MLS has big competition after relegation decision 😳

[@thatcherc.5981]

My local club is currently in USL 2 but they won the league last season so if this gets implemented that would be cool.

[@aku4772]

Mine is in the USL championships but if this rule was added they are going to get relegated 💀

[@SmithVideoPRODUCTION]

usl league 2 teams are semi pro and wouldnt be promoted

[@Team_Carrot]

@@SmithVideoPRODUCTIONthey would just like how national league sides get promoted

[@fernandoica4324]

@@aku4772what team?

[@thatcherc.5981]

@@SmithVideoPRODUCTION that’s how promotion works.

[@HotdogHoops]

We don’t want to see Messi in the second division of the US league

[@SonRob01]

He should be good enough to carry Miami to at least midtable

[@shiv612.]

Are you dumb, The MLS and USL are two different leagues, USL wants to adapt a relegation system but the MLS doesn't, Messi plays in the MLS for the Eastern Conference side, Inter Miami. Which is currently 15th place, Also known as bottom table. Since the MLS doesn't have a relegation system then there is no way Inter Miami gets relegated. Messi should be able to carry his team to mid table to make the mls playoffs. Although I do think next season Inter Miami will not be first. The mls is not a farmers league. I think they will be around 6-4 place in the league as having a good striker can only get you so far. Hope this helped as an avid MLS viewer myself. Cheers!

[@jorelgamertv1278]

@@shiv612.Bro started the paragraph with are you dumb? And then ends it with, Cheers! 💀

[@JSA-Studios]

I do, it would boost the popularity of the usl.

[@ADudeNamedCaleb]

​@@jorelgamertv1278☠☠☠☠☠☠☠

[@jonlinin9682]

An observation from the UK. There is huge interest in promotion and relegation, it is the defining aspect of every season. This is because every club in the country can aspire to great things. My local club plays at the eight level of English football, but there is a clear path to the top, and some clubs have achieved incredible things, literally going from local leagues to level 3 (Accrington, Newport, Wimbledon for example). Teams going the other way have made last season's level 5 the most exciting ever (witness the drama of Wrexham vs Notts County). The most incredible excitement is generated, leading to massive end of season crowds. If you get relegated you just build again and try to get back. I would have thought that sort of ethic would appeal to America, rather than the rich kid being protected from his own incompetence - the current ethic.

[@JFP1988]

Exactly, isn't the US all about meritocracy? Really, the issue is money though. Fans wood love relegation and promotions. Much more exciting, and the teams always have something to fight for, it's the club owners that don't want it.

[@RecklessBikesTV]

@@JFP1988 It is on paper, but really it's a cartel system. The top clubs in the MLS will eventually form something like the prem top 6 and the rest will just be making up the numbers, surviving on the lower end. Same system in Ice hockey around the world, the top teams stay top and the lower teams are just in it trying to break even and survive.

[@davidday2373]

Sounds like telling your kids about "Santa Claus". Pro-Rel is just what you are used to. We don't need it in our league/country, nor do we want it. We have Playoffs! Plenty to get excited about. Like in Baseball, our lower-level Soccer leagues can exist as "Minor Leagues," its fine. Also consider, we have 100,000 crowds at many of our College Football games, about 50 teams average 50,000+ attendance.

[@davidday2373]

@@RecklessBikesTV LOL, here we go again with that word... "cartel".... Oooo. MLS and the Major League system is just how normal Sports leagues operate, been that way for 140 years (MLB). And unlike in Soccer, there is no FIFA-"cartel" in our sports leagues in the U.S. deciding what our teams can and can not do. ANY ONE can start their own League and become the "Top-Flight" league, no UEFA or FIFA telling them that they can't.

[@davidday2373]

@@JFP1988 Well we know Soccer is not about meritocracy. In the U.S. ANYONE can start their own league from nothing, and become the "1st Tier" League unlike in Soccer, where for some reason there's this extra thing called FIFA and CONMEBOL and UEFA trying to tell teams and leagues what they can and can not do. Why do Soccer fans put up with the FIFA/UEFA cartels?

