Pro/Rel for USA?
The hottest debate in American soccer right now: Promotion/Relegation.
The supporters of Pro/Rel For USA have always been there but it wasn't until recently that the movement had real belief that the United States could actually have a merit based pro/rel system.
Riccardo Silva, president and co-owner of the NASL side Miami FC, made big headlines weeks ago when he offered MLS a $4 billion deal that would quadruple their media coverage. The catch? They must implement pro/rel. MLS turned down the deal.
Silva wasn't done yet.
Miami FC made it to the quarter-finals of the US Open Cup, where they hosted FC Cincinnati. Before the game kicked off, Miami FC supporters unveiled the following two pole:
This two pole was an introduction to the largest push for pro/rel in American soccer history.
Silva teamed up with Kingston Stockade (NPSL) chairman and founder, Dennis Crowley. Crowley, an established entrepreneur, co-founded Foursquare and Dodgeball. His most recent success is with a semi-pro soccer team in Kingston, NY. The two American soccer icons had one goal: Open the American soccer pyramid. They turned to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Essentially the supreme court for the sports world.
FIFA requires every member nation to have a merit based pro/rel system in place. Of the 211 members of FIFA, there are only two countries who do not adhere to this rule. Australia and The United States.
The odds of success for Silva and Crowley are higher than many may think.
The legal representative for Crowley and Silva is Jean-Louis Dupont. Dupont is a lawyer specializing in European law. He revolutionized the player transfer system in the European Union. He knows the FIFA laws. The ideal representation for pro/rel.
In a recent podcast with SocTakes, Crowley says everyone involved in the filing believes they have a very good chance of the CAS ruling in their favor. It's worth noting that these people involved are not delusional keyboard warriors, but people around the soccer world who have experience in this field, have made a will impact, and will continue to do so.
My personal opinion on the subject is this: Open the Pyramid.
I didn't become a true pro/rel supporter until recently. I wanted MLS to stay MLS as I thought having a big club (Sounders for example) get relegated would be bad for the league.
Then I realized creating a true soccer culture in the US is about more than pandering to clubs with a lot of supporters.
Pro/rel would start a new era in American soccer. I've always preached that the number one thing you can do to grow the game is to support your local club. Implementing this system would encourage people to come out and support their local club in droves, no matter the size of the city.
Support this movement by supporting those leading the charge:
Miami FC: Twitter/Website/Instagram
Riccardo Silva: Twitter
Kingston Stockade: Twitter/Website/Instagram
Dennis Crowley: Twitter/Instagram
Open Soccer USA: Twitter
The supporters of Pro/Rel For USA have always been there but it wasn't until recently that the movement had real belief that the United States could actually have a merit based pro/rel system.
Riccardo Silva, president and co-owner of the NASL side Miami FC, made big headlines weeks ago when he offered MLS a $4 billion deal that would quadruple their media coverage. The catch? They must implement pro/rel. MLS turned down the deal.
Silva wasn't done yet.
Miami FC made it to the quarter-finals of the US Open Cup, where they hosted FC Cincinnati. Before the game kicked off, Miami FC supporters unveiled the following two pole:
This two pole was an introduction to the largest push for pro/rel in American soccer history.
Silva teamed up with Kingston Stockade (NPSL) chairman and founder, Dennis Crowley. Crowley, an established entrepreneur, co-founded Foursquare and Dodgeball. His most recent success is with a semi-pro soccer team in Kingston, NY. The two American soccer icons had one goal: Open the American soccer pyramid. They turned to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Essentially the supreme court for the sports world.
FIFA requires every member nation to have a merit based pro/rel system in place. Of the 211 members of FIFA, there are only two countries who do not adhere to this rule. Australia and The United States.
The odds of success for Silva and Crowley are higher than many may think.
The legal representative for Crowley and Silva is Jean-Louis Dupont. Dupont is a lawyer specializing in European law. He revolutionized the player transfer system in the European Union. He knows the FIFA laws. The ideal representation for pro/rel.
In a recent podcast with SocTakes, Crowley says everyone involved in the filing believes they have a very good chance of the CAS ruling in their favor. It's worth noting that these people involved are not delusional keyboard warriors, but people around the soccer world who have experience in this field, have made a will impact, and will continue to do so.
My personal opinion on the subject is this: Open the Pyramid.
I didn't become a true pro/rel supporter until recently. I wanted MLS to stay MLS as I thought having a big club (Sounders for example) get relegated would be bad for the league.
Then I realized creating a true soccer culture in the US is about more than pandering to clubs with a lot of supporters.
Pro/rel would start a new era in American soccer. I've always preached that the number one thing you can do to grow the game is to support your local club. Implementing this system would encourage people to come out and support their local club in droves, no matter the size of the city.
Support this movement by supporting those leading the charge:
Miami FC: Twitter/Website/Instagram
Riccardo Silva: Twitter
Kingston Stockade: Twitter/Website/Instagram
Dennis Crowley: Twitter/Instagram
Open Soccer USA: Twitter
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