http://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2017/01/12/academy-director-mike-mu-oz-named-la-galaxy-ii-head-coach LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017) – LA Galaxy Academy Director Mike Muñoz has been named LA Galaxy II Head Coach, the club announced today. Muñoz, 33, takes over as Los Dos head coach in the United Soccer League (USL) after spending time as a coach and the Director of the LA Galaxy Academy, which he helped develop into one of the most successful in Major League Soccer, with 14 Academy products signed across LA Galaxy and LA Galaxy II.
Updated 1/27/17. MLS-USL affiliation/owned history: Atlanta United: Charleston Battery (2016-17) Chicago Fire: Saint Louis FC (2015-16), Tulsa Roughnecks (2017) Colorado Rapids: Charlotte Independence (2015-17) Columbus Crew: Dayton Dutch Lions (2014), Austin Aztex (2015), Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2016-17) DC United: Richmond Kickers (2013-17) FC Dallas: Arizona United (2015), OKC Energy (2016-17) Houston Dynamo: Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2014), Charleston Battery (2015), Rio Grande Valley (2016-17) LA Galaxy: LA Galaxy II (2014-2017) Minnesota United: ??? (2017) Montreal Impact: FC Montreal (2015-16), Ottawa Fury (2017) New England Revolution: Rochester Rhinos (2013-17) NY City FC: Wilmington Hammerheads (2015-16), ??? ( 2017) NY Red Bulls: NY Red Bulls II (2015-17) Orlando City: Louisville City (2015), Orlando City B (2016-17) Philadelphia Union: Harrisburg City Islanders (2013-15), Bethlehem Steel (2016-17) Portland Timbers: Sacramento Republic (2014), Portland Timbers 2 (2015-17) Real Salt Lake: Real Monarchs SLC (2015-17) San Jose Earthquakes: Sacramento Republic (2014-16), Reno 1868 (2017) Seattle Sounders: Seattle Sounders 2 (2015-17) Sporting Kansas City: Orlando City (21013-14), OKC Energy (2014-15), Swope Park Rangers (2016-17) Toronto FC: Wilmington Hammerheads (2014), Toronto FC II (2015-17) Vancouver Whitecaps: Charleston Battery (2014), Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (2015-17) I used the years that the teams played rather than from the date of the affiliation/ownership announcements. Obviously most of these will be ongoing but we can update this as it goes.
New York City FC has affiliated with San Antonio. http://www.nycfc.com/post/2017/02/09/nycfc-announce-affiliation-san-antonio-fc I'm going to wait to see if Minnesota United does anything before the season starts to amend the list above.
A lot of the times mls teams work with clubs who are near by, but this is far from close. Bringing players back will be expensive or time consuming if not both.
To be fair, there aren't many unspoken for teams close to New York, and there isn't a whole lot of back and forth.
We'll see what happens. I don't think NYCFC loaned any players to Wilmington the last two seasons. Maybe this will be different.
I guess this just varies from team to team, affiliation-wise. I did not follow how much loaning was made by MLS to USL last season, other than my team. In Sacramento's case last season, we benefited from SJ's proximity by getting a number of players on a game-by-game basis. Overall, I didn't care for this set-up (too much roster flux), but we did benefit from Tommy Thompson providing some offense when we were struggling at that end.
Newtex: well not exactly true...this particular incident was roundly debated among many NYRB supporters... http://www.empireofsoccer.com/surprise-hammerheads-nyrbii-33792/
http://midfieldpress.com/2017/02/15...ing-direction-will-d-c-uniteds-usl-team-take/ Diverging Paths For United: What Branding Direction Will D.C. United’s USL Team Take?
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-soccer-20170218-story.html Rise of MLS-affiliated 'lower league' is a win-win for players, teams
http://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2017/02/22/la-galaxy-ii-announce-first-ever-open-tryouts-England LA Galaxy II announced today that the club will host two separate open tryouts for the first time in England during the summer of 2017 in an effort to expand their recruiting pool and discover players for the 2017 USL season and beyond. Tryouts will be held in London at The Hive on May 31 and June 1, and again in Manchester at University of Manchester Armitage Sports Centre on June 3 and 4.
Why would some prospect choose to play in the US over England unless they are a DP or going via the college route to get an education? There are about 100 professional clubs in England + hundreds of semi pro clubs with more scouting than the US. Better than Semi Pro I guess but look at Jamie Vardy's rise through the league's.
