If there is anything I want people to know about me, it’s that I am a follower of Christ. I will forever be grateful for the death and resurrection of Jesus wiping my sin clean. I have done things in my life I wish I never had. But Jesus has allowed me to use my past to show his goodness. I will continue to show HIS light no matter what it costs me here on earth. Basketball, money, and fame all comes to an end. But eternity is forever!
On this day in 2017, a Whitecaps 2 own goal and a 67th-minute strike from @ethanzubak gave LA Galaxy II a 2-0 victory over Vancouver at the StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium
On this day in 2017, LA Galaxy II lost 3-2 in a preseason scrimmage against Real Monarchs SLC at the StubHub Center. Goals scored by @DhillonJustin and @ethanzubak
On this day in 2019, LA Galaxy signed @EthanZubak on a Homegrown Player contract from LA Galaxy II. “Ethan’s personal and professional progression since his time with the Academy has shown in the meaningful and consistent minutes he has earned in the USL." - DTK
“USL is completely unique in professional sports that you have a privately held company that owns the league.”
USL Players’ Association rejected latest CBA proposal from USL and authorized a strike.
Connor Tobin, executive director of USLPA, explains the business model of USL.
“USL is completely unique in professional sports that you have a privately held company that owns the league,” he said.
“In every other sports league, the league entity does not act as an independent profit center.”
“Instead, the league brings in income and then in some way, shape, or form, that revenue is then distributed out to its clubs. That's not how USL works.”
“When the money comes into the league. Again, the league's privately held so those owners are the beneficiaries, not the team owners.”
“And so one of the things that we have in this ecosystem is a misalignment of financial incentives.”
“You have a lot of the investment to build these clubs and build these community assets that are happening at a localized level. Those are team owners that are putting that up.”
“They're carrying a lot of the risk, but a lot of the benefits are held by the league office. There's a disconnect there.”
“So we can have expansion, we can launch a new league, we can sell new teams. That benefits one entity, it doesn't necessarily stabilize the club entities.”
“If the clubs aren't stable. What happens to the players? Because the clubs are our direct employer.”
“So again, this is about an ecosystem and an overall business environment. Is it aligned? Is it in balance? Is it working in unison?”
“It’s not just risk to the club owners, it’s risk to the players.”
“You’re asking about Tormenta, you’re asking about NCFC (both clubs are now on hiatus). Players have signed contracts, who’s carrying the risk in these situations?”
“These are guys that signed leases. They’ve moved families to those locations. They’ve sat in market, they’ve trained on their own. And all of a sudden, two weeks out from the season, there’s not gonna be a team, here is a three months of severance.”
“What happens to the cost of breaking your lease? What happens to foreign players who might have visas? What happens in any of these situations?”
“What are the opportunities for employment on the other side of it given the timing? Who’s carrying the risk? That’s a system that’s not working for anyone.”
It will be interesting to see if both parties can find an agreement before Friday, when the USL Championship season is supposed to kick off.
[via United Soccer Lounge with Riley James on GOLZ TV]
League HQ:
💰Sells the vision
🤑Announces the expansion
💵Collects the upside
Players don’t have a 5-7 year runway.
They have bodies, careers & bills right now.
Major-league branding.
Sub-professional conditions.
#StandUpForStandards
Justin Papadakis, USL Deputy CEO & Chief Real Estate Officer, says right now, players are viewed as expenses. Soon, they’ll be assets.
He says the quiet part out loud: Players are line items.
A broken system treats labor like a cost — not professionals to protect.
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤, 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧!
Orange County SC is thrilled to announce that local standout Ethan Zubak will return for the 2026 season after signing a new contract with the club.
𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 2026 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 🎫 https://t.co/S1Gf5y6CMb
#ForCounty 🍊