It's official. El Paso to get a USL team in 2019
- Thread starter utep2step
- Start date
I have to be honest... I'm not a soccer fan and find it more dull than curling, darts or golf... but I will definitely be going to a few games when the team begins because I support El Paso and want to see my city grow.
The Rio Grande Valley is a bigger market than El Paso and it's growing at a rate twice as fast as El Paso.
As the Rio Grande is an area of about 10 major communities its is growing and over a million and by the border. However el paso Juarez las cruces are almost 3 times larger together and Soccer will be supported in tgid region.
This could be the building of a backup for the Bravos. I am almost sure
that the good players will end up with the Bravos of Juarez.
GO Miners...
that the good players will end up with the Bravos of Juarez.
GO Miners...
Have any USL teams ever been upgraded to MLS? I know there's no policy of promotion/relegation in American soccer, but have there been any USL teams that have made the jump based on tremendous support from their community?
Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Montreal, Orlando, and Minnesota were previous USL/NASL franchises up until their MLS debuts. They paid money and their spots were not "earned" to be in MLS.
Compare those cities to El Paso and you'll see why they're in MLS and El Paso never be will. The EP USL franchise basically admits they will never be in MLS in their FAQs.
Hey, if El Paso really embraces the team and sells out their games, I'm sure they can make a pretty good case for the jump to MSL. If El Paso really loves soccer, per capita, more than those other major cities, then that can overcome any income disparity. (Hey, those other cities might have more wealth overall, but the people don't give a flip about soccer so none of that wealth is going to the team. But here, in El Paso, they really love soccer, so the people are really supporting the team.)
Does El Paso really love soccer? I'm skeptical; the circles I grew up with didn't really play it. But I'm a creature of the west side; maybe they really love it on the east.
I think they would if El Paso sold out their games. I don't put MLS on par with the NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB. Median attendance in MLS is around 20,000. If El Paso is consistently selling 10,000 (capacity) for a USL team, you don't think MLS would at least take a look? Doesn't it look good on TV, to build the sport in popularity, if the venue is sold out? If El Paso can demonstrate to MLS that they're a major soccer city, with a greater per capita interest in the sport than other cities of our size, I think they could be won over.
The premise at test is whether or not El Paso really is a soccer city. I think the love for the sport in our city is overstated. But I'd love to be wrong and I hope this USL franchise is a big success.
It does not matter if EP gets 10,000 per game and has a successful USL franchise. MLS TV partners do not want El Paso. A lot of the people here do not watch english language TV and ESPN doesn't give 2 shizz about Juarez and non-english speakers. El Paso is a "poor" city and not everyone speaks english. Advertisers in the US do not want this city. The want cities where people will tune in and buy their products.
From the website:
"When we last met with MLS Commissioner Don Garber he was very enthused about our ownership group and the unique aspects of the region.However, based on market size, the current number of corporate headquarters, and television market size, amongst other parameters, he indicated that El Paso is not yet ready and that we should pursue an opportunity with the USL. Competition will always be significant for a MLS team and it’s likely to be many years before those attributes in our region make us a viable candidate for MLS expansion."
https://www.elpasousl.com/faqs
"When we last met with MLS Commissioner Don Garber he was very enthused about our ownership group and the unique aspects of the region.However, based on market size, the current number of corporate headquarters, and television market size, amongst other parameters, he indicated that El Paso is not yet ready and that we should pursue an opportunity with the USL. Competition will always be significant for a MLS team and it’s likely to be many years before those attributes in our region make us a viable candidate for MLS expansion."
https://www.elpasousl.com/faqs
Proof is in the pudding. If El Paso really is a soccer city, then that will be demonstrated by strong support for the USL team, and the greater per capita interest in soccer would result in greater than average television ratings within our market, which would offset the overall smaller size of our market. I doubt MLS ratings are particularly electrifying in many of the "larger" markets. By selling out the USL games, El Paso would prove that the people in our city will support soccer with their dollars. And again, if El Paso sells out soccer games, those optics of sold-out stadiums would benefit MLS as a whole, bringing value to the league as a whole. MLS is not the NFL, NHL, NBA, or MLB; they need to build the brand. They can't afford to overlook communities where there is actually enthusiasm for the sport.
Impossible. They play at SUP and the Chihuahuas don't get 10,000. The stadium doesn't hold that many.
