“The sky is falling! Making sense of U.S. men's national team fan hysteria Beau Dure Let’s review what we’ve been told we “knew” we had to do to make U.S. men’s soccer better: 1. Get more players to play in Europe and fight for playing time. Check. 2. Increase professional standards in the USA as well. Check. 3. Funnel our best players not just into one academy in Bradenton but a network of academies with direct paths to the professional ranks, bypassing college soccer and putting teens in pro games. Check. 4. Get Sunil Gulati out. Check. And the men’s national team is ... worse? At this rate, by the time we have promotion/relegation and hundreds of free academies that collect the best 7-year-olds from every street and suburb in the country, we’ll be battling Turks and Caicos in Concacaf Nations League C. We know the men’s team has issues. And we’re obsessed with quick fixes for them. It’s a whole chapter in my upcoming book, "Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup: A Historical and Cultural Reality Check." Granted, the book isn’t called "Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win in Toronto." That’s a different level of expectation. But if you’ve listened to SiriusXM radio shows or been saddled with a Twitter account, you’ve probably heard all of the quick fix proposals, some better reasoned than others. Tony Meola, the Hall of Fame goalkeeper and one of the more patient radio hosts in the business, finally had to call out a caller who insisted the country had many other players who should’ve been called for the Canada game instead of the players on the field. Name one, Meola said. He couldn’t. Some callers, though, waxed eloquent about Meola’s tenure on the national team in the late 80s through early 00s. In Meola’s day, the bulk of the players played high school and college soccer. Meola played at Virginia for Bruce Arena. Tab Ramos, hailed by many as the man who should’ve been hired as national team coach instead of Gregg Berhalter, played at N.C. State on some very physical teams under the tutelage of George Tarantini, who recently passed away. No one said we should go back to the time of physical college players (though Ramos was, of course, superbly skilled). But if I hear “grit” and “bite” one more time, I’m going to drive 30 miles to the nearest Waffle House.  Some callers said Berhalter should’ve stuck with the same lineup that routed Cuba. After Couva, didn’t people lob the opposite criticism at Bruce Arena? Some callers wondered if politics dictated the selection of a bunch of domestic players. But just like the last qualifying cycle, the USA had plenty of players based in top European leagues, while the opponents had a substantial MLS contingent. Meola’s co-host, Brian Dunseth, pointed out the impact MLS has had throughout the region, a fact that was reinforced by the presence of Vancouver Whitecaps academy alumnus Alphonso Davies on the Canadian side. Davies hasn’t played all that much for Bayern Munich this season, but it doesn’t seem to have invoked the same crisis mentality the U.S. soccer community currently feels about Christian Pulisic being caught up in the Chelsea shuffle. (I’ll raise a hand here and confess -- I don’t think Frank Lampard’s delineation between international players and a mere “price tag,” as he referred to Pulisic, bodes well for the young American getting a fair shake at the EPL club. But I don’t think Pulisic is in some awful career-ending run of form, either.) In a similar vein: “The U.S. is fixated on a domestic coach,” said one caller who lives in a country that broke the bank to hire Jurgen Klinsmann and even turned to a European coach, Pia Sundhage, to right the ship when the women’s team was in dire straits. We’re also no closer to a resolution on a national “style,” a discussion that began in earnest when Claudio Reyna trotted out a national curriculum to a bunch of skeptics ranging from the national coaches convention halls to Bruce Arena and Steve Nicol at the neighboring MLS Draft. A few years ago, we all wanted to play like Barcelona. Now we all think Berhalter is some sort of naive rube for daring to play the ball out of the back. The funniest, after at least five hours of angry calls on SiriusXM, was a caller asking why everyone was so calm. That was even funnier than the caller who lamented the cost of travel soccer and then regaled the hosts with tales of taking his kid to Barcelona. It’s not that the criticisms were all easily refuted. Berhalter didn’t exude a lot of passion or give fans any reason to believe he had tried to fire up the team. The long wait to hire a coach, essentially wasting a year of national team development, looks much worse now. And U.S. Soccer keeps putting off the hire of a new CEO, perhaps realizing that critics everywhere have their knives out ready to pounce if they promote Jay Berhalter, Gregg’s brother, or perhaps anyone else whose leadership was called out anonymously in Glassdoor reviews and New York Times interviews. (Less well-developed: the argument that U.S. Soccer waited too long to get a new president. Apparently the split-second in which Sunil Gulati banged his gavel at the end of the 2018 annual general meeting and officially handed off to Carlos Cordeiro within an hour or so of the election was too slow.) What happened in Toronto was relatively simple: A team that had circled this date on the calendar long ago effectively suppressed and overran a team that was far less interested, and the gap in skill wasn’t enough to make the latter team win anyway. We shouldn’t be surprised by the difference in intensity. All we heard going into this game was that the Nations League wasn’t really useful. Canadians couldn’t be blamed for thinking we arrogant neighbors felt this competition and this game were beneath us, and they were ready to teach us a lesson. We can be aggravated that the USA lacked the skills and sense to beat pressure. We’re all supposed to have been teaching those skills for the past decade, whether it’s under the “dribble first, ask questions later” mentality that many coaches have preached or the “death by 1,000 passes” approach in Reyna’s now-discarded curriculum. But are we now supposed to toss aside such grandiose notions? If we have no patience with Berhalter trying to get players to play out of the back, should we just slam the ball upfield to a target forward who can lay the ball off for the magical feet of Pulisic? Should we, in the words of so many callers to English radio shows, quit mucking about and play 4-4-2? U.S. Soccer needs changes from the ground up. MLS has decent academies, but the rest of the youth soccer landscape is a fragmented mess -- not just on the boys’ side, as Paul Riley lamented on Twitter. Some of the lawsuits are unavoidable results of various soccer entrepreneurs’ hubris, but some should’ve been avoided. And one thing that didn’t seem to come up on the radio call-ins: The men are still playing under an expired CBA. That point seems to have been lost while the women’s lawyers claim the team is due eleventy billion dollars in back pay and U.S. Soccer counters by pointing to the existence of the NWSL despite scant investment. Playing without a new contract probably isn’t good for morale. We can identify problems. We can come up with solutions. But a mythical knight galloping across the ocean from Europe isn’t going to prevent more Couvas or Torontos. It’s going to take a bit more than that -- from all of us. (Beau Dure's latest book is "Why the U.S. Men Will Never Win the World Cup: A Historical and Cultural Reality Check." He is also the author of “Single-Digit Soccer: Keeping Sanity in the Earliest Ages of the Beautiful Game” and the host of the podcast “Ranting Soccer Dad,” and has been a longtime youth soccer coach and referee in Northern Virginia.)”

