ESPN With 95 teams, a new elite MLS youth league will be born

DALLAS -- The new high-profile children's and youth soccer league, spearheaded by Major League Soccer, will feature at least 95 teams for its initial season, they said Wednesday.

MLS announced that all 30 of its teams, including the current 26 and four yet to debut, will participate in the new league, along with 65 other independent clubs.

The platform announced under the name of MLS Player Development intends to replace and improve the previous category, US Soccer's Development Academy, which closed operations last month.

"There is a strong positive momentum and enthusiasm among MLS club academies and elite academies to jointly create a platform that provides an unparalleled experience for the nation's best players and clubs," said Fred Lipka, vice president and director. MLS Player Development technician.

"The development of professional and elite players requires a holistic and integrated approach, beyond the competition format," he added. "We have daily conversations with academy clubs across the country who are committed to building that environment with us."

The league, which will also include teams from Canada, will have Under 13, Under 14, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 17 categories that are basically the same as those of the Development Academy of the United States Soccer Federation, which in recent years also added the Sub 12.

It is proposed to include the Sub 16 category in the future, which did not exist in the most recent DA, according to media reports. A soccer calendar similar to the rest of the world, from autumn to spring/summer, is also contemplated, although the current Covid-19 pandemic could delay the start of its inaugural season.

The league is still working out many of the specific details, but reports have indicated that the new competition platform could have two divisions; one with only MLS basic forces teams and the other with independent clubs, and that at some point they would play between both groups.

Work is still being done on verifying game regions, if that is the case, and on how to reduce costs for independent MLS and USL clubs, especially in the large categories, such as Under 15 and Under 17, which will also have a tournament Cup, similar to the one they have had in recent years in the GA Cup, which is held annually at the FC Dallas facilities.

"The platform will work with an innovative governance structure that promotes collaboration, innovation and contribution in all areas of the soccer landscape," MLS said in a statement. “Within the framework, technical working groups will provide recommendations on strategic goals and standards for the platform, outline guidelines and competition formats, and implement platform programming.

"By unifying the elite player development landscape and creating a collaborative structure, the new platform will accelerate and improve player development in North America," the league said in a statement.

The new league promised at a news conference to have year-round high-level competition for players, as well as a heavy focus on player identification and coach training, something that has been sorely lacking in U.S. youth soccer. during the most recent years.

“MLS leadership, along with many like-minded clubs, have stepped up fantastically during these unprecedented times to begin genuine collaboration through a special combination of education, innovation and competition that has the potential to develop a league globally respected for our future generations,” said Paul Holocher, Director of Core Forces for the Houston Dynamo, which will be one of the founding clubs, along with its affiliate Rio Grande Valley FC, which competes in the USL.

US soccer failed to qualify for the previous two Olympics and the most recent FIFA World Cup.

"There were a lot of good things that US Soccer did," Kansas City Sporting general manager Peter Vermes said at a news conference on Wednesday. "But surely there are some things that we can improve."

FOUNDING TEAMS

Founding Members • Albion SC - CA

• Atlanta United-GA

• Austin FC - TX

• Ballistic United - CA

• Baltimore Armor - MD

• Barca Residency Academy - AZ

• Bayside Soccer Club - RI

• Beachside of Connecticut - CT

• Bethesda SC - MD

• Blau Weiss Gottschee - NY

• Breakers - CA

• Cedar Stars Academy Bergen - NJ

• Cedar Stars Academy Monmouth - NJ

• Chargers Soccer Club - FL

• Chicago FC United - IL

• Chicago Fire FC - IL

• Chula Vista FC - CA

• Cincinnati United Premier Soccer Club - OH

• City SC - CA

• Colorado Rapids - CO

• Columbus Crew SC - OH

• DC United-DC

• De Anza Force - CA

• Empire United Soccer Academy - NY

• FC Cincinnati-OH

• FC Dallas-TX

• FC Delco-PA

• FC Greater Boston Bolts - MA

• FC Westchester-NY

• Florida Rush Soccer Club - FL

• Houston Dynamo - TX

• IMG Academy - FL

• Indiana Fire Academy - IN

• Inter Miami CF-FL

• Internationals - OH

• Jacksonville FC-FL

• LA United Futbol Academy - CA

• LA Galaxy - CA

• LA Surf Soccer Club - CA

• Lanier Soccer Academy - GA

• Los Angeles Football Club - CA

• Metropolitan Oval - NY

• Miami Rush Kendall SC - FL

• Michigan Wolves - MI

• Minnesota United FC - MN

• MLS Charlotte - NC

• MLS St.Louis - MO

• Montreal Impact - QC

• Murrieta Surf Soccer Club - CA

• Nashville SC-TN

• NEFC-MA

• New England Revolution - MA

• New York City FC-NY

• New York Red Bulls-NJ

• New York Soccer Club - NY

• Nomads - CA

• Oakwood Soccer Club - CT

• Orlando City SC - FL

• PA Classics - PA

• Philadelphia Union - PA

• Phoenix Rising FC - AZ

• Player Development Academy - NJ

• Portland Timbers - OR

• Royal Colorado - CO

• Royal Salt Lake - UT

• RGV FC Toros Academy - TX

• RISE Soccer Club - TX

• RSL Arizona-AZ

• Sacramento Republic - CA

• St. Louis FC - MO

• San Antonio FC - TX

• San Jose Earthquakes - CA

• Santa Barbara Soccer Club - CA

• SC Del Sol - AZ

• Seacoast United-NH

• Seattle Sounders FC-WA

• SF Elite - CA

• SF Glens - CA

• Shattuck-St. Mary's - MN

• Silicon Valley SA - CA

• Sockers FC Chicago - IL

• Solar Soccer Club - TX

• South Florida Football Academy - FL

• Southern Soccer Academy - GA

• Sporting Kansas City - KS

• Tampa Bay United Rowdies - FL

• Toronto FC - ON

• Total Soccer Academy - CA

• TSF Academy - NJ

• Valeo Soccer Club - MA

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC - BC

• VARDAR Soccer Club - MI

• Ventura County Fusion - CA

• West Florida Flames - FL

• Weston FC - FL