Since Mexico has a strong league, what possibilities are that USL extend to Mexico? Already the USL have teams from USA, Canada, Puerto Rico and Bermudas, but I’m not sure if the FMF will allow any Mexican team to play in a foreign league.
I would say the chance is 0%. Why would Mexico sanction a USL team? They have a strong, multi-tiered preofessional league in place already. That's not the case with USA (MLS), Canada, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda.
I could see some more expansion into Puerto Rico and Canada but Mexico is a no no. The big bad FMF will never allow such thing.
No. If you want further elaboration, the above pretty much have it. FMF won't allow it. Won't care. And Marcos and the USL wouldn't care to try. They'll go where there's room for it. Expanding to other caribbean islands where there's no professional league is certainly an option. But that's it.
Forget Mexico...USL needs to expand to places where a tight budget soccer team won´t face to much competition. What about hijacking Las Vegas for example? Their MLS bid looks to be on ice. Quebec might also be a possibility perhaps?
And the other dozen or so major markets without a MLS or USL1 team... Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando, Sacramento, St. Louis, Indianapolis, San Diego, San Antonio, Ottawa, Calgary, etc etc...
USL won't expand to St. Louis because that city might get a MLS team. That's why Philadelphia doesn't have a USL team either.
Same reason the second USL 1 PR team did not join for this season, they could agree on compensation with the PR Islanders
I'm sure a Quebec City team could happen, as long as they talked with the Impact about it first. It would only be good for the Impact have a big rivalry relatively near by(QC is about 2-2:30 from Montreal)
They do but that could probably be worked out. It's not like the Impact are drawing a lot of fans from Quebec City (despite the odd "home" game they play there). USL-D1 would do well to look at Quebec City and Ottawa (which already has a PDL team) if they want to expand in a geographically logical fashion. Both have stadia that would work for the USL. The question (as always) is one of ownership.
You pretty much answered your own question. FMF has a very strong structure from top to bottom. It's their business. It's their monopoly. And they got FIFA to back 'em up. What USL should put more effort is in getting a team like in regions the Rio Grande Valley, Texas where there are almost 800,000 folks with a 90% Mexican-American population.
I guess the question is, why would you want to? How many good markets are left that have no team within the FMF structure? I would imagine most mexican soccer supporters want to see the best players in their country compete against each other, not some reserve players play against mainly US/Canadian based teams. I'd say strengthening the existing teams, expanding within US/Canada/possibly carribean, makes the most sense.
Minor leagues (including leagues independent of the top flight) draw relatively well (well enough to survive) here. Is that strictly an anglo-North American phenomenon?
Florida is next: Clearwater Galactics run by Carlos Valderrama Semi-Pro Soccer USL - PDL (planned for 2009) Pro Soccer USL - 1st Division (planned for 2010/2011) USL - W-League (planned for 2010/2011)