Traffic to buy USL?

We've heard the same whispers as everyone else. Nike wants to dump USL, and Traffic Sports -- you know, the company that owns your Miami FC Blues -- is leading an effort by the owners to buy it.

This makes sense on a lot of different levels. USL-1 will truly become an owner-operated league, the exact opposite of the top-down bureaucracy of MLS, which has no interest in buying the league, according to The New York Times.

The question is: How to make USL profitable? Two options: trying to compete with MLS head-on as the nation's premier league (a dicey prospect, considering MLS' deep pockets) or make it the minor league for international franchises, sort of like what the Blues plan to do with Gale Agbossoumonde.

We'll probably have some sort of resolution on this matter this week. Just wanted to let you know I'm in the loop, and when there's actual news, we'll be all over it.

Comments

[Joel]

Thanks, Adam, great stuff! Can't wait to see how it all turns out. If it is Traffic, I hope they go with option 1. Hopefully this will benefit Miami FC more than anything, if anything they will hopefully amp up their committment to the team (which they have failed to do many times) and get better players down here.

[soccer goals]

I am glad that MLS is not buying USL.

[Uncle Ed]

This morning I was contemplating writing about this same subject.
This has been something I heard Traffic folks talk about for awhile but now it seems it will materialize.
I wonder if Traffic will chose to close down Miami FC and dedicate themselves to the league or if they make it their flagship team.

[Jerry]

We in Miami just want the best in soccer. Right now USL is not.

[Mike]

MLS is an owner-operated league already, so how the heck do you come to the conclusion that "an owner-operated league" is "the exact opposite of the top-down bureaucracy of MLS?"

Are you completely clueless about how MLS is run by its ownership?

[Ultra]

I hope Traffic, if they do indeed plan on running USL, go with option 1, but rather than try to challenge MLS, try to compliment MLS as a top division. The US/Canada is such a large region that 2 top divisions could easily coexist. I can't happen over night, but if over time they can build USL to a strong 20 team league with good markets and a few stadiums etc., they should join forces with MLS, like the old AL/NL, AFL/NFL. Each league could play out it's season independently and then feed into a universal playoff system.

I also hope whatever they do, this means Miami FC stays around long-term.