[@Avaricumstudios]

The best thing about promotion and relegation is that it helps teams grow an organic fan base ...when a group of people from a town decide to form a team enter the league and progress to the tops it grows such a passionate fan base since the team has the DNA of the town/region embedded into it, it's struggles and everything...this is quite different from businessmen in New York for example saying San Diego has no football team ,let's make one....

[@alexandermantooth185]

But MLS currently makes most of its money on expansion fees. If they do true pro/rel, then you could make it to MLS by winning USL, and not paying 500 million dollars. The only way it happens if after MLS expands to 40 teams. Then you could split into 2 20 team leagues, and no team can fall further than the second division.

[@brandonkeiper7188]

That’s how football works mate. They don’t need an extra 500 mil.

[@derfvcderfvc7317]

Well that's not how pro sports works in the US. You start a team because it's insured they'll be in the top league from the beginning and forever. HAVING 1 BAD SEASON SHOULDN'T GET YOU KICKED OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE. 99% of Americans only care about the pro teams at the top level. If a team gets relegated, they're dead as a franchise and business. No TV deals, no attendance numbers. Nothing.

[@halorc56]

This has potential to skyrocket fandom in the US. If your local team had the ability to one day play in the first division so many football fans in the US would actually want to support their local clubs vs just supporting European ones.

[@bobbob9619]

literally no. You would be surprised by how few people watch the MLS here.

[@halorc56]

@@bobbob9619 I understand no one watches it but unlike every league in America Relegation and promotion could add stakes that aren't existent elsewhere, meaning that people actually might start watching.

[@yashtalaulikar3727]

​@@halorc56not really. Given the structure of ownership and marketing in the MLS compared to Europe, the league has way more relative parity than any other domestic league. Even if more star players like Messi join, it's not like they will form a super team like real Madrid in a big market. Pretty much every city has an equal team and every fan base will have hope. If u start a relegation system, u r encouraging super teams and discouraging parity. As an American the last thing I know people here want to see is a league that is predictable and won by the same team every year. What I think we need is better marketing of the super draft.

[@mlinder13655]

@@bobbob9619massive soccer fan don’t watch mls because of this reason watching the same teams year after year flop around like a fish is boring relegate them and keep the energy fresh. Newly promoted clubs tend to come in on a high wanting to prove themselves so even if they cant compete to win the league the will fight like hell to stay making both ends of the table interesting to watch

[@PSYCHOSCION]

@@bobbob9619did you see how many people went to watch Lafc vs La galaxy. Viewership and love for the sport is rising in America.

[@holdenchute7883]

That would in my opinion help MLS grow if we had a second division it would make it more intriguing for fans. Other than that what would it be called?

[@jaycartwright1170]

minor league soccer

[@Stevandoren1003]

I agree and it will force team to try to get better instead of mailing it in once they know they are out of the playoffs.

[@DenTehSand]

The MLS and USL should fuse and make the USL the second tier

[@SaltyNuts-sl2to]

@@DenTehSandthat proves problematic for business though

[@me-ey8uu]

I could see it becoming a feeder league for mls much like college football

[@Fs7_d]

First time The US actually got promotion and relegation 💀💀💀 Dont wanna be that guy but I am soo thankful

[@kolbejobes4997]

Was this supposed be some sort of joke

[@Fs7_d]

@@kolbejobes4997 No

[@UnexpectedPlay]

@@Fs7_d you're not based

[@roboticvenom1935]

So? Sport is growing rapdily.

