Stefan Szymanski of Soccernomics speaks on the status of MLS

For those of you who don't know who Stefan Szymanski is and why you should care what he thinks.  Szymanski's work includes over fifty academic publications, six books, and an international consultancy for clubs, federations, and governments alike.

He said ...

Part of the problem here is the contrast between the profits of owners versus the long-term health of the league. If you really wanted to create a major league sport, what you would do is just open everything up to competition, create a promotion and relegation system, bring in billionaires and say, "build your own team." I think, in a small number of years, you would see that develop into a dynamic, very exciting structure. The U.S. would be very good at attracting those kinds of individuals.

among quite a few other very intersting in his great interview on HudsonRiverBlue.com that can be READ IN ITS ENTIRETY HERE.  


Lets us know what you think in the comments below or using the #ProRelForUSA hashtag on twitter.

Ted Westervelt interview on AM 740 The Game in Orlando Florida

Carnahan Chronicles: Soccer Futurist Ted Westervelt talks state of the sport in United States (February 7, 2015)

Every pro soccer club in the US and Canada for 2015 on one map

I thought just for display purposes that this map would give a better indication of just how many D1/D2/D3 and the top "D4" clubs there are in the United States and Canada for 2015.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAP

NASL Commissioner Peterson talks Promotion and Relegation on Soccer Morning

NASL Commissioner Peterson talks the state of the NASL and an Open Pyramid featuring Promotion and Relegation for the United States.

His interview starts at the 5:00 mark.

To quote him "you're a professional league, you're a reserve league or you're an amateur league and I don't know without some sort of competitive process where you can move up or down... Promotion and Relegation... that it makes all that much sense to call someone Division 1, Division 2 or Division 3 for that matter"...



We would love to hear your opinion on this interview in the comments below or on Twitter with the hashtag #ProRelForUSA

The State of United States Soccer - Thoughts from a "Eurosnob"

A great guest take on the State of Soccer in the United States by John Babbitt (Follow him on Twitter @BabbittCGroup )

The State of United States Soccer - Thoughts from a “Eurosnob”

First, allow me to get a few things out of the way. I am biased and I don’t care about your view. Don’t like mine, start your own blog. I am a “Eurosnob”. BUT, and stay with me. I wish I wasn’t, and it shouldn’t be like this.

I’m an American but I REALLY like the English Premier League as well as the UEFA Champions League. I find every Major League Soccer game not involving the Seattle Sounders quite boring. My wife complains that I yell, “Too slow!” at the TV too much. She’ll do an impression of it sometimes. It’s kind of funny. I’m sick and tired of watching the Sounders lose to a Mexican or Costa Rican team in CONCACAF Champions League. I’m tired of our National Team losing to countries we should beat. I’m tired of our “best” national team players moving back to Major League Soccer. 

I’m tired of MLS spending obscene amounts of money on washed-up players. If you’re going to have a Designated Player Rule, go after someone truly world class AND in their prime like Wayne Rooney or a Ronaldo.

OK, opening rant over. 

The rapid growth of the Open Pyramid movement

Recently we have witnessed several online polls (HERE and HERE) show that American soccer fans are actually in support of an Open Pyramid over our currently Closed System.

A question not really answered is how many leagues and clubs actually want an Open Pyramid. We all know that MLS's Don Garber and Mark Abbot has came out that they want to keep the system closed with the only way to join to be the owners paying a hefty fee and not through merit on the field. 

Today the NPSL via Chairman Joe Barone joined Jurgen Klinsmann and came out in support of an Open Pyramid with access for clubs via merit on the field.

Working 24/7, Barone dedicates his time to making the NPSL a success. Barone, who does not take a salary from NPSL, is a fan of Jurgen Klinsman’s vision for soccer in this country. Personally he would like to see the MLS-NASL-USLPRO-NPSL-PDL unify to allow promotion / relegation, the NPSL to be the foundation of the US Soccer development pyramid with over 100 profitable teams in 100 communities. Barone is definitely a force changing soccer in America.

Pair NPSL's 65+ current clubs with NASL's stated stance that they are for an Open Pyramid as well and that brings us to over 75 clubs with a stated wish to see merit on the field decide your level of play, not the size of your owners bank account.

While USL-Pro as a league has not come out with a stated position on whether they are for or against an Open Pyramid St Louis FC's new Head Coach Dale Shilly when asked his feelings on #ProRelForUSA joined others who have also came out in support of an open pyramid.

.@zellerbrook Dale: "I would love a promotion/relegation system in the U.S. It'd be interesting to see how it would work." #GetSchilly
— Saint Louis FC (@SaintLouisFC) February 2, 2015

In addition to these national leagues several high quality state and regional leagues have shown that they are moving toward an Open Pyramid model on their local level. The Evergreen Premier League of Washington, the UPSL Pro Premier Division in California, Champions Soccer League USA in Florida and the Louisiana State Premier League all moving toward this end goal, bringing the numbers of clubs to well over 100.

Now lets add to polls showing most fans, 6 leagues, 100+ clubs, USL-Pro clubs on record and the USMNT Coach and USSF Technical Director all on board for an Open Pyramid this eye opening tweet ...

Spoke with a #USMNT player today. Here's his quote:"I would say 99% of ambitious players/coaches here would be in support of pro/rel."
— Sean Monaghan (@SeanMonaghanPDX) January 30, 2015

Every day it appears more and more people are joining the calls for an Open Pyramid... join in on the discussion online using the #ProRelForUSA hashtag on twitter!