Future of NASL up in the air due to financial woes; Here's what to know about it
The league's future is unknown at this time
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1 min read
The future of USA's second-tier soccer league is up in the air but has received a lifeline amidst financial troubles.
Here's everything you need to know about the NASL's future.
What's going on?
The North American Soccer League, which has appeared on the brink of folding, may still be saved after the U.S. Soccer Federation postponed a decision on reclassifying divisions.
Teams have been departing the league, and there has been a concern that the league would be moved from second-tier to third-tier or potentially fold. With the league losing teams, they simply could end up with not enough to continue operation or meet the standards of a second-tier league.
Teams leaving
Minnesota United is joining MLS, while the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Ottawa Fury have announced moves to USL, the third-tier which could move up to second depending on what happens to NASL. Other teams, like the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, are in financial trouble. Per The Oklahoman, Rayo OKC released their players from contracts.
The league's biggest name, the New York Cosmos, have reportedly ended their players' contracts as well, per Empire of Soccer. Cosmos assistant coach Alecko Eskandarian's recent tweets about the club seem to confirm the report, saying there are people in the club now "scrambling to find new jobs and ways to support their families as we approach the holiday season."
Proud of my @NYCosmos family and all we accomplished in 4 years. Hate seeing the club's name dragged through the mud so I had to weigh in... pic.twitter.com/AbWSkZpSQh
— Alecko Eskandarian (@alecko11) December 6, 2016
Where does U.S. Soccer stand on all this?
"After continuing discussions with NASL and USL, the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors postponed the decision on sanctioning/re-certification of leagues for Division 2 and Division 3," U.S. Soccer said on Tuesday.
Factors such as location of teams, market size and number of teams determine what division a league falls under, and this decision seems to buy a bit of time to try and figure out what to do with NASL and how to keep it running.
What's next?
Per SI, the league could fold if another team leaves. A merger between the USL and NASL was proposed at a board of governors meeting recently but was rejected.
So right now, there is plenty of scrambling going on to figure out what can be done. The future doesn't look bright, but NASL and U.S. Soccer are trying to figure out how to keep the league afloat, while ensuring stability.
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