Phoenix Monsoon to Play in 2011 … In Some League … In Some Division
Kenn Tomasch of the Kenn Blog brings us up to date with one of two parties that are negotiating for a D-2 soccer team in the Phoenix area. Tomasch interviews Stuart Starkey who he says is the “point man” for this organization and explains that the team will be named the Phoenix Monsoon. Hey, the guy must be legitimate because he’s even wearing a shirt that says “Phoenix Monsoon”. Starkey makes a lot of claims in the interview and says his team will be playing in 2011 either as a D-2 team or with a loosely organized alliance of teams called the “Western Soccer Conference.”
“Some of these might be teams that were at the PDL level that are moving up but they will all be moving up and playing at what would easily be classified as Division-3 level with a goal of Division-2,” said Starkey in the Tomasch interview which is posted on YouTube. He says he would like to see six to eight teams in that conference but at the present time there are only four ownership groups. They are: Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, (and the Phoenix Monsoon) that “…will play in the 2011 season.” He also says they (“they” I guess meaning himself and the Monsoon. He’s not clear on who is doing all of this organization) are also negotiating with other groups in the Los Angeles, San Jose and Las Vegas areas. He even states that the Monsoon have been working with the USSF to understand exactly what’s going to happen next year with Division-2. “We don’t think we will be part of the Division-2 model, but we think we will already have been accepted in the Division-2 model – to play in 2012.”
Starkey says they have been in contact with both the NASL and the USL within 24 hours of when the interview that was conducted. He also explained that they have been in contact with US Soccer. “They (USSF) are going to decide what Division 2 looks like,” said Starkey. “The truth is we really have no say in it. What we are trying to do is find an economical way for the members of the Western Soccer Conference to begin to develop our structure. I believe that means playing as a conference affiliated with whoever has second division and it might be a marriage of both. We don’t know.”
Tomasch also has some positive comments of his own on the location where the Monsoon would like to play: “The Phoenix Greyhound Park location seems to be a really good one. Just off downtown, right next to the airport, there’s a light rail stop there, loads of parking, no NIMBY issues.”
Starkey also states that his organization was working with Pachuca back in 2008 and ’09, but the model wasn’t right because they would have been flying east for all their games. He says this model with a regionalized league is correct with reduced travel cost. Sound familiar?
A parting thought … could this be part of the D-3 league that USL President Tim Holt had spoken of in regard to expanding to the West Coast? Could these teams be part of that D-3 league until things are ready for a D2 conference? Is this part of a larger master plan? I think I have more questions than answers after listening to the interview.
Thanks to Kenn Tomasch for this very informative interview that throws more light on the big picture for Division-2.
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I was at the meeting with Stuart and Kenn(it was an All Star viewing party of the MLS Phoenix Rising Supporter Group). As to who is the ‘front’ man for the proposed Western Soccer Conference, I get the impression that the clubs are working as a group.
Stuart did produce letters from USSF, USL and NASL so that the people in attendance were satisfied that this was not just ‘word of mouth’ and invited anyone to contact those offices to confirm, should they have any doubts.
As for the proposed location at the Greyhound Park, for those that don’t listen to the interview, in addition to the positives mentioned in the post, it has around 6000 seats in an air conditioned environment, which anyone who has summered in Phoenix can tell you is a big plus in getting fans to attend regularly.
There is another group(Phoenix Pro Soccer) working towards bring pro soccer to Phoenix and I look forward to them sitting down with Kenn and outlining their efforts. To date, their public statements have not revealed anything to indicate that they are further along in the process than Starkey’s group.
Both have been in contact with USL and NASL.
Yeah…….right…… California dreaming folks, just some California dreaming……
A “Western Soccer Conference” that just plays for the fun of it with less than 8 teams and not affiliated with USSF, NASL or USL. As the gentleman quotes, certainly not as a D-2 series of teams in 2011, so the group is not a USSF sanctioned group.
That means no US Open Cup eligibility and some serious problems for registered USSF players is they play in this unsanctioned league.
Thanks Peter, I appreciate your insight.
Bart, there is no reason that those teams can’t do exactly what Edmonton is doing this summer. It doesn’t sound as if they are asking to be formally recognized this coming year. They want that for 2012. Why couldn’t they play a series of exhibition games, with a number of them against the Western Conference as they call themselves, until they join in with a league for the following year. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but I don’t think that it’s not within reason. It sounds as if there are some owners who are interested in taking the next step but saw how suicidal it would be to join up with the old USL D-2 (D3) and be flying out east for the bulk of the games. Again, regionalization of divisions HAS to happen to make these leagues work.
The difference is that Edmonton is a Canadian team, and USSF does not care about a foreign team.
The other difference is that this is not planned on being an amateur league, but a professional team paying players on US soil.
What players are they going to get? USSF registered players? Non-USSF registered players?
This has not at all been thought out well, and this group would be better served waiting until 2012 and actually being in a USSF sanctioned league.
As I said before, California dreaming…….
Look, this deal has 99 problems, but being a USSF outlaw ain’t one.
