USSF Seeking Compromise
The USSF convened a meeting today between representatives of the NASL and USL to try and forge a compromise in the battle for second division sanctioning.
As we reported yesterday, the subject of St Louis and the USL-1 license Tony Glavin owns for the region is not on the table, though USL officials are not pleased by this.
What was discussed today was a USSF proposed compromise to play under the Federation banner in 2010. It is possible that a final compromise could be released as early as Thursday before the NASL’s first AGM begin in Fort Lauderdale. It is believed any compromise will be made with an implication that NASL will be formally sanctioned for the 2011 season.
The NASL, I am told is open to compromise within reason. USL, while also seeking compromise appears less willing to bend.
Stay tuned to TKR and our partner site, Inside Minnesota Soccer for the latest developments.
UPDATE 10: 45 AM WEDNESDAY
Compromise is never easy and never entirely satisfies all parties involved, but it appears a deal is close to being concluded involving two conferences, one which will be comprised of USL contracted teams and others of teams that have committed to the NASL for the future and are not contracted in any way to USL for 2010 or beyond. Credit to the USSF, despite their lack of leadership earlier in the process for pushing the envelope now. A deal could be reached later today. Stay tuned for details.
UPDATE 9:30 AM THURSDAY
A conference call has been set for 3pm ET on Thursday to announce the compromise by the Federation. I am also told by sources that certain rules, such as more stringent foreign player limits and encouragement of intake of more youth players will be implemented by the USSF this year for both USL-1 and NASL teams.
Personally, I wish MLS would do both as well- limit the intake of foreign players to those who only play for their national team or have significant prior national team experience (require a work permit rule like the UK home office does, but make it less difficult to qualify. I have long advocated this rule change for MLS, but instead MLS has gone in the opposite direction adding more and more marginal foreign players and forcing Americans down to the second division level) and require a certain number of youth players per squad be registered. Give the USSF credit for pushing rules that at least for one year, will help the development of the American player.
So what are we looking at, the “USSF League” in 2010? It just seems silly to me to basically push this issue aside for another year. I’m certainly glad some kind of solution is being worked out in light of the non-sanctioning of NASL/USL, but this compromise doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from either the NASL or USL point of view. Now both the NASL and USL teams/leagues will have a tough time getting sponsors etc. playing in this state of limbo.
To me it looks like they’re just sweeping it all under the rug until the MLS labor issues are settled.
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NASL must prevail for the good of soccer in this country.
The arcane USL and MLS structures are holding the game back. We need some actual football ah, I mean soccer people like Jeff Cooper to lead the way forward for the entire structure.
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It figures the USSF wants the league to operate in a Federation run league.
That way the league will not be ABLE TO SIGN ANY STRIKING OR LOCKED OUT MLS PLAYERS!
DON’T YOU GET IT????????????????????
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WE NEED THE NASL!
Any compromise should be shot down.
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I’m disapointed in this while thing.
USSF continuing to cover for MLS, and the MLSPU is getting screwed every which way to Sunday.
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I agree.NASL looks like the best bet for the rel soccer fans.
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Since the USSF is seeking compromise as even the hater Kartik admits, will K and all his allies apologize to Sunil Gulati for the countless slanderous columns that were published in the last week?
We’re waiting guys……………
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Disgusting that the USSF would run a league to protect the money whoring MLS Owners.
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You have to be kidding me! Do you have any idea how much money the MLS owners have lost over the years of MLS and prior. Lamar Hunt is a great example of this. When he died he was still losing money so he could provide soccer a place in America! These people have put there money where there mouth is. Fans of minor league soccer should do the same! Soccer will not be big in this country until that happens!
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Ditto to Scott;s comment. I’m not saying you have to be a fan of NuRock and the USL, but if y’all took off your tin-foil hats, you may be able to be a little more objective.
2 leagues were not sanctioned for obvious reasons:
-USL, because too many teams refused to play in it to make it viable.
-NASL was determined (and I believe rightly so) that they couldn’t get their league up in time, regardless of lawsuits against three of their teams.
All the MLS/USSF/lockout paranoia neeeds to be checked until the smoke clears this week, at least.
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Yes, because any time you have a chance to put second division soccer in the hands of people who haven’t proven they can run a franchise, backed by the money of people who couldn’t sell Tiger Woods a time machine, you have to do it.
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Wow, read Andrea Canales much?
You know what the NASL is/was a threat to? The NASL. Not MLS.
The conspiracy theorists who seem to think a league that will likely have two of its teams joining MLS within three years, leaving Miami FC and the Carolina Railhawks, would be a threat to MLS that had to be stamped out, is smoking crack.
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Logic dictates you create conferences for regional travel/rivalry issues. So, is the whole two-conference thing like a dance off, to see who does a better job running theirs? Why bother segregating them, otherwise?
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Two Conferences of 6? what’s that a 20 game schedule with 2H/2A within conferences and then crossover playoffs? Will their be H/A out of Conference?
And yes, I know that there aren’t really 12 teams ready for 2010.
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This is great news! We need soccer here.
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El Miami:
FYI, you’ve had it, cheerleaders and all, but nobody goes to see it.
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where’s USLsupporter at now? i was hoping for another entertaining rant
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so any updates?
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USL has forced this thing to drag out for ever by insisting on having their own division or conference in a compromise league.
My sources says this option was on the table months ago in a different form and the NASL accepted it THEN.
Tim Holt and USL deserve everything coming- soon USL-1, USL-2, and the W-League will collapse.
PDL isn’t doing too hot either.
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still waiting…
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How do you figure? PDL has actually net gained one team over last year… The professional divisions of USL don’t look great right now, but PDL and W-League won’t be collapsing anytime soon.
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Thursday 9:16am. Has the deadline passed? No news yet? I bet they’ve stopped the clock over at the negotiations and are conferring with all the parties involved.
Making arrangements for press conferences, statements, et.al.
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That would be correct! An announcement soon I am told.
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I just got a note about a 3pm ET conference call set for today by the USSF
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I hope everything gets resolved today. Miami needs to start putting a team together so we can spank Tampa. Our front office has been completely occupied with this debacle and I’m not losing to a bunch of Fannies.
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I disagree with the notion that MLS should limit foreign players.
With expansion, MLS is providing many more roster spots for Americans than ever before. I don’t think there are enough good American players to take all of those spots without watering down talent.
And if the cap goes up (and so many fans are demanding) you’ll immediately see a whole bunch of mediocre Americans currently in MLS get replaced by Americans returning from abroad.
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Well I can’t wait till 3pm. Fingers crossed that we will be welcoming back Division 2 soccer.
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