IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF AMERICAN SOCCER!

Imagine if every off-season, the USL takes an all-star team on tour to Europe.  What if every year American professional players were able to go overseas to play against top quality opponents.  Would that not help improve the domestic game tremendously?! 

        Kudos to USL for their efforts this winter in sending a team of all-stars over to Portugal.  From the looks of it, the trip was an all around success.  The players gained valuable experience, got to witness life in a soccer culture, and grew as professionals.  Those who followed the internet journals of some of the players on the trip realized the impact of the entire endeavor.  Moreover, the team did extremely well.  They returned with a record of 2-1-2.  And they not only showcased their individual talents, but they represented American soccer as a whole. 

But they were a hobnob group, hastily put together for the purpose of the trip.  So it is actually amazing how well they performed.  But imagine if an A-League team, that was fit and cohesive, traveled overseas to play.  Think of how much more effective they would have been.  And think of how better a representation of American soccer the Portuguese would have witnessed.  

Too often our goals are short-sighted.  We should not only want to build better players, but better teams!  Not only better teams, but a better league!  We must uncover ideas that contain multi-layered objectives.  Perhaps the league could sponsor a team or various teams that make it to the semifinals.  A different team could represent the league each year.  It would showcase the league as well as the individuals.  Everyone would win out.   Of course there would have to be certain criteria set forth.  For instance, teams should only be eligible if they maintain a balanced budget.  And they should attain a certain attendance level.  It would not be fair to simply say that the team with the best attendance will win out.  As we all know, some markets are much stronger than others.  Rochester would end up representing the league each year.  But if the challenge exists to increase home attendance by say 10% each year, then teams would not only have a positive goal to achieve, but an incentive to reach such goal.   Which team would not want to travel over seas to represent themselves, their community, as well as the league!  And if the league reserves a pot of money for such endeavors, then why would any franchise decline!  What’s more, at least one team each year would be able to employ their players for more than 6 months out of the year.  It should not only be the MLS players who are able to be gainfully employed year-round by their teams.  This is a goal of individual professionals, and is a goal that will inherently improve the level of soccer in this country.  When our professional teams - not only in the first division, but lower divisions as well – are able to employ the players for more than just 6 months, we will then be in a position to become a dominant soccer country. 

        In my mind, at least, there is little doubt that a cohesive team would have had even better results.  Imagine if Richmond, or Rochester or Milwaukee had gone over in place of the all-star group.  After solid seasons, they would have been better prepared to challenge the Portuguese opponents.  Probably they would have returned with a record of 3-0-2 or 4-0-1.  And the Portuguese would be forced to say, “wow, these Americans are really coming along.”  

Certainly an all-star team rewards outstanding individuals, but players often perform better when in a consistent, team environment.  Therefore, players would do better to represent themselves if they travel with their own teams.  The Portuguese would then witness the players at their best, most likely taking interest in more than a few.  From this would come transfer and loan possibilities.  And our players, our teams, and our leagues would make a permanent mark overseas. 

        Another option that might be worth pondering is the possibility of hosting an international tournament which would feature teams from other countries.  Of course, timing would be an issue, but it could be a very good source of income if marketed correctly.  Moreover, it would help USL  build an international reputation.  MLS should not be the only American league that has international credibility.  The best leagues in the world are bolstered by very strong and credible lower divisions.  In countries such as Spain, England and Italy, development is not solely a trickle down process,  but is often up growth as well.  Is it beyond the means of USL?  Certainly not.  Is it an extremely difficult venture that might better suit a long-term planning method?  Definitely so!  And perhaps for now it is a stretch, but it is certainly worth pondering.

As we patiently await this summer’s World Cup, we cannot help but wonder whether or not we will find more success than in France ’98.   We cannot help but wonder whether our players have significantly progressed.   Thus, we must always ask ourselves, “What else can we do to improve the quality of American soccer?!” This must be our over-arching goal!