[@Electricc__]

​@@kolbejobes4997fr, like wtf 💀

[@brianb1888]

Though I do like pro/rel, the side effects are that it usually causes only a few large teams to be able to compete. Bringing it to the MLS would destroy the values of the clubs, make the smaller markets worse, and thereby decrease fans for a growing market. Because the sport is still growing here, no one really has connections to these clubs, and if their local team is bad they won’t be interested or will just band wagon

[@spencerl-yf6bg]

Agree 100%. As much as I enjoy pro/rel from a fan perspective, a closed system is just more financially viable. It's one of the reasons the American sports leagues are more valuable than football/soccer leagues (including the EPL), despite having smaller fan bases. For example, Michael Jordan recently made 10X on the sale of his majority stake into one of the worst franchises in the NBA (Charlotte Hornets) after 13 years. Meanwhile, football giants like Barcelona are drowning in debt.

[@wontrespond8064]

And that is the reason why Eurpean sport(mostly football) gets more and more cancerous. All of them think about money. The ban of TRUE sport is politics and money

[@coreyjacobs6784]

​@spencerl-yf6bg stop comparing MLS to other American Sports, when they are vastly different. Did the Hornets every help another team buy a player, bc that's what MLS just did. Tell me an owner in the MLS that made money on a sale of a team and this comment makes more sense.

[@spencerl-yf6bg]

@@coreyjacobs6784 The Seattle Sounders franchise fee was $30 million back in 2007. They were worth $660 million as of the end of the 2022 season according to Forbes.

[@coreyjacobs6784]

@spencerl-yf6bg and you know that number is there because of continually expansion fees and the fact there is no chance of relegation. The sport and MLS have increased soccer support for sure, but it's completely different than the other major sports in the 🇺🇸. Other sports leagues are individually owned. For example, MLS acquired Messi compared to the Jets trading for Arron Rodgers, or the Angeles paying to acquire Shohei. See completely different. The MLS still plays with training wheels on their league, even tho it's been around for 2 decades.

[@rayhanquesada6147]

It would grow the sport TREMENDOUSLY. BUT these owners didn’t pay hundreds of millions for the chance to get relegated. They don’t care about the sport

[@spencerl-yf6bg]

I don't ever see USL being able to compete with MLS as the top league in the US, regardless of pro/rel.

[@GoGators]

The Us open cup final last year was Orlando VS Sacramento, an MLS VS USL matchup

[@Blyke14]

@@GoGatorsSacramento was playing for penalties all tournament by putting 90% of their team in the back line… they didn’t win on merit

[@domenicdaluz]

@@Blyke14 I mean they still won right, I mean look at the world cup, Argentina won through a lot of penalties, but all that matters is that they won. The gap between both leagues isn't that big and with more competition this could change

[@majordisorder73]

never say never.. things can change fast

[@GoGators]

@@Blyke14 and Cincinnati actually did so good in the US open cup As a USL team that the MLS invited them to join them in the MLS

[@bowebusi]

Just like anything in the US. You don’t earn your spots. You buy them.

[@sebastianlewis3271]

We need Phoenix Rising in the mls✊

[@andrewrogers1170]

No we don’t, they suck

[@shaneg9081]

Been feeling this for years.

[@murgegaming4483]

Yea

[@dominant5307]

No, we need sacramento, the investor pulled out, they are expanding stadium, they are in the PERFECT place for it.

[@FAITHandLOGIC]

🖕🏽 MLS. They're big enough This country needs USL to grow and thrive.

[@antoinepaquet5219]

This would be really good to grow North American youth programs.

[@mortenfrosthansen84]

Agreed... and also the other countries in the americas, since many of the really talented players, won't head off to Europe anymore.. There will be a whole new market, of good players between north and south america. Perhaps.... it could mean, that a country or team in northern america some day could win a international trophy. In the european side, the money trickles down to the grassroots, and there are many national based talent schools where the youth meet from across the country, in off season tournaments, that is held by the national football association. There are even a youth champions league tournament for under age 19

[@kalin3951]

I like the system in the Nba, Nfl. It gives the league parity. Like the worst teams get the higher draft picks so the better players. So when you are bad you are given a good young player to turn your franchise around

[@michaelscott7166]

I get your point but there's also a process known as tanking. Teams that have no chance of winning anything have been known to lose on purpose in order late on in the season to get better draft picks. More so when there's a generational talent entering the draft.

