Orlando City Takes Inaugural USL PRO Championship by Defeating Harrisburg in PKs
The United Soccer Leagues could not have written the script any better for their first USL PRO Championship game which was aired live on FOX Soccer Saturday evening. Over 11,200 filled the Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando City’s home field, to watch the dramatic final which took many twists and turns. In the end it was the Orlando City Lions who were the victors, playing through 90 minutes of regular time as well as 30 minutes of overtime to bring the game to a penalty kick shootout which Orlando won 3-2.
Orlando had defeated the Harrisburg City Islanders twice during the regular season so expectations were not high for the Pennsylvania team. Even though the Islanders had finished 2nd in the National Division (10-7 -7) of USL PRO they defeated the Rochester Rhinos the previous weekend to get to the final. The game in Rochester was a rough and tumble affair that had players from each team sent off as well as Islanders head coach Bill Becher who then missed the final due to suspension.
On the other hand, Orlando had finished the season 15-3-6, besting all other teams in either division by 6 points. And it was Orlando who looked the most dangerous in the opening minutes of the game. In fact the Lions seemed to be a class above the Islanders in technical ability. But Harrisburg has been known as a scrappy team all season and things were no different in this game. Their work ethic was good and they would end up with several good chances on Orlando’s USL PRO Goalkeeper of the Year Miguel Gallardo. In fact it was that sort of play that saw Harrisburg’s Sainey Touray get though the City defense only to be cut down by Gallardo. The red card was shown and Orlando was now in trouble and down to 10 men.
Orlando City backup goalkeeper Sean Kelley was called into action and filled Gallardo’s shoes admirably.
The real fireworks started in the second half when both teams battled hard and each had chances. But it was Orlando City defender Lawrence Olum who looked to have won the game in 89th minute when he side-footed a ball into the net after a series of nice combination passes.
But Harrisburg somehow found a way to claw their way back into this game as they have done all season. Deep into stoppage time and while on the attack the Islanders were awarded a corner kick. An Islanders player deflected the ball down into the box by using the side of his face and the dying moment equalizer was driven into the net by JT Noone.
The game went into overtime and just 5 minutes in it was Harrisburg scoring again with a relatively easy goal. A corner kick found an unmarked Touray at the near post who headed in to put the Islanders up 2-1.
In the 113th minute Geoff Bloes took down Orlando’s Dennis Chin in the box earning the Islanders defender a red card and trip to the showers. Lewis Neal converted to draw the two sides even again.
The game would stay tied and move to penalty kick shootouts. It looked as if Orlando would win easily after making their first two and Harrisburg having their first two saved by Kelly. But Harrisburg’s Noone and Stephen Basso both scored on their team’s next attempts and Orlando’s Charlie Campbell and Luke Boden both missed bringing the tally to 2-2 going into the final kick.
Touray missed his shot wide for the Islanders and Orlando’s Devorn Jorsling made no mistakes on his kick, earning his team the 2011 USL PRO Championship.
“It was an emotional roller coaster to say the least,” said Orlando City coach Adrian Heath. “The game was unbelievable. It had everything. The best team won. And I know I’m biased, but we are the best team in this league and our players deserve that.”
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Who cares. They should have been playing at a higher level this past season (NASL). To me this is like the MN Wild celebrating a MN State HS Hockey championship. Anything else soccer related going on?
In all seriousness, I did catch a few of their matches when it was avaliable. I think they should be playing NASL next year. Just my humble opinion.
Ya, embarrassing that they not only took a very, very good D2/NASL team away from a solid and promising fan base, but also dropped them down a division in a move nearly guaranteed to earn a championship by competing against a league of teams not even close to the same league. Harrisburg fought valiantly and would have deserved a win, but congratulations to Orlando I suppose. They bought….er, earned it fair and square.
@Soccer Boy and @speedcake
With all due respect, why don’t you give the devil its due? If you had bothered to watch the nationally televised game on Fox, you would have seen a show equal to any televised show brought on by MLS.
This “Cry Me a River” tirade that Orlando should be somewhere else when a very smart businessman just elevated a team with an attendance that MLS will take up and watch, and made more money in it’s inaugural season than any team (save Montreal, and maybe not even Montreal) did in NASL.
