USL has announced their plans to introduce a new league at the D3 level. This is despite sharing provisional D2 status with the NASL, who need to expand.
It’s been a wild ride for lower division professional soccer. Since the USL split into two different groups in 2009, there have been a roller coaster of goals, ideologies, teams, and emotions involved with the lower levels. All with no shortage of drama. With USL recently announcing their official bid to introduce a new league at the D3 level, that trend shows no signs of slowing down.
We aren’t too far removed from the wildest off-season to date between the two leagues. Rumors flooded the holidays with speculation and anonymous sources painting the picture of what was supposedly happening behind closed doors. One thing was certain, the second division NASL did not want to fold and third division USL was looking to move to a higher level of professional status.
In the end, both leagues were given provisional second division status, meaning neither could say they fully complied with the Division 2 requirements set by the US Soccer Federation. Both were given 12 months in order to meet those requirements. That decision helped both leagues in the short-term, but has only increased the uncertainty of what comes next. While the majority of the owners and commissioners have changed since the original breakup, the animosity between the leagues remains the same.
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Competitive Differences
Professional players who aren’t on MLS rosters routinely float between the two leagues. The playing level on the field is actually very similar. With the NASL season going later into the year, NASL clubs routinely sign USL players to finish out the year once USL play has finished. In 2015, USL swept their NASL opponents 7-0 in the US Open Cup. It was also the year the league applied for D2 status. In 2016, NASL answered back going 6-2 against USL. Newcomers Miami FC and Rayo OKC were the only NASL sides to lose.
While Open Cup matches are one offs, the results are taken as a sign of pride and comparison. Outside of friendlies, it’s the only competition where the leagues meet.
A second metric routinely used in lower level comparison is attendance. USL touts FC Cincinnati and the Sacramento Republic, who lead lower division attendance with impressive figures. Indy Eleven lead the NASL and are not too far behind. Outside of those three teams, lower level attendance is relatively similar throughout the country. Regardless of league affiliation.
Fundamental Differences
Both the NASL and USL have their pros and cons. The NASL prides itself on club autonomy, while USL is built around stability. Autonomy has resulted in a healthy amount of “Wild West” for the NASL since the first official season in 2011.
Stability for the USL has, in large part, come from accepting MLS partnership and reserve sides into the league. Ten of the 30 USL teams are exclusively MLS reserve squads, with another 12 teams taking on MLS players through affiliate agreements.
Reserve sides have allowed USL teams to play almost exclusively in conferences, saving the league in travel costs, and the affiliate agreements help cut the cost of player salaries. Two of the largest costs for professional teams. The agreement between the two leagues seems to have strained, as it was reported that the MLS doesn’t necessarily feel the need to comply with the higher division requirements.
MLS teams have used their reserve sides to harbor potential players, serve as a transitional step for young academy players, and give first-team reserves a place to get minutes outside of regular season play. Marketing the team and league, as well as focusing on attendance and stadium size just aren’t a high priority.