USSF

  • USL Western Conference

    One USL club’s player contract contains ‘at any time’ termination clause

    Over the course of the last several years, the U.S. Soccer Federation created an impetus among the leadership of the USL to bring every club into compliance with every FIFA guideline regarding player contracts. As of the end of the 2017 season, USL clubs were more consistently and completely...
  • Soc Takes Pod - Neil Morris

    Soc Takes Pod Ep. 36: Alexi Lalas sizes up state of American soccer

    Former U.S. men’s national team defender and current FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas joins the panel of Aaron Gunyon, Nipun Chopra and Kevin Johnston to size up the current state of American soccer. The U.S. Soccer presidential race is heavily discussed, along with the move of Jonathan Gonzalez to...
  • USL franchise agreement

    USL’s divisional sanctioning remains unclear

    While the NASL lawsuit appeal rolls on, US Soccer finds itself in a situation where, for a second year running, it starts the calendar year without a sanctioned second division. Unlike the NASL, USL has continued to make expansion announcements and USL teams have diligently continued to rebuild their...
  • Albuquerque Sol USL 2019

    Albuquerque to join USL in 2019

    Soc Takes had previously characterized Albuquerque as a “less likely” destination for the USL in 2019. Yet, multiple sources inform Soc Takes that Albuquerque will be part of the USL in the 2019 season. Currently, Albuquerque Sol FC plays in the PDL and is expected to continue to do...
  • sunil gulati

    Rumor: Sunil Gulati considering not running for USSF president

    Sunil Gulati is considering not running for the office of U.S. Soccer president in February, according to a source close to the situation. Soc Takes could not independently corroborate the information. The Allahabad-born Gulati has served as president of U.S. Soccer since 2006 and currently also serves on the FIFA...
  • NASL antitrust

    USSF attempted to prevent NASL from future antitrust litigation

    As Soc Takes revealed on Twitter last week, the NASL and USSF were in discussions to facilitate a continuation of the league at the D2 level. This story was independently confirmed by former Empire of Soccer editor-in-chief Dave Martinez and Jeff Rueter. Since then, reports from Michael Lewis of Front Row...
  • Preki

    Preki expected to be head coach of Cal United FC

    Soc Takes has learned that Predrag Radosavljević (Preki) is poised to take over as the first head coach of Cal United FC. The nascent club, at present poised to play in the NASL in 2018, was initially expected to begin the season with Eric Wynalda at the helm. Recently, Wynalda...
  • NASL cancels season

    NASL releases statement following denial of preliminary injunction

    The U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to strip the NASL of its Division II status was upheld, the league learned Saturday. U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York judge Margo Brodie made the ruling after weighing arguments presented by both sides during hearings, ultimately determining that “while...
  • USL franchise agreement

    What USL’s franchise agreement tells us

    Any discussion of the NASL vs. USL “soccerwarz” often sets off mad ideological arguments about the the pro soccer leagues and their “independence.” NASL proponents have long conflated the structures of MLS and the USL as one-in-the-same, when in fact they are very different. MLS employs a single-entity model...
  • Deltas vs. PRFC

    Multiple teams sign LOIs for 2018 NASL season

    What happens if the NASL receives the injunctive relief it hopes for at the upcoming Oct. 31 hearing regarding its federal antitrust lawsuit against the USSF? Turns out, the NASL is locked and loaded to bring in multiple expansion sides. Per documentation provided to Soc Takes, six teams —...
  • Soc Takes

    Soc Takes Pod Ep. 34: Paul Lapointe on his candidacy for USSF president

    U.S. Soccer presidential candidate and UPSL Northeast Conference manager Paul Lapointe shares his wide array of ideas to improve the sport across all levels domestically. The panel covers everything from pay to play, pro/rel and equal pay for the USWNT, to making the position of U.S. Soccer president a...
  • NASL antitrust

    How each NASL team voted regarding USSF lawsuit

    Soon after news broke that the NASL had filed a lawsuit against the USSF, it became quickly apparent that not all NASL clubs supported the litigation. Neil Morris, host of the Inverted Triangle Soccer Podcast, revealed that North Carolina FC was not behind this litigation, while our reporting suggested...