You naysayers can dismiss the game all you want, but this game did more to elevate US soccer below MLS on a national level than anything NASL has ever done, or could do. Granted, a lot, if not a majority, of the USL televised games were horrible, but not this one. This was a show for the yet to be US soccer enthusiasts to watch. This was GREAT for US soccer.
If USL recruits more businessmen like Phil Rawlins, then it has a very bright future ahead of themselves.
I say congratulations on an excellent performance both in the stands and on the television show!
Orlando talk about MLS is like Miami MLS talk…..dead in the water.
MLS fans want to get rid of the stigma “mickey mouse league” I’m sure they want a team in the heart of mickey mouse land.
Not what my sources are saying WSW. Garber has mentioned Orlando and has met with Rawlins several times. Word I’m hearing is Garber is impressed and if they could find real money which would mean new MLS franchise fee and eventual MLS soccer specific stadium they very well could be #20. He wants a team in the southeast and Orlando is promising with the numbers they have shown all season and all the English ex pats.
Sources I found was a tribal-football blog that cites a MLSrumors story…Really????
@Bart – Elevate soccer below MLS on a national level??? Really Bart? Really? You see Bart, things like this are why it’s hard to take anything at all you say seriously. You are a 100% totally unabashed USL lover, through and through. Which is all fine and good. Except you say ridiculous things trying to get others to believe that somehow USL is this super model chich while NASL is, well to be politically correct, let me just say, the opposite. LOL
Do you know why USL has to PAY FSC to put their games on tv? Because they “elevate soccer below MLS on a national level” is not the correct answer Alex Trebeck. LOL I’m sure they had a slight uptick in ratings for the championship, but you’re more delusional than you appear to be if you think the fact that these games were broadcast means any sort of national relevance for the league at all. Only soccer purists were watching those games longer than 10 seconds, and with that audience, I’d be willing to bet the debacle of the International Division was as much or more influential with them than the fact that they could watch an occasional D3 game, even with the fabulous and fantastic Marcos pal, Kenn, on the calls. LOL
Now, back to our regularly scheduled forum postings prior to Bart’s shennanigans. LOL First, congratulations to Orlando for being champions, taking a double no less with the regular season and playoff titles. In the world of sports, with the exception of those who win by cheating somehow, you always have to give credit to a team that wins a championship. Some might not like what Rawlins did, myself included actually, but he didn’t do anything against the rules, so you have to give OCSC their due.
They were pretty dominant in the league, but that brings us to another point some have made – was that at all unexpected? It’s obvious that the organization, team, and a better than expected fan turnout all show they could easily survive in the NASL. And I challenge the notion Bart proposes that it’s a smart business decision for Orlando to stay in USL rather than at least consider the idea of joining the NASL.
Explain to me how flying to Antigua and LA make for a cheaper travel budget than flying to Puerto Rico and Edmonton. Considering Orlando’s geographical location, who do they play with in USL Pro that enables them to save money on travel by taking a bus to an away game? If they played in NASL is anyone seriously going to argue that their travel expenses would be hurt by being able to drive to four away games in Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale?
Next up, player salary. Let’s just look at their current roster. Would anyone argue that Orlando could not have been competitive in the NASL this year with their roster? So many people I’ve seen post comments love to say there is little talent difference between USL Pro and NASL. I disagree on the whole, but grant that in this first year, it’s as close as it will ever be. But given that, Orlando was easily the class of the league, and that certainly has a lot to do with the fact that the organization was paying D2 salaries the last two years, and were almost certainly paying some this year as well. How many Lions players won season awards and were named to the all-league team? Salary might need a slight increase to compete for a title consistently up one level, but I hardly think that would be a problem considering the next point….
Attendance. First thing to put on the table is will they be able to keep the numbers up going forward. Winning a championship obviously helps that. Orlando had excellent attendance this year, especially considering their D3 league. Now, someone please, please try and argue with me that playing both the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers and Tampa Bay Rowdies twice a year will not increase those numbers. A derby between these three teams would EASILY draw more fans than home matches against Antigua or Dayton. And attendance begets sponsors, which begets money, and you get the idea.