https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/83966/the-sky-is-falling-making-sense-of-us-mens-nat.html

'It's hard to build a rivalry when you don't play each other' - Steve Hansen has message for Six Nations chiefs

“ENGLAND and New Zealand could enjoy and even greater rivalry had World Rugby's Nations Championship not been scuppered by the northern hemisphere teams, says Kiwi coach Steve Hansen.Slated to start in 2022, the concept was to see teams from north and south play each other annually with the top two to contest an end-of-year final. The plans were controversially scrapped back in June though with Six Nations sides in opposition to the proposed promotion/relegation.A global season, or lack thereof, has long been a problem for the game, with no prospect of establishing one now in sight.

That will likely see games between the likes of New Zealand and England maintain their scarcity - Saturday's World Cup semi-final between the two sides in Yokohama just a second meeting since the end of 2014. "I think South Africa is always going to be our biggest rival because of all the history that comes with it and because we play each other so regularly," said Hansen, seeking to guide the All Blacks to a third straight title.”

https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2019/its-hard-to-build-a-rivalry-when-you-dont-play-each-other-steve-hansen-has-message-for-six-nations-chiefs-38619392.html

I just realised why this thread is titled "God make it end".  It's a direct reference to scott20won's inability to use a hard return or any kind of formatting that would make his posts legible. :hehe:

