USL Success Isn't Much Of A Surprise

So how many of you had Puerto Rico going to the Semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League? How many had them even getting out of the initial group stage? Or how about Montreal, who later this evening will take a 2-goal 1st leg lead into the cauldron that is Mexico to take on Santos Laguna? Unless you're working for the USL or a devoted fan of these teams, you didn't; you probably would have had the same expression as our boy Culkin up top.

"We're excited, but not surprised," USL Vice President Tim Holt told me earlier today. "Our teams have gotten better and more stable over the past few years, the chemistry has increased, and I we've established more credibility as a league." (side note: I called Tim around 8 this morning, and the guy calls me, just a lowly blogger, back within the hour. Ya' gotta LOVE that!)

Although he wouldn't comment on the fact that both USL teams have done better in the tournament than any of the MLS squads, DC Examiner's Craig Stouffer certainly did.

"People diss USL all the time, and I really don't think that's fair," he said. "When it comes down to a home-and-away series, anything is possible. The gap isn't as much as some people think."

He's right. One of the top soccer journalists in this country, whom I have the utmost respect for, continues to refer to USL 1 as a 2nd-tier league. Is there really such a difference between MLS and USL 1? There is, but not as much as you'd think.

It's become an age-old argument (age-old meaning the past 13 years since MLS began) about how USL teams would do week in and week out against MLS squads. It's easy to speculate but impossible to know for sure. USL 1 teams routinely beat MLS teams in the U.S. Open Cup, but that's a 1-game playoff. A USL team hasn't won the Cup since Rochester in 1999, but several teams have come close since then. Plus, they play most of those final games on the road, where MLS does have a major advantage.

But what if last year's Final was played in Charleston instead of RFK? What if MLS teams routinely had to play in feisty places like Vancouver or Montreal on a regular basis?

"The home-field advantage is greater in the USL than some people think," said Richmond Kickers Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "Montreal and Puerto Rico are really difficult places to play, and both organizations have taken advantage of it."

Plus, most people don't seem to realize that USL teams play more meaningful games for longer periods of time. The structure is similar to MLS (8 teams make it to the MLS playoffs while 7 make it in USL), but the team that finishes 1st in the USL regular season gets an automatic bye into the semifinals. You can work your butts off all year in MLS to win the Supporter's Shield, but you're still going to be in a home-and-away series in the 1st round. Upsets in the 1st round happen every year.

Want more proof of the USL strength? How about the fact that neither Montreal or Puerto Rico won the USL title last year; that went to Vancouver.

I could go on and on, but the point I'm trying to make is that there is some fine soccer on display throughout CONCACAF, and the USL 1 is certainly proving that they belong in there with the supposed "bigger" leagues.

Even if they don't win the whole thing, the USL, the teams, and most importantly, the fans, should recognize the accomplishments of the Impact and Islanders in the ever-changing soccer landscape.

A Quick Tangent:

As a follow-up to my post yesterday about the Redskins, if they even THINK about signing Terrell Owens, I'll be done w/ them. I'm still trying to figure out why so many sportswriters think he's a 1st ballot Hall-of-Famer when the guy has never won ANYTHING? These same writers are debating Kurt Warner's place, even though he's been to 3 Super Bowls, could easily be 3-0 in them instead of 1-2, and has won the MVP Award twice. If someone can explain the thinking on this one, I'd appreciate it.