Bill Reno and soccer historian Steve Holroyd discuss US soccer’s unfortunate return to the “Soccer Wars”. Yes, our country has plenty of history with multiple leagues fighting for control, even with our federation. So we turn to Steve to help us understand what’s come before so we can see where we’re going. As Steve states it so well, “past is prologue”.

We start off with the battle between MLS and the USSF over the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. For those out of the loop, MLS doesn’t want to participate in the Cup, citing schedule congestion as its main problem. And despite the Cup being named after Lamar Hunt, who largely bankrolled MLS to survive its early years, MLS has little interest in preserving the history of the cup, nor open competition against lower levels. Steve discusses the parallels in previous leagues’ similar attempts, long before MLS was ever an idea for anyone.

We then transition to diving into the women’s game with the new sanction of another division 1 league: the USL Super League, which kicks off Fall 2024. It indirectly challenges the NWSL, the long-established top league in, not only our country, but also the world. There is a bit of crossover in conversations with the previous topic but similarly, we cover what the past teaches us about two leagues chances of sustaining each other and what’s different in 2024.

Timestamps

2:45 - Steve’s background and intro

4:50 - What does the US Open Cup mean for American soccer’s history?

10:00 - How does the current struggle for power between MLS vs USSF compare to previous moments in American soccer?

16:45 - Where does history indicate we are heading to?

25:00 - Can we look for signs to see which side (MLS vs. USSF) has more power?

28:30 - What can we expect to see with two division one leagues in women’s soccer? (NWSL and USL Super League)

35:30 - How likely are we looking at a merger for the two leagues?