Golden age of soccer? Q&A with Tony Meola

Photo credit: Tony Meola

A couple weeks back, I was listening to “Counter Attack” on SiriusXM FC while mowing my lawn one evening and Tony Meola — quickly off the top of his head — named a myriad of events that happened in the soccer landscape in the U.S. since the end of the 2016 collective soccer seasons for American leagues.

The list Meola rattled off struck me. I began to think more about the sport in our country and realized that if we currently are not in the golden age of the sport, then when did that occur?

Today we have several thriving and expanding leagues, as well as others that are beginning to turn the corner. Not that long ago, MLS was meeting privately to decide if it could keep an eight-team league going or if it had truly come time to shut down the great MLS experiment. In that time, many other leagues started, came and went, or grew roots as well.

I think back to 1985 and really look at just how far the sport has come since I was a senior in high school, having maybe “Soccer Made in Germany” as the only soccer television option except for every four years when I got glimpses of World Cup coverage.

I decided to reach out to Meola. While he is a couple years younger than I, he also has had an “insiders” view of the growth of the sport in our country. I decided to see if someone who grew up in the system also views the present as a true golden age.

The list Tony gave while hosting his talk show was purely off the top of his head, but hit the nail on the head in my opinion:

• NASL almost folded and made a comeback with an eight-team league.
• The New York Cosmos almost folded and Rocco Commisso saved it (and essentially the NASL).
• The USL and NASL were both given provisional D2 sanctions.
• Two teams left the NASL for the USL.
• Four more Expansion teams kicked off in MLS, the NASL and USL.
• A process was announced by MLS to take four expansion teams in 2020/2022 for expansion fees of $150-200 million.
• Twelve cities/groups are vying for MLS expansion (four slots being awarded).
• Two D3 leagues were announced (NISA/USLD3) with up to 12 teams proposed in both leagues to start.
• Multiple expansion announcements were made in the USL.
• MLS was offered $4 billion deal for TV rights for 10 years beginning in 2022 that included a promotion-relegation model.
• Canada announced the CPL (Canadian Premier League).

The list Meola quoted was huge, especially in a country where soccer is a minor sport compared to the money and crowds associated with American football, basketball and baseball.

Jeff Kuhns: How old were you when you first got involved with soccer?

Tony Meola: I was 6 when I started playing in a Kearny, N.J. rec soccer league. From there, I went on to play in the Kearny Thistle program with John Harkes and Tab Ramos, whom I later became teammates with on the national team and played in two World Cups with.

JK: Being involved with the national team in the late ’80s and ’90s, did you feel that you saw progression with the sport and overall national program during those years?

TM: I started full-time with the USMNT in 1989. Shortly after we qualified for the 1990 World Cup and growth began rapidly from that point on. For me, (beginning with the 1994 group) the players were as talented back then as they are now, but the pool of players is a lot deeper now which is a good problem to have. From a marketing and sponsorship standpoint, it has obviously grown with the sport and has a much higher spot in the marketplace.

As a one time 1st half goalie/2nd half striker in my youth, dug the throwback @TimHowardGK cc: @TMeola1 pic.twitter.com/a8PlwWHO07

— Kyle Martino (@kylemartino) August 3, 2017

JK: With so many leagues developing, forming and expanding, do you think that the sport can handle this current expansion?

TM: I think it can handle it, but I don’t think it helps groups that are having a tug of war. People seem to think that this is new to the game, but the reality is that it’s been going on for decades. Everyone has their ideas on how things can run, but it’s the owners of these organizations that ultimately make the decisions that are best for their bottom line and I don’t see that format changing any time soon.

JK: Do you see the rapid expansion as a good thing or a bad thing for the sport?

TM: I like it. I like that different cities have an opportunity to have professional soccer in their state, city, town, etc. Fans have the chance to support a local team, and there are more spots for players to play the game they love and improve. In the past, we probably lost some good players because they had nowhere to work on their game and eventually had to quit the game earlier than they wanted to.

JK: With all of the expansion, do you think there will be similar contraction that has always occurred in the past?

TM: I suppose we will see contraction as we have in the past, but not because of expansion.

“For me, the players were as talented back then as they are now, but the pool of players is a lot deeper now which is a good problem to have.” -Tony Meola

JK: The current soccer stadia really began to grow up around you as you finished your professional career, and as you have taken new positions within the sport over the years. How do you feel about the stadiums, clubs and academies, and did you feel you would see this day in your lifetime?

TM: I think what’s happened with the stadiums and academies in this country has been a huge part in the development of the sport in our country. I always thought I would see it, I just never knew when it would come. As I saw it grow from the inside during the early days of MLS and the USMNT since qualifying in 1990, I could see it coming. I just couldn’t tell at what pace or rate but I am happy with where it’s come. I think everyone understands that we have a lot to improve on and grow, but there’s no denying the growth of the sport.

JK: How essential do you see D2, D3 and developmental leagues to the sport?

TM: As I mentioned above, it’s vital to the growth of players in this country. We have seen so many players from lower leagues get an opportunity to play and move on to bigger and better things in the sport.

JK: Like the NHL and NBA, soccer in America is still a very close and intimate setting between the players, clubs and fans. Do you see this changing as league aspirations are possibly met to become one of, or the top league in the world?

TM: I think it’s great that we keep the accessibility between players and fans. This is a big part of what the attraction is from a lot of people to the game and hopefully it will continue to help propel us into future growth. I would hate to see this part of the game leave the sport.

JK: Can the aspiration of a top world league be economically obtained in America?

TM: I don’t think you can buy passion, time committed to a club, history. This comes with time. We are a very young soccer country but we are growing rapidly. It won’t happen overnight but we’ve grown faster than most countries around the world the last 20 years. I think it will just continue to grow. Like everyone else, I want to see it happen overnight but I know that it will not.

JK: How do you feel about our leagues (the pyramid as a whole) and their expansion compared to other countries who also are currently experiencing expansion in the sport (Middle East, China, Australia)?

TM: We may be expanding at what seems a quick rate, but we are a massive country with a lot of great cities. Compared to other (geographically) smaller countries, we are actually behind with regards to total number of professional soccer teams. The challenge for me as I see it is determining at what point the product gets watered down. This eye test will likely be the perception of how big the professional player pool gets. At the moment, the lower leagues are giving so many players opportunities to improve their game and try and make the next step forward. Hopefully we don’t get to a point where we have too many teams and not enough players.

When I think that today, at our finger tips, there is every major European league, cup competition and international tournament available for watching, streaming or downloading — it amazes me. In fact, the United States probably has the best overall comprehensive media coverage of the sport in the world.

I do feel that no matter how you look at what soccer is doing in America, you can agree that the number of teams, leagues and players continues to expand. This can only be beneficial to the game, sport and environment, that you — more than likely if you read this — love to be a part of.

In this golden age, it’s important to support soccer at all levels of competition in my opinion.  Whether it’s MLS, the NASL, USL, NCAA, NAIA or your local high school, go support and be a part of the soccer community as a whole, and experience the golden age in person firsthand.

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You can follow Jeff on Twitter: @jkuhns1.

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