[@Nadamos]

The only way USL beats MLS without money is talent growth. If the US NAational side start picking players playing there, or scouts start preferring players from that side that is how MLS gets undermined. Money can come after.

[@mrp8008]

The mls would just start poaching players, it's how all the european elite leagues and teams remain at the top, players won't have the incentive to stay without being paid to do so especially since many are taking high financial risks to play football and the end goal ideally is europe anyways which mls clubs have much more established links to European clubs, the usl would also need to start building connections with many of the big "development" clubs in europe to make staying seem worthwhile and since European clubs like the money the mls often brings in pre-season tours they'd immediately favor the mutually beneficial agreement unless proven otherwise

[@Danny-nz6jn]

USA needs to do that.

[@LongHaulGamingHD1]

I find it weird that no one notices that the MLS already has a format similar to the relegation/promotion system, and that's the playoffs. The top 7 + 1 QR winner from each conference go on to play in a single elimination tournament while those that didn't qualify just sit it out. It's not traditional relegation/promotion but it does keep out the low performing teams from competing for the biggest prize in their league

[@mosessmith723]

Yes thank you! Why do Europeans keep trying to force pro/rel on us we don’t want it!

[@thulanimbatha7454]

Cause it's not

[@murgegaming4483]

Playoffs doesn’t have anything to do with the drama and excitement of your team being in a relegation battle or achieving promotion after not being able to get to the top division previously. Playoffs are the standard for American sports and they’re good but they don’t measure up to pro/rel. It really adds so much more to the sport and to supporting a team that may not be very good because it punishes you for not being consistent. Every game there is something to play for, whereas in the USL Championship right now Las Vegas Lights is way at the bottom of the west and won’t be making it into the playoffs this season (unless a miracle happens). Hopefully pro/rel happens 🙏

[@ObeseGorilla229]

You don't qualify for the champions league if you don't do well in your European league, idk wtf playoffs is but I assume it's a tournament, if so European clubs already have that and it's not promotion or relegation like

[@espben360]

San Antonio FC in MLS would be amazing! Hopefully this happens. Would be fantastic for the game here in the U.S and can actually be a big step forward

[@theguyofalltime74]

Buffalo FC (where i grew up) would be my dream. i just hope they don’t choke on 4 consecutive MLS cups like the bills did

[@ahmedmoha_26]

I watch the mls a lot since 2020 and idk if I like the sound of this

[@yashtalaulikar3727]

Yeah MLS is pretty fun as it is, they just need better marketing

[@Itsyourboy_ray]

This is why mls will never grow. When they start doing it the European way they will be more serious. Having relegation and promotions not only make it more enjoyable but the players will get better too

[@yashtalaulikar3727]

@@Itsyourboy_ray not to us Americans. I can tell you the last thing we want to see is one of our sports teams go to a second division. It also discourages parity which often draws more Americans to any sport.

[@Itsyourboy_ray]

@@yashtalaulikar3727 you sometimes I forget usa is new to sports compared to Europe. We've had leagues and divisions older than your great great grandfather and that's why we are successful at football. And that is why football is more than a sport to us it's life. We don't choose what team we support it literally chooses us. Especially if you live in the cities. Football is a religion to us and since you guys cannot comprehend that passion, usa will forever more be below Europe when it comes to football. I'm English and I'm 20. But we literally support our clubs even before birth and that's a fact

[@yashtalaulikar3727]

