League Dispute Has Done What USL Didn’t Do
As the debate between the Team Owners Association (TOA) and the United Soccer League (USL) rolls on, the US and Canadian soccer community are seeming to understand much better the relevance of this issue. But more importantly and for the first time, many are beginning to understand the importance of the US and Canada’s 2nd division soccer league.
Just a few months ago you often saw naive and ignorant comments left on discussion boards and blogs that may have said something along the lines of: “The USL should fold, that league isn’t important anyway.” Which only proved to me the lack of marketing USL had done in pointing out its significance in the North American soccer landscape. If nothing else, the dispute between these two sides has done exactly what USL didn’t do. That is, making people aware of the league and the role it plays in the US and Canadian soccer scene. Even this past week, Jimmy Conrad of the US National Team and the KC Wizards wrote a poorly thought out commentary on what he would like a US league to look like with MLS in complete control. Conrad is a pretty smart guy, but it disappointed me to see a person as well connected to the soccer scene in the US, and who came through the USL A-League, as uninformed or disconnected with the importance of second tiered soccer in the US and Canada.
Currently, the top players in MLS get paid pretty well. However, with the salary caps which are currently under dispute, MLS teams are often forced to turn to young players to fill the gap. While they are developing and useful, MLS can keep their pay ridiculously low to maintain that salary cap.
On the other hand, the USL has been a place where players who fall somewhere between those 2 categories can slip into the 2nd tiered model nicely. These players often find they can make more money in the USL and receive a guaranteed contract which is not available in MLS. While the reality is, most of these players plying their trade in USL would not be stars in MLS, they would be solid players with most having more experience than the bench players of MLS.
Somewhere along the line this story, and the league itself, seemed to pick up some legitimacy and soccer supporters across North America are now finally talking about the issue. They realize the importance of a league that is positioned below top flight soccer in Canada and the US. While it’s unfortunate that the situation had to get this messy, at the moment, it may be one of the only benefits. If the NASL does come away with a division-2 league, lets hope they promote the importance of a second tiered league on the North American landscape.
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Amen!
Ignorant comments on message boards don’t point out what a poor job USL did in promoting itself…they point out that American soccer fans with internet access aren’t that bright.
All the success of the Sounders, now Vancouver and soon Portland are all from the womb of the USL and its Y-league = Super 20 = PDL = USL-2 = USL-1 and now Mr. Gulati as the person in charge of safe-guarding the sport in America..I ask you are you going to let a few ego manics ruin the sport. Like slick Hollywood producers these guys are looking for a re-make…bring on old film (in this case the NASL) dust it off update some technology and everyone start clapping!?!? Mr. Gulati, alot of people drank the Kool-aid in Guyana..it did not make the right!
Ah, nice one Brian! A wide-sweeping condemnation of all people with internet access who follow the beautiful game in America.
Irv, fair enough.
Unfortunately, for every team that Irv has named there are probably 4 that have failed or are struggling in the USL (wonder if they got a refund on their franchise fees?). Times change, business models change (how’s Blockbuster Video doing?), and competition is good. I almost get the sense that there are some folks out there who would rather have no Div 2 soccer at all than see the NASL succeed.
You tell me, Brian….am I wrong? The vast, vast majority of American soccer fans with internet access are blithering idiots. They prove it EVERY DAY on message boards, their own blogs and the comments in Ives’ and Goff’s blogs.
If you can make the statement that online comments are proof of how poorly USL marketed itself, I can surely make the statement that those people’s opinions aren’t exactly valid. You want wide-sweeping? You got it.
Ignorant comments on message boards? Say it ain’t so! I’ve never seen such a thing.
What will happen to teams like Austin, Puerto Rico, and the Timbers? Are they still with the USL? Any news from these teams and what their plans are?
I really hope this gets resolved because we do have some great teams in this league.
Now that Rochester jumped off the USL band wagon, I think the USL is in deep trouble.
Any idea when will this get resolved?, Hopefully before the holidays because the clock is ticking !!!!
@Irv
I have a couple of spreadsheets covering the tenures of teams all the way back from the first outdoor season of SISL to last season. I apoligise for my sums being a little foggy but I think I have the gist correct. The A-League/USL-1 has had 45 teams since 1995 and only two teams to have ever kicked a ball still remain with them in the USL-1. Even if we ignore the NASL split, they’ve still lost 35 franchises, all but 9 of whom are deader than Jimmy Hoffa. That is outright and complete failure. So 26 out of 45 franchises are dead (57.8%) and a further 9 aren’t competing at D-II level anymore (20%). That’s nearly eight out of ten franchises who put their cash down to be in the USL’s top division have lost out. You think Sunil Gulati is blinded by Hollywood? Seems to me he’s just waking up and smelling the bull**** which has been sat in his front yard for the past 5-7 years because serious reform in the lower divisions of US professional soccer has been overdue for at least that long. Let’s not even discuss D-III because that reads like a sob story.
When will we see promotion up and down from MLS to NASL and back?
Never. Pro/Rel would end MLS. The owners are not that stupid.
Hey, have you heard about the conspiracy that fans on internet forums are organising a conspiracy to reform all the US soccer leagues…?
They’re just waiting to publish their manisfesto…
I’ve had a sneak peak…
It involves making the Open Cup relevant, introducing promotion and relegation following the Japanese model, becoming regular challengers in the regional champions league, improving the national team, then finally winning the club and actual world cups.
When Nasl kicks off next season the first of these will be put forward on the agenda and the movement for change will start to snowball.
Why is Japan noted here out of curiosity. As far as I know they are no different than several European promotion and relegation systems there. 1st and 2nd division only?
Again, someone explain to me how you relegate a team that has paid 40 mil for a franchise and spent 200 mil on a stadium to a team that paid 750 grand for a team and rents the high school field down the block with Field Turf and American football lines? It’s going to take time and infrastructure that we still don’t have yet.
I like the rest of the ideas but how do you sell US Soccer on these ideas.