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“Sources tell MLSR that MLS is talking to both USL and NASL about creating cooperative agreements for the future. The MLS Reserve League will return in some form, probably administered by either USL or NASL, while MLS will look to make more loan deals to NASL and/or USL clubs. A spirit of cooperation between MLS and the two competing second divisions is developing, as all parties realize it benefits both MLS and the lower divisions to work together. The US World Cup Bid has had a great impact on bringing MLS together with NASL and/or USL, since FIFA wants to see a stable multi division professional structure in the USA. All parties stand to benefit from a successful US World Cup bid.”
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couldnt the MLS just purchase the NASL and USL? and if they refuse to be purchased just create their own 2nd division?
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Damn it MLS why don’t you buy both the leagues and create a 2nd division and profit off the two Leagues.
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MLS might purchase USL/NASL someday.
But this rumored cooperative agreement is a pretty good solution. USL/NASL effectively becomes the MLS Reserve League. Also, MLS doesn’t take any risk of individual USL/NASL franchises failing.
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It would be interesting for MLS to take the USL and the NASL and fuse them to become the Reserve Team. Maybe those team in the future can compete for promo/reg (in roughly 10 years). I think overall, it’s a good idea for growth.
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I always thought it would be a good idea to put 1, or maybe 2 teams together from MLS reserves (one Eatern, one Westen based perhaps) and use them specficially as competitive teams in the 2nd division. Something like that. I know the old Project 40 team used to play in the A-League, something like that, but more stable and not just GA players, but reserves from the league. Maybe even as many as 4 teams.
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The level of competition in the second division is pretty high. I’ve been shocked by the quality of some of the matches here in Tampa this year. So I think it is reasonable to put MLS Reserves in this league, to get them competitive game action instead of hastily arranged reserve games like we used to have where teams would fill out the reserve squads with office staff etc. Also, it would help the 2nd Division teams to advertise that they have MLS players on loan.
I assume NASL will be the Division Two next year with USL keeping the 3rd Division. Or will they merge back up and work directly under MLS?
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As far as MLS buying these leagues, MLS made a bid to buy USL last season and was outbid by NuRock and Traffic Sports. NuRock won the bid. MLS is not as awash in cash as it may appear and this would be a good soft landing allowing MLS to build a better structure without incurring new costs.
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i hope mls doesnt buy usl/nasl. hopefully both competing second division leagues come to some agreement and go under one leauge, preferably NASL since their mission statement is to be a stable second division with no intent of competing with MLS. if MLS buys the second division they are going to ruin it by not creating promotion relegation instead buying the second division to be a dumpster/farm league for MLS and they will somehow alter the soccer pyramid under their dumb single entity crap. but this new is good that MLS and the second divisio is cooperating. but i do hope mls doesnt buy the second divison i dont want to see their single entity monopoly. if we do win the bid then its also good because gulati made a promise to implement promotion/relegation with all FIFA/USSF sanctioned leagues and i thinki also a schedule change as well. these are all nothing but good things for soccer in this country. its time for US to get with the rest of the world and just go with promotion and relegation, australia made the same promise with fifa and are actually in plans of switching t pro/reg before the world cup which will leave us the only soccer country without a proper multi league structure. and you wonder why our national team sucks and our league sucks….
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I agree with you vicck, if anyone disagrees they don’t know anything about soccer
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After reading what vicck just said on his piece I have to agree with him on this and I think if NASL & USL merge it should change it’s name to the North America Premier Divison League .
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It may not be an outright MLS/NASL/USL-1/USL-2 merger, or promotion and relegation, but it’s a very fine start. Getting everyone talking to each other is definitely good news. If you include every football club (including expansion) from MLS through to the USL-2 ranks you could have as many as 40 clubs, theoretically, on the same page.
With US Soccer bidding for either the 2018 or the 2022 FIFA World Cup, this could definitely push this on towards a reality.
Again, not pro-rel, or a merger, but it’s a start.
