to see Ronaldo and company mix it up with Barcelona.

Perhaps the best way to look at the ICC is through the lens of Major League Baseball and spring training. Although results are kept and scores are tallied no one really remembers who wins the Grapefruit league. For kids and families it is the chance to catch games that they might not normally get to see live. Is there a trade-off in that teams will likely use B and C level players late? Sure. But that doesn’t mean that there is not any value in the games or the experience.

There is also something else that gets lost in this conversation when denigrating the ICC and international friendlies: seeing a match live and in person is always better than watching a match on television.

It doesn’t matter if it is for the UEFA Champions League title or a random ICC match in a foreign country. The chance to see a live football match in person and experience supporters both young and old watching their favorite side is an experience unlike any other.

Even for journalists there is some value in attending these sort of matches. Having attended numerous international exhibitions in my time the experience itself has always been a challenging, but important experience.