Winning vs. Developing, The American Striker's Problem with MLS

MLS clubs are always looking for that special player that can come in, score/create goals and lead their club to win the MLS Cup.  The clubs are not to blame for trying to find a player that can win  games and hopefully in addition attract more fans to the club.

A problem that has arose from this formula for winning is that most of the players that are brought in are either foreign players or older Americans.  Of the fifteen clubs in MLS, only 7 regularly started an American striker under the age of 33(McBride is 37 and Twelleman is not included due to his long injury) this year.  Young American strikers are seeing this trend which is leading them to Europe or the a midfield role.

Not Really Promotion, but no Relegation

The formation of a new American soccer league, composed of former USL First Division teams, has received much attention in the recent weeks.  This attention is driven by what purpose the league will have and who it will be affiliated with.  The group of owners, which broke away from USL-1, held talks with MLS and have applied to US Soccer to be sanctioned as a Division 2 league. The league will apply to be a Division 1 league in Canada. Both of these Divisions (2nd in America and 1st in Canada) are currently held by the USL First Division.

So what does all this mean?