SL to return to 14 in 2019

Let's just remind ourselves how hard it was for the #1 sport in the World to crack the North American market shall we?
From our friends at Wikihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_in_the_United_States#Re-emergence_and_growth:_1960s_%E2%80%93_2000srl

Quote: 401K retirement vehicle "Two professional soccer leagues were started in 1967, the United Soccer Association and the National Professional Soccer League, which merged to form the North American Soccer League in 1968. The NASL enjoyed a significant boost in popularity when the New York Cosmos signed Pelé to play for three seasons in 1975–77. The Cosmos drew large publicity throughout the late 1970s. Between 1977 and 1980, the Cosmos drew crowds of more than 60,000 on ten occasions, and over 70,000 on seven occasions (see Record attendances in United States club soccer). The NASL declined during the early 1980s and disbanded in 1984. The popularity of indoor soccer peaked in the 1980s, with both the NASL[25] and the Major Indoor Soccer League operating indoor soccer leagues.

The 1970s and 1980s saw increased popularity of the college game. Women's college soccer received a significant boost in 1972 with the passage of Title IX, which mandated equal funding for women's athletic programs,[citation needed] leading to colleges forming NCAA-sanctioned women's varsity teams. A men's match between Saint Louis University and local rival SIU Edwardsville drew a college record 22,512 fans to Busch Stadium on October 30, 1980.[26] By 1984, more colleges played soccer (532) than American football (505).[27]

In 1967 there were 100,000 people playing soccer in the US; by 1984, that number had grown to over 4 million.[27] Girls high school soccer experienced tremendous growth in playing numbers throughout the 1970s and 1980s—from 10,000 in 1976, to 41,000 in 1980, to 122,000 in 1990.[28]

The soccer matches for the 1984 Summer Olympics were well attended. Five matches drew over 75,000 fans, and two soccer matches at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, drew over 100,000 fans.[29] These high attendance figures were one factor that FIFA took into consideration in 1988 when deciding to award the 1994 World Cup to the United States.[30]

Interest in soccer within the United States continued to grow during the 1990s. This growth has been attributed in significant part to the FIFA World Cup being held in the United States for the first time in 1994. This won the sport more attention from both the media and casual sports fans. The tournament was successful, drawing an average attendance of 68,991, a World Cup record that still stands today. The 1994 World Cup drew record TV audiences in the U.S.[31]

As part of the United States' bid to host the 1994 World Cup, U.S. Soccer pledged to create a professional outdoor league. Major League Soccer launched in 1996, which helped develop American players in a way that was not possible without a domestic league. Many of these players competed in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where the United States reached the quarterfinals, its best result in the modern era.

The growth of the women's game during the 1990s helped increase overall interest in soccer in the United States. The number of women's college soccer teams increased from 318 in 1991 to 959 in 2009.[32] Both the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cups were held in the United States. The crowd of over 90,000 at the Rose Bowl for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final remains the largest crowd in the world to witness any women's sporting event.[33]'"

...back to reality with a thud. We have 1 NA side, with 1 wealthy backer and that side have an impressive PR department as well as a healthy disregard for the salary cap, but they managed to get out of the 3rd tier with a side that cost more than all the other 3rd tier sides combined. This season they have a fixture list that is 100% skewed to favour them both on and off the park and should be challenging for a top tier place. Thus far they have delivered nothing of value to the game other than to dilute the player pool by 30 or so players, have reduced the outlay for their sponsor by spending the first 11 weeks of the year away from home, saving the more money as most of the squad can live with their mammies and yet we find ourselves discussing the conquering of the North American market...........read the bit above in bold red.......they invested heavily in soccer football in the USA and even had the likes of Pele and Georgie Best.....but the way the game grew i the USA was.....drum roll.....from the bottom up with colleges and schools playing the game..........how many schools have the Wolfpack tied in with in Toronto to date? How many colleges in North America have even heard of Rugby League?

Here's another reality check from CNN. rlhttps://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/16/sport/rise-of-american-rugby-ebner-serevi-wooching/index.htmlrl

Quote: 401K retirement vehicle "USA Rugby chief executive Dan Payne calls this younger generation his sport's "401K retirement vehicle" -- a major investment for future success.
"We need to invest today to be able to get the rewards 10, 15 years from now," he told CNN's World Rugby show in Vegas.'"

So soccer tried many times and failed, but eventually go there by getting the kids playing it.....Union is in the process of doing the same thing but some here think an Aussie mining magnet and a PR whiz are going to deliver the magic bullet to rescue the sport of Rugby League....a sport that is stagnant in Australia and declining in its only other heartland........
......I'd suggest we sort out developing/saving the sport in it's 2 heartlands before we start dreaming of NYC v Toronto playing in a packed Giants Stadium with a billion pound TV deal