“Community Corner: Should Liga MX and MLS eventually merge? Donald Wine II Sep 25, 2019, 8:11am PDT MLS: Leagues Cup-Cruz Azul at LA Galaxy Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports The idea of Major League Soccer and Liga MX eventually forming a merger has re-entered the public forum after Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla again suggested it was a part of the league’s future just a couple weeks ago. It would be an ambitious plan for the two biggest leagues in CONCACAF to merge and create a superleague that would likely involve a ton of money and create a ton of money. However, the logistics of it will be interesting. MLS is expanding all the way to 30 teams...for now. There could be more after that. Liga MX currently has 19 teams and Acenso MX, the second division, has 14 teams. What this means is at minimum 63 teams could be involved in creating a new combined league that has 2-3 divisions, and it could also be something that eventually creates a promotion-relegation system. There will be questions about how the divisions could be split up and the implications of where the bigger clubs in the United States and Mexico will end up. Will MLS push to have the teams from NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Texas involved in the top division? From Liga MX, there will be a push to make sure Chivas de Guadalajara and Club América are in the top flight as well to start. Will this league involve the Canadian teams in MLS, or will Canada push to move them back to be a part of their recently-debuted Canadian Premier League? There will be a great deal to sort out if this is to ever become a reality.”

https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/mls-usmnt/2019/9/25/20883416/community-corner-liga-mx-mls-merge-promotion-relegation

“ISL vs I-League battle continues, reveals debate on Power Sportz ISL vs I-League battle continues, reveals debate on Power Sportz New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) Indian football is caught up in a whirlwind as two of the country''s premier leagues are fighting for one-upmanship. The battle between Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League to become the nation''s top league continues unabated. Ever since it all started after the launch of ISL in 2013, which saw the light of the day in October 2014, little did the I-League clubs know that they would have more to grind their teeth with the situations that unfolded in the days that followed. On May 17, 2016, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and IMG-R held a meeting with all the stakeholders of Indian football -- I-League clubs and ISL franchises -- to create a 3 tier division in Indian football. It was also discussed that there would be promotion and relegation between I-League (to be renamed as League 1) and the League 2 while absolving the ISL from any relegation. A hefty franchise fee to join the ISL fraternity was also decided upon. The AFC Champions League slot would go to the I-League champion and the AFC Cup (a prerogative of the Federation Cup winner) would go to the ISL winner. Since then it has snowballed into a whine between I-League and ISL on who would represent India at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Meeting in Kuala Lumpur chalks out roadmap The latest in this conundrum is a meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on October 14 among all the stakeholders -- AIFF, AFC, FSDL, I-League clubs and ISL franchises. The AIFF and AFC carved out a roadmap for the future of Indian football, which says that ISL would replace I-League as the top division football league in the country. The latest episode of the flagship debate show on Power Sportz, "Talking Turkey with Kanthi", analysed this whole embittered equation between the I-League and the ISL, talking to some of the vital cogs in this race to become the top-flight league in the country. On being asked whether he is appeased with the outcome of the Kuala Lumpur meeting, Ranjit Bajaj, owner of I-League club Minerva Punjab, said that he would have been happy if the suggestions were as per the previous recommendations. He groused that they would have to wait for five years to buy time, and reckoned that by then the I-League teams would perish. Kanthi D. Suresh, the show host and editor-in-chief of Power Sportz, also asked Gautam Roy, media manager of East Bengal, whether they are happy to shell out the astronomical fee of Rs 15 crore to compete in ISL. Roy was evasive, and seemingly the top I-League club appeared non-committal. Doubts over recommendations being implemented with regard to I-League inclusion The participants in the show, Novy Kapadia and Jaydeep Basu, both eminent football experts, had serious reservations about the recommendations made during the Kuala Lumpur meeting to include I-League on sporting merit. The studio panel had cast their aspersions on the relegation and promotion system and if the ISL teams would allow it. They felt that I-League would cease to exist beyond 2025, with all focus being showered on the high-paying ISL teams. Will investors be optimistic in pumping in more money into the ISL, which anyways is currently a loss-making proposition, asked Kanthi D Suresh. On top of it, the fear of relegation has further eroded its sustainability. I-League clubs, on the other hand, are used to the relegation concept, and they are more resilient to such shocks over the past. Their survival instincts and competitiveness may just give ISL a run for their money! Finally, as Kanthi asked Bajaj whether "he would wait for the recommendations to be implemented fairly", he said that the next 15 days would be very crucial and it would indicate how the roadmap pans out. It seems like the ISL-ILeague battle is here to stay for a while. Where will India reach in the World Cup qualification this time?”
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/isl-vs-ileague-battle-continues-reveals-debate-on-power-sportz/1649043

why would this bring P&R when it sounds like they could be following super rugby type thingy

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/new-era-for-aleague-as-owners-step-up/news-story/e015563a6c322692c246dba00dc3bf33

Couldn't be arsed starting a new thread.  Probably somewhere else this could have gone.


