Been asking that question myself since I got here! Oh for the days when fake Cosmos fans were telling us they knew their team was going to rule the city because of polls they took at sports bars, overheard conversations on subway platforms, chats between cops in court houses, etc.... Ah, where does the time go?
Three teams, actually: two academy and this new d-3 league. Seems like a smart move to do this in 2022 and then launch 2023 with some of those players ready to move up to the senior team. And while a location isn't identified, the article does say this: That sort of back-and-forth flow of players between teams would be hard to accomplish if these various teams were located very far apart.
I would guess they'll start at Soccer Park in Fenton (Former home of St Louis FC), but that's just my guess. Also depends on what you define as close by. The cardinals (other than this year )seem to do ok with their minor league teams out a bit. Memphis, Peoria IL, and Springfield MO. Memphis is the farthest, about 4 hours drive. Not uncommon for a morning call-up playing that night if need be, but as I said above, I would expect much closer for the start-up.
In my mind, where they play and where they practice everyday are linked, but are essentially different issues. Though it does imply that there's a distance beyond which such a set-up doesn't make sense anymore. In the announcement about St. Louis's training facility, it says this: No mention of a USL team or this d-3 team, of course. But it would be weird for St. Louis to care so much about where the academy team practiced, but not the MLS d-3 developmental team. By the way, the Crew's announcement about their new training facility called out different locker rooms for the first team, academy teams and a "USL" team. That was before rumors about an MLS developmental league emerged. So that "USL" locker room surely will be used by that d-3 team.
I know the intent is to host all the teams downtown. The training center is planned to have at least three locker rooms. The problem is that they will have to start somewhere else. The training center won't be done this fall, and may not be done in spring 2022. I know they are not slowing construction down from the initial start play in 2022, but nobody expected the COVID thing, and it's related delays. This is why I would expect the u16/17 teams to start at soccer park. Everything they need is already there, The reserve side may start there as well, pending an delays as noted above.
Here’s the Timbers’ announcement that they’re joining: https://www.timbers.com/post/2021/06/21/mls-announces-new-league-timbers-affiliate-join-2022 Definitely an unusual stadium setup that they’ll be playing in:
Kartik Krishnaiyer was the guest on the Protagonist Weekly this week: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rngvab7lqT1SErtFEZNNj?si=d8ViA6LeSWCvkQsSngzxuw&dl_branch=1 They spent quite a while talking about this proposed league. It’s an overall entertaining episode and his takes on the D3 league are kind of surprisingly objective for him. He also talks about the VAR system they implemented in the amateur league he’s the head of, which was pretty fascinating.
I'll say this: Bringing back the Cosmos name would've been a good move... in 1996. It had only been just over a decade since the demise of the NASL Cosmos, and the brand still had some value. But now? Nah. They're dead, and their small cadre of fans are just defiling a corpse.
Honestly, if i were rich, i would spend a few million to buy the brand just so it would never see the light of day again or maybe give it to a youth league team in Manhattan, Kansas.
A bit late to the thread, but I am not positive these will all be either-or situations. And/or perhaps MLS teams will have more than one club in the new league. My curiosity comes from RSL announcing a new complex specifically designed for MLS Next, but in Arizona rather than at the Herriman complex where the Monarchs play. The team made a strategic decision to abandon the direction taken with the Monarchs under Dell Loy Hansen (who wanted trophies) and shifted to a more development-focused approach to roster design (combined with getting minutes for first team players - particularly young ones - at the bottom of the MLS roster) this season. I know nothing for sure, but it strikes me as reasonable that RSL looks at the Monarchs in USL as fulfilling a specific role and being in D2, with the RSL AZ branch being in D3. Unless, that is, there's an option for two D3 teams. Otherwise, why have the multiple complexes?
Could the AZ team be to add value to the academy system RSL has in AZ? They seem to have made a pretty big investment in Arizona and giving players there another avenue to being professional seems like a good idea?
I mean they spent $78 million in the Zions Bank Real Academy, so I assume the Arizona academy is meant to complement it, not replace it.
More than a year ago Bezbatchenko brought in 2 people, a married couple actually, who had worked closely with him in Toronto. One is Jaime McMillan, who is the VP of Soccer Operations and Administration. She's a very big deal at the club. The other half is Corey Wray, who was the Assistant GM for Team Operations and Strategy in Toronto. His title in Columbus was announced as Assistant General Manager and General Manager of Crew 2. Which of course was interesting because there was - and.is - no such thing as Crew 2. But obviously it was part of the plan all along. So.they were always going to.do something along those lines and unless Wray spends.his time.doing crosswords one suspects the plans.are well.advanced. The d3 league deal is a.new.wrinkle but the idea is the same.
The AZ complex looks pretty modest, by MLS standards. Articles about it don’t even mention the cost. They do, however, emphasize boys and girls youth development and academy teams, including referencing MLS Next a lot. It seems to me its purpose is solely boys and girls youth development and some academy teams. I also don’t see anything about the facility that implies it’s able to hold league level games; no stadium of any sort.
In the stadium tour before the first game in Carson, CA in 2003, one of the locker rooms was labeled "Future WUSA Team" or something like that. That never came to pass, but Chivas USA and the Sol both took up residency there for a time. I believe much of those rooms were rebuilt and upgraded when the Chargers moved in.
Ticketmaster has a live page for "San Jose Earthquakes Reserves." No upcoming events scheduled, though. https://www.ticketmaster.com/san-jose-earthquakes-reserves-tickets/artist/1725845
So, fine, you don’t want to listen to Kartik. The latest The USL Show has Dan Egner, former GM of Real Monarchs, as a guest and it’s a fascinating perspective on both this league and its effect on USL: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2EkUdOGoGQZly4tCjgS76k?si=FGHCrTgrQQW02zzQcEmTfA&dl_branch=1 Tons about player development and the rift between USL and MLS2 sides and the experience of being both in MLS and USL at the same time. Basically his opinion is that the outlook for League One is not good.
I don't think this article was posted. This is what I am interested in... what teams/cities will be in this league. Will places like Michigan without a MLS team be included?
I imagine it will mainly consist of MLS and possibly a few USL Championship reserve teams, although some of the elite academies may be interested. Imagine if FC Barcelona Academy US could field a team of 17 and 18 year-olds against MLS reserve teams. It would be great marketing for them.