Another new league for the MLS youngsters..

[Unregistered]

https://www.socceramerica.com/public...ria-1_iPaODyBw

These guys just don't get it. It looks like the USL was a little too high of a bar for the youngsters that the Sounders wanted to be Pro's. Now they crap on the USL, just like they crapped on the DA and finally crapped on MLS next.

[Unregistered]

This is just more of the needed pyramid:
1. MLS
2. MLS - Reserves
3. MLS Youth Academies
4. MLSNext - Local Clubs feeding MLS Youth Academies

This professional pyramid will work, but only if solidarity payments are enacted in the United States.

Ultimately ECNL boys will drop off as the MLSNext creates a better pathway for the male professional and ECNL girls will be left alone as there's no money in it and ECNL fills the need for female collegiate players that MLS doesn't care about.

[Unregistered]

This is just more of the needed pyramid:
1. MLS
2. MLS - Reserves
3. MLS Youth Academies
4. MLSNext - Local Clubs feeding MLS Youth Academies

This professional pyramid will work, but only if solidarity payments are enacted in the United States.

Ultimately ECNL boys will drop off as the MLSNext creates a better pathway for the male professional and ECNL girls will be left alone as there's no money in it and ECNL fills the need for female collegiate players that MLS doesn't care about.

You actually think this is a good thing? Man you really are drinking the Kool Aid. The USL is a pathway already, but the MLS wants total control of the money/players. Why oh why does US Soccer listen to these clowns?

[Unregistered]

Yes, this is exactly what is needed (for Mens' soccer): A uniform pathway funded by the larger/richer/more successful clubs as players are bought/sold.

It does two things:
1. Helps the better players get to where they can/want to go and,
2. Provides funding to help invert the pay-to-play model

I'm not saying there isn't room for USL. Ultimately, I think the MLS needs to incorporate the USL into a tiered system of promotion/relegation and then stop the madness that is one-source (US Soccer) ownership. US Soccer needs to get out of the management of the professional game.

[Unregistered]

I don't think this is a threat to USL, at least not to the USL Championship. The new MLS dev league will be a Tier 3 league, USL Championship is Tier 2.

This is how things are set up in Europe; with top clubs putting youth/second teams in the lower divisions of the pro pyramid, often limited in how far they can advance (i.e. Man City's U23s are not eligible for promotion to the Championship, let alone the Premier league).

But having separate leagues for "development teams" and "second-tier for-profit teams" makes sense.