Ball Watching
Ball Watching is a fan podcast focused on providing end to end coverage of St. Louis CITY SC. The podcast posts biweekly preview and recap episodes of each match, and even highlights the non-sporting elements of the club including community outreach and administration. The podcast also features exciting guest interviews with some of STL's finest people! Thanks for tuning in!
Ball Watching
(Road to '26) Francisco Carlos, Founder of the USL
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Ball Watching hosts, Jake Koenig and Justin Graham, kick off the "Road to '26" interview series with a foundational figure in American soccer, Francisco Carlos. As the founder of what became the United Soccer League (USL) and a 2024 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, Francisco provides a masterclass on how the "machine" of the American game was built from the ground up.
In this conversation, we dive into:
- The $15 Investment: How a simple idea and a trip to City Hall in 1986 birthed the Southwest Indoor Soccer League (SISL), the precursor to today’s USL.
- The Architect's Journey: From arriving in the U.S. from Portugal at 16 to his time at Hartwick College, where he balanced the pitch with student journalism and radio, shaping his future in sports PR and publishing.
- Building the Pyramid: Francisco discusses his role in creating a multi-tiered league system, including the first national youth leagues (Super Y) and the W-League for women, and why the "pyramid" is essential for soccer to thrive in cities like Des Moines and Boise.
- 1994 vs. 2026: Reflections on how the 1994 World Cup redefined the sport's trajectory and what he anticipates for the 2026 tournament, including concerns about ticket prices and the "sheer magnitude" of the event.
- The Business of "Soccer Wars": Candid thoughts on the friction between competing leagues (MLS and USL) in the same markets, citing examples like St. Louis and Austin, and the need for a unified "soccer family" in the U.S.
- Lamar Hunt and Legacy: Stories from his time working with Lamar Hunt and the importance of instilling a "24/7 football culture" across the country.
Whether you're a tactical nerd or a business-of-sports enthusiast, this episode traces the legacy of American soccer through the lens of one of its most influential builders.
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