For as long as Garber has been openly, shamelessly, and determinedly talking up NYC2 as the 20th MLS franchise, I’ll continue to consider them the front runners. I think every time he can “flirt” with an Orlando, Minnesota, or whoever else, it’s just another slap upside the heads of NY organizers telling them to get their act together in short order. Eventually you have to believe they will. But I also don’t think MLS as any intention of stopping at 20 teams, and they definitely want a presence in the Southeast, particularly in the largest tv markets. That will mean huge dollars down the road if they’re able to keep improving their tv deal as they just did with NBC. And that doesn’t mean one Southeast team. And as we’ve seen in the Pacific Northwest, a derby of teams with a strong rivalry, as well as being strong organizations, make for some very compelling expansion prospects.
Obviously Orlando, and other Southeast franchises have a lot of work to make themselves into that kind of situation. But continuing to grow your organization and improve your marketability and attractiveness by best positioning yourself for the future is heading in the right direction. I see a lot of positives for Orlando moving to MLS, and not nearly as many for staying in USL Pro. But all that goes out the window if Rawlins and his investors don’t want to make those kinds of determinations or analyses, and simply want to stay in D3 for whatever reason, even one as simple as because maybe they just feel like it, or they don’t like Aaron Davidson or something.
@ Strikers Return
In business, personal feelings are a small part of the decision making process. The decisions generally are based on which path will generate the greatest bottom line. Orlando clearly made a decision that gave them a better bottom line. It woud have nothing to do with whether they “like” Davidson or not. If folks “like” each other, that is generally a plus, but maybe, Davidson is not considered a good partner, because his decisions do not generate the greatest bottom line.
You obviously did not watch the USL Pro game, and did not see what transpired in terms of fan exuberance and a great experience for newbie soccer fans. This may be the result of your NASL blinders, or the fact that you simply attended your home team game, but without the benefit of watching the event without rose colored glasses, you can spin your opinion any way you want to, it just makes your opinion irrelevant.
And Mr. Buffet, while USL may INVEST in having their USL Pro games televised, you may find out after the fact that what one does in year 1 does not begin to have returns until year 4. Case in point are your owners, Traffic. If Traffic pulls the plug in the next 24 months, it is all over for NASL. I sincerely hope they continue to fund the millions of dollars a year it takes to run the teams and the league. But this piece is about USL Pro, not NASL, so I digress.
I WAS WRITING ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, Sir Knows-It-All, not every televised game that was aired this season. That one game did elevate the awareness of the sport here in the US. I will stand by that statement.
@Strikers Return…your analysis is spot on.
This photo is from a friend of mine who works for OCL. This was the supporters section after the game. It would certainly rival many MLS teams supporters section.
@Bart…
So you have been following USL all season long…so was it a surprise to you that Orlando won the title. Defacto it was Orlando and Rochester that were previously D2 teams playing against D3 teams and a PDL team. So no surprise there.
and if playing a title game on nationalized TV with football lines is a success to you then it figures.
BTW it’s not the first time USL had it’s championship game on FSC.
@Brian…
that’s all great and all but it’s one game, that’s like saying Man U friendly against a MLS team with 60k rivals anything Bundesliga does.
MLS wrote: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/09/05/kick-donovan-sounds-warning-ahead-match-vs-kc?module=from_footer
“However, the most exciting match played over the weekend may have been the USL-Pro championship match, won by Orlando City over Harrisburg City Islanders on PKs after an entertaining 2-2 draw. Orlando City vow to bring 80 percent of their roster back for 2012 but will likely lose one defender to MLS.”
Orlando City had over 8,000 fans on multiple home games, and plus 11,000 at the Final. They also beat 2 MLS teams this year. The also had an exhibition win at home against Newcastle United, 1-0 (plus 11,000 fans).
Check out some YouTube footage of their fan groups, it is like a smaller scale of Portland.
@ WSW
Yes, it was a surprise. Orlando on paper is the better team, but Harrisburg could have/should have taken it from Orlando. And no, it was not de facto that it was Rochester/Orlando, as that actually did not happen now, did it?
I also follow NASL. It would be nice if their championship game was as well televised an event as USL Pro’s was. It would also be nice if the event was as exciting.
