NASL Holds Combine this Weekend
Luiz Muzzi, GM of the Strikers, and Fernando Clavijo hold up the Joma NASL jerseys that will be worn at this weekend's combine.
The North American Soccer League will hold its player combine this weekend at Ft. Lauderdale Stadium. The combine, which begins Friday, will be headed by Strikers’ head coach Daryl Shore and Colin Clarke, coach of the 2010 USSF D2 playoff champion Puerto Rico Islanders. Coaches from all league teams are expected to be in attendance, with some of their assistants also involved at the combine. The combine will also be conducted under the watchful eye of Fernando Clavijo, the Director of Soccer for Traffic Sports USA.
Sixty-four outfield players and seven goalkeepers will participate in the combine. The players will be divided into four squads. Approximately a third of the players attending are 23 years old or younger, with the youngest participant being Haitian goalkeeper Chedlyn Pierre, 18. The youngster was the starting goalkeeper for the Haitian national team in a U-20 Caribbean Football Union World Cup qualifier against Jamaica, holding the junior Reggae Boyz to one goal, and worked out with the NY Red Bulls this fall.
There will be a few older players scheduled to participate also. Another goalkeeper, Jorg Stadelmann, 30, plays professionally in the regional leagues of Austria, while William Kletzien is another “graybeard” who currently toils for the Chicago Riot of the MISL. The combine will resemble a general meeting of the United Nations, with players from the U.S., Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, France, the UK, Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Japan, Gambia, Colombia and Iran demonstrating their talents.
Some combine players will be familiar to fans of D2 soccer, as 2010 USSF D2 players Adam West (Rochester Rhinos), defenders John Lesko and Anthony O’Garro (AC St. Louis) and defender Andrew Marshall (Crystal Palace Baltimore) are slated to be on board. O’Garro scored the first goal in the history of the ill-fated AC St. Louis team and made 18 appearances for the club, while Lesko made 12 appearances and was in the starting lineup for the St. Louisan’s debut. Marshall only missed four of CP Baltimore’s 30 league matches in 2010, scoring twice.
Among the other experienced players at the combine will be defender Stephane Guillaume, who played for the Cleveland City Stars and Miami FC of the USL, and goalkeeper Lance Parker, who made four appearances for Chivas USA between 2008 and 2009 after replacing 2010 MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids’ goalkeeper Matt Pickens in the net for the Missouri State Bears.
Those who follow their Yanks playing abroad may recognize the name of combine player Erik Hort. A native of New York, the 23-year-old was inked by Czech club Sparta Prague in 2005. Hort never saw time with the senior club, but continued his career in Israel, including a stint on the roster with top Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Hort, Pierre, Lesko and the other combine participants will undoubtedly benefit from the experience under the guidance of coaches Shore and Clarke and Fernando Clavijo. Coach Daryl Shore became the head man on the sidelines for Miami FC midway through last season after a lengthy tenure as an assistant with the successful Chicago Fire franchise. In addition to securing the USSF D2 2010 championship, Colin Clarke has guided the Puerto Rico Islanders to the Caribbean Football Union club championship as well as taking the Islanders deep into CONCACAF club competitions. Clarke had a long playing career as a forward in England for such clubs as Portsmouth and Queens Park Rangers and made 38 international appearances for his native Northern Ireland side before beginning his coaching career in 1998 with the Richmond Kickers.
Bringing a wealth of experience to the combine, Fernando Clavijo needs little introduction to seasoned American soccer fans. A member of the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame, the native of Uruguay has contributed to soccer in North America as a U.S. international with more than 60 caps, a star indoor player, a coach in MLS and for the Haitian National team, as well as working as an executive in the soccer industry and a television commentator.
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I am kind of disappointed I was not invited to the combine. I thought my goalscoring prowess as demonstrated at the 2010 NSC MN Stars fantasy camp was more than enough to get a professional D2 contract. Maybe I need to find an agent who is a little more aggressive in promoting me to the teams?
is there a full list of the combine invitees anywhere? i mean this is NASL so efficient PR and good web delivery of information isn’t exactly their forte but it might be nice to have some details …
In Vegas, there is a bet at Texas Hold Em on the last card drawn as something I think is called the river. Meaning, you kept the momentum moving and got lucky as hell because you won with that one last card.
Holding combines, telling USSF that in spite of the fact NASL is denied sanctioning, is a bet on the river. If they win, it will be on the last card drawn.
Since the USSF AGM is being held in Vegas this year, it seems appropriate.
Well they have to operate as is they are going to play, because if they just sat around twiddling their thumbs a) that’s not exactly a way to impress the Federation with your league-running skills and b) if they do play then they have to scramble around at the last minute.
Here’s hoping they win on the river.
I’m with you Soccer Boy. After all, I’m not big, but I’m slow.
@bart- should they just sit waiting for sanctioning, or should they move forward? if they sat and waited you would say, “what a horrible league! they say it is for development, but they don’t even have players at a combine for the teams to choose from, what a joke! the USL would never have stood for this.”
seems like a classic cache-22.
here is hoping the river comes up roses.
@ thesuperrookie
Nice one! you are exactly right. This is a ‘damned if we do, damned if we dont’ situation. Whats funny is even the most ardent haters dont know for sure what is gonna happen, and I bet it kills them! There are gonna be some teary eyes if NASL gets sanctioned…but even if they dont, they’ll just be the better D3 league and nothing will change.
‘River’ for me! But like I said, it wont matter…NASL plays in 2011 regardless, and since Im in it for the soccer, I could care less what you call it!
@ Grant, Davidson has said they will only play at D2. So where are you getting they will go down to D3? The whole finances of the league are based on D2.
