For several years now we have been hearing rumors swirling about a developing MLS Reserve League. Jeff Reuter of The Athletic was the first to break the news of a new league in American soccer. At the time, the announcement of the new league felt imminent but based on COVID-related developments, the launch date for the new league was delayed to 2022.
Now, as the 2021 MLS season draws to a close, the league announced its natural NEXT (pun intended) step in redefining the professional player development landscape in the United States to better equip teams and domestically-developed talent to make a big financial splash overseas.