USLPA Send Pro Standards Message During US Open Cup

Only on Televised Games

With round 1 of the US Open Cup, questions remained around what the USLPA would do surrounding the current lack of CBA within the USL Championship.

Late this afternoon the USLPA announced that during Vermont Green v Portland Hearts of Pine on CBS Sports Network and Indy Eleven v Des Moines Menace on CBS Golazo Network all players represented by the USL Players Association would send their message towards USSF during pregame festivities.

Messaging for the first round of the US Open Cup will include US Soccer and the USLPA’s belief the USSF isn’t doing enough for professional standards in the United States. During the national anthem and introductions players in tonight’s matches on the Paramount networks will wear shirts with the following message: Do you stand with the players, USSF? #StandUpForStandards.

With this the USLPA is setting their message towards the USSF in the the current professional standards as set in the PLS aren’t enough. Connor Tobin, Executive Director of the USLPA sums it the USLPA’s feelings with the following statement:

U.S. Soccer plays a central role in shaping the professional landscape of this sport. When a league is sanctioned as professional, that designation should reflect more than business benchmarks. It should also reflect the lived standards of the professional athletes who power the competition.

Players are asking a straightforward question: if professional leagues are sanctioned, do the professionals themselves receive the protections and standards that designation implies? We believe that conversation is long overdue.

The USLPA at large also issued the following statement:

Players in the USL are proud to contribute to the growth of professional soccer in communities across the country. But for decades, the system governing our league has prioritized expansion, markets, and infrastructure while leaving the day-to-day professional standards for players unresolved.

The United States Soccer Federation sanctions the professional leagues in this country and sets the standards that define them. We believe those standards must include the players whose work makes the professional game possible.

During select matches at the U.S. Open Cup, players will wear a message directed at the Federation asking a simple question: Do you stand with the players?

Professional soccer should come with professional standards. Players are asking the governing body of the sport to recognize its responsibility in ensuring that those standards exist in practice, not just in theory.

Having seen the open on CBS Sports Network, I don’t believe their action is going to gain the traction they believe it will. On the television broadcast we saw the player warmups, the announcers in the bunker, the lineups and after the commercial break the players ready to kick off. The shirts the players wore during the national anthem and player introductions weren’t shown at all.

On CBS Goalzo Network for Indy Eleven v Des Moines Menace it was identical to what we saw on CBS Sports Network. Indiana correspondent Brett Mullenix at the game did confirm the shirts were worn by the players during the the anthem and introductions.

Furthermore there are 27 other games in the first round that are being streamed on YouTube with USLPA representations. Wouldn’t you want your message to get out to everyone attending an US Open Cup first round game? Granted, I was wrong about the minute stand still protest gaining the snowball traction it has since opening night of the USL Championship.

I get it, the USSF Pro League Standards are tilted too much on the business side of things and the conversation at large is long overdue to include the players side as well. I also understand the USLPA is not thrilled with the USSF’s hands off approach as the USLPA and USL have reached an impasse with CBA negotiations.

I also think if you were going to do this messaging should have gone out much further ahead of time than it did. Beyond the 90 received the press release surrounding the US Open Cup 30 minutes before kickoff on CBS Sports Network. The USLPA didn’t make anything public until 7:43 pm. Given how much the minute stand still protest has snowballed in support from the stands once that messaging was out in the public, and understood by the fans, even something this afternoon would have had a chance to get the ball rolling on something for this week’s first round fixtures.

Negotiations between the USLPA and USL are ongoing having authorized a strike but not set a strike date.

(Photo Credit: Simeon Pol)