Paul Lederer says it’s time for the whingeing and negativity to stop, and some optimism to return to the A-League.The billionaire chairman of the rejuvenated Western Sydney Wanderers says Saturday evening’s sold-out derby against rival Sydney FC at the new 30,000-­capacity Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta is proof the league still has a bright future. The match, Lederer tells The Weekend Australian, should also mark a turning point of sorts.

I wouldnt call wanting pro rel whinging. But I’m not you.

Owner says shut up and do as you are told.

“As first offerings go, Western United-Melbourne City was a contest to whet the appetite. For Western’s new fans to the A-League, even a loss won’t see them not come back for future derbies, such was the drama of the contest. And to think, next week they’ve got Victory.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2019/oct/27/sportwatch-constellation-cup-wbbl-a-league-and-more-live


In a city/state that is used to domestic competition why deny the likes of SM, MK, HU & team 11 and others the chance to be in Australia’s top football division..,

😄 This got a chuckle out of me 😄

Sorry Scott 😄

while I don’t think the HAL has set the world on fire this season so far, it does feel like there is a bit more momentum compared to 12 months ago. 

He won't be so positive when Macarthur comes in. 

It certainly has been a putrid few days for the new regime fanboys.

First their high-priced international "proper football person" superhero saviour consultant Scudamore rolls into town (or should I say, jets in first class) and announces pro-rel is not even on the agenda and is a long way off from even being "strategically discussed". Then, as if that wasn't enough, goes on to say that the MLS goes alright without it.

Talk about a reality check right there.

And then another round of pretty piss poor attendances to top it off.

Calm down 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tpL_O-2y2nQ

“Promotion and relegation is in the plans for the future of the Canadian Premier League, according to commissioner David Clanachan.

The CPL currently has seven teams spread across the country. Clanachan’s goal is to grow that number to between 14 and 16 teams by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after which the CPL will actively look to implement the promotion-relegation system.

“I’d like to be there by 2026 so that we’re actually thinking about a second division,” Clanachan said. “This idea of promotion and relegation adds a whole dynamic to the whole thing. It’s really entertaining for the folks, and I think that it’s a real opportunity for us.”

https://www.prosoccerusa.com/in-depth/canadian-premier-league-commissioner-david-clanachan-touts-promotion-relegation-groundbreaking-draft-system/

