Club Closure Rumors, Fifa Fall Window Finally Over + more

[upbeat music]Welcome on in.

Morning Kick'n.

I'm Robert, he's Craig, and reports are swirling on that there internet that multiple teams will be folding from the USL 1 at the end of the 2026 season.

Worrying reports, of course, as USL and USL League One trying to get a foothold, trying to fill in another league, and the league itself.

So, hard to do that when, uh, you're losing teams every single year.

So, you might have seen it on Instagram and some other social media spots...

Oh, my bad.

I l-

[laughs]

I said Jenny, you're the, the button pusher, so I will, uh, let you do it.

But there you have it.

Corpus Christi FC and Westchester, uh, SC, uh, rumored to be closing at the end of the season.

Both of these sides, I believe, in their second year participating in league.

Uh, I don't know if people are just trying to read the lines.

The reports say that league sources are, uh, discussing this, but Corpus Christi, uh, they were... are, or were, in the midst of building a stadium.

Westchester, their first year, they finished last in the league, but showing a little bit more this year.

I reached out to both clubs to see, is there any basis to these reports.

Uh, from the communications officer at Corpus Christi, uh, they said that, "We are aware of the rumors circulating regarding Corpus Christi and its future." And they state, "There is no basis for these claims, and the club remains focused on the remainder of the 2026 season, and our continued push for the USL League One playoffs." Before we move on to the other side, uh, that is maybe in trouble, uh, your reaction to a team that, uh, you know, hasn't necessarily continued building their stadium, haven't seen a lot of success on the field.

How would you, uh, read between the lines here, Craig?

I, I would say the writing's on the wall.

They stopped building their stadium.

Uh, that, that response that they gave to you there, uh, it's pretty damning, pretty telling in my opinion.

Uh, l- listen, I-

You mean them saying there's no, no basis is telling?

I say, "There's no basis, but, uh, we're focusing on the continued playoff push." Why did you stop building a stadium? Okay, why have you stopped operations in that side? Um, I, I just literally, in the last couple of months since the World Cup has, has stopped, or finished I should say, I come to the realization that there were a lot of football clubs, a lot...