Sad but true. Unfortunately the culture in EP is self limiting to bigger opportunities due to language, income barriers and interests. The TV market is mostly Spanish too.
I got the feeler questionare from Mountain Star about the USL and I told them why I thought it was a bad idea. In general, EP could give 2 shits about american soccer. Only a few even care about the USMNT, let alone USL. There is no relegation. There will be no friendlies with high level teams. God forbid the team sucks then nobody will show up...
Our only hope was a new stadium and an MLS team with some mexican players. Too bad we didn't meet the criteria to even be considered because I think a MLS team could sustain in EP and actually do very well if winning (despite all the road blocks).
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I think the Hispanic market can be turned into El Paso’s favor. The MLS is receiving higher tv ratings on Univision than on ESPN. Even then we are talking about shitty numbers. The MLS averages less than 250k views. Think about that for a minute. A potential Houston vs LA game and less than a quarter million tuned in to watch two top 5 tv markets. I know at this point I’m comparing apples to oranges but UTEPs tv games pull in bigger numbers than that. As @FeralFelidae was saying if El Paso grows a strong domestic following we can become the flag bearers for Univision content. More than half the TV sets in El Paso have Univision as background noise.
The two Texas mls teams are in the wrong markets. The teams should in Austin and San Antonio. The rivalry would have been great, the tv numbers would be much better. San Antonio and Austin would have been as good of mls markets as Seattle and Portland.
MLS has zero interest in bringing a franchise to El Paso and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Austin and San Antonio are far more desirable to MLS than El Paso, and there is zero chance MLS will have 5 teams in Texas.
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If more than half already have Univision on, they're not going to get much more.
And you're assuming that most of El Paso is even interested in this team/MLS. Liga MX is a better league and you would be asking fans to care about an MLS team and a league they don't care about. Fans of Americas, Pumas, Santos, Chivas, and Cruz Azul aren't all of a sudden going to start caring about this team.
How many MLS jerseys do you see out there? Not many. You could go to anywhere in El Paso and you have a good chance of seeing a LigaMX jersey.
Gotta remember some of the people reading this board think UTEP has a chance at the Big 12 and El Paso can land HQs of Amazon and Apple.
I was one who hoped wed have a chance at MLS and who knows maybe one day, but not anytime soon u less we support USL. With that said USL is the highest level of Soccer this city has ever seen some US Mens team players are from USL and some USL teams comprar and beat MLS teams. The Lamar Hunt Trophy is all professional levels of soccer and USL teams qualify for that as well and they're be MLS friendlies. So its all about attitude and if Mountain Star doea it right like Chihuahuas, it can be very well supported. Whem I was in SA, Scorpipns Soccer had great marketing and regularly got 6-8,000 and I believe that's about where we should expect. Once Soccer Specific stadium about 9-10,000 is built then thing cpyld really get going. Lets Support and stop complaining!
And as I recall it sold out at SAC! The divisions have changed since then and USL is little Bro to MLS and fields decent talent. We'd actually be seeing very skilled soccer at this level
SAC wasn't around when the Patriots made the USOC final. You're thinking about the PDL final in 2005.
The 95 Lamar US Open Cup was played at the SAC. Richmond Kickers vs El Paso Patriots. It sold out. The game was broadcast on TV. It was a general admission game so when the first fans entered the stadium they were forced to sit on the opposite side of the press box for the TV audience. The stadium ended up with a standing room only crowd by the start of the game.
The Kickers were primarily the University of Virginia soccer team which had won the NCAA title from 91 to 95. Patriots lost in PKs 4-2
USL to create a Division One Soccer League that will compete with MLS. It looks like it will be a Three Tier System that could possibly have promotion and relegation.
www.espn.com
USL plans to start league that would rival MLS
The United Soccer League confirmed plans to launch a Division One men's professional league in 2027 defined by the sanctioning standards of the U.S. Soccer Federation, rivaling Major League Soccer.
This will be a colossal failure. Without their own SSS, no way Locomotive will be involved. Not that it would be successful anyway.USL to create a Division One Soccer League that will compete with MLS. It looks like it will be a Three Tier System that could possibly have promotion and relegation.
USL plans to start league that would rival MLS
The United Soccer League confirmed plans to launch a Division One men's professional league in 2027 defined by the sanctioning standards of the U.S. Soccer Federation, rivaling Major League Soccer.
