Deadline for NASL and USL Looms – Parties Meet in NY – NASL AGM’s This Thursday
NASL AGM’s to Take Place this Week – Will Share Fort Lauderdale Stage with MLS College Draft
We are less than 24 hours from the deadline set by US Soccer for resolution between the USL and NASL to assure there will be Division II soccer in the US and Canada for the 2010 season.
Sources have told IMS that Jeff Cooper for the NASL and Alec Papadakis for the USL are in New York meeting with officials from USSF on Tuesday trying to pound out last minute details. Those close to officials from teams involved with the dispute are saying that for the last several days there has been constant conference phone calls from early morning through the evening trying to find resolution.
The North American Soccer League (NASL) is still planning on holding their annual general meeting (AGM) this Thursday, January 7, the day after the imposed deadlines. The deadline was set after neither side could come to agreement and US Soccer turned down NASL’s request for sanctioning and denied the USL sanctioning as well. The denial of USL was a blow to the organization who had been the sanctioned league of Division II soccer in the US and Canada since 1997.
US Soccer had hoped that the USL and NASL could come to agreement on a provisional league which would be run by USSF for the 2010 season with the 2011 season yet to be determined. With 9 teams in the NASL camp and only 3 in the USL camp, a clear message seems to have been sent to the USSF in the type of business model that most teams involved with the league prefer.
The NASL’s 1st AGM is to take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Many announcements have been rumored from the newly formed league along with a schedule for the 2010 season. But at this point it’s all conjecture and unless the league can find resolution with USL for this season, the party mood will be severely dampened.
The NASL AGM’s will be sharing the spotlight in Fort Lauderdale with Major League Soccer’s College Draft Combine which will start on Friday and go through the following Tuesday. Players are often scouted by 2nd Division teams as well as MLS teams. Those same Division II teams then have a good read on players who may not actually make the limited rosters of MLS teams.
Minnesota’s Teal Bunbury will be the only Minnesotan to be involved with the draft this season. Last year Andrei Gotsmanov was the only Minnesotan and was drafted as the 9th pick in the second round by the New England Revolution. Gotsmanov decided not to report to the Revolution pre-season camp after making arrangements with the team and instead finished up his senior year of college and graduated with his class. Gotsmanov did not make the team after a trial and was eventually signed by the Minnesota Thunder. The midfielder looked promising but developed a sports hernia and was injured most of the season.
For a full list of the MLS Super Draft players go here.
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USSF USSR wats the diference its all about centralisaton of all the partys invalved
BQ, when did US Soccer ever suggested running a provisional league for 2010 under their banner? And to what extent would they have control? I was under the impression that the Federation was only seeking both groups to come up with a plan for a single league to be approved in which day-to-day league operations would be administered by one group or both.
Come to think of it, I don’t ever recall USSF ever running a league of its own throughout its long history. Similar to the way the English FA does with the Championship and Football Leagues today. Perhaps if it had done so during the early years of soccer in America, there would have never been so many disputes between USSF and countless leagues that have come and gone, eventually damaging the sport in the long run.
Rico, I like your thinking. While I’m sure we would’ve still have problems, profit issues, disputes, etc. at least we would not have the problems of ‘league ownership’ and leagues starting and falling apart. Along with the FA, most federations run leagues (pro, pro-am, and am) and this secures that there’s always a league. Aside from that many clubs belong not to some private owner but the city/county/metro area that they play in – something like the Green Bay Packers.
Needless to say, I’m anxiously waiting for Fri morning’s news. I’m sure that BQ is already formulating the wording on the two possible outcomes.
Rico, they did not that I know of. As I wrote, I wouldn’t plan on it for the long haul. I think this is another showing the US Soccer is doing everything they can to make this league happen this year.
fotbalist, I’ve stopped trying to preformulate anything anymore. Every time you think you have something figured out in this story, it changes or someone throws a curve ball. It’s been a fascinating ride, but I think its time to get off the roller-coaster.
