US Soccer is a shit show and makes me sad
So let's recap:
- Men's national team [failed to qualify the 2018 World Cup](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2017/10/10/usmnt-world-cup-qualification-trinidad-tobago/752568001/).
- The [U23 Men's team has failed to qualify for the last two Olympics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_men%27s_national_under-23_soccer_team).
- Columbus Crew is possibly [moving to Austin/holding Columbus hostage](http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2017/11/08/13126/crew-owner-claims-columbus-is-bad-for-business-actual-numbers-show-otherwise/) for a new stadium.
- [NASL is suing USSF](http://www.nasl.com/news/2017/09/19/north-american-soccer-league-files-federal-antitrust-lawsuit-against-united-states-soccer-federation-) for denying the NASL Division 2 sanctioning.
- [Youth clubs are suing USSF](https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/4xzx53/youth-clubs-class-action-mls-players-union-dempsey-yedlin-bradley-solidarity-payments) for not paying [FIFA-mandated solidarity and training compensation fees](https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/06/29/us-soccer-youth-club-compensation-crossfire-deandre-yedlin-mls-fifa).
- [Pyramid? What Pyramid?](http://fiftyfive.one/2017/09/us-soccers-pyramid-falling-apart/) This year there were two Division 2 leagues and zero Division 3 leagues. Next year there will be either 1 or 2 Division Two leagues and 0, 1 or 2 Division 3 leagues.
- MLS has [3 defunct teams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Soccer_defunct_clubs). USL has [at least 10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Soccer_League#Former_clubs). Latest incarnation of [NASL has at least 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League#Former_clubs).
- [MLS TV ratings are abysmal](http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/media-microscope-mls-tv-ratings-experience-slight-uptick-in/xzu0158zao891v5alrv3vm9nn) and not getting better, despite claims to contrary. [1]
- MLS attendance is flat, despite claims to contrary. [2]
- The [entity that regulates MLS (the USSF) is actually a business parter with MLS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_United_Marketing) (through SUM). Don Garber, commissioner of MLS, is on the USSF board, which regulates MLS. What?
- USSF gave USL 30 days to be in compliance with D2 standards. That "deadline" passed more than a month ago.
- MLS claims all franchises must have a soccer-specific stadium. NYFC will play in Yankee Stadium indefinitely. Atlanta plays in a football stadium. Etc.
- [USL claims all franchises will a soccer-specific stadium](https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/05/13/usl-league-announces-intention-house-all-24-teams-soccer-specific-stadiums-2020). [Atlanta](http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/856341?referrer_id=2424366) and [Memphis](http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/856482?referrer_id=2424366) were announced as new franchises ... playing in baseball stadiums (not to mention the many current franchises not playing in soccer-specific stadiums).
- Three clubs have jumped from USL to NASL. Two clubs have moved to MLS. Half-a-dozen clubs have folded. There is no stability.
- The [San Francisco Deltas won the NASL championship but are set to fold](http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/11/15/san-francisco-soccer-club-founder-leaves-after-winning-title-in-inaugural-season/). Nashville has never had a team and is [set to play in MLS](https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/75605/mls-expansion-race-nashville-jumps-to-front-of-th.html).
- In 2006 [Don Garber said MLS wanted to expand to Rochester](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_of_Major_League_Soccer#Other_efforts). In 2017 Rochester is [set to fold unless $1.3 million can be found](http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/soccer/2017/11/15/rochester-rhinos-2018-season-jeopardy-professional-soccer/865628001/) in the next few weeks.
- For many years ECNL was the top girls youth league. US Soccer recently chose to usurp that league's position by establishing their own "top league for girls," and [a cold war rages](http://www.soccerwire.com/blog-posts/games-thrones-ecnl-vs-girls-development-academy-cold-war-rages/).
- [Is MLS a ponzi scheme?](https://deadspin.com/is-mls-a-ponzi-scheme-1797509617)
This is not an exhaustive list, but it is exhausting. As you can see, no level of soccer in the country is immune to infighting, half-truths, struggles, corruption. From youth to pro, US soccer is unstable and under-performing. And it's only because I care that I focus on all of the negative in soccer. Admittedly, some of the items in this list could be debated and/or removed, or seen in a different light, but the illustration holds that there is a lot to be worked on in US Soccer. We could be a world power if we unified our pyramid all the way down to the youth level, and it makes me sad that we aren't.
[1] 2017 saw a 4% uptick in MLS TV ratings, but looking closer, ESPN was down, while FOX and Univision were up. Also, Atlanta and Minnesota came on as expansion franchises, accounting for the 4% growth (basically the only one watching MLS are people in MLS cities). Finally, ratings weren't good in the first place, so lipstick on a pig. [2] If you look at 2015 to 2016 change, 11 of the 20 MLS team attendance averages fell or remained flat. The 2017 numbers (up only 1.8%) are inflated by Atlanta.