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yeah the Leagues working together is much better than the bitter fight that evolved from the USL/NASL split, I was glad that neither was chosen as THE D2 league. USL has the PDL but the NASL doesnt not have any leagues under it…maybe regional area leagues with the USL and NASL playing each other like this year.
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MLS needs to focus on expanding its profile outside MLS markets. The TV ratings still stink despite the surging attendance and the number of high profile DP signings. The best way to do this is by hooiking up at least initially with NASL since they have some big markets like Miami, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and St Louis. Force NASL teams to promote MLS in their markets including MLS TV games. In return NASL gets mention on those TV games and first choice of young players on loan.
With USL, I would focus more on the PDL or USL Third Division, creating maybe 3-4 reserve teams made up of MLS players that would compete directly in either PDL or the third division within USL.
A lot needs to be done, but this article is a very good sign that cooperation is coming between our leagues, something that is long overdue.
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Fifa wanting to see stable multi-division professional structure has nothing to do with a bid process. Didn’t have it the last time. Won’t need it this time – it’s about the ability to host and generate the $$$$$$$’s. Two FIFA wants don’t necessarily bind together or in this case work against something such as a bid process. South Africa certainly doesn’t hav a multi-division professionial structure.
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I would love to see pro/rel as soon as possible also, but guys we still have lower division clubs playing in High School throwball stadiums and stadiums with less than 5 digit capacity. Until this situation is remedied pro/rel just isn’t realistic. But this agreement is a good first step
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Relegation makes no sense. If we had started relegation last year… Red Bulls would be in the USL/NASL? Playing teams that have no stadiums and small fan bases. Henry would of never come to a relegated Red Bulls team. There aren’t enough teams for a tabled approach. You need a at least 60 teams to have 3 tiers.
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As great as it would be to see promo/rel in MLS, it simply isn’t realistic at this point and AJ is probably right…about 10 years out.
As for MLS buying the tier 2 leagues, it’s a great idea to eventually create one coherent promo/rel structure, but again not realistic especially with only 2 franchises (TFC & Seattle) being profitable.
In an ideal world, MLS would buy tiers 2 & 3, grow the smaller markets and expand the appeal and exposure of the 1st league, slowly phase in promo/rel, and eventually re-name itself to the ELITE LEAGUE with some variation of North American or United Soccer in it.
I mention the renaming because “Major League” is incredibly lame and puts our league on par with MLBaseball (a hobby sport, in major decline), MLGaming (yes this is real, a video game league), and MLEating (even more mind-boggling…the glutton league). It’s time to get some cred: ELITE LEAGUE!
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Damn! Let’s hope that this agreement is a step in the direction of pro/rel, and not setting up a sys. a la baseball.
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You do realize mls is just a huge cartel corporation. Think of it this way, mls is like burger king with thousands of franchises (name makes sense right ; franchise) spread all around the country. Each has its own operator but in the end all working for the head honcho. Players sign with the league, not the club, clubs have a limit as to how many players can be in one club regulations left and right hindering performance, parity enforced to the point where a lucky break wins tge game do you want that for ALL our leagues? if you say “youre crazy mls needs this structure for all its leagues to remain p0rofitable and stable” then you probably work for mlss. why are fans conformed woth this mindset. mls is profit over sport which explains why we suck, why hasbeens are pouring in here and why some owners dont care about their clubs or players. for example, players wanted free agency and independent clubs contracts, mls excuse is prices will sky rocket. well with a salary cap in place why on earth will prices surpass it? free agency is bad for single entity. fyi revenue sharing is what kept tge league afloat this whole time. thats why i dont want mls touching the lower leagues.
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The whole Pro/Reg isn’t possible in the US. The sport is NO WHERE near this. 10 years isn’t even reasonable. Maybe 20 years, but the sport would have to take over such a bigger market than it does now. I honestly don’t see this happening. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL. What other country has this many highest competing leagues in the world? We’re already blessed with having the best athletes in the world, so if England, Spain and Italy host the best leagues, I’m fine with that.