@@Itsyourboy_ray Let me very blunt my guy. Just because we don't have the same passion as y'all in football doesn't mean we don't have passion in other sports. Go to an American football game, especially a college football game and you will understand how much sports is part of our culture. There's tailgating, fight songs, band marches, football backyard BBQs, secret superstitions, costumes, signs, etc. Hell in colleges, PARENTS of the athletes, and even the students who aren't even players get into fights and riots outside stadium grounds. There's literally an ad-campaign by the Big-10 in college football that says "Born to be ______ alum." Baseball is the same deal, and baseball has been in America longer than ANY of the five major European leagues or any of their teams have been established. You go to a Giants-Dodgers game or a Cubs game and you'll know how much passion we have for sports. I had a neighbor who partied for 3 STRAIGHT DAYS after the Cubs won their first World Series in a 108 years. As a Bay-Area native, I was essentially destined to become a fan of the 49ers, Giants, A's, and Warriors, and hate any team in Southern California. In hockey, all I'll say is go to a Red Wings game. We can absolutely comprehend passion and we are as old, if not OLDER to sports fandom that y'all.

[@stevenygabbyperez695]

Maybe it will help USL, but I doubt it. MLS will always be king in the US, and not having pro/rel is a huge reason why it will keep growing at an exponential pace.

[@FalkonStrike]

I one day hope my Switchbacks will be able to compete with the Rapidz

[@Kingdom_Of_Terrestia]

We didn't have the best season start

[@ObeseGorilla229]

What are those names💀

[@Kingdom_Of_Terrestia]

@@ObeseGorilla229 American football club names

[@youenjoy8468]

Pids are shit

[@javitorres1717]

They should do it, make the show a sport

[@renegaspar5145]

If phoenix rising can get to mls that will be cool 🔥

[@jasonbrosnan8770]

You have to have promotion and relegation in football, and american soccer won't be ruined if it's introduced, it's how football works, makes you fight to stay in the top league, if they don't agree with it, they should be kicked out of the league, because if the rest of the world does it, then so does america

[@joshuagarber3576]

I agree that it would make MLS a better league but one thing about us Americans is for better or worse we don’t like doing what everyone else is doing

[@Ardkun00]

I México it doesn't exist as well. In the US there's a reason but in Mexico there's corruption.

[@Odadian]

All US sports need to do this

[@domenicdaluz]

rowdies fan here, hoping for league growth and to become the best one in the US.

[@alphonse8144]

USL should adopt prorel. I’d def watch

[@archismanchakraborty7395]

Induce regulation after 3-4 years like ISL is being done

[@Schweini731]

I'm all for it. Just hope my Championship club can finally fire their God-awful coach with no tactics. Vamos Eleven!

[@Schweini731]

@@CrackerLord huh?

[@aliq5339]

Bro really put Leipzig on the US map. 😂

[@chris2095]

I think you got confused with the mls team called New York Red Bulls, it's not Leipzig

[@offical_jamierubberfan]

Red bull own a team in new York as well

[@CesarIvan1]

You thought you cooked🤣

[@aliq5339]

​@@CesarIvan1 I did for sure! 😭😭😂😂

[@jeemoon1626]

I think there are five Red Bull teams across the world. NY is one of them.

[@ayush21080]

If my town Pittsburgh and my home town Phoenix get promoted I would be so happy

[@Theborzoiswiftie586]

I just got goosebumps 😳 Hopefully my St Louis dont get relegated

[@willparrish8474]

We’re top of the table bro

[@GoGators]

Hopefully my rowdies get promoted

[@Blyke14]

Hopefully SKC don’t get relegated at this point😂😂 *Vermes out*

[@omarD12]

I’m a transplant from LA to Phoenix. I went from watching LAFC and LA Galaxy in the best (American) stadiums to watching Phoenix Rising and let me tell you the atmosphere is the same and the love for the club is the same. The only thing that changes is the quality of stadiums and the level of play. Both of which can be fixed with better infrastructure if this gets implemented. Top players will take MLS seriously and want to come to America to play, and USL will see higher revenue improving facilities and budget to acquire said players.

