Soccer Nation: What are your thoughts on the American soccer pyramid, and the current state of professional club soccer in this country?

Jason Gerlach: Right now it feels confusing, overcrowded, and frankly, ripe for some consolidation. On the one hand it’s very exciting that so many leagues and teams have launched across the country over the last decade. On the other hand, while soccer is more popular than ever here in the U.S., I doubt that all of these soccer “start-ups” can and will survive.

The good thing is that equilibrium almost always prevails in business and I do not think soccer will be an exception. Over the next decade, I have little doubt that we’ll see a proper three (possibly four) tier pro/rel style soccer system emerge here that will reward the clubs that are run the best and weed out the clubs that are run poorly. And there will be plenty of teams around the country for communities of all sizes to rally around.