“Logjam at bottom of A-league makes case for relegation fight Perth Glory players look dejected after their 3-1 home defeat to Sydney FC last Saturday. Picture: AAP Perth Glory players look dejected after their 3-1 home defeat to Sydney FC last Saturday. Picture: AAP By EMMA KEMP 11:00PM NOVEMBER 28, 20192 Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email There’s never been a stronger case for promotion and relegation in Australia than the current state of the A-League table. One-third into the season, three points separate the bottom six teams. The bottom five have one win apiece after seven rounds and three of the four grand finalists from the past two seasons are languishing outside finals reckoning, with Perth Glory (seventh, six points), Newcastle Jets (ninth, five points) and Melbourne Victory (10th, five points) all struggling. If there was a relegation battle, one of the most brutal dogfights would have already begun. Dead rubbers are not exciting and playing for pride is never as fulfilling when you’re not staring down the barrel of a season in the second-tier wilderness. Football Federation Australia chairman Chris Nikou made waves in March when he said promotion-relegation was “unlikely until 2034”, when the licences of every A-League club bar Wellington Phoenix are due to expire. Players’ union boss John Didulica is on the record arguing “there’s no point discussing pro-rel until you’ve got 14 to 16 teams in the A-League followed by a robust second tier of at least 12 teams”, but does believe a fully professional second tier is achievable by 2021. Stream every game of The 2019/20 Hyundai A-League season LIVE & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14 day free trial & start streaming instantly > Former Sydney Olympic vice-president Graham Athanaseris believes national teams and player pathways are suffering as a result of a closed-off A-League. “I think the game needed a reform because the NSL was pretty much broke, but I think they went too far one way and not the other way and discarded the grassroots clubs,” Athanaseris said. La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, EPL — all the major football countries have promotion and relegation. It’s only Australia that decided to discard the grassroots and just focus on the A-League. “Look at what the A-League has become today. The purists of the sport, people who have been around since the foundation of all these clubs, are crying out for it,” Athanaseris added. Meanwhile, Western Sydney coach Markus Babbel says he did the wrong thing by swearing in a post-match media conference and will try to be calmer in the future, but can’t guarantee it will never happen again. Babbel was cited by the FFA for dropping a couple of F-bombs in answers to questions about a contentious penalty awarded to Melbourne City last Friday. “I did something wrong, of course, I was emotional, it’s never good if you say something in emotion but this is done,” Babbel said before training on Thursday. “Swearing in front of the cameras is never good, I’ll try to do it better in the future, but I can’t promise you. “Normally I have the experience to be a little bit calmer in this moment, this will maybe happen in the future again, I’ll try to do it better. “For myself, I will try for the future, to calm down and relax and give good answers.” Defender Daniel Georgievski was also cited and issued a show-cause notice by the FFA for a social media post following last Friday’s game, with both men having the opportunity to provide a submission by next Monday. Babbel is focused on trying to end a two-match losing streak and a three-game winless run that has resulted in the Wanderers dropping from first to fourth. “The performance against Melbourne City was much better than against Western United or Brisbane, so many positive things are coming back,” he said.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/football/logjam-at-bottom-of-aleague-makes-case-for-relegation-fight/news-story/e6867bab27dc20a876ef358a26cb9471

FFA's new chief executive, James Johnson, will have a hard time

December 5, 2019AdvertisementAnd he must also guide the game through the creation of a second national division, whose provisional start is scheduled for 2021-2022.Those involved in second level clubs hope that this will eventually become a pyramid structure with promotion and relegation at all levels of the national game, including to and from the A-League.Johnson beat former PFA chief Brendan Schwab for the role.Credit: Jonathan Carroll“.......

https://mashviral.com/ffas-new-chief-executive-james-johnson-will-have-a-hard-time/

Lmao this thread still being alive

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A5kZ4MfmTn0

I doubt whether P&R will ever happen.  Too many vested interests.   

It’s unattainable without criteria.

FFA knows this.

When they release a criteria clubs will be able to achieve it.

“US Soccer to spend $9m fighting lawsuits in 2020 fiscal year The United States Soccer Federation will spend approximately $9m on legal fees devoted to various lawsuits in the 2020 fiscal year, which covers the 12 months beginning April 1, 2019. News of US Soccer’s high expenditure on fighting legal cases emerged at a Board of Directors meeting in Chicago on December 6, when US Soccer chief financial officer Pinky Raina presented a report on the federation’s financial state. The lawsuits include a gender discrimination lawsuit filed by US women’s national team players against the federation, a similar lawsuit filed by former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo, antitrust lawsuits filed by the defunct second-tier North American Soccer League and sports promoter Relevent Sports, as well as one by the US Soccer Foundation regarding trademarks. The federation is also facing a claim at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, filed by Kingston Stockade FC and Miami FC, over the its unwillingness to follow Fifa statutes with regards to implementing a system of promotion and relegation within its league system. US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro said the federation has insurance to help fund some of the legal costs of the lawsuits, but that the insurance on one of the cases – believed to be the NASL lawsuit – was “running out.” Previously, US Soccer budgeted around $3m in legal fees, but the rise in lawsuits has forced the federation to adjust its long-term projections. Elsewhere, it emerged that US Soccer recently interviewed a short list of candidates to replace long-time chief executive Dan Flynn, who stepped down in mid-September, which includes men and women from around the US and one from outside the country. Cordeiro said US Soccer switched search firms in May because he wasn’t happy with the pool of candidates the first company presented. “They’ve produced an incredible list of people,” he said. “Maybe earlier in the year, there was some hesitancy on the part of candidates to want to come talk to us given a lot of the issues out there. Maybe in September, some of that got clarified, perhaps.” There is no specific timetable for an appointment. “We don’t want to rush an appointment, and then find out it’s the wrong appointment,” Cordeiro said. “Because this person is going to take us to [the 2026 World Cup] and beyond.” Chief commercial officer Jay Berhalter, the brother of USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter, is believed to be still in the running despite a potential conflict of interest. US Soccer is also looking to move out of its Soccer House headquarters in Chicago’s South Loop because it needs more room due to an expanded workforce. It will look to lease space elsewhere in the city for a few years while it figures out a long-term plan. The work environment is also changing in response to criticisms posted on the networking site glassdoor.com in June, which included poor pay, long hours and a “toxic” work culture. Cordeiro called those posts a wake-up call. “Up until very recently, we still managed US Soccer like it was a 50-person organization run out of some person’s kitchen,” Cordeiro said. “Glassdoor was a good wake-up call because it did alert us to potentially some tremor lines.” In other news, US Soccer vice president Cindy Parlow Cone will take on US Adult Soccer president John Motta in a vice presidential election in February. Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber also revealed the 2020 MLS Cup final will be on November 7.”

