Editor’s Note: This piece comes to us from Kyle Kepner, who has written for a variety of outlets, including Indomitable City Soccer and MLS Soccer.
Fandom is a tricky thing.
People can’t be bought, and they can’t be coerced into buying what you’re selling. Drawing them in takes time, effort, and reckless authenticity.
In the short but dynamic history of the partnership between the United Soccer League and Major League Soccer, every MLS club delving into the murky world of marketable reserve squads has been faced with the task of deciding how and where to spend precious resources.