The casualty list of clubs has grown with every attempt:

Atlanta Apollos
Atlanta Chiefs
Caribous of Colorado
Baltimore Bays
Boston Beacons
Boston Minutemen
Memphis Rogues
Chicago Mustangs
California Surf
St. Louis Stars
Chicago Sting
Cleveland Stokers
Dallas Tornado
Detroit Cougars
Hartford Bicentennials
Connecticut Bicentennials
Oakland Stompers
Houston Stars
Houston Hurricane
Jacksonville Tea Men
New England Tea Men
Kansas City Spurs
Los Angeles Wolves
Los Angeles Aztecs
Minnesota Strikers
Washington Darts
Pennsylvania Stoners
Miami Gators
Miami Toros
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Minnesota Kicks
Denver Dynamos
Philadelphia Fury
New York Generals
New York Cosmos
Oakland Clippers
Philadelphia Atoms
Rochester Lancers
San Diego Toros
San Diego Sockers
Baltimore Comets
San Diego Jaws
Las Vegas Quicksilvers
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Team America
Tulsa Roughnecks
San Antonio Thunder
Team Hawaii
Washington Whips
Washington Diplomats
Detroit Express
Bethlehem Steel F.C.
Philadelphia Field Club
Boston Wonder Workers
Boston Bears
Bridgeport Hungaria
Brooklyn Wanderers
Brooklyn Hakoah
New York Hakoah
Hakoah All-Stars
Brooklyn Wanderers
Fall River Marksmen
Fall River United
New York Soccer Club
Fall River F.C.
Providence Clamdiggers
Providence Gold Bugs
Fall River Football Club
Fleisher Yarn
Hakoah All-Stars
New York Hakoah
Brooklyn Hakoah
Harrison Field Club
Harrison Soccer Club
Hartford Americans
Holyoke Falcos
Jersey City Celtics
Newark Skeeters
Newark Americans
New Bedford Whalers
New York Field Club
Paterson Silk Sox
Indiana Flooring
New York Nationals
New York Americans New York Field Club
New York Brookhattan
Pawtucket Rangers
J&P Coats
Philadelphia Celtic
Philadelphia Field Club
Bridgeport Bears
Queens Bohemians
Shawsheen Indians
Springfield Babes
Todd Shipyards

Granted, there are a few clubs on this abridged list that nobody will ever miss, but how many of them would have survived if we had adopted the same open system of independent clubs that made professional soccer the sport of our small planet? Storied clubs like Bethlehem FC, Fall River Marksmen, and the New York Cosmos would arguably have benefited from an open system - and might still be with us today.

Open leagues, featuring promotion, relegation and independent, autonomous clubs, made soccer the most popular sport on the planet. By adopting it, we can stem the steady stream of quality clubs entering the leeching landfill of American soccer history at the hands of failed franchisers.

This genie left the closed league bottle over a century ago. How many more clubs must be sacrificed before we stop trying to stuff it back in?

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