INTERVIEW - Clent Alexander, Part Two.

THE MLS, THE STADIUMS AND THE FUTURE.

From the outside looking in, the MLS appears as a healthy and growing league, is this the same impression you get from being someone involved inside the game in America?

Major League Soccer and its owners have done a great job of growing the sport of soccer in America.

One problem some clubs have is finding stadiums to play in; a high profile example is Beckham’s Miami team struggling to find a site suitable for their football specific stadium. Have you encountered such problems and is it the major concern when talking about the growth of the game?

Having our own stadium is something I have wanted for San Diego and us for 5 years. I have been researching what we need to do and how we will make it happen for the past 2 years. We are at a point now where we have a preliminary plan in place and are searching for a proper location.

I don’t believe we will see the same type of opposition that David Beckham and his group are having. There is a great need for another venue in San Diego besides where the Chargers and Padres play. We are looking to fill that void and our Part Owners will have ownership in that venture too.

We are continually told that more and more Americans are getting passionate about football.  Do you see this as a true statement or something that has become exaggerated after a successful world cup?

It is definitely true that the popularity of our sport is on the rise in the U.S. Smarter people than me see the growth potential as well. Look at how TV rights for soccer are now being sought after. NBC outbid Fox Soccer for the rights to the Premier League. ESPN is negotiating with Major League Soccer to air more games. The result is having more soccer on TV. That will feed the upward growth of the popularity of the game in America.

Do you see a day when the NPSL can become a force in terms of competing with MLS to be considered the top league in America, or do you think it will continue to unofficially become a league that MLS and NASL teams can use to develop their players?

Compete with MLS. I don’t think so. Compete with Div 2 and 3? That is definitely a possibility. We have teams in over 70 cities across the United States (Div 2 has 12 and Div 3 has 14).

We in the NPSL have the footprint to be a huge force in the U.S. Soccer market. We just need a little more organisation. I firmly believe we can be considered more than just a developmental league. We are in the right place at the right time in the history of soccer in America.

I work full-time on soccer now days and with the experience I have in business, the Internet, in social media and in soccer; I am ecstatic to be involved. I look forward to helping the sport continue to grow.

Ultimate goal: A World Cup Championship for USA!

More information about San Diego Flash and investment opportunities can be found here -  sandiegoflash.com