Team Owners Association – Update 10/28/09 – USL Papadakis Says “The negotiations are finished”
Canadian Press are reporting that USL league owner Alek Papadakis is saying that “The negotiations are finished,” Papadakis told CKAC. “We decided to continue our preparation for the season 2010 with the teams which wished to remain with us.” Papadakis was referring to the ongoing talk with the Team Owners Association or TOA that have been organized for well over a year and have failed to pay renewal fees to the USL for the 2010 season.
Papadakis went on to say that Vancouver and Montreal will not be in the USL’s plans for next season. “I would like to thank the two Canadian teams, the Whitecaps and the Impact, for all they contributed to the USL for the past few years,” said Papadakis. “They were excellent for our League and I have much admiration for them. Now, I wish them good luck in their future plans.”
Manny Lagos, team president of the Minnesota Thunder, said he had no comment at this time.
UPDATED 4:30 pm
CBCSports.ca is reporting that Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi has confirmed that the TOA would actively try to start up a breakaway league. The TOA would first need permission from the United States Soccer Federation, soccer’s governing body in the U.S., before it could form its own league. “We’re still pursuing the new league alternative, and by the end of the week, we should have our application in to the USSF for them to grant us that status,” said Lenarduzzi.
“Our belief is that in order for soccer to grow in Canada and the United States, you need viable, professional leagues,” Lenarduzzi stated. “The reason we’re going the route we’re going is because we think that with like-minded owners, we can achieve that, and that would be good for the sport in general.”
UPDATED 4:45
USL clarifies status of USL-1 Canadian teams
TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues issued the following elaboration regarding Wednesday morning’s CKAC (Montreal) radio interview with USL CEO Alec Papadakis concerning the status of USL-1 teams.
“While the statements made in the earlier interview are accurate in that we have ceased negotiations with the Team Owner’s Association (TOA) as a group, we remain in dialogue with certain individual TOA teams about their possible participation in USL-1 for 2010. We are open to the return of the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps to USL-1 for 2010; however we continue to move forward with our preparations for next season, which includes a meeting of team owners and league officials next week in Beaverton, Oregon.”
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Make sure to call the Thunder and put in your season ticket deposit for the renegade league.
Or call up some buddies and see if you can slap a team together to play against them.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday…Minnesota Thunder vs. the Drinky Crows.
This is so ridiculous.
Is this the end?
I am excited.
Screw the USL.
I am inclined to take the Super Rookie view at this point.
This could get interesting.
A combo TOA + partial MLS reserve league perhaps?
I bet the Fire would be down for that. It seems like they have teams in every league.
There are also a few other canadian teams out there in some kind of part time pro/amatuer thingy…
BQ, I know with the HS tourney you got your hands full and I really thank ya for all the work you are doing. Next time I see you I totally am gonna buy ya a beverage of your choice.
Thanks Mat. I very much appreciate that. It does keep me busy but I love doing this so it makes it a lot easier.
I did spend about an hour and half on the phone yesterday with parties involved with the situation. I just can’t say to much more at this point. Hopefully I will be able to in the near future. Also, expect more Thunder news from me within the next several days.
Good bye Montreal and Vancouver! It only makes sense to send them packing since they are going to MLS in 2011. They would offer very little to the USL and Lenarduzzi’s comments are silly. A break away league will not fly as once again a handful of teams does not make for long term stability in any professional league just think APSL. The USL will survive and like I have said before they need to go back to being a more regional league to reduce costs and create fan interest. I feel for Minnesota, but I am sure they will be back in the future after they realize that the TOA doesn’t truly have enough to muster a sustainable league.
Yeah , I agree with Sam. A TOA MLS combo makes sence right now for both groups espically when you consider that vancouver is joining mls in 2011.
Although Garber is mostly supportive of what the TOA are doing, MLS came out yesterday and again RESTATED, there will be no MLS2.
Also, as revealed in Soccer America this past week, MLS attendance was down 2.6%. w/o Seattle would be down 9 percent. MLB for comparison was down an avg 6.7%. I really don’t think that MLS is interested at this point and time.
However, right now MLS does not allow any of it’s teams to participate in USL. Meaning no PDL or reserve teams affiliated with the league. However, perhaps this is one way Garber could help a fledgling league like this out. After all, that’s what Lenerduzzi and Kerfoot are sort of shooting for with Vancouver who are very into developing players.
I’m excited, too. To me, the owners of Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, Montreal, St. Louis, Tampa and Vancouver – they’re stepping up, taking charge. I like it.
I think the MN Thunder should sue the USL. Well, that is just the lawyer in me…
I would think there will be suites and countersuits by the time this thing is over unless the two parties come to an agreement. In fact I know there will be as I have been told there are already attorneys retained and threats made. That is one of the very sad parts of this story. So much wasted money, time and energy. Just make this work guys!!!
Yeah, Atlanta and Miami. A team that supposedly has tons of money, but still can’t draw flies, and a team that runs itself into the ground, with a revolving-door roster and a play-like stadium (and yes, I’ve been there; nice seats, but no restrooms or concessions stands). Just the people you need to step up and take charge. Not.
Aaron Frederickson “I think the MN Thunder should sue the USL. Well, that is just the lawyer in me…” SUE for what? I look at it simply if I pay rent and don’t pay my landlord for months and rather than pay him I move somewhere else and say this is a better place..and you want me to sue the landlord? I still owe the money! did I miss something what am I sueing for?
“I would like to thank the two Canadian teams, the Whitecaps and the Impact, for all they contributed to the USL for the past few years,” said Papadakis.
You know, all those trophy thingys.
USL, if you put your feet closer together, you can get them both with one shot.
With all due respect to the USL front office, I thought it was sort of funny how obvious they were in releasing this story shortly after Papadakis’s statement.
Continued Canadian success, growth shaping USL plans
http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/378527.html