Today, NISA released The Open Game onto YouTube, which it describes as “an in-depth discussion on the world’s game, its place in the U.S., the critical importance of independent clubs, and how the open system has allowed meritocracy to elevate the sport of football (soccer) to the most beloved sport on the globe.” For those interested in this type of discussion, it will scratch the surface of the subject. It’s an introduction to the topic, rather than “an in-depth discussion.”

So the positives. It’s clean, it’s polished, it’s well done. There’s plenty of red meat discussion on the pros of an open system with promotion/relegation and the cons of the closed system. Plenty of criticism of the franchise model and the fees associated with it. Lots of championing of the small and middle sized markets across the country. Of course, complaints about the lack of opportunity for smaller clubs and pointing out the lack of competition within closed leagues. If you’re on this side of the argument, you will love this. If you’re aware of the nuance in this debate, you might find yourself griping at your computer screen.

Some of the claims are a little shaky. Alex Lubyansky, CEO of Gold Star Detroit, makes the claim that “there are still clubs that have never had a wealthy owner, that have never met pro league standards, but if you put them on a field against most professional clubs, they win.” I’d love to hear one example of an American club from this set. There are plenty of amateur clubs that are impressive, competitive, and fun to watch (we cover these clubs), but they do not win “against most professional clubs.” That is clearly hyperbole or we’d be seeing cupset runs over and over again. This sort of red meat argument is the kind of thing we read on social media that has little basis in reality.

Communication Specialist Steve Johnson, NISA Commissioner Prutch, Executive VP of Expansion Joshua Prutch, WISL Managing Director Lynn Berling-Manuel

I’d also argue that some of the implications about how functional NISA is are a little empty for those that are informed and paying attention. No mention of the payment issues for referees. No mention of the matches played in subpar stadiums that were given exceptions to league standards. There’s serious issues that have been caused by league malfunction. Clearly, the people around that table have a vested interest in pretending that NISA is crushing it. And maybe this video isn’t the place to bring that sort of information into the conversation. But those that know, know. And separating the facts surrounding these presenters from the presentation is a hard thing to do.

Couple of quick points that don’t deserve a full paragraph:

There was a quick mention of Detroit City FC’s exit from the league, but no discussion (this saddens me)
Lubyansky made this statement: “NISA is a shining light, growing to a functional system.”
Lubyansky also referenced Gold Star’s Gauntlet! Still waiting to hear who they will be playing.
Shout out to Steve Johnson for mentioning our Protagonist Sticker Club. Love that guy!
Happy to see WISL represented at the table. Lynn Beling-Manuel is a great addition to any soccer conversation.
Commissioner Prutch deserves a shout out for crediting Don Garber and MLS with building a stable system (plenty of open system proponents can’t credit Garber for anything) and who also mentioned some NISA clubs have failed since the league’s founding (though none specifically). Both are great points and smart to mention.

Overall, it’s a well-made video that raises some important points about why an open system has many advocates. I’d recommend it as a starting point for anyone interested in this debate. I also think that after finishing this video, viewers should dig into the history of NISA and the challenges facing soccer in this country. There is no panacea, there is no magic solution, there is only a ton of hard work and ridiculous amounts of investment. If this video is the beginning of that work, it’s a positive thing and worth the viewing.

- Dan Vaughn