https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/us-soccer-to-spend-9m-fighting-lawsuits-in-2020-fiscal-year/

“On Charlotte Expansion, World Cup 2026, And Why 40 MLS Teams Is Possible Ian Quillen7:00 am 2019 MLS Cup - Toronto FC v Seattle Sounders MLS Commissioner Don Garber presents the 2019 MLS [+] Getty Images More From Forbes On Friday, Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber made official-ish what has been a poorly kept secret even by MLS expansion standards, that the league is in the final stages of solidifying Charlotte as the location of its 30th franchise. If the official announcement comes as expected later this month, it would cap an exceptional year in terms of MLS expansion, with four new teams in total in 2019. Moreover, it would take MLS to a number of teams on par with the United States and Canada’s four major sports leagues, and to a point where conventional pro sports logic would suggest growth coming to an end. On the record, Don Garber has suggested this — sort of — saying at a conference last month that MLS would eventually add teams No. 31 and 32, but not in no particular hurry. But longtime league observers may be skeptical of his restraint. For starters, the league has already grown to 30 faster than Garber had forecast in even his most optimistic public comments of recent past, perhaps because of an increase in the quantity and financial backing of potential owners. And it should be obvious how expansion has expedited since the United States, Canada and Mexico being awarded the 2026 FIFA World Cup last summer. In a way, Garber predicted as much back when the tournament host was revealed in the summer of 2018. “There’s no doubt that this is going to be rocket fuel,” Garber said then. “And it’s going to help give us the momentum that we’ve all been looking for.” Many of the constraints that have kept MLB, the NFL, NBA and NHL to between 30 and 32 teams don’t necessarily apply to MLS. So from a business perspective, why would a wave of expansion stop now, when commercial momentum around the sport is only going to keep building for the next seven years? This isn’t meant to suggest that a 40- or even 50-team MLS is an ideal situation from a competitive standpoint. But it’s doable, especially if there continue to be attractive and interested investors willing to invest in facilities and hefty expansion fees, currently reported north of $300 million. Here’s more on the constraints that have bound other leagues, and why they might not bind MLS at its near-future size: Future Economic Uncertainty  There have been two recent periods of expansion stagnation in the MLB, NHL, NFL and NBA, first in the 1980s and then again since the turn of the 21st century. Both those stretches at least somewhat coincided with protracted overall difficulties in the economy. But for MLS, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost economic insurance through most of the next decade. Even in poor economic times, it’s hard to underestimate the commercial value the sport will have as America gets ready to welcome the world’s most watched sporting event for just the second time in its history. Diluting The Talent Pool To some degree, the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB are all global standard-bearers in terms of on-the-field talent in their respective sports. In the world’s game, MLS has never claimed to meet such a high standard. (By one measure, MLS is currently considered the 15th-best league on the planet.) And the global talent base of soccer players is so vast that the league could conceivably double the number of teams and not see a significant drop in quality if they imported the talent. Of course, that would take additional spending on player contracts, as well as altering roster regulations to allow for more international players. Even so, the average cost of an MLS roster is considerably lower than that of the other four big leagues and is not the primary expense of operating a club in the league. Not Enough Trophies To Win  In MLB, the NFL, the NBA and the NHL, winning the end-of-season playoffs is generally considered the only team trophy that matters. Already in those leagues, it could be said there are too many teams who enter each season without a real chance to win anything. While MLS Cup is the most important title in Major League Soccer, teams definitely take seriously the Supporters’ Shield (best regular season record) as well as the U.S. Open Cup and Canadian Championships domestically, and the Concacaf Champions League and newly created Leagues Cup internationally. Further, there is regional precedent in Mexico and Central America for the possibility of dividing MLS into a spring league and a fall league, with playoffs to decide each. In other words, 40 teams or more could still find themselves with plenty of hardware to chase on a year-to-year basis. Too Much Parity In a 30-team league, many teams in opposite divisions or conferences can feel interchangeable during a schedule in which you might see a team once a season or less. But soccer around the world brings with it the culture of promotion and relegation, in which teams from a lower level earn their place in a higher level, and vice versa. While MLS has resisted adopting promotion and relegation with other lower divisions like USL and the NASL, there’s nothing to stop a 50-team MLS from dividing into two or three tiers, with promotion and relegation between them each season. In fact, a revenue sharing model under the MLS umbrella might be the one thing that could convince owners to go along with such a structure, one soccer purists have pushed for for some time.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianquillen/2019/12/08/on-charlotte-expansion-world-cup-2026-and-why-40-mls-teams-is-possible/

