A Conversation with MLS NEXT Pro Senior Vice President, Ali Curtis

MLS NEXT Pro was recently unveiled as the third professional soccer league sanctioned by US Soccer in the third tier of American soccer joining USL League One and NISA.

MLS NEXT Pro will commence in late March of 2022. There will be 20 MLS2 teams one independent – the rebranded Rochester Rhinos. It will be set up with two divisions, East and West. Eight teams will make a playoff and a league champion will be crowned ahead of MLS Cup.

Ali Curtis - the former New York Red Bulls in Toronto FC General Manager – is the Senior Vice President of Operations and Competition. He won the Supporters Shield his first season in charge of the Red Bulls with Jessie Marsh and he was with the 2019 MLS Cup finalists, TFC. Prior to his stint as a club GM, Curtis was with MLS in a variety of positions.

As a player, Curtis was the back-to-back collegiate Player-of-the-Year at Duke University.

This Q and A originally aired on SiriusXM FC and The Coaching Academy and edited for clarity.

Glenn Crooks: Why was it important for MLS to have their own league in the third tier of pro soccer?

Ali Curtis: I wouldn't look at it as gaining control but more trying to participate in growing the game of soccer. 26 years ago, when MLS first began, we were trying to understand the landscape and grow the game. Along the way there have been these chapters and initiatives that the league has invested in and it's helped transform the game. And I think that this initiative and this opportunity in this new league will be part of that history. So, this was really an opportunity to grow the game not just in the development of players but the development of coaches, referees, administrators, executives - especially when you think about the World Cup coming to town in 2026.

GC: How would you describe the pathway? From Academy to second team to first team?

AC: I think when you're a young developing player or a young, developing executive or referee or coach, I think one of the things that helps you become the best version of yourself is clarity in terms of how to get from A to B to C. And MLS NEXT Pro is part of that.

GC: Can we talk about the relationship with the USL since eight teams in either the USL Championship or League One have moved to MLS NEXT Pro.

AC: We've always had a great relationship with USL and our investment in MLS NEXT Pro is about growing the game. We know we have to exist in this ecosystem of soccer with multiple entities and there's enough room for everyone. This new league is a testament that the game is thriving. We know not one single entity, or one single person can do it.

GC: You have this independent team, the Rochester Rhinos, famously part owned in part by Jamie Vardy. Why is it important to have independent groups?

AC: I think the league will grow beyond 30 teams after next - I'm not sure. But we'd like to be able to touch markets that traditional MLS cities haven't entered in. I will say is that the league is going to be about innovation, it's going to be about diversity - diversity that's not just in terms of the player pool or the coaching pool or the executive ranks, but it's diversity of thought, diversity of experience and diversity of ownership group. And so, this new league gives us an opportunity to have even a greater reach from an ownership perspective - that diversity of thought, sitting around the table, we believe will be a competitive advantage and we want to reach new and different markets that we otherwise haven't been able to reach.

GC: You would have to imagine that those independent clubs would take great joy in beating an MLS side.

AC: Each club will be able to attack their roster build or their team in a variety of ways. And that won't be defined simply by the type of ownership group. I think you're going to see a lot of flexibility in terms of how GM’s and Sporting Directors and Technical Directors are going to look at their teams and what they feel is needed in their own unique market. You always want your team to reflect your community.

GC: Since covering New York City FC since its inception, not having a reserve team or a second team has left Homegrowns like Justin Haak no place to compete. Or back-up goalkeeper no place to compete. There was no place for the injured player to come back and rehab. Do you see teams using it in that way? Or more as developing their U15’s, 17’s and others?

 AC: First and foremost, it'll be a league that will feature high level professionals mixed in with some very, very talented young players that are coming up from MLS next academies. You'll be able to see players like Tyler Adams that I signed when he was 15 years old or Aaron Long that I signed at 25 years old. I think you're going to see teams utilize these teams in a variety of ways. There's also an opportunity for us to look at different and new techniques both on the field and off the field to make the game exciting. So, there are some things that don't occur in MLS that we might be able to try in this new league as almost as a testing ground.