[@nathanielknight1838]

the problem with all US sports is that you're dependant on your owners. Half the NBA never even tried to win anything, just fill seats to make some money or grow an asset to sell later on.

[@allthelatestsportsnews2519]

Bro ur the goat!! Love ur content fool !!!!!

[@drahtid1]

I like that system. Usually the 2 lowest team goes the league below. The top 2 teams goes to the league above. 3rd to last will play 3rd place. To see if they switch position. It should apply to MLS, NBA and MLB. This will also prevent teams from getting advantages of being last place.

[@MC-br1gk]

I have no faith this will happen. Money ruins.

[@greensahuaro2834]

They shouldn't charge so much for a team to join. That's like punishing you for making them bigger. Don't make any sense! AND the People will suffer to see competitors!

[@everyonesfavoritesejong]

As a Charleston Battery fan, I would love to see us in the MLS.

[@Aiden.is.so.epic7]

Same

[@CharleyOlivesss]

Good deal bring in some passion to this country

[@jt_dolla_signs]

The nba & nfl needs to do this

[@martinrivera6770]

Originally a native from El Paso TX, and now living in Tampa FL, I would love to see both the Locomotive and the Rowdies have a shot at playing in the MLS. My son loves football, and right now he’s 3. There’s a local Rowdies academy he’d potentially join when he gets older.

[@MrGreenninja]

I have been going to watch the rowdies sense I was 3 I love the rowdies and it is my dream to not only play for them but for them to be in mls if this happens this is a huge W

[@domenicdaluz]

@@MrGreenninja I would love to see them get a bigger platform USL or MLS as long as it's the best. I got to meet seb when he signed, such a cool dude. this jj guy looks like a stud too

[@MrGreenninja]

I met JJ to he is such a cool guy

[@PayneysComics]

As a English man and football shirt enthusiasts, I hope the usl pulls it off.

[@RollMeAFat1]

American sports need more consequences for placing dead last in a league table, like relegation for example It also makes incredible chances for teams to prove themselves, even if a team is a few leagues down, they can win promotion and make the fans proud, even barely avoiding relegation has been massive for some teams and creates incredible moments

[@valentinethompson2449]

Relegation is not only the major difference. It's about heritage. Most European, Asian, African, and South/North American teams are stories and build around culture and cities. Take Spain for example, you have teams that represent identity - Barcelona (Catalan); Real Madrid (Madrista); Real Betis (Andulusian); Athletico Bilbao (Basque Country).

[@danielkedem9]

Thats the reason European football is more exciting and passionate

[@89Ayten]

Mls is in no way too big to lose. Most stadiums are half empty and the tv ratings are poor

[@jcflores1774]

That would be cool. They could have a tournament with 16 teams 8 from the MLS and 8 USL to determine American Champs.

[@Hi-jl2wy]

Relegation belongs in all pro sports. If your team sucks you shouldn’t be allowed to just throw the season for a better draft pick. Basically giving up because you think you can’t win it all is so shameful and any coach or player who does that doesn’t deserve to ever be a winner.

[@anthonybariek997]

More likely for Americans, there’s a mind bending amount of money to be generated from this. In England, of the 3 promoted teams, the top 2 (from the lower league) get automatic promotion, the next 4 enter a 4 team mini tournament. The 5 games in that mini tournament generates over half a bullion US dollars in just 10 days with the winner recieving $200mill prize money.

[@nickinportland]

Relegation is a great idea and would fix a bunch of problems but we would have had to implement it like 50 years ago. Too much money now nobody would ever agree to it.

[@NickMcHardyGolfs]

The fact that there can somehow be a second soccer league in America when I’ve never met a fan of the main one is mind boggling

[@nelsonchereta816]

I have never understood relegation from a business and owners POV. So the NY Mets have the worst record in baseball. Then the next year they are a AAA team with a $100M budget and playing games in Rochester and Hershey? Meanwhile a team in Lincoln, Nebraska will be hosting the Yankees on ESPN? Makes absolutely no sense financially.