Updated 2/24/17. I went ahead and added Orange County for LAFC. It doesn't look like Minnesota is going to affiliate this year. MLS-USL affiliation/owned history: Atlanta United: Charleston Battery (2016-17) Chicago Fire: Saint Louis FC (2015-16), Tulsa Roughnecks (2017) Colorado Rapids: Charlotte Independence (2015-17) Columbus Crew: Dayton Dutch Lions (2014), Austin Aztex (2015), Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2016-17) DC United: Richmond Kickers (2013-17) FC Dallas: Arizona United (2015), OKC Energy (2016-17) Houston Dynamo: Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2014), Charleston Battery (2015), Rio Grande Valley (2016-17) LA Galaxy: LA Galaxy II (2014-2017) Los Angeles FC: Orange County SC (2017) Minnesota United: ??? (2017) Montreal Impact: FC Montreal (2015-16), Ottawa Fury (2017) New England Revolution: Rochester Rhinos (2013-17) NY City FC: Wilmington Hammerheads (2015-16), ??? ( 2017) NY Red Bulls: NY Red Bulls II (2015-17) Orlando City: Louisville City (2015), Orlando City B (2016-17) Philadelphia Union: Harrisburg City Islanders (2013-15), Bethlehem Steel (2016-17) Portland Timbers: Sacramento Republic (2014), Portland Timbers 2 (2015-17) Real Salt Lake: Real Monarchs SLC (2015-17) San Jose Earthquakes: Sacramento Republic (2014-16), Reno 1868 (2017) Seattle Sounders: Seattle Sounders 2 (2015-17) Sporting Kansas City: Orlando City (21013-14), OKC Energy (2014-15), Swope Park Rangers (2016-17) Toronto FC: Wilmington Hammerheads (2014), Toronto FC II (2015-17) Vancouver Whitecaps: Charleston Battery (2014), Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (2015-17) I used the years that the teams played rather than from the date of the affiliation/ownership announcements. Obviously most of these will be ongoing but we can update this as it goes.
Do they have to have an affiliate on paper to fullfill that MLS suggestion/requirement? Colorado Springs, Cincinnati, Harrisburg, Louisville, Phoenix, Saint Louis, Sacramento, Tampa are all riding solo as of today, right? Cincy, Sactown, and Tampa might not want a partner in case that takes the shine off their MLS bids Louisville, Phoenix, and Saint Louis would want to be in that first group but haven't had as much hype IMO Harrisburg is probably unattractive for MLS suitors because it's an awful organization in most ways but still survives somehow I don't have any particular insight or analysis or banter on Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is in the Harrisburg pariah affiliate category, IIRC. Given the possibility of six teams who won't affiliate and two bad choices, they may have been given a year's exemption to get a reserve team going for 2018.
I've never seen a clear deadline to affiliate. It sounds like Minnesota will be setting something up with their own USL team next year. MLS is probably not pushing them into anything this year as long as they have a plan. That list of unaffiliated looks correct. I would hesitate to speculate on teams' motives as far as affiliation. Harrisburg, St. Louis, Sacramento, and Louisville were affiliated in the past but things change.
I don't think Louisville can affiliate. Too much ownership commonality with Orlando City (could make decisions that would harm the parent club to Orlando City's benefit).
How could an affiliate harm their MLS partner? The MLS team sends a couple of guys on loan down to Louisville and what? Louisville doesn't play them? They coach them badly? Break their legs?
Agreed, and Louisville seems like a potential fit due to the Louisville HC being a former player for Heath. St. Louis would be the "geographical" option I guess. MLS may allow for a year or two before expansion teams are "required" to affiliate, it's just never been an issue so we didn't know about it.
Definitely a mandate to either affiliate or form a USL team but I mean specifically a timeline by which a team has to do it.
I remember within 2 years. Now I'm not sure if that's 2 years from getting announced or starting playing or what. And I also can't find it, but I thought it was a 2 year grace period to find and affiliate or start a USL team. There hasn't been an issue of anyone not finding one in year 1 ... so I think it's been "forgotten".
Overwork a player in practice, put him in the most dangerous situations in practice or a game. In other words, send him back exhausted and/or injured right before a cup match (which often the caliber of player that goes back and forth between MLS and USL) against Orlando.
To quote the USSF requirements: e. Team Organization i. All of the required positions set forth in Section I(g) must be filled by full‐time staff year round. ii. Each U.S.‐based team must demonstrate a commitment to a player development program. This requirement may be satisfied by supporting either an amateur or professional reserve team competing in a USSF‐sanctioned league or by the league itself. iii. Each U.S.‐based team must maintain teams and a program to develop players at the youth level. This requirement may be satisfied by fielding teams in a Federation academy program. Since amateur teams can satisfy the USSF requirement, that would presumably mean a PDL affiliate. Can anybody point to a specific MLS rule that requires a professional team/affiliate?
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/03/23/mls-teams-top-usl-prospects-2017 MLS teams' top USL prospects in 2017 March 23, 20176:11PM EDT