By TRAVIS CLARK
Recent business developments within U.S. Soccer lower-tier divisions is creating a ripple affect throughout United Soccer Leagues. Last week, NuRock Soccer Holdings, an Atlanta-based company, bought USL from Nike, which came as no surprise after reports surfaced that the league was up for sale.
The fact that the league wasn't sold to any of the current owners and the issue over the lack of owner-control in the league has now resulted in several of the top clubs in USL-1 threatening to breakaway and create their own league focused in non-MLS markets. Owners feel slighted about the way things went in the past and are skeptical about what will work in the future.
"We are clearly at odds with USL, we have been at odds with them for two years over the fact that we are the only league in the world that doesn't have (team) owners controlling it," Carolina Railhawks owner Selby Wellman told Reuters.
Another report from the Canadian Press mentioned that the hypothetical new league would feature between eight and 12 teams, including Montreal, Carolina, and Tampa Bay to name a few.
Whether the current owners actually go through with their threat — only time will tell how that plays out. The new owners certainly have work to do in order to patch up their relationship with the current owners.
Given the financial difficulties some of the clubs face makes the reality of a new league somewhat of a long shot. It remains to be set up either — if it would act as a league on the same footing as MLS, or if it would still be considered a division below.
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What do you think of these developments in USL? Will a new league be created to compete with MLS? Or will the new owners of USL solve the problem? Share your thoughts below.
There are rumors that the new league created by the TOA will be called the NASL (North American Soccer League) with teams from the USA and Canada and Mexico. Traffic is very interested in getting some Mexican teams in the new league. In tradition of the old NASL they will bring back the shoot-out and the 35-yard offside line to make things more exciting. The main difference between this new NASL and the old NASL is that the new NASL will have revenue sharing amongst the teams so that the smaller teams can survive with the larger teams. If the old NASL had revenue sharing then it might have survived.