I do believe that the MLS will grow if we get the NASL/USL under a more organized format. We call the sport soccer, play a little differently than the world so I find it not a necessity to copy the top leagues in the world. Definitely take ideas, but soccer and the MLS should be a world game changer, not a follower. That’s the America philosphy. Can we learn much from Eurpoe, yes! The first step in a stronger MLS for the future is organization, but let’s not focus on being followers, but leaders.
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would you rather have your team being the worst team in MLS or the best team in NASL?
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I don’t know if the league would survive without being the way it is, but in other hand, I think won’t take long until this single entity system is gone.
MLS owners are thinking to get a Reserve League again, right? The usual way to do that is increase rooster size (24 + 2 academy to 26 or 28 + 2 academy)and also add some kids from the academy (having maybe dev contracts or whatever they create). In that way, we would see “TFC B”, “Seattle Sounders FC B” and etc, such is in Europe and South America.
If they add all NASL and USL teams to the league, you would have around 40 teams in the same league. With so many teams, you could split into 2 (or 3) divisions that play just inside of it. Shorter the travel, lower the costs. But, increasing rooster size and adding youngester would not increase the costs, something that owners don’t want? They might think a little bit about it.
The other possibility is merge NASL and USL teams into one league (around 20 teams) and add 4 (5, 6, i don’t know) new “reserve teams”, like they do in NBA and etc. In one way, that could be good cuz all the teams would split the travel costs. In other hand, I keep thinking the odds of this.
Let’s say that a MLS team have like 6 players injuried and need to call the reserve player back to the team. Imagine if that happened to 6, 7 teams. Who would play for the “empty” reserve team? Will the reserve team be allowed to play the Open Cup? Who will be the “owners” of this new teams? Will MLS put this teams in cities that don’t have any pro teams (Detroit, Phoenix, Syracuse, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Ottawa, Winnipeg)or keep it in the “big markets”?
I honestly don’t know what is the best.
The “traditional” way is better for players, staff and clubs cuz the have control of all players, can test as many players they want in the B team. In other hand, the costs might be high.
The “new” way (or american sports way) has its benefits also. Cities that don’t have teams would have and maybe one day be candidates to expansion or whatever. But how would work for those teams? And if a bunch of players had to go back to the original teams? Would they be allowed to hire another players? But if that happen, is not like an already stabilished club just taking players on loan? So why create new ones?
Too many questions that I don’t have a clue how to answer.
Cheers
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Worst in MLS or best in NASL?
Depends on how we do in Open Cup……..
Seriously, I think it makes a lot of sense for D1/D2/D3 all to be integrated. Even w/o Pro/Rel, the divisions can work with each other, and schedule more friendlies and pool expenses. I like the idea of Sounders B taking on the Rhinos or Rowdies. However, I do fear the NASL/D2 teams would crush the MLS B teams. So maybe we should avoid that, because for me the most important thing is that MLS gains more credibility and a higher standing in the soccer world.
So maybe the Sounders B should send players to lets say the Austin Aztex, rather than being a free standing entity. I remember when the MLS P-40 team was in USL and they struggled against more experienced pros, albeit less talented hackish pros. The same could happen with MLS Reserve teams that are made up of young players. Heck, NASL has Christian Gomez and he’d still be a good player in MLS.
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Rel/Pro in D2/D3/PDL in 20 years away….but there is no reason for REl/PRo in the MLS…
MANU 1 Billion in debt to stay on top in rel/pro….billion.
NASL was set up to pave the way for Montreal to join Portland and Vancouver in the MLS….
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I agree pro/rel is a LONG way away, but regardless unifying the MLS/USL/NASL under one banner that cooperates with the USSF can only mean good things for American soccer. The reserve league model works the best in the short term, the MLS needs somewhere to develop players and test out new markets for possible expansion. It’s a great time for American soccer, so many things are falling into place at the right time.
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