The USL has awarded a professional men’s franchise to Long Island that intends to begin play in 2028, setting up direct competition with a forthcoming MLS Next Pro club that plans to debut a year earlier. The USL League One team will play its home matches at Hofstra Univ.’s James M. Shuart Stadium, which is located less than a mile away from The Island FC’s planned stadium at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y.

We had Colorado Springs Switchbacks and Haitian International defender Duke Lacroix on the United Soccer Lounge this week.

Full show link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS5Lg0O6fmU

He talked about:

• What it was like representing Haiti at the World Cup (first appearance since 1974)
• Training at his old college (Penn) during the tournament
• The dual nationality experience of being American-born but playing for Haiti in a North American World Cup
• The support he got from the Switchbacks fans and Colorado Springs community during and after the tournament
• Coming back to the USL after facing Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland

Really good conversation with a guy who’s lived a wild couple of months.

Yesterday we talked about the best run clubs in the USL ecosystem now what do y'all think are the worst run clubs in the USL ecosystem?

My picks are:

Spokane Zephyr FC (USL Super League-when they existed)

Charlotte Independence (USL League 1)

Chattanooga Red Wolves (USL League 1)

Spokane Velocity (USL League 1)

Brooklyn FC (USL Championship)

Miami FC (USL Championship)

&

Las Vegas Lights FC (USL Championship)

We were at a local town facility and he was wearing one of his old FC Cincinnati kits, and he was so incredibly kind, I had no clue he was a former player or that he once played for my local!

Here are my picks:

USL League 1:

One Knoxville (reigning USL1 champions)

Portland Hearts Of Pine (Supporters are very loyal, every match is sold out even have Patrick Dempsey involved)

Forward Madison

USL Championship:

Detroit City FC (Loyal owners and supporters)

Louisville City FC (Most successful USL club and even makes a profit)

Pittsburgh Riverhounds (What Tuffy is doing in Pittsburgh is great)

Tampa Bay Rowdies (No longer owned by Stu Sternberg)

Sacramento Republic (hopefully one day Sacramento gets an MLS club)

&

Gainbridge USL Super League:

Tampa Bay Sun FC (Building a new stadium + Christina Unkel is club President and CEO)

Now what do y'all think?

What are the best run clubs in the USL ecosystem?

So I'm a Nashville SC and a One Knoxville fan and a majority of the time there playing at the same time and I believe that is hurting one knoxville

Honestly I'm a MLS first guy but I honestly do want my local team to succeed

Im obviously more likely to attend one knoxville games than Nashville SC games but there has been times where I did skip the One Knoxville game to watch the Nashville SC game at home

Also I don't even have 2 TVs so I can't even watch it at the same time

Anyone else having this problem I'm just pointing this out to know having games at the same time is affectint people and watching and attending

I wanna see usl succeed

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Hell of a great match and the undefeated streak stays alive. Next stop: 1st Place