And you are missing the point with any comparison to the Bundesliga. One takes babysteps, small steps, one step at a time……
This reminded me of the Al Pacino in the movie, Any Given Sunday, a game is won by inches…..
Charleston also took Orlando to OT in the playoffs so they could have just as easy won it. Orlando was the better team this year because they were more complete. Charleston spent all of their money and forgot to fill the void left by their two forwards who went to MLS. Charleston gets those missing goals back and it could have been a very different outcome this year.
It’s a shame, really. In any other country, universe, galaxy, etc., but the United States, Orlando will get promoted to NASL next season, and will get to play hotly contested games w/ Strikers and Rowdies next season.
A shame, really…promotion/relegation must happen in the United States, in 5-10 years or so, to take the game to the next level. Don’t care how, don’t care about Donnie Garber, about single entity-systems, about lawsuits, about NASL/USL not seeing eye to eye.
Promo/relegation has to happen!
@ Ivan
Until, and unless there is a business plan in place that creates consistency and continuity between the leagues, there is no smart reason for promotion or relegation to occur. It is not as if Orlando did not have a choice to be with NASL, they simply chose not to.
I would suspect, as Strikers Return has indicated, that Davidson simply is such a lousy and untrustworthy partner that Orlando would not have made the decision to go with USL Pro unless they knew their bottom line and future was better tied to the USL Pro division. But to give Davidson his due, he is truly not the controlling factor, his superiors at Traffic are.
And that creates a whole new issue as it relates to the future of D2 soccer in this country.
@Bart
What issue that Traffic has millions of dollars to burn on D2….
Unlike USL which 3 teams folded and more will come by 2012, looks like the scheme continues a new team FC Boston will be just like L.A.
Ivan- There may not be an NASL to promote to in 5 years.
Having millions to burn and being willing to continue to do it are two very different things.
Ivan, I’m in agreement with you that pro/rel – at least between the top two levels of North American soccer – will happen in the US/Canada in at least the next decade, and that NASL will be part of it.
The way MLS is structured, I think it is possible for MLS to buy out NASL, keep NASL in second division, and get pro/rel started. Whether USL wants in or not is entirely up to them, but clearly that league has major issues – allowing three teams to drop out in the middle of the season?
@Bart – You truly are a chuckle a minute aren’t you Bart. LOL Twisting others words into a “truth” only you can understand…sounds like a lawyer…LOL Anyhow, Rawlins allowed Donner to convince him that the safest road was in USL Pro, not NASL. No one said anything about it being better or smarter. But now word is Donner is out. And as you know, the one thing you CAN count on every offseason in lower division soccer is this – Things Change. If Rawlins goal truly is MLS, he needs to build his brand even bigger, and he needs to do it fast considering all the other markets who would love to get in, including the still lead dog, NYC2. OCSC had a great start this year. How do you keep the fans coming back in such large numbers in D3? Playing Antigua, Dayton, and whoever else Holt cooks up this year? Or maybe, just maybe, you get yourself involved in a derby with some real potential behind it. You know, with actual, all-time historic North American pro soccer brands, like, oh, I don’t know, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers and Tampa Bay Rowdies…just to name a couple off the top of my head that are within driving distance from them…….
So given all the dialogue above about situations that would actually affect business decisions, not any personal feelings, I’m still awaiting your rebuttal of my economic points in favor of an NASL season for 2012 for OCSC as opposed to another in USL Pro. The “safety” of USL Pro was what Rawlins had to be banking on when self-relegating last year to D3. But that scoreboard of dead franchises is still reading USL 3 and NASL 0, and it’s one time that you aren’t looking to have the higher total my friend. Not only that, but the fastest way to build some substantial stability to the NASL would be to add an established, successful team, like, ph, just to throw out an example, Orlando. Huh, if you stop to think, and take a look without those USL blinders LOL it even makes some sense Bart.
@ Strikers Return and @WSW
Either you both live in buttercup bliss, or you choose to ignore the obvious. It does make a difference whether Traffic continues to fund millions into NASL and their teams. If that goes away, then NASL goes away, as the majority of the teams have no owner that can sustain the losses for more than two months, if that.
The fact that Florida, for the moment, has two NASL teams that Orlando could create competition with is a possible short term way to generate fan territory, but then you have to ask yourself, who is the more stable league long term?
