NASL

  • history of USL

    Brief history of USL

    With the United Soccer League set to field three separate divisions for the first time since 2009, I think it’s time we talked about the history of the various USL-operated leagues, and of the USL as an organization. Consider this adjacent to my recent “Understanding the pyramid” piece. The...
  • Miki Turner The Athletic

    Soc Takes Pod Ep. 55: The Athletic contributor Miki Turner

    The Athletic contributor, lawyer and founder of socceresq.com Miki Turner hops on the podcast to offer his insights on the #SaveTheCrew fiasco, NASL vs. USSF lawsuit and Seattle Sounders’ 2018 campaign. Miki touches on everything from how he thinks the lawsuits will shake out to his postgame cigar and...
  • Soc Takes across all digital platforms

    Soc Takes Pod Ep. 54: Reno 1868 FC striker Sidney Rivera

    Reno 1868 FC forward Sidney Rivera guests on the latest edition of the Soc Takes Pod to tackle topics ranging from his quick turnaround in joining Reno from Atlantic City FC midseason to his experience with Puerto Rico FC in 2017, including coping with the devastating effects of Hurricane...
  • Lower League America - NY Cosmos

    Lower League America: NY Cosmos, the Neutron Star of US Soccer

    Episode 5 of Lower League America with co-hosts Nipun Chopra and Jason Davis is here. The fellas discuss the history of the New York Cosmos, one of America’s most storied clubs. They also touch on the USL’s company-wide rebrand announced earlier this week. Related: Lower League America: The Premiere Related: Lower...
  • Riverside

    New USL D3 club will have the backing of AS Roma

    Sources inform Soc Takes that AS Roma will be part of an ownership group that brings a professional soccer team to Riverside, California. This currently unnamed team will be playing in USL Division III in 2019. USL Division III will be rebranded as USL League One at the end...
  • good

    Lower League America: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the USL

    Co-hosts Jason Davis and Nipun Chopra return with Episode 4 of their Lower League America series, this installment entitled “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the USL.” The two discuss the history of the USL and also follow up on Episode 3 with a comment from NASL...
  • Die Young

    Lower League America: Live Fast, Die Young – The Story of the New NASL

    Lower League America, a collaboration between Compass Football’s Jason Davis and our own Nipun Chopra, returns with a third episode entitled “Live Fast, Die Young – The Story of the New NASL.” The two-man panel breaks down the history of the modern NASL, tracing back the league’s origins before...
  • NISA

    NISA to submit application for D3 sanctioning by Sept. 1

    Per a source close to NISA, the league will apply for Division 3 sanctioning for the fall 2019 season. The source informed Soc Takes and Midfield Press reporter, Chris Kivlehan, that due to the planned delay in the start of the season, the deadline for submitting the application to...
  • Rocco Commisso - $500 million offer

    No runway, no $500 million

    As originally reported by ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, New York Cosmos owner and de facto NASL leader Rocco Commisso had extended his “let’s talk about this” deadline to the USSF until May 31. On May 30, a letter from USSF secretary Dan Flynn was emailed to Commisso. U.S. Soccer provided...
  • NASL interim commissioner Rishi Sehgal

    Q&A with NASL interim commissioner Rishi Sehgal

    As revealed by Wes “Mantooth” Burdine of FiftyFive.One, the USSF decided to reject NASL’s application for Division II sanctioning last year. Since that time, lawsuits, injunctions and rejections have been the story of the North American Soccer League (NASL). As teams continued to exit the league and other leagues...
  • lower-division soccer - usl progress report

    ‘Too Small to Succeed’: The perils of owning a lower-division pro soccer team

    The lower divisions of American soccer are a tumultuous place. Whether it is the collapse of individual clubs, irresponsible behavior toward players or the death of an entire league, the stories of instability are as commonplace as a PBR at your local dive bar. Yet, there is one narrative...
  • Erik Stover - New York Cosmos

    Soc Takes Pod Ep. 45: New York Cosmos COO Erik Stover

    New York Cosmos chief operating officer Erik Stover joins co-hosts Kevin Johnston and Nipun Chopra to chat about the New York Cosmos, New York Red Bulls, NASL, NPSL, USSF presidential election, Cosmos B and more. Formerly the president and managing director at RBNY, Stover revisits his tenure with the...