Why somes MLS clubs still have "B" teams when this team doesn't have the needed appeal to the USL? The lowest attendance numbers come from this "B" teams: Charlotte Independence 16 25,843 2,648 801 1,615 LA Galaxy II 16 19,436 3,000 432 1,215 Orlando City B 16 18,867 2,741 791 1,179 Toronto FC II 16 17,420 3,582 143 1,089 Seattle Sounders FC 2 16 16,530 1,307 951 1,033 Swope Park Rangers 16 16,237 1,114 572 1,015 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 16 13,899 1,788 403 869 New York Red Bulls II 16 10,113 1,482 271 632 And why Minnesota United doesn't have a affiliated club/team?
1) Charlotte is not a "B" team 2) These teams' reasons for being are not to bring "appeal" to the USL. They exist to develop young players by giving them substantive minutes in an environment that is more competitive than the former MLS Reserve League 3) Minnesota has not found someone to affiliate with yet.
I know Charlotte is not a B team it's a affilliate team. I only put the worst attendance numbers. I know it's to develope players, however I believe with affilliated/owned clubs this goal could be achieved. It's importante good attendance numbers to USL and it's clubs. Whitout this B teams the USL average this season was 5.500 more much better than the actual figure, 4300.
Why is that important though? I agree for the USL independent teams, attendance is very important. But the Real Monarchs, Swoop Park Rangers, Timbers 2, etc are all very much more financially stable due to their parent teams than any other USL teams outside maybe Cincinnati. So really, the only issue with these teams attendance is that it is hurting the USL's chances at bragging rights, if there is such a thing for Division 2 soccer in the US.
And yet, they do not agree with you. It's important that clubs do what they do successfully. But if just having good numbers is all you want, people could just completely make up numbers and everybody would be happy. I do not see how this impacts you. And if you can figure that out (or read it), I figure most people can, too. People know the deal.
It's pathetic the stands were pretty much empty to watch the USL-best Monarchs lose in the 1st round of the playoffs. It's also pathetic there were only 912 fans show up for the Swope Park 1st-round game. Both of those games were played in the MLS stadium. How can an MLS team draw 15,000 or whatever SKC draws, yet their B team can't even get 1,000? You can talk about the reasoning for the B teams all you want, but as a fan of USL, it's certainly not a positive in any way, shape, or form.
I can tell you for a fact the Swope Park match was absolutely not played in the MLS stadium because I watched it. It is if it develops players. Which is, again, the reason these teams exist. What on Earth makes you think a team of players who are still developing and who play in the shadow of the first team should draw robust crowds? When has this ever happened? The parent club is selling and marketing its own games. Consistent, full-blown efforts to market the "2" teams (that aren't in separate markets) just do not happen. They are not set up for that. And why the hell does it matter to you if it does not matter to them? Because you're insecure about a 912 attendance figure in a box score? Who cares? If it works for them, it works for them. If they decide - like Vancouver, apparently - that it's not worth it, or if these teams' operations put D2 sanctioning in jeopardy, they'll get rid of them. So what? All we hear about (especially lately) is player development. But, oh, no, God forbid you create an environment for development without selling lots of tickets for it because it hurts the math. Until recently, we had enough trouble getting people to buy tickets to watch MLS first teams. People whose entire soccer fandom life encompasses this period and think it's always been like it is now, where soccer can draw crowds way more easily than at the turn of the century, just think tickets sell themselves now and that if you're a fan of RSL or SKC, you're obligated to turn up for the reserves. You're not. Math. Pfffffft. Healthy franchises is what we need. And Swope Park drawing 912 and being owned by SKC is still healthier than Charlotte or Rochester.
It's just an opinion. Honestly, it's pretty sad someone can be so snappy just because someone doesn't agree with him/her. It doesn't mean I'm right, and it doesn't mean you're right. If I think it's pathetic 912 people show up for a USL playoff game, who are you to say I'm in the wrong? It's called an opinion. You obviously have a chip on your shoulder when it comes to attendance. So be it. Have fun justifying it all you want, and whether you're wrong or right, you have a pretty rude way of going about things. That's on you. Haha Proceed to ramble on more about how you're right and everyone who disagrees is wrong. But just to humor you a bit, can you honestly type it with a straight face that a USL playoff game with 5,000 in attendance won't help the team more than a game with 912 in attendance? MATH! MATH!
Why Sporting Kansas City don't have a "B Team" in Wichita or Omaha or both... I think MLS and soccer needs a bigger footprint in America, this is one way to achieve this goal.
Because you don't have a local team to support so you don't have a connection to any of them. I'm from Virginia Beach, I'm a fan of DCU but they are 3 and a half hours from me. The closest NASL is North Carolina FC 4 and a half hours from me and the closest USL team is Richmond an hour and a half away. I don't have a dog in the fight, so to speak, but I enjoy soccer in this country and support the leagues and the team that play in them.
It's not Sporting Kansas City's job to put teams in Wichita or Omaha. They have a paid for training center with a stadium field at Swope Park. It allows the SPR players to train with the SKC players and coaches and vice-versa. SPR is their to develop players for SKC. Putting the team a few hours away in Wichita or Omaha doesn't help SKC. And it likely would cost more money as the organization would suddenly have to deal with acquiring/building/renting new facilities and likely have to hire more staff than they have now as they wouldn't be able to leverage combined assets like to do in the KC metro area. You post a bunch of ill-thought out questions then you get pissy when Kenn calls you out on it. Yet you never answer his question. Who cares, and why, whether a SPR draws 912 people. It shouldn't affect you personally in any way, shape, or form. If it works for SKC, that's all that matters. If Sporting Club (formerly OnGoal) decides that it no longer works for them, or that something else might work better, than they'll change it. Do they complain about Barcelona B this much over in the La Liga B/C forums?
912 doesn't affect SPR but affects USL and USL teams. If USL wants to improve their numbers, their teams, their game, their league at some point this MLS II will become a problem! Maybe USL 2 could solve some of this issues. SKC should have affilliates clubs in Wichita or/and Omaha to have a better footprint in their "home region". Also I think each MLS should have a 3rd Level League (a Metro League), the right place for SPR and other minor B teams in Kansas City Metro area. All this minor b teams will work for Wichita and Omaha, and this two for SKC. Of course SKC would work with minor b teams to. But make senses that players in Wichita and Omaha teams will be more suitable to SKC roster, than a player from a 3rd level team.
How? Seriously. Exactly how are any other teams affected by SPR - a successful and well run business that is performing exactly as intended by its owners.
Why does it matter? Do you get this bent out of shape when Benfica B draws flies? Because in Europe “B” teams don’t draw crowds either and I don’t see anyone complaining about them.
I complain about that in Portugal because we have B teams in Second Division drawing awfull atendence numbers, within a league with already bad numbers. However in Europe you don't have many B teams in second division and sometimes in third division leagues. I think USL and american soccer will benefit a lot with this scheme.
I'm a huge OKC Energy fan, and as irony would have it, we play SPR tomorrow for a spot in USL Cup Final. Haha I'm also a realist and know there isn't a very high chance of OKC getting an MLS team. So Energy are going to be a big part of USL for quite awhile unless something changes. I'm definitely a bigger Energy fan than a USL fan, but why can't I support both? The more popular USL is and ends up being, the better.