NASL, whose owner is a Brazilian company with internal cash flow problems due to media contract losses, who in more likelihood may have to focus more on their core business to survive, than blow much needed operating cash on a league and teams that have no hope of changing that for many, many years, if ever, or USL Pro, who may have lost 3 teams this year, but wisely cut their losses and more than likely have several new teams lined up as they grow the league into regionalized play?
I think a better solution would be for the Strikers and Tampa to enter into discussions with USL Pro. The problem with that, however, is that the Strikers have ownership that is shaky, and Tampa has ownership whose net worth determinant is on the commodity pricing of French and Italian grape vineyard production.
Oh, and your argument that adding a stable team to NASL, an otherwise financially shaky series of teams and league, does not cut the mustard. One team cannot stabilize this band of brothers. Hell, you are losing your strongest common bond, King Saputo, at the end of the season.
You talk strong now, Sir Striker…… let’s see what happens at the beginning of 2012.
@Bart – You’re consistent, I’ll give you that. No acknowledgment as to the points of financial success Orlando could have by joining the NASL as opposed to satying put in USL. I guess I’ll have to stop asking and move on.
You keep blabbering about Traffic’s involvement in a “shaky” league. You only have it partially correct. If Traffic decides to stop funding Atlanta and Carolina tomorrow, yes, the NASL will either need to drop down to D3, or it could completely fail, yes. You’re characterization of the other owners in the league is borderline absurd though. Do you recall the D2 financial standards laid out by the USSF this past year? Do you know why they are so stringent? So that the landscape of former USL carcasses doesn’t grow any faster than in the past? You continue to ignore facts in order to keep your dream of NASL failure and USL ascendancy alive Bart. LOL
The entire discussion was supposed to be about Orlando. I gave them their due congrats, and turned to their possible future outlook. I offered points that seem to favor a move to the NASL from an economic perspective. I also am happy to stand by my point of adding strong franchises to your league actually strengthens your league. Still not sure how that one escapes you. Anyhow, I too am very interested to see how things look in 7 months when we’re kicking off the new season. I’m confident the NASL, and all of it’s current teams will be kicking off. How confident are you that we won’t see that Dead Franchise Scoreboard currently sitting at USL Pro 3 and NASL 0, get even worse for your darlings? LOL
@ Strikers Return
What financial success (meaning an increase in profits) would Orlando enjoy if they maintain the same fan numbers, yet increase their travel costs, which would be significant? I just don’t get what you are asking.
And if Traffic is the owner of Ft. Lauderdale (oh wait, they are) and they elect to stop funding due to the financial crisis they have internally, then Ft. Lauderdale is no more. It is not about going to D-3, it is either you survive or you terminate.
Yes, USSF did increase the financial standards and guess what, Traffic came in last year to save the day financially, otherwise there would be no league. Other than Saputo, who else has the financial staying power? Edmonton? Tampa? I don’t think so. The economy has changed and so do net worth positions, especially if you keep feeding the dragon.
So, to get this back to USL Pro, which is what this article is all about, you brought up a D-3 possibility. If that is the case, then why not have your teams, provided they have any ownership at the end of the day, consider USL Pro? Orlando wins and so do the Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale fans.
LOL @ people who think NASL is a ‘better’ division than USL.
“But we’re division 2! That HAS to be better than division 3! Right? Right?!”
Orlando City had better attendance numbers than any USL-PRO or NASL team (aside from possibly Montreal). They went 2-2 against MLS teams, and 1-1 against EPL teams. Is there a single NASL team that can say this? Also, is there a single NASL team (aside from Montreal) that can match Orlando City’s payroll? In fact, FC Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale refused to play them because of the disparity in salary.
Also, Orlando City is owned by Stoke and Burnley owners. (People who actually understand and value soccer.)
It’s amusing when people suggest that Orlando could ‘survive’ in NASL. Who knows what would happen on the field, but on paper Orlando City is obviously much more successful than any NASL team. (again, perhaps with the exception of Montreal) Is there any actual measure that could be used to describe Orlando City as inferior to an NASL club?
