With the Major League Soccer season underway and the USSF-sanctioned second tier league, the North American Soccer League (NASL), scheduled to kick-off this weekend, its time again to visit the promotion-relegation debate.
Top leagues around the world use the promotion-relegation system to create a competitive environment in their domestic leagues. In not-so-shocking fashion, U.S. Soccer doesn’t follow the same model.
Although the USSF has determined a pecking order among the top three american leagues (MLS, followed by NASL, and rounded-out by USL Pro), it is nearly pointless because there is no climbing up the ladder or falling back for clubs. At least when it comes to wins and losses.
As is typical in most american professional sports, the MLS operates on a system of expansion. The league is essentially closed to any team that Major League Soccer decides they don’t want, despite how many wins a team might have. Although the “new” NASL is making strides into the MLS expansion game, it is yet to be seen if the “best” teams are playing in the “best” league.
Too many times NASL and other lower level teams are being accepted into the MLS for strictly business reasons. How many fans can you draw? How big and new is your stadium? Do you have the star power on your roster? Too often these questions come into play during the expansion process and overshadow one thing: SOCCER.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the cautious path that the MLS follows has served them well. Since Major League Soccer’s inception in 1993, first games being played in 1996, the league has doubled the amount of teams in the league and managed to draw the likes of Beckham, Keane, Kaka and many other European football stars. However, with the growth of the NASL and establishment of a quality second-tier league, I would argue that its time to take the jump.
Let’s make things interesting.
One of the main arguments against the promotion-relegation system is that investors won’t want to spend money on something that isn’t guaranteed. Why would they want to invest in a team that may not be playing in the “top league” the next season?
First off, if you’re investing in a sports team, I would hope that you would have some sort of competitive spirit. Although investing in a not-so-great MLS team might land you in the NASL, at the same time NASL teams will be racking up money from investors that want to take their team to the top.
The possibility of an NASL team playing against the likes of David Villa and NYC FC only promotes the game. If a team is good enough to win a league, why not allow them the chance to win at the next level as well? At the same time, no one likes a loser. Why not take a struggling MLS team and give them the chance to succeed at a lower level? If they’re good enough, they’ll win again and the fans will support a winning team. With the fans, come the money.
Throw out the argument about stadiums not being big or fancy enough to host MLS games. Have you ever been to Anfield? It is no “Jerry World”, but its still one of the most beloved stadiums in sports. The thrill of seeing a team like Manchester United play at little old Bradford is what makes the game exciting and gives it character. Besides, if improvements need to be made at certain grounds, the extra money that MLS tv contracts and ticket sales will bring in will only help.
How exactly do I think this is going to happen?
Well it isn’t going to happen without massive support from soccer fans. One thing that many people overlook in this debate is that there is already one competition where teams from every league play each other. The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The U.S. Open cup is similar to the FA Cup in England. Now although MLS teams have won the cup 18 times since 1996, there was one major upset in 1999 when the Rochester Rhinos beat four MLS teams on the way to winning the U.S. Open Cup.
I’m sure a very few number of people know about the Rochester Rhinos, or even the U.S. Open Cup for that matter. The main problem? It isn’t seen. Put the inter-league games on TV and let the fans get excited.
Here in America we love an underdog. We love the idea of a Cinderella story. As for American domestic soccer, it doesn’t get much better than giving a little NASL team from Edmonton the possibility of playing at a packed CenturyLink Field.
I know it isn’t March anymore, but just imagine the madness!