MLS Reserve League next year?

[SLCFan]

Quote from Washington post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25646-2004Jul29_2.html

"MLS teams will have a reserve league system in place next year, following the model of soccer clubs around the world, which presumably will allow rosters to be expanded."

Did anyone else catch this? Be still my heart... a MLS expansion team AND a MLS reserve team to watch? Can this be true? Man...sometimes life can just be so great!

I really feel for the Blitzz though, this is gonna be a crushing blow if the reserve team thing is true.

More info somewhere on BS, I found this on ussocceruk.com:
Originally written by dabes2 on 2004-07-30 10:17 AM
I found a post by Peter Wilt over on BS on this topic.

He said rosters would probably expand by 4 players to create enough players for the reserve team.

As for schedule, the reserves would probably play 4 matches per year vs. MLS reserve teams in conference (20 matches assuming we stick w/ 2 conferences next year), and then fill in the schedule with another 10ish exhibition matches vs A-league/PDL/PSL. So, they wouldn't join a lower division league, but would have matches vs. these clubs. Seems like a decent plan to me.

[kenntomasch]

That's funny. Peter posts something on BS in response to one of about a million threads on this topic. Someone on USSoccerUK sees it and posts it there. Someone here sees it there and posts it here again.

[SLCFan]

That's funny. Peter posts something on BS in response to one of about a million threads on this topic. Someone on USSoccerUK sees it and posts it there. Someone here sees it there and posts it here again.

Yeah, I just wanted to post all of the info I had seen along with the Washington Post article from yesterday. So is any of this believable?

[kenntomasch]

Well, some of the threads that have popped up recently are all excited because they're calling it a "league" and that has some people thinking it's to supplant the A-League or something. I don't think it's quite that formal. Seems like there will be games, but it's not going to be a true "league" in the normal sense.

An MLS GM and the commissioner have said they want to get it done for next year, so I tend to believe them.

[SLCFan]

Hmm.. I think this just about finishes it for the Blitzz in Utah. There were questions before but with MLS having 15 or so home games and a reserve team to watch occasionally I just don't see it, unless the Blitzz don't mind averaging attendance in the hundreds like the Park City or Wendover games. I have really enjoyed watching the Blitzz, I just don't think my time or money will stretch that far. I feel sad but I will console myself with a beer and thoughts of watching MLS in the flesh instead of on TV.