And FYI, that was the only match all season with football field lines on the field. And lastly, of course USL pays Fox Soccer to air the matches. Perhaps you’re forgetting that MLS used to do the same thing.
@bart – Now not only are you inventing things, you’re not even bothering to fully read……like I said, just like a lawyer. Tell me how you figure Orlando’s travel expenses increase significantly by moving from a league with no rivals close enough to bus to, to a league with at least four games you can bus to (Tampa and FTL) and another two you could if you felt it was really important to save the money (ATL). How is it more expensive to fly from Orlando to LA than from Orlando to Edmonton? How is it more costly to fly from Orlando to Antigua then from Orlando to Puerto Rico?
And you’re also dismissing what would certainly be an increase in ticket revenue by having four games against the Strikers and Rowdies rather than against the likes of Dayton and some unknown USL expansion sucker, err, I mean franchise?
Does the USL release team salary numbers? My geuss is Orlando was near or at the top this year, and they’ve already comitted to bringing back as much of that championship roster as they can. You think those guys aren’t getting some raises for winning too? So I put forth they would not need to spend anymore than they would in USL Pro on salary next year as well, and would still be competitive in the NASL.
Again, since you’re not willing to see a scenario in which the team that was the star attraction of your preferred league this year, actually elevates itself back to where it used to be next year, you’re ignoring the facts.
Traffic needs to divest themselves of majority ownership of either Atlanta or Carolina by the start of next season. It wil show the USSF they are working to make sure all majority ownerships are exclusive of one another (assuming that was a concern this year, as USSF never really seemed to publicly make their issues clear to fans). It would also obviously ease the financial burden on them. I’ve said this since before this season kicks off. If they can’t, I don’t know what will happen. We don’t even know for sure this was the sticking point with the USSF sanctioning. You can go on knocking the NASL til doomsday, but there is no reason in the world not to give them a fair chance to try and make D2 work. What would have been the point of the USSF creating the standards if they aren’t willing to work with a league making an honest effort to meet them?
I mean, it’s not like the NASL tucked its tail between its legs and self-relegated themselves to D3. And I only mentioned that in my previous post because it is an option to them. Not that I believe they’ll take it. If they were willing to play D3, it would have been so much easier to do so this year while making preparations to try for D2 next year. Besides, the TOA happened because of the way USL was running D2 into the ground! They were collecting league fees and expansion fees, allowing anyone with a check into the league, and then providing no infrastructure or support to the franchises. Lilke I’ve said before, the USL Pro is only able to exist because a few top notch organizations have found a way to survive, DESPITE the idiocy of USL (see the International Division this year).
In the end, I still maintain that Orlando has the potential for an improved bottom line by joining the NASL. Not every D3 team would be the same, but Orlando’s situation lends itself perfectly. Although you could make similar cases for Charleston and Wilmington, if they, as a pair, were interested in jumping up. With them, Carolina, and Atlanta, you’d have another strong regional rivalry set up.
@Adam – You seem to be afflicted with the same “partial reading” sickness as Bart. Outside of WSW (he doesn’t count, and it’s too long a story to explain) no one is saying NASL is better than USL Pro simply because of the names D2 and D3. Attendance numbers, while sketchy in truth for all lower division soccer clubs, was still very impressive for year one in Orlando. No doubt about it. After that is where your post really started to go wrong….
Citing records for your club against MLS teams and EPL teams shows some lack of real soccer knowledge to begin with. Those games against the EPL were COMPLETELY meaningless from the EPL persepctive other than having live bodies to scrimmage against. And sadly, MLS teams don’t take USOC games much more seriously than this as well. Personally I wish USOC meant more to MLS sides, and that they actually fielded first team squads rather than reserves and trial players. But again, you’re basing your opinion on something that is near meaningless. Also, as I’m sure you know but must have forgotten, the NASL was not allowed by the USSF to play in the USOC this year.
Payroll? The Strikers COULD easily match the Lions payroll. Traffic has a lot of cash my friend. But to the dismay of South Florida soccer fans at times, having a high payroll in order to be more competitive in the league they’re in hasn’t always seemed to be a top priority for Traffic. The Strikers had the second highest payroll in the NASL this year (behind Montreal) I believe, but I’m sure BQ could tell us more definitively. No idea what OCSC spent in payroll. I’m sure it was at or near the top in USL Pro (I already said this above) and I’d be willing to bet it was similar to NASL squads considering the organization spent the last two years already paying D2 salaries as the Aztex. But even after all of this, what exactly is your point? That Orlando should be playing in D2 again rather than self-relegating to D3 again?