lol this is a p&r thread?

i only ever caught a couple posts after the first few pages always thought it was a thread about the ridiculous length of the off season in australian football.  

“Mumbai City CEO: All ISL franchises in favour of promotion-relegation system According to speakers at the India Football Forum, the emergence of a single league that unifies the I-League and the Indian Super League will propel Indian football forward. I-League CEO Sunando Dhar believes a 20-team league is not impossible in India in the next 10 years. - B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM TEAM SPORTSTAR MUMBAI 10 DECEMBER, 2019 22:19 IST  The Asian Football Confederation-FIFA roadmap towards the emergence of a single league that unifies the best of I-League and Indian Super League will propel Indian football forward — this was the key message emerging from football speakers within the country and from global leagues during the Eighth India Football Forum (IFF) held here. The delegates deliberated on the topic ‘Future of Indian Football Takes Shape’. Sunando Dhar, CEO of the I-League, said during a panel discussion that he thinks given the size of the country, a 20-team league is not impossible in the next 10 years. Mumbai City CEO, Indranil Das Blah, revealed that the ISL franchises were enthusiastic about a new, bigger ISL with promotion-relegation. “Contrary to popular belief, all ISL franchises are in favour of promotion-relegation because that’s where the drama is.” ‘Long-term investment project’ He added: “Anyone who invested thinking they’d be profitable or break even in three to five years were badly advised. All our officials were thoroughly briefed on what this is... [the ISL] is a long-term investment project and there will be gains in the future. We are committed to that vision.” Read | Bhaichung Bhuta: Everybody wants results, but I will give Stimac more time Blah was speaking at the IFF 2019, organised by SportzPower. In a recent development, Premier League club Manchester City announced the decision to pick up majority stake in MCFC, the city ISL franchise co-owned by actor Ranbir Kapoor and businessman Bimal Parekh.”

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/indian-football/isl-i-league-india-football-forum-afc-fifa-sunando-dhar-mumbai-city-fc-la-liga-india/article30269882.ece

“Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have no interest in joining a proposed European Super League, according to the club’s new president.

Preliminary plans for a revamped, larger-scale Champions League incorporating promotion and relegation reportedly emerged in a letter the European Club Association sent to its 232 members in April.

The Premier League and Bundesliga oppose the proposals and Germany’s most powerful club remains fully invested in the current state of play, according to president Herbert Hainer.

“We stand for the Bundesliga! Without ifs and buts,” Hainer told Suddeutsche Zeitung.

“We are not interested in any Super League at all, that can be said very clearly.

“We want to have international success, of course, but that’s why there is the Champions League, which I think is a success story with a clear format.”

https://www.foxsports.com.my/football/bundesliga/129302/bayern-munich-president-opposes-mooted-european-super-league/

AL is the equivalent of a European Super League. With each state (country) being kept apart and not teams not eligible for top league.