There is no reason – NO REASON – why a collection of, say, six teams, can’t combine and play games, call themselves professional and either “affiliate” with an existing league or stand alone temporarily. USSF sanctioned USL-2 with six teams this past year and there’s no reason why they couldn’t give their blessing to a conglomeration of teams, especially if…and this is the key that people seem to be missing….they’re coming together for 2011 as a trial run with hopes of moving together into a D2 league (however that looks) in 2012.
Got it? Not an actual league. If you were starting an actual league, you’d need a hell of a lot more infrastructure, with a commissioner and front offices and bylaws and long-range plans and stuff like that (of course, the NASL doesn’t have that, either, but I digress).
TEMPORARY SITUATION. Not a league hell-bent on standing alone for the long-term. A loose association of like-minded teams with a goal of playing at a higher level in 2012 (whatever that is).
I spent seven minutes with the guy and I grasped that.
Now, will it work? I have no idea. The woods are littered with the bones of people who tried to establish pro soccer teams in this country. But the things people like Bart are railing about here are simply not so.
I’m excited about this because there certainly is lots of soccer culture in the markets Starkey mentioned. I’m satisfied with the current announcement (i saw the video also) precisely because they seem to be realistic. They look at 2011 as a temporary/trial season; they even called themselves a conference not a league. All the power to them. I just hope that USSF doesn’t sanction the players who decided to sign with those teams.
I just got back from Las Vegas (one of the markets with some potential Starkey says) and it was hotter than hell. There’s just noway players or fans can have a good time. I just don’t know about ‘air-conditioned bleachers’….maybe i’m just too ‘old school’.
So here’s a question: Does it make sense for a league to play a Europe style season? Oct thru May for example. There’s certainly a market for it. Think of all the states lining the South edge of country. I don’t know … just a thought.
Regarding the Euro-style season. Yeah. The eternal problem of this country.
Really, we should be two countries.
Because while it’s impossibly hot in some places in the summer, it’s also impossibly cold in the other places in the winter. So much so that the summer is still the better of the two options.
Though if we keep having summers like this one (and the winters get milder), then it might make sense. But I’m going to avoid going further into discussing Global Climate Change.
I really do not see a “European” season scheduling working in North America. If you look at where the teams are located, it honestly would not be fun watch the Stars out at the Nessy during November, December, January, February or March. I have never been to Edmonton, but I also think it would be terrible! On the other hand, it would be fun being outside watching a Tampa FC match during these same months.
I guess you also have to ask why we have to do everything like the Europeans? They can have their season, and we can have ours. My solution for Las Vegas is a domed stadium.
It’s not impossible to do a Euro-style season, but realistically you’d need a lengthy winter break (probably 2 months at a bare minimum) like the Germans and Eastern European leagues do (IIRC from Football Manager, Poland’s winter break is 3 months). So you’d need to decide if such a lengthy break out of the soccer public consciousness is worth aligning with the European calendar.
Of course, not all European leagues play a “Euro-style” season. Ireland, Russia and the Nordic countries (with the exception of Denmark) all play in the summer. Ireland switched to summer about 10 years ago, specifically to get out from under the English league’s shadow.
@Jason — actually, it was because they got tired of their teams being knocked out of Europe right at the start of the season. Playing their play-in games in pre-season shape got frustrating. So they switched to a summer schedule with the hopes of going farther in Europe.
Haven’t noticed if that’s worked out for them or not. Which suggests that it probably hasn’t.
As a side benefit, it may put them in less competition with hurling and Gaelic football.
I am curious to now if there has been any effort to bring some of the Mexican teams in the “North American”/MLS umbrella. I am ignorant of the Mexican professional structure, and it is my understanding that they are well established, but it would be good from a fan base standpoint and having people actually show up to matches. I am assuming that they are well attended. To me it is just funny that you have a group called the “North American Soccer League,” and they have no precense in Mexico.
It seems to me that there are always cheap flights into the main “tourist” Mexican towns. However, travel again is a factor.
Just a random thought.
The Mexican league is well established and play a different season. They are just starting their season and take a break. In fact they have two seasons with two championship trophies for league play. Apertura is the winter season and the Clausura in the summer. (Opening/Closing)
There has been some talk in the past about some sort of combined play between MLS and the Mexican Primera. I don’t think you will see that happen for a long time if ever, but it’s nice that we finally have a CONCACAF Champions League.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=mex.1&cc=5901
They need another name besides the Monsoon if they really want to be taken seriously. Come put a little more thought into creating a name and getting a team in Phoenix.
Chris,
In case no one has already informed you, here is a primer on the Arizona Monsoon season.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/monsoon/monsoon_NA.php
Beats the Lakers of LA, have they figured out they’re not in Minneapolis anymore. Or the Jazz of Utah. You get the idea.
Peter C,
Thanks for the info, but the name is still pretty silly. At least there is some history to the Lakers as well as the Jazz name although both of those organizations should have had a renaming of their respective teams. I guess I should ask my aunt about the monsoon season there in AZ since she lives near Phoenix.