I’ll assume you’re directing the Orlando just surviving in NASL comments to someone other than me. The entirety of my points in this thread, beyond congratulating the Lions first off for their championship, was to make the case that OCSC could thrive in the NASL. Again you’ve shot yourself in the foot though with the comments about Montreal being successful (seen the NASL standings lately?). I’ve made no remarks to the effect of Orlando being inferior to NASL clubs. I think they are immediately capable of joining the NASL and competing with the likes of Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the rest for a title next year in D2. I in fact very much wish they would come to the same conclusion.
Orlando is just fine in USL-PRO, it seems to be a bit more stable than NASL (with the exception of the Puerto Rican teams who were dumped by the league). And 3 of the 4 MLS matches were in preseason action, not USOC.
Being located in Orlando (and having good connections) means they got to play two MLS teams in the Wide World of Sports preseason tournament. They also played Toronto in a preseason match. (Again, there are plenty of advantages of being located in Central Florida. No one goes to MN for spring training!)
I’m sure the Strikers ‘could’ match the Lions in payroll, but they ‘don’t’. Orlando’s English owners outspent all of USL-PRO, and likely all of NASL. (except perhaps Montreal) In return, they won 4 of the 5 league awards, (MVP, best defender, best keeper, best coach, only losing rookie of the year)
They even spent the money necessary to arrange the friendlies with Newcastle and Bolton.
So, to summarize, Orlando has English Premier League owners who want to spend cash, they have the best fan base of any non-MLS team, the best on-the-field result of any non-MLS team, and a geographic location that ensures friendly’s with MLS and EPL competition.
And @strikers return, Montreal is QUITE successful, they’ll have an MLS franchise next year. That’s success IMHO.
@ Strikers Return
Ouch! Adam kazaammed you on that last series. I don’t have that much time to write short stories like you do, but with Adam, you got to admit, you were not the better man.
In my opinion I say why not move to the NASL. I completely agree with what Striker is saying about the regional rivalry with the other Florida teams. If we (Orlando) played them I know our fans would travel with the team. Tampa is a mere 80 minutes away and Ft. Lauderdale is closer to 3 hours. But regardless of how far the drive is, with our devoted fan base, we would have our large supporter groups (Ruckus, ILF, etc) go out and support our hometown team. I’m going to be honest here and just say that I don’t know much about the supporters for either Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale but I’ll go out on a limb and assume that they would have a core group of diehards that would do the same when they come to Orlando to play. If that is the case then it would be much like the Newcastle game where the Newcastle fans had a large presence in the stands (about 1500 or so). That game had a great atmosphere as there was a lot of friendly heckling and mutual respect for one-another. So all-in-all I believe that it would be beneficial for all three Florida teams if Orlando jumped ship to the NASL. If it doesn’t work out what’s the worst that can happen? By that time Orlando will know whether it has been accepted into the MLS or not and it can decide its future from there.
I’d like to see Orlando in the NASL (I’d like to see the strongest below-MLS teams together in a strong and stable D2) but I bet it will never happen and, if it did, it might actually be bad for NASL.
Let’s say you’re Orlando’s owners, you’re gunning for the 20th spot in MLS, and you want to be there in 2013 or 2014. What compelling business case is there to move to NASL?
- Would changing leagues would negatively impact your season fanbase? Probably not, but I doubt there are that many more Orlandonians who would come to see a D2 game but wouldn’t see a D3 game – either you’re partial to supporting local soccer, or you’re not. Orlando’s paying fanbase will grow in its second-year regardless whether its in USL or NASL. Yes, the Florida derbies would draw a large gate, but that’d be largely due to away support, and that’s no reason to move a business to a new league.
- Orlando might have to re-structure itself to meet NASL’s more stringent financial requirements. If you’re heading to MLS and it’s own single-entity set-up anyways, why go through this unnecessary cost and hassle?
