USL 1/2.....FA Cup style competition

[canadianfoot]

Does anyone here agree with me that the USL season is kind of short and that it should be longer? Of course we can't get the players to run in -30C but there are a few way that the USL could distinguish itself from the MLS and and a little bit of spice to it's league.

Let's face is Seattle Sounders are gone. Maybe Impact and Whitecaps will follow. By then USL1 will have 10 teams that is if the current 2009 Expansions take place, USL2 will have still 10? With more teams looking toward the MLS(obviously the MLS can't absorb everyone even if they all have the $) the USL needs to up the competition a bit within their rank.

One way to accomplish that would the to create an USL FA Cup style competition. The benefits would be:

- more games

- more competition

- you could compare USL1/2 to see how the 2 could malgomate

- PRESTIGE

The FA Cup winner gets 1,000,000.00 Pounds we could start with 100,000.00$ Chelsea or Arsenal don't need the money but they WANT the Cup. On the other hand our teams need both the Money and the Prestige. The cup could be financed by a separate sponsor that will sign on for 3-5yrs. They get the exposure our teams get the money and Prestige.

Many scenarios can be created in Poland for example(not the best but the least). There is also a Super Cup(the Div1 winner vs. FA Cup winner if they are different). So the USL could have easily:

Div1 title

Div2 title

USL1/2 FA Cup style competition

USL Super Cup(if Div1 and USL1/2 FA Cup teams are different)

All that wil still keeping the V's Cup and the US Open Cup for the CCL spots. After 1-2years the USL could lobby the CONCACAF to give the USL more slots in the CCL thru the USL1/2 FA Cup.

By doing all those things we could easily prolonge the season by 1month. Create more competition, promote the USL and who knows attract new players, sponsors and investors.

What are your thought?

[Lorne]

There are lots of USL games already and the season is plenty long. As you mentioned there are already cup competitions and preseason tournaments. And last year Montreal toured Italy and Portugal during the winter months. This February and March there will be Concacaf Champions League.

Personally, my opinion, the NHL, MLB have seasons that are tooooooooo loooooong. The NFL has it just about right. As it is USL attendance drops off significantly for post season games.

[Tuscan]

What about a Super Cup between the MLS champ and the USL-1 champ? This might only work for the next few years though, as I'm pretty sure the skill distance between MLS and USL clubs is going to become larger, favouring MLS obviously.

[canadianfoot]

I don't think that extending the season will be a problem. First of all it's not all about having a compact schedule either.

Let's look at the Whitecaps:

- 5 Preseason Games

- 30 Regular Season Games in 6months (Avg 5games a month)

- 4 Nutrilite Canadian Championship Games

- 8 CCL games(2 to Group Stage & 6 within Group Stage) hasn't happened but let's say it did

The Premier League has 4.22games a month in a Regular Season. By extending the season by 1month we get an avg. of 4.29games a month. Let's face it all teams in the world have preseason preparations. Some do it locally(whitecaps) others do tours in Italy(Impact) so that ain't an excuse. Now if one looks at the fact that next year MAYBE no Canadian team will qualify to the CCL Group Stage that only makes it 36games in the season plus whatever Exhibition games a team decides to play. The USL1/2 Cup Style could be the top 4 or 8 teams from each division decided thru last year ranking. The cup would be played thru the season and could be added as an extra to season's ticket holders. The options are there and the USL will need to move in agressively in order to be a League Continent Wide instead of Regional. Further more more and more teams are signing players on long term contracts instead of the 6months gig it used to be. Ahhh well day dreaming at least........

[DarnCherry]

As was mentioned, attendance drops off drastically in the month of September for most USL teams. A few years ago teams averaging a few thousand a game were getting only a couple of hundred for playoff games. Thats why they don't play games well into October, not to avoid the weather.

[tmcmurph]

You don't have to play in 30+ degrees in the summer. Play in the late evening under the lights.

There are lots of games. 30-40 is a nice amount. The big problem is the number of games in short period of time. In the USL you can play 7 games in 10 days.

I think USL-2 should be included in the Voyageurs Cup competition because they are full time pro teams. They just don't want to travel as much.

[ted]

quote:Originally posted by orletafc

One way to accomplish that would the to create an USL FA Cup style competition.

Uhmm, they already have an FA Cup style competition. It is called the US Open Cup and has been played since 1914. D.C. United (MLS) defeated the USL's Charleston Battery 2-1 in this year's final and took home the $100,000 prize money.

quote:From a USL webpage:

At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team that advances deepest into the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels. The winner of the tournament will earn a berth into the CONCACAF 2009-10 Champions League.