USL League Two officials say they are committed to playing a 2020 season even though it’s unclear when exactly athletes can resume playing soccer.
USL League Two is a development league for young talent, a mission reflected by the league’s “Path to Pro” motto. With more than 80 teams across the U.S. and Canada, more than 70% of the MLS SuperDraft picks during the past decade previously played for a USL League Two side.
Many of the clubs in the league are directly affiliated with professional clubs, offering players a direct path up to a professional team.
Since it is focused on college athletes, the USL League Two season is abbreviated — 14 regular season matches that typically span from May to mid-July. Teams in the league can also compete in the U.S. Open Cup. With the coronavirus pandemic postponing all professional sports seasons into May, the future also remains uncertain for the USL League Two.
“We do intend to play in 2020,” USL League Two vice president Joel Nash said. “Like other leagues, we may have to get creative with our competition structure, but the feedback we’re being given from the majority of owners in our league is that they want to play and are willing to do what’s necessary in order to do so. And hopefully once we’re through the crises, those games can be a reason to bring communities back together in a safe way.”
Last week, the league’s counterpart and competitor — the National Premier Soccer League — announced the cancellation of its 2020 season. However, the league will still allow all of its team to continue play either independently or through a different league this year.
The USL League Two does not plan on canceling its season, but it is looking for creative options to complete its 2020 slate. This could include collaborating with other clubs and leagues to facilitate regional matches and offering options for independent teams trying to put together a 2020 slate of games.
“We’re not against it,” Nash said of collaboration with those outside the USL League Two. “Generally speaking, we believe more soccer is better, so we hope that every organization who is trying to grow the game in the United States makes it out of the crises on solid footing. We are going to prioritize getting the greatest number of games in for the most number of L2 teams that want to play. We will then work with our ownership to identify other non-L2 teams that we could supplement for additional games.”
Additionally, the league is emphasizing flexibility as it looks provide appropriate options to each of its individual clubs.
The pandemic has damaged some communities — such as New York City and New Orleans — more dramatically than others. Nash said he understands that teams in many of these regions will not be able to return to play on the same timetable as the rest of the league.
Nash added the league expects several teams and divisions to shut down for the remainder of 2020, and they will receive full support from the league if they make that decision.
“What we need to balance is the intent to play in 2020 with the understanding that some parts of the country are going to be more directly affected by the COVID-19 crises to the extent that participation in the 2020 season may no longer makes sense for them,” Nash said. “So, for those clubs, our goal is to try and provide the maximum amount of flexibility.”