Tony Meola on pro/rel: ‘Build a better mousetrap’

Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports

Some argue it’s necessary for the U.S. to achieve its full soccer potential. Others think Major League Soccer might not even be where it’s at in a different model.

Whatever your stance is on the issue of promotion and relegation, it remains perhaps the most divisive topic in American soccer circles.

Host of SiriusXM FC’s Counter Attack show and former U.S. national team ‘keeper Tony Meola recently shared his candid thoughts on the hot-button issue.

“I love promotion and relegation,” Meola told Soc Takes. “I do not think it works at this moment in the U.S. There are so many layers to this argument that I would need to write a book — that’s not happening. But if owners don’t like the current system, I will steal a saying from my good friend Alexi Lalas here: ‘Build a better mousetrap.'”

Kudos to Meola for his willingness to tackle the subject. After all, a healthy pro/rel discourse can only occur when people from both sides are willing to throw their hats into the ring.

“If owners don’t like the current system, I will steal a saying from my good friend Alexi Lalas here: ‘Build a better mousetrap.'”

Meola also expressed his view that U.S. Soccer is currently in its golden age, so it’s probably no surprise that he believes in MLS’ single-entity model that helped grow the game to this point. In the end, the 48-year-old veteran of three World Cups feels that — like almost everything in America — the pro/rel debate will ultimately boil down to a matter of economics.

“If owners in MLS thought for a minute that pro/rel would put more money in their pockets, they would do it today,” Meola added. “And if they think it will in five, 10, 15 year’s time, they will do it then. For now, I’ve yet to see an argument that says that it will make MLS a better league that I can buy into. I know some do and some don’t want to hear or listen to the ‘other side’ of the story, but that’s my opinion.”

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Soc Takes correspondent Jeff Kuhns contributed to this story.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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