# UPSL



## idk_whatever (Jun 18, 2022)

Anyone know what the rules are for boys playing UPSL? I noticed LAFC has a team. Heard LA Galaxy players are also playing under a different team out of Culver City?


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## 3253 (Jun 19, 2022)

idk_whatever said:


> Anyone know what the rules are for boys playing UPSL? I noticed LAFC has a team. Heard LA Galaxy players are also playing under a different team out of Culver City?


LAFC put the u19s in the upsl Men’s league last year. Came 4th of 141. Next season, they and LAG will play in the MLS Next Pro league.


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## idk_whatever (Jun 22, 2022)

3253 said:


> LAFC put the u19s in the upsl Men’s league last year. Came 4th of 141. Next season, they and LAG will play in the MLS Next Pro league.


Thank you so does that mean that MLS Next players are allowed to play UPSL or was an exception made for the MLS Academy players.


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## Dargle (Jun 22, 2022)

idk_whatever said:


> Thank you so does that mean that MLS Next players are allowed to play UPSL or was an exception made for the MLS Academy players.


MLS only requires its academies to enter teams in U15 and U17. Some enter teams in U16 (e.g., Toronto FC, Atlanta, DC United) or U19 (e.g., Portland, FC Dallas, Sporting Kansas City, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, New England).  LAFC decided to field a U19 team, but didn't enter it in MLS Next.  It played that team and those players in UPSL.


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## RedDevilDad (Jun 23, 2022)

Dargle said:


> MLS only requires its academies to enter teams in U15 and U17. Some enter teams in U16 (e.g., Toronto FC, Atlanta, DC United) or U19 (e.g., Portland, FC Dallas, Sporting Kansas City, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, New England).  LAFC decided to field a U19 team, but didn't enter it in MLS Next.  It played that team and those players in UPSL.


Yeah, but for 19s, isn't that the MLS Next Pro... I'm assuming that's required now for 19s, eh?


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## Dargle (Jun 23, 2022)

RedDevilDad said:


> Yeah, but for 19s, isn't that the MLS Next Pro... I'm assuming that's required now for 19s, eh?


Not this year. They allowed teams to keep their USL squads for one more year before moving to MLS Next Pro and both the Galaxy and LAFC (with the Lights) have done that. Even some teams that moved to MLS Next Pro this year still kept a U19 team (and, other than LAFC, entered that team in MLS Next's U19 division).


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## idk_whatever (Jun 24, 2022)

Dargle said:


> Not this year. They allowed teams to keep their USL squads for one more year before moving to MLS Next Pro and both the Galaxy and LAFC (with the Lights) have done that. Even some teams that moved to MLS Next Pro this year still kept a U19 team (and, other than LAFC, entered that team in MLS Next's U19 division).



Just to be clear. I'm talking about UPSL not USL


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## Dargle (Jun 24, 2022)

idk_whatever said:


> Just to be clear. I'm talking about UPSL not USL


Yes.  USL and UPSL are two different leagues.  All of the MLS USL affiliates will, after this year, transition to MLS Next Pro. This year, however, LAFC is still using Las Vegas Lights for its USL affiliate AND playing it's U19 team in UPSL instead of MLS Next Pro's U19 division.  

If you're discussing the U19 LAFC players in UPSL without also discussing the USL affiliates, you're missing the larger context for all of this. LAFC and the Galaxy disagreed with the push to require them to move their reserve teams from USL Championship (a 2nd division league) to MLS Next Pro (a 3rd division league). The concern is partially that MLS Next Pro will be dominated by younger players whereas USL-C has more veteran players.  UPSL is amateur, but it has a lot of older players too, some of whom played professionally or higher level college at one point and can at least physically push the younger Academy kids.  I don't know if LAFC is right about that (some of the UPSL teams are good, but some are full of a lot of hackers and there's a fine line between pushing younger players and just injuring them), but that's why playing in UPSL is basically a reaction to being forced to play some of those kids in MLS Next Pro rather than USL-C next year.


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## Dear Mr. Fantasy (Jun 29, 2022)

My son plays for an MLS Next academy and they fielded a team in the UPSL for the Fall competition in 2021.  They did that to get extra games for their U15 and U17 players.  The teams were never the same and changed weekly based on who need playing time, etc...  No specific trainings for the UPSL "teams".  Just a way to get extra minutes for the boys.  It's a good league for the boys to get extra minutes and also do so vs grown men who really dont want to lose to some 15 or 16 yr old kid.  And the matches were great fun to watch.


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