GC: What do you have in mind?

AC: Well, I don't want to speak publicly too soon but I think that there's a lot of things that you can look at regarding technology in the game, how to manage the game and officiate the game and measure the game in so many ways where sometimes you're a bit reticent to do that in in your in your top leagues. It's an opportunity for us to really be cutting edge and on the front foot of implementing some of these newer technologies. At the same time you have to balance being innovative and trying new ideas and not eroding the authenticity and integrity. So, we'll be mindful of that as well.

GC: So are you talking rules within the game where something might be altered or more on the technology side?

AC: I think we'll look at it all. We’re in year one. When you go back to 1996 with MLS, they tried new things.

GC: How about the old penalty kick shootouts to decide games. From 35 yards, one-on-one with the keeper?

AC: We won't be bringing that back. But I do think that there's some ideas that we're considering to improve and grow the game.

GC: Penalty kicks from the top of the box instead of 12 yards out?

AC: I don't think we'll do that, either.

GC: Ok, I'll stop guessing. I would imagine you're going to get inquiries globally for coaching positions.

AC: I think that that's been happening particularly over the last five to 10 years. We want our coaching ranks to be diverse and our technical positions.

 (Note: Ali Curtis was the first African American General Manager in MLS when he joined New York Red Bulls in 2014).

GC: You were a goal scorer in your playing days. I wonder if the paucity of goal scorers being developed in American soccer it bothers you or concerns you?

AC: I think that it sometimes comes in waves. And I think what's most important is that we build an ecosystem that is developing players in the right way and that's facilitating the development of coaches in a powerful way. I'm excited about what's happening not just at the club level, but also at the national team level. It's not necessarily about position specific, whether it's a striker or a winger or the No. 10. The positions change in the game. The No. 10, 15 years ago, is a lot different than the way they the No. 10 plays now. What's most important is that we continue to build good football players that are smart, technical, tactical and have some grit to go out and contribute.

GC: At Red Bulls and Toronto, you were amid the challenges that the five MLS clubs are facing in the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League - New York City, New England, Seattle, Colorado, and Montreal. I've gotten into a debate recently about what you prioritize and how do you blend it? What do you say?

AC: It's a difficult competition. One, you've got the best clubs in the region that are in it and every variable is heightened. Clubs will have to make their own decisions. If you're a club, you just try to create a plan, knowing that that plan will change the next day based on an injury or whatever it is. It's a difficult competition even when you're full strength. We've gotten there a couple times, almost over the over the mountaintop, and I'm hopeful that we'll continue to try to figure that competition out. Our clubs are doing the right thing. They're working hard. They're trying to improve. Their investing. Obviously, you can see that and hopefully with that success will come.

GC: Are there any plans for that sort of competition for MLS NEXT Pro?

AC: It's interesting, we’re talking about Champions League. One of the things that we want to layer into NEXT Pro is international competition and we've had a lot of conversations with leagues and clubs south of the border and in Europe. It's a bit of a blank canvas. And what makes the most sense for development. In some ways we're pioneers. And we believe that international competition is only going to add to this new league.

GC: Before we close, can you be more specific with the innovations or experiments you’re considering for the league?  Should we tweak it a little here? Should we tweak it a little there? And this is a kind of a great platform to give it a shot.

AC: I don't want to put the cart before the horse and I don't want to say anything that I can't fulfill. What I would say is I think there's opportunities to look at things during the game, at the end of the game, on the bench - the technology aspect. And so, I think that those are really exciting. There may be three or four really good ideas but that doesn't mean that you need to implement all three or four at the same time. We'll need to do is one step at a time. Like a striker or any player that learns through trial and error. I think there's an opportunity for us to try new things and we'll see [how it goes].