An Interview with Francisco Marcos, USL Founder & President

Kristian Dyer over at NYNJSoccer sat down with with United Soccer Leagues Founder and President Francisco Marcos for a very interesting "State of the League" interview. The part of the interview that I found most interesting was toward the end where Marcos details his vision for the ultimate USL club -- citing the Rochester Rhinos as the model: "I have to say that five years ago, my mantra was soccer-specific stadiums, the churches, chapels and cathedrals. That has caught on. Now, it is club and player development. All three are part of the pyramids needed in soccer - the bricks and mortar. The pyramid is the house that is home to everything top to bottom. The same Rhinos we discussed earlier are actually now heading toward a full pyramid, putting the political reasons aside that held them back before. The ironic thing about the Rhinos is they are now beginning to look like my club back home in Portugal, Sporting. With their stake in men's and women's soccer, lacrosse and hockey, they are truly an athletic club like many European clubs are, something many American fans may not realize. The process of becoming a Soccer Nation is about all of that. Building clubs is critical because as the club grows, so does its connection and involvement in the community, which in the end may help lead to that all-important stadium." So here in Cary, we've got Economides' experience in Rochester and the soccer-specific stadium in place so we've got a head start -- time to focus on club and player development!

-- Jarrett @ 2/14/2006 11:03:00 AM