theathletic.com/1812030/2020/05/13/sources-mls-to-announce-new-youth-league-involving-91-clubs/?redirected=1For those interested in the story from The Athletic article, without a subscription. Contains a wee bit more info...
Major League Soccer is set to announce its new youth league this afternoon, multiple sources tell The Athletic.
All 30 MLS clubs — the 26 current and four incoming expansion teams — will participate in the league, which will also include five USL Championship teams and 60 non-professional clubs, for a first season total of 95 teams.
The sources said that the new league will include Under-13, -14, -15, -17 and -19 age groups. MLS teams will be required to field U-15 and U-17 squads, but it will be up to individual clubs if they want to field teams in the other four age groups. The league is also considering an Under-16 division, though there are no current plans for it to be included in the first season.
Exact details of the competition structure are being worked out, but the sources expect that the platform will be divided into separate MLS and non-MLS divisions. Multiple sources said that it’s likely that MLS academies will primarily play other MLS academies, and non-MLS clubs will primarily play against each other in their own circuit. There will be some crossover between the divisions in regular season and cup competition for the U-15 and U-17 age groups, but it will be somewhat minimal, with one source pegging it at a maximum of 15-20 percent of the total number of games.
The sources said that governing the new setup will be a collaborative effort between MLS and the participating clubs, with the governing body set to include representatives from MLS, a number of non-MLS clubs and potential for additional representation from NCAA coaches, the U.S. Soccer Federation and the Canadian Soccer Association.
In addition to playing in the MLS youth league, one source said that the participating USL teams will also take part in the USL academy league. Details of the USL’s new academy setup were reported last week by The Athletic’s Jeff Rueter.
The new MLS youth league will fill the void created by last month’s elimination of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (DA). All MLS academies played in the DA, leaving them with no home when it folded. Some non-MLS boys clubs that previously played in the DA have joined the Elite Club National League in the weeks since it was shut down.
The idea is for the calendar to follow the same fall-to-spring format as the DA, though the COVID-19 pandemic could affect the start time and competition format of the inaugural season.
Concerns about the overall level of competition were the main motivation for putting MLS teams into their own division, the sources said. A number of MLS clubs have long felt that their academy teams weren’t properly challenged in the DA. They repeatedly expressed those concerns in recent years to both MLS and U.S. Soccer, which split its U-19 age group into two tiers ahead of the final DA season. The top tier included all 21 MLS clubs that participated in the age group, three USL clubs and 13 non-professional clubs. The lower tier included 44 non-professional teams.
The sources also said that the schedule will allow room for MLS teams to compete in more international competitions, though the COVID-19 crisis will affect how quickly that becomes reasonable. Many MLS clubs feel that playing matches and tournaments against foreign clubs offers a higher level of competition than simply playing other, non-professional domestic teams.
Of course, as several sources pointed out, the new, multi-division structure will likely mean additional travel for all participating clubs. Opponents will be spread further apart from each other, leading to longer trips and higher travel costs. Only requiring MLS teams to field teams in the U-15 and U-17 age groups will mitigate that for those top-tier clubs, but the sources said that it will create financial questions for USL and non-professional academies interested in fielding teams in more than just two age groups.
One source also noted that making the top tier something close to an MLS-only youth league will likely further push top U.S. and Canadian players interested in testing themselves against other top players into MLS academies. That should lead to good outcomes for MLS clubs, but it will require sacrifice on the part of players and their families, who may feel added pressure to move out of state in order to join up with an MLS youth program.
The full list of the 65 non-MLS clubs, known as “founding members,” is below:
Phoenix Rising FC (USL), RGV FC Toros Academy (USL), Saint Louis FC (USL), San Antonio FC (USL), Tampa Bay United Rowdies (USL), Barca Residency Academy, IMG Academy, Shattuck-St. Mary’s, NEFC, SF Glens, Albion SC, Ballistic United, Baltimore Armour, Bayside Futebol Club, Beachside of Connecticut, Bethesda FC, Blau Weiss Gottschee, Breakers, Cedar Stars Academy Bergen, Cedar Stars Academy Monmouth, Chargers Soccer Club, Chicago FC United, Chula Vista FC, Cincinnati Premier Soccer Club, City SC, De Anza Force, Empire United Soccer Academy, FC Delco, FC Greater Boston Bolts, FC Westchester, Florida Rush Soccer Club, Indiana Fire Academy, Internationals, Jacksonville FC, L.A. United Football Academy, LA Surf Soccer Club, Lanier Soccer Academy, Metropolitan Oval, Miami Rush Kendall SC, Michigan Wolves, Murrieta Surf Soccer Club, New York Soccer Club, Nomads, Oakwood Soccer Club, PA Classics, Player Development Academy, Real Colorado, RISE Soccer Club, RSL Arizona, Santa Barbara Soccer Club, SC Del Sol, Seacoast United, SF Elite, Silicon Valley SA, Sockers FC Chicago, Solar Soccer Club, South Florida Football Academy, Southern Soccer Academy, Total Futbol Academy, TSF Academy, Valeo Futbol Club, VARDAR Soccer Club, Ventura County Fusion, West Florida Flames, Weston FC
