Tampa Bay Sports & Entertainment chief Tod Leiweke is unsure whether or not it is a good idea to stage UEFA-sanctioned matches in North America.
The brother of Toronto FC president Tim Leiweke, Tod feels that holding mini-tournaments and perhaps even a 39th English Premier League fixture in the USA or Canada may not be all that beneficial to the sport in the region.
Leiweke welcomed the debate on the issue but suggests that although it may be pleasing aesthetically, will it really help organically grow the world game in North America.
"One of the challenges I've always thrown out there to the powers that be in football (soccer) is 'Will you be a pirate or will you be a pioneer?'," said former Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders supremo Leiweke.
"Are you going to use North America just as an opportunity to make some additional dollars or are you going to commit to taking the sport to the next level and help to grow Major League Soccer?
"In the case of Manchester City, they are doing a phenomenal job in New York (with expansion franchise New York City FC). They begin playing next year. They've signed David Villa and Frank Lampard.
"At the same time, you look at the news about UEFA thinking about moving a meaningful series of games over to North America. Is that good or bad for Major League Soccer?
"Is that a pioneer vision or is that a pirate move? Therein lies the debate."
