Whereas the USL has expanded since it began with 12 teams in '11, the NASL has conractedGETTY IMAGES
The USL in '19 will be the largest professional soccer league in the U.S. and Canada with 39 teams, and though the league has "largely managed to avoid scrutiny in the early days of this prolonged growth spurt," it faces some "serious questions," according to Jeff Rueter of THE ATHLETIC. Some issues include players being on "no-wage contracts, training in public parks, and a lack of health insurance coverage." These questions "funnel into a single big one: As the USL strives to become 'the most globally recognized and successful Division II league in the world,' how long can its boom continue before the league introduces some basic, league-wide protections for the players who populate it?" When the USL launched in '11, it had 12 teams "clustered, mostly, on the East Coast." Since then, the league has "expanded as its main rival," the NASL, "contracted." The USL's "continued expansion is a positive sign" for lower-division soccer, but there "remains a significant degree of variance in the quality and professionalism of its teams." The MLS "minimum senior player salary is currently $67,500," but some USL players are "working for nothing other than housing." The "insecurity of low monthly wages can be compounded" by the fact that only about 30% of teams "pay their players on a 12-month schedule." The majority of players are "on one-year contracts." Meanwhile, lower-division players have "attempted to organize in the past, but the squabbling between the NASL and USL complicated negotiations." The "lack of a union to defend players" has also become "more noticeable" (THEATHLETIC.com, 8/29).