@ Dave
Its nothing more than a hunch based on the actions of the league. Im sure they wont go parading around that they are D3, but it sure beats not playing at all. Far too much money invested at this point to turn back now. IF NASL was to not have a season, everything that has been done would be lost. Paying customers would be lost over very minor details. Fanbases rendered useless over something that most people dont even care about. The phrase ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’ comes to mind. What would have been accomplished if NASL gets declined santioning for D2 and then folds up operations? They have to be close to achieving sanctioning since they were there before and had it taken away, and I feel that Davidson is talking big about ‘only being D2′ because he has to. Also, if NASL plays this year (which I ‘think’ they will!) it will be a ‘ramp up to speed’ type of year, which means business as if you are D2. If they are affiliated, sanctioned, or even temporarily sanctioned…then they can operate as ‘business as usual’ and the detail of being D2 or D3 wont matter.
The sponsors want/need a return on their money, something that wont happen if there isnt a season, So the games must go on from their stand point. The players and coaches want to get paid and showcase their talents. If there isnt a NASL season, most of these guys will go to D3 USL clubs anyway, so why not just stay where they are? They still will be seen by MLS clubs, regardless of what ‘level’ NASL is. They still will get paid the same because the finances are being prepped for D2, a step NASL must ensure if they are to be D2 in the future.
In the end, I feel that regardless of what The USSF says, NASL has bitten off such a huge bite, that they have to ‘operate’ as if D2, even if they are an ‘unspoken’ D3. Its the only way they can save face at this point.
@Grant – Agreed. The only point anyone out there seems to make, even Davidson himself, about playing as D3 in 2011 if necessary is sponsorships. Huh?!? Do you think the local sub shop, car dealer, grocery store, whatever sponsor has ANY clue what D2 or D3 means or gives a shite? If we were talking TV contracts here, you might have a point. But since, to my knowledge, NASL has NO TV contract, there doesn’t appear to be anything that would stop sponsors from staying on for 2011 if NASL is forced to play one year as a D2 league instead of a D3. Sponsors want their products and services out in the public eye. Only way to do that is to actually be on the field playing games. NASL will definitely play in 2011, and they’ll do it as a USSF sanctioned league, whatever it takes, because they’ll lose all their coaches and players if they don’t.
BTW, I have been doing my own research ever since this sanctioning drama came along, and the results I get are interesting. Whenever I talk about FCTB now, I ask the question: Do you care if they are Division 2 or Division 3? Across the board, nobody cares a bit about any of that! In fact, most people associate the higher level with higher prices, which could be a bad thing if you are trying to grow a fanbase. Basically, the main thought I come across is that people know they arent MLS, but that they are professional, which means ‘tickets sold’, if you ask me (or them!) A big factor in ‘perceived valididty’ that ive noticed is how many international players are in the league. The fact that we have Haitians, New Zealanders, and Cubans goes a long way towards what most people think is ‘legit’ (wierd, right?) Last year, it was a big selling point to say FCTB has a player who is in The World Cup. People I brought to games would ask, “which one is the WC guy?” Another thing Ive noticed is that people want recognizable cities. When people hear ‘Atlanta’, ‘Minnesota’, or even ‘Montreal’, they instantly give the league creedence. Those are major league cities/places. Last year when we played Austin and Rochester, people would ask “Those cities have soccer teams?” Even though we know that Rochester is a great market, Perception is that it isnt. Its not a major league city. If FCTB were playing Dayton, most people would say “Huh?” and expect ‘minor league’ prices and atmosphere, but in the end, they dont really care…they just want to watch soccer and have it not break their banks.
I just think the whole D2 vs. D3 argument is for us diehards and league officials to debate here on IMS.
Now…I know Im gonna get butchered for these comments, but before anyone starts, Im not publishing these as ‘fact!’, these are just my observations of potential soccer ticket buyers. Lets face it, most of these cities at the D2 or D3 level (or even MLS for that matter) arent busting at the seams with diehard soccer fans buying tickets, so all markets must rely on marketing and selling themselves to the average sports fan. These are just my observations from asking between 30-50 potential customers what they think….and across the board, its not what we on these boards think, and im sure that these teams have factored that in. Not playing because a small percentage of your fanbase ‘knows the difference between D2 and D3′ would be a horrible business move on behalf of all leagues, down to NPSL. The end result is play the game and hopefully people come, dont play the games and surely no one will come and they forget about you!
The games must go on!
” If we were talking TV contracts here, you might have a point. But since, to my knowledge, NASL has NO TV contract, there doesn’t appear to be anything that would stop sponsors from staying on for 2011 if NASL is forced to play one year as a D2 league instead of a D3″
Exactly, Strikers Return! The amount spent in sponsorship money wont be on an ‘ESPN’ level, so why not play?
Must every string digress to this. I’m with Giggsy, who else is in camp? Are they all signing this third party thing BQ told us about? Are they under a Traffic contract? Do these guys pay to go to the combine or just pay their own room and board? I have heard rumors that the contracts for Div 2 are $30K. Is that what these guys are expecting or something like $20K 3rd Division pay? Is there even a diffrence with Orlando paying 2nd division wages for the guys they had last year?
@FSUFiji – You know what’s real funny about Rawlins and Orlando? He cited travel expenses and losing money as why he wanted to self-relegate and move to Orlando. Meanwhile, his team is going to have to fly to every one of their away games, just like they did last year. And if cost was a concern, now that his team is playing in D3, is he really going to pay his players D2 salaries? If so, then someone will have to explain to me just how he changed his financial situation. Oh yeah, he left a decently attended D2 market, where the attendance was actually INCREASING year over year, to play in……Orlando………..yeah…….well, good luck to OCSC, I’m sure they’ll wind up averaging a nice 500 – 600 per game……….