- If you did get the 20th franchise, NASL might be a better test on how well your squad will do in MLS – but looking at Timbers, Whitecaps, Sounders and Impact’s experiences, I don’t think this is the case. Anyways, Orlando can always test itself against MLS opposition in the Walt Disney pre-season tournament and in the US Open Cup (where it lost to Dallas on penalties).
I also see more cons than pros for NASL. Why would NASL welcome a franchise that would shortly move again? Isn’t that part of the D2 instability that NASL is supposed to get away from? Orlando would be a stable and strong franchise, but if NASL will survive it needs to do so on its own terms – it can’t use Orlando as a crutch to get by without looking very desperate indeed.
Instead of moving, Orlando, Tampa Bay and Ft. Lauderdale should organize a pre-season Florida Cup – local derbies would attract a good gate, get some fantastic away support and friendly supporters’ rivalries and would add some awesome be a very good proxy for the NASL vs USL debate. (This would be even better if Ft. Lauderdale or Tampa Bay won the NASL championship!)
@Bart & Adam – Kazaamed me? LOL All he did was the same thing you did – half-read my posts, and then didn’t bother to respond to most of my points. He also makes a lot of assumptions about his team and market that have zero factual basis. I’m all for being proud of your team and wanting them to aspire to higher divisions. But the way these Orlando people talk after one season of D3 soccer like they’re a shoe in for MLS is beyond me. It’s not quite that simple folks, especially today.
NYC2 is going to have to be a complete wipeout in the next year or so for any other market to have a shot at #20. Garber is in no rush to announce #20 while things develop slowly up there, you notice this? Long term I don’t think MLS will stop at 20 anyway, but it’s certainly conceivable they could take a 4 – 5 year pause after that to continue strengthening the league and it’s teams, work on continuing to grow the tv contract, both prior to opening the door to more expansion. Then what Orlando? Keep playing the merry go round of franchises that will come and go in USL from the likes of Dayton, Antigua, or Donut Hole, IA? Just hoping you’ll get a shot at #21 or #22? Look at the Cascadia Cup rivalry.
Seen how compelling it is in it’s very first year in MLS? You think the MLS big wigs haven’t noticed? You think they wouldn’t go apeshite for a similar derby in the Southeast involving the Strikers, Rowdies, and Orlando? Why not position yourself to be as attractive as possible to the league? Despite Bart’s blowhard hateful comments, the Strikers and Rowdies aren’t going anywhere. And then there’s all the other points I’ve made that you both ignore. Oh well. Time to switch gears and focus on tomorrow night’s matchup with the Railhawks. Go Strikers!!!
I don’t know if my post will be posted, but why don’t USL fans do research before posting, go to transfermarkt.co.uk and you will see a huge gap in overall player value between Orlando and FC Tampa Bay, so who are they kidding….
WSW, you’re kidding right? I remember when that info went up and everyone had a good laugh about it. It’s someone in the UK trying to figure out transfer amounts for players like they get in Europe. Do you really think any one of those players would get what that website claims they are worth in a transfer fee? And just because they ranked one higher than the other is someone’s guess because one is division 2 and the other division 3. I really think it’s best not to use that silly site in this argument.
Well where do they get their info from that Orlando pays higher salaries than FC Tampa Bay, as far as I know all transfers are undisclosed.
@ Strikers Return
“Blowhard, hateful comments?” Really? By just stating the obvious? What factual basis do you have that will confirm that neither the Strikers or Tampa Bay are going anywhere next season?
Nothing will happen until after the season is over, and the teams get their $750,000 bond back. Then these teams have to make some tough decisions on what they will do if they are no longer subsidized by Traffic.
There is one prediction that I certainly can make and that is Carolina will whomp on the Strikers tonight and win the league. If course, no one needs a crystal ball to make that prediction.
@Bart – As I stated previously, if you’d of read the entire post LOL, I moved on. Since you’re not willing to come at this debate with any actual facts or points of your own, just the usual jibba jabba, I’ll not continue to be roped in.
As for tonight, the Railhawks will find themselves leaving Lockhart with the same result they did a few weeks ago – a loss. Coupled with an Islanders win over the Impact in Bayamon, before this night is over Striker Likers will be popping the corks on a playoff birth celebration!