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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m confused.  Can someone please explain to me briefly the difference between MLS next and MLS pro?  Is it a pathway?  Do players move from MLS next to MLS pro?  I have a u15 player in MLS next.  What does this mean for him? Thank you.[/quote]
MLS Next is a youth league run by MLS. It more or less replaced the DA, previously run by US Soccer. That youth league includes the ~28 MLS Academies (like DC United Academy locally) and 100+ other, non-MLS clubs (like Bethesda or Armour locally). Most MLS teams just play U15 and U17; but the league has U13-U19. For the most part, the MLS academies play each other a lot; and the non-MLS clubs play each other a lot. But there are a few crossover games for each club (e.g. Bethesda U17 plays three games against U17 MLS academies this year). There is a playoffs and championship at the end of the season for each age.

MLS Next Pro (a super-confusing name, given the youth league above) is a new "pro" league created by MLS mostly to hold their "reserve" or "2nd" teams. Within two years, every MLS team (bar Montreal) will have a team in this new league. The ones that currently play in USL (like DCU's "2nd team" Loudoun United) will move out of USL. These teams will have a mix of: a) top players from the MLS team's academy; b) younger first team players who need more game time; c) older first team players who need minutes, maybe when coming back from injury; d) other players signed to a low-$ reserve team contract.

What does this mean if your son plays in the MLS Next youth league, but not for an MLS academy? Unfortunately, not much, despite the super-similar names. It's not like players from Bethesda or Armour will have some inside track (relative to, say, Arlington or VDA players) to DC United's reserve team because they play in "MLS Next". The route is still through the DC United academy -- THEN to the DC United reserve team, if you're good enough. So positioning it as a middle ground between the MLS Next *league* and the MLS first teams is a bit disingenuous by MLS, and brings up very obvious and good questions like yours.[/quote]

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