MLS to Buy USL? The Implications of Minor League Soccer in the U.S.
I was intrigued by MLS Commissioner Don Garber’s comment a couple of weeks ago to Reuters Soccer Blog when asked about the future of the relationship between MLS and the second-tier, independent USL: “USL is going through some transition on their own. . . I am not sure what the future holds for that league or our relationship with it. I do believe that we can only all benefit from a strong minor league and a strong connection between it and the major league in this country. I look forward to seeing how that progresses in the years ahead.”
We now know what he meant by USL’s “transition” and about not being sure “what the future holds” for the relationship between the two leagues: according to It’s Called Football, USL is for sale and MLS is interested in buying. I think it’s clear from Garber’s comment above what such a purpose would mean for MLS and USL: and no, it wouldn’t be the wet dream of a real pyramid structure of automatic promotion and relegation.
Instead, it’s clear from Garber’s earlier comment that USL would operate as a true “minor league”: a development platform for MLS that would increase the league’s footprint across the country, give it control over a much larger group of players, and provide MLS teams with development teams such as exists in the relationship between Major League Baseball franchises and their affiliated minor league team, who have agreements to send players back and forth as determined by the Major League franchise (within certain league rules).
I think it’s fairly clear that such a structure would have considerable benefits for the existing MLS teams. The decision to cut the reserve league last year and the limited roster sizes have been causing all sorts of problems for many teams, especially those competing in multiple tournaments. Having an affiliated minor-league team would have numerous benefits for both short-term roster playing-time and long term player development, as well as giving the league and MS teams control over many more players. The decision for MLS will really come down to whether they can afford to do this or not.
But what would such a transformation mean for fans of existing USL teams, many of whom are proud of the independence of their club, however small they are? Imagine if this had happened ten years ago: would Portland’s infamous Timbers Army supporters have grown the strength and identity they have if they had been a feeder team for an MLS club? Would such a change actually hurt the chances of the grassroots development of the sport nationwide, or is it a pipedream to think that an independent club structure could succeed here as it has in England (which has traditionally had far more club depth than any either country per capita)?
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Eleventh graf:
“Two USL sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed MLS’s interest, but both said that it was looking less likely now, as MLS was not interested in the type of numbers Nike had asked for.”
Don’t feed hysteria, Tom. You’re better than that.
I would love to see promotion/relegation instead of the feeder/draft status quo. One is meritocratic and creates an incentive for the bottom teams to fight to the bitter end, while the other offers fleeting false hope to fans that suffer languishing owners.
Basically, relegation puts the owners’ investment on the line and they cannot just dump a few bucks into renovated stadiums. It is accountability and encourages genuine interest on their part.
I know that this will not happen for the foreseeable future, and definitely not in the risk-averse MLS growth plan, but I think it deserves serious consideration at some point. Right now in the franchise owners in the States are coddled with salary caps and drafts.
Thanks KT (though I’m not better than base speculation on a blog at the best of times!), but I still think the concept of it is an interesting subject for discussion; even if it doesn’t happen now, it’s a prospect down the line, and I haven’t seen enough discussion anywhere of the implications for fans of USL teams — who seem to be treated as insignificant by most when this topic is considered. The larger question of whether we do want what Garber says he wants (a major/minor league system) is important, I believe.
I would much rather see USL and MLS come to some sort of agreement and particular rules on loaning MLS players to USL teams than have a true farm system. I don’t like the idea of USL 1 & 2 becoming essentially AAA and AA baseball with team affiliations. I’m excited for FC New York to start play just so I have a NY team to support that is in no way affiliated with the abomination that is RBNY. I would not support them if they were AAA RBNY. Give MLS teams a few more roster spots, say 28, responsibly up the cap, $3m, and allow players to be loaned to and retrieved from USL teams freely and you’ll encourage more cooperation between the leagues and help development.
I have to believe MLS using USL as a minor league feeder system would hurt soccer support growth. Look at minor league baseball…few go to support the players or thier city, they go because its cheap and is something they did with thier dads. They go for the expirience, the fly balls, etc. Half the time you have no idea who is out there playing, and the wholesale roster turnover year over year makes that support even more difficult. Combine that with little to nothing that the minor leagues can do to make themselves better each year (rather getting stuck with the players MLS wants them to hold/develop) how can fans get behind that year over year?
Now, does it perhaps help soccer overall in the US, since there is greater chances for development? Probably, especially if the costs work out. That said, I think we’d all lose something if MLS turned the USL into an affliated minors system, and never really see what soccer can become in the US.
I have been hoping for a closer partnership between MLS and USL for a while. Having a feeder system for baseball might fit into the current structure of MLS owning all players contracts, but I’d rather it just puts more attention into the Open Cup. Any way to give the, what, hundred year old tournament some credibility, like every national cup competition in Europe would be great, and give more teams, more to play for. I feel an MLS-2 would allow the MLS (in company terms) to expand in markets not selected to be in the 20 for MLS-1… For example, if Montreal and St Louis get teams to close out expansion at 20, all the other cities (Atlanta, Phoenix, Cleveland, San Diego, in Florida, the Carolinas) would be able to have a team in the MLS structure as a second division club. No marketing to get 30,000 fans out to every game would be necessary, because its not like the team will be rewarded for winning a MLS-2 championship with promotion either. A marketing campaign similar to what my Red Bulls have been doing would be just fine: little to nothing. This will only help get the MLS name “out there” with a team in Puerto Rico and some in Canada.
IT CAN BE DONE.
If/when this breaks out for real, how could you not want a promotion/relegation system?
The Triple A/minor league/majors system in baseball is built on talent, and nothing else. Not on business, not on competition, its just to farm out old and young players for development. A system like that in MLS would be fine, but not by using USL teams. Markets like Montreal, St. Louis, Atlanta, Miami, New York, etc, stand to benefit from competition and business side of things, more so than MLS could benefit from player development. It just wouldn’t make sense.
I appreciate Garber trying to “Farck year, America”-ize the soccer pyramid, but there’s a reason why Europe has a good system, and America has MLS. He doesn’t know what the hell he is talking about.
I feel an MLS-2 would allow the MLS (in company terms) to expand in markets not selected to be in the 20 for MLS-1… For example, if Montreal and St Louis get teams to close out expansion at 20, all the other cities (Atlanta, Phoenix, Cleveland, San Diego, in Florida, the Carolinas) would be able to have a team in the MLS structure as a second division club. No marketing to get 30,000 fans out to every game would be necessary, because its not like the team will be rewarded for winning a MLS-2 championship with promotion either. A marketing campaign similar to what my Red Bulls have been doing would be just fine: little to nothing. I have to believe MLS using USL as a minor league feeder system would hurt soccer support growth.