[@acebase8233]

They should have the USL be the the second division to the MLS and it would probably solve the problem

[@millerspencer5895]

As someone who supports and plays for a usl league 1 team academy, I think it would be great to introduce relegation. It would be great to have more than just the same 20 teams each season.

[@johnxina2679]

Only in USA you will have two competing leagues, sport's is all about money there!

[@100c0c]

Europe's best clubs are owned by billionaires, oil states or survive off loans from US banks lol. Sport is money.

[@Santancoin]

The problem is MLS owners would never open themselves to relegation where USL are already second tier so why not but still up in the air if they’d want to. But the problems are how the MLS and U.S. soccer is set up in every way. Salary caps and ‘superstar’ player caps is beyond ridiculous

[@thewateringwiz7118]

I think that the lack of promotion/relegation leads to complacency in the American leagues. It’s why you see such stupid things as tanking or whatever the baseball’s A’s are doing… In Europe, with relegation, teams always try their absolute hardest and it can create some wonderful stories

[@canalettov]

The problem is that the people who are above don't care about the sport. That's the hard truth.

[@joeyflores1600]

A Thanksgiving game TV slot would be awesome

[@lvseka]

What I think could work in the MLS is just some of of Champions league system. Divide the league into the conferences by region, where you have relegations. Then the top teams in each conference earn a place in a cup completion similar to the champions league that unites the different conferences into one.

[@LongHaulGamingHD1]

That's basically the playoffs

[@randomtestaccount612]

It literally already exists

[@ObeseGorilla229]

So just like a very shit version of any other European cup

[@enioleyva529]

Yesss! Not having relegation is dumb. It’s a great insensitive for teams to try harder. Nothing is really at steak for coming in last

[@kishimulgaming6403]

It would be difficult considering the size of the United States and travel would be several times more expensive and time consuming and those costs could be impossible for lower league sides that don’t generate enough revenue

[@stevep5408]

Relegation prevents tanking and just not caring if you win!

[@ChrisP-sc9sf]

F the MLS. Promotion and Relegation is the future of US soccer. USL is the future

[@aa25101]

This makes every game more competitive. No more, oh, we'll just settle for wild card and win the league. Every game matters.

[@BrutalFates]

You should check out the court case against USSF and MLS. Rocco Commisso has been keeping it going since the end of the NASL. The anti-trust lawsuit. If finally has been granted a court date.

[@wuxiagamescentral]

It's not a relegation issue with the US. It's a forced parity problem with the US

[@fiddley]

USL should let any team join at the bottom rung. When that gets too big, add another league, or split into two geographically replicating the English pyramid. Allowing tiny teams from villages to dream of reaching the top division. It creates a system that naturally fills up with teams for every available spot in the ecosystem, swamping the MLS.

[@tiltedrift584]

This is why MLS will always be a retirement league. Can be the worst team in the league and you’ll still stay in it, it’s awful.

[@crazysanta6641]

We have playoffs

[@animamaster]

I think this is a good thing for the USL to make it more competitive and make the fans engage more. Also the wage bills between al USL leagues is the same so getting relegated won't have the teams take such a big financial hit

[@haidynwendlandt2479]

I’m from Chicago, but my local team is Union Omaha which plays in USL League 1, they even ranked 1st of 12 in it last year and made it to the semifinals. If USL becomes the relegation/promotion version of the MLS I believe that it would result in a massive surge in viewership from slightly smaller places in the US that don’t get to have MLS teams, just like relegation and promotion does across the world

[@thekid8832]

The relegation system could fix a lot of problems in US sports especially tanking. But teams will never go for it. There is too much to lose economically speaking

[@franklinshaki9]

This is a good sign. If this can help football/soccer grow in America and boost soccer national team to dominate this sport. This is it.

