I think MLS, USL and USSF should work together to create a new division 2 league in United States. NASL is dead, if not should be killed, but USL shouldn't stay with Division 2 status. This NEW LEAGUE should be made of teams from every medium/large metro area, including all candidates to MLS. USL should be made of teams affilliated to D1 and D2 teams. USL could have two levels. Yes USL could have 2 levels, but at 3rd and 4th level. Always made with affiliated teams from D1 and D2 clubs. In this 2 levels (D3 and D4) pro/relegation could exist. Only clubs from D1 and D2 will participate on US Open Cup. Each D1 and D2 could have more than 1 affilliated club (Clubs close to home. In general in the urban/metro areas, or at least from the same state). DIVISION 2 - NEW LEAGUE: Some 32 strong locations: - Las Vegas - San Diego - Phoenix - San Francisco - Sacramento - Orange County - Inland Empire - San Antonio - Austin - Fort Worth - Oklahoma - New Orleans - Memphis - Nashville - Tampa Bay - Fort Lauderdale - Jacksonville - Charlotte - Raleigh - St. Louis - Milwaukee - Detroit - Indianapolis - Louisville - Cincinnati - Cleveland - Pittsburgh - Virginia Beach - Baltimore - New York - Hartford - Providence
Yes a new league with MLS, USL and US Soccer involved. USL should keep developing D3 and D4 leagues. D3 and D4 clubs will work with D2 and D1 clubs, starting with the affiliation with this clubs. No B teams, like Portland Timbers II and NY Red Bulls II. Because this clubs don't generate gate interest. Also becausei think each D1 and D2 clubs should have more than 1 "B team". A clusters of teams working with them in the Metro área. This will contribute for soccer and major team popularity in that área. For example, Seattle Sounders could have affilliate pro-clubs in Tacoma, Everett, Kent and Spokane at least, playing in USL D3 or D4. More player development for D1 and D2 clubs.
Like other leagues, teams playing in this league. Many clubs will come from USL, others from NASL, others Candidates Cities to MLS, and others will join over the years. This league could start in 2018 with 20 clubs. To compete in this D2 this clubs must end MLS affiliation, Only D3 and D4 could have affiliation with clubs in upper divisions: Moving from USL without affilliation: - FC Cincinnati - Louisville City FC - Sacramento Republic FC - Saint Louis FC - Tampa Bay Rowdies Moving from USL with affilliation - Charlotte Independence - Pittsburgh Riverhounds - OKC City Energy - San Antonio FC - Orange County SC - Las Vegas Lights FC - Nashville SC Moving from NASL - Indy Eleven - Jacksonville Armada FC - New York Cosmos - Miami FC - North Carolina FC - San Francisco Deltas - San Diego - California United FC Others clubs could join from major cities/urban areas.
"Other clubs could join" -- who, exactly? Lower league soccer isn't exactly big business here. Also, good luck getting the Cosmos and Miami FC to work with anyone else.
And who exactly is going to start these clubs? Adding clubs just because it would be nice to have one in a city, without having the capital to run those clubs, is exactly the mistake the old NASL made.
Why is a new one needed? USL is doing JUST FINE as the D2 league, and it's growing. So .... .... why?
Are you saying no investor will show up in the future to start a club in those cities? Have a bit of faith...
I think he's saying the owners of the 20 clubs you want to move from USL and NASL to this new league won't move so you'll need new owners. I'm saying new investors, when given a choice between USL and another new D2, will choose USL. So getting 20 clubs to a new D2 will take until 2028 - best case scenario. By then USL will have 60 clubs in D2/D3
That's why this new D2 needs to be a arrangement between USL, MLS and US Soccer. A New Division 2, giving USL the right to run the 3rd and 4th division. - 2nd division independent clubs - 3rd and 4th division affilliated to MLS and 2nd division clubs. No "b teams" like New York Red Bulls II and stuff, only affilliation. Affilliation is a better deal to USL. 3rd division main affilliated team to each 1st and 2nd division. 4th division between 2 and 8 secondary affilliated teams. D1: MLS - 32 clubs D2: New League - 32 Clubs D3: 64 Clubs (32 D1 affiliated clubs+32 D2 affilliated Clubs, 4 Conferences, 16 clubs each) D4: 256 clubs (4 Conferences, 4 Divisions, with 16 clubs each) US Open Cup: 64 clubs (D1+D2 clubs).
For the record, I also don't think the US will ever have a professional D4. Once you get down to that level, you're necessarily playing in regional leagues, and probably not getting enough revenue to be more than semi-pro. And at that point, since the NCAA isn't going away, it makes more financial and competitive sense to be entirely amateur and rely on NCAA players getting extra offseason minutes (some of whom are on their way to the pros and better than any semipros you can get) than to pay players.
If they institute pro/rel, there will be 3,840 professional clubs. Believe me. It will be huge and beautiful, with investment like you have never seen before.
I think this is the cleaver move. Soccer needs to be closer to the fan base, if you want to turn soccer something more in north america. Each MLS team should have a network of clubs from top to bottom supporting them. D1 - Colorado Rapids ("A Team") D2 - Colorado Springs ("B Team") D3 - Aurora ("C Team") D4- Front Range Soccer League ("D Teams") Front Range Urban Corridor Soccer League 12 Semi-professional clubs. U-23 League 32 competitive weeks per season "D Teams" 14 Potential Locations: Pueblo, Castle Rock, Centennial, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Boulder, Longmont, Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Broomfield, Cheyenne.
Not quiet MLB. In Europe big clubs have the main team, the B team and even a C Team. Also they have affilliated clubs across the country and some times in other countries. I purprose something like this. But all clubs/teams will be located in proximity to the main team. D2 could have independent clubs, not affilliated with MLS clubs, having also a D3 team, and D4 teams. This D2 independent clubs will participate in US Open Cup. Only clubs from MLS and D2 (not affilliated with MLS clubs) could participate in US Open Cup. Sometimes D4 teams from different professional clubs could compete in the same Regional League, D4 League. Because not all professional clubs will have 12-14-16 D4 teams, sometimes they, especially D2 independent clubs, could have only 4, 6 or 8 D4 teams.
Got any scarf designs? I can't take you seriously unless you have scarf designs and you figure out how many times each team would play each other team.