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Los Angeles FC announces multi-year partnership with Orange County Blues FC

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MLS expansion team Los Angeles FC took another step towards preparing for their inaugural 2018 season, announcing a multi-year affiliation partnership with Orange County Blues FC of the USL.

“We are incredibly excited about this partnership, which will contribute significantly towards our goals of building a competitive roster in 2018 and growing the game here in Southern California.” said LAFC executive vice president of soccer operations John Thorrington. “In the OC Blues, we have a fantastic partner with an owner and staff who closely align with our vision to bring world-class professional soccer to Southern California.”

The deal will allow LAFC to loan players to the Blues for development and assists with the Blues stated goal of transforming into a world-class professional soccer organization after their August 2016 purchase by new team owner and president James Keston. The club is in the process of re-branding that will see the team take on a new identity with heavy fan input.

“We are thrilled to launch this exciting new era in Orange County soccer with our LAFC affiliation,” said Orange County general manager and executive vice president of soccer operations Oliver Wyss. “This partnership will significantly enhance the quality of our first team and strengthen the bonds between the two clubs. Together we will expand opportunities for coaching education and focus on all aspects of player development.”

Comments

  1. USL will potentially be at 40 teams if they absorb the NASL. Wonder if we see a USL first and second division with promotion/relegation, or if they just split to east/west divisions with 20 teams each

    Reply
    • Interesting scenario.

      Maybe we see a “test-market” style Pro/Rel system implemented first within the USL to help generate some interest and potentially set-up a structure for the future.

      Reply
      • Pro/rel between USL/NASL or USL 1 and 2 could completely make sense and be quite viable…. this moment in time would seem to be ripe to make it happen. That said, it would be an apples to oranges comparison to pro/rel between MLS and a 2nd div. The economic factors/limitations are completely different in the 2 scenarios.

      • Doubt you see pro rel anytime soon. Part of USLs sales pitch is regional conference play to minimize travel costs. You are more likely to see 3-4 conferences before separate divisions.

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