I think there will still be plenty of exciting things happening in Division II soccer over the next year a half. Add that to situation MLS needs to get through right now with the players union and that it’s a World Cup year, this is going to be one hell-of-a-year to be following the sport in the US and Canada.
fotbalist – I’m curious how you equate the Green Bay Packers ownership to a city/county/metro owning a team? The Packers are owned by the people. City owned teams are presumably owned by the city.
Anthony – I do not know all the particulars of the Green Bay Packers concept, so I can’t speak exactly to their situation. I am aware that they are owned by the people, but I do not know the details of that ownership. Throughout Europe, particularly in the lower divisions, teams exist in a number of different ways. In some cases the team is the property of the city/county council (or whatever term they use). For example, the City Council will hire a General Manager. This person would then be in charge of everything else: coaches, support work, etc. All costs are part of the City Council budget, and all profits go toward supporting the team, and at times city’s actually make some money from this.
In other cases, and this is the more prevalent, teams are owned by voluntary membership clubs. For example, Lake Wobegon Soccer Club from the town of Lake Wobegon, MN has paying members. Most of these are residents of the town, but not necessarily, but they are all soccer fans and want to support this team for which they have affinity. All the paying members for the Club Membership Assembly. Once per year they elect a Board of Directors, who are all still serving as volunteers. The Board of Directors in turn hires and fires coaching and other staff, and are responsible for the management of the clubs finances. In this system, the fans actually support with their dollars and votes and volunteer participation their local team. This is how teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, etc are so successful. They have supporting members throughout the world.
Of course, the reason why this is possible in Europe is because they have a very large market. Almost everyone supports soccer in their town. I lived for a short period of time in a small city in Sweden. That team was a very good team in one of the lower divisions (3 or 4). The size of the city was just not large enough for them to move to the 2nd division, even though at times their team was good enough. So, instead they concentrated on playing great football in the lower division, but they concentrated on developing young talent. Every year they developed 1 or 2 great players who moved to the 1st division, and the club made great profit on the transfer. Anyhow, I’m getting too long now. Perhaps this clarifies some of what I meant.
The Packers are a share-holder owned football team. The Public purchases stock in the team and elects various board members to represent them. Its a quaint little situation in Green Bay as most NFL teams are owned by a one person or holding group. Many are confused as to the Packers being owned by the city just for the fact that many of the shareholders, and subsequently also season ticket holders, are residents of the city of Green Bay. And also given the small size of GB (90,ooo I think) and the tight-knit community that surrounds the team it gives the appearance of city “ownership”.
I think most people in Green Bay and the state of Wisconsin would claim to be owners of the Packers as well!
***what do y’all think of this?
USL and NASL Reach Agreement to Ensure 2010 Professional Soccer Season
League will consist of 12 teams
AUSTIN, Tex. (Thursday, January 07, 2010) – The United States Soccer Federation announced today that an agreement has been reached between the United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League that will ensure a 2010 professional soccer season for the Austin Aztex. The new league will consist of two conferences with six teams in each for a total of 12 teams for the upcoming season. The 2010 season will kick off in April and run through late September.
After months of deliberation between the USL and the NASL, the USSF took it into its hands to bring the two sides together. The new Division II league will be administered by USSF and will play a schedule consisting of 30-32 matches. The USL Conference will consist of the Austin Aztex, Minnesota, Portland Timbers, Puerto Rico Islanders, Rochester Rhinos, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The NASL Conference will consist of AC St. Louis, Baltimore Crystal Palace, Carolina Railhawks, Miami FC, Montreal Impact, and the Vancouver Whitecaps. The schedule will include interleague play.
“I’m very delighted that we have a resolution for a second division soccer league,” said Aztex president Phil Rawlins. “I want to thank the United States Soccer Federation for stepping in and allowing common sense to prevail in this situation. With 12 quality teams in our league, we are looking forward to a very competitive and very exciting season.”