[@axxessmundi]

Best Leagues of the Americas 1. Brasileirao 2. Paulistao 3. Copa Do Brasil 4. Liga Argentina 5. Serie B Brazil 6. MLS 7. Liga Mx

[@lak1796]

I really think it's only for the USL leagues because it's been a thing to talk about for last couple years because USL has Championship, League One, League Two to their name.

[@robertmorrison107]

MLS needs to do the same thing baseball did. Reach out to Mexico and merge the leagues, then with both Mexican teams vs American teams, you'd have a much more robust league system. You could do relagation and you'd end up with a FAR more financially viable league system in general.

[@Alejandro67317]

They should I wanna see Arizona play aginst other states

[@PhilliesNostalgia]

I think that when MLS does eventually adopt pro/rel, it likely won’t be before 2030 and if that were to happen, it would make sense for the USL to turn into something like the EFL. The top three teams in the championship rise up to MLS, and the bottom 3 teams fall to the Championship. Conferences would need to be eliminated for this to work. If MLS adopts pro/rel, it doesn’t make sense for both the MLS and USL to technically be on the same level of the pyramid

[@Alejandro67317]

I want to see Arizona in the mls

[@AnthonyClark177]

Fun fact: The legendary Diego Maradona took his first team Napoli from the second division (lower league)to win the championship in the premier division.

[@yoshihiroitabashi]

Relegation should happen in NBA, many teams aren't even competetive there anymore.

[@mishaf19]

This is a horrible idea. The premier league’s system has caused an insane amount of money to be dumped into the leagues, leading to ridiculous unprofitably and large foreign investment.

[@taylordoom6928]

All sports need a promotion and relegation system. This participation trophy system is awful. How can the Browns go 0-16, get first pick at the top rated scout in the country, go 0-16 again and still get rewarded for it. Shit makes no sense. But that’s how billionaires play it in America. They have guarantees on their investments.

[@sideshowblob]

The fact that there's two completely separate football leagues in the country is also such an American thing

[@heretustay]

my one great hope for soccer in the US is not for us to win a world cup (although that would be insane), its for the USL with pro/reg to either surpass or compete on par with the MLS to the point that the MLS has to merge with them and use pro/reg too. i want a true football pyramid here like in every other country, but in the US. it would be glorious

[@GarbyBoi]

Trust me. No one is "too big to lose" and especially not the mls. The mls falling off is a very realistic possibility and not a strech. Whatever gets popular attracts attentions which equals more sponsors money and then it snowballs.

[@simoncruz6823]

The biggest reason why the mls isn’t serious is because it’s all about money. It costs so much to register teams that it doesn’t let there be competition. Also look at their academies it costs thousands of dollars to join an academy so a lot of talented players who can’t afford it never get a chance while in the rest of the world academies bring in players for free

[@gusadico]

MLS shoukd merge with the USL and let the USL teams be their division initially. There is no point on having two separeted leagues in a country.

[@kiangibson7571]

Are we expecting the US to do anything right?

[@sarthaksharma5772]

People talking about Rome and Greece here doesn't realise that modern Western colonialism was something else altogether, and that's what's mentioned here.

[@sabastian3022]

MLS would never do it unfortunately. If they do I’d actually watch MLS.

[@Kevinjimtheone]

There's no way any MLS team would agree to this. They paid hundreds of millions of dollars to join the certainty of a closed league.

[@azuurt]

If you want a brand new club in Europe.. it's costing you about 10 billion. If you want to play in the biggest league. You can't just buy a ticket in the la liga, premier league... or any other.

[@CBrasil1966]

It should've been done since the beginning of the league

[@valentinethompson2449]

Relegation and promotion will add meaning and competing standards, not just money. Right now, it's more about money.

[@Stand663]

American football/ soccer would better if they had promotion and relegation. The football would be much more competitive, thus naturally producing better players.

[@kanahjohnson509]

We need this as fans

[@SGFeLLoN]

USL NM UNITED ALL DAY!!! I LOVE OUR HOME GAMES!!!