Lots of action in the lower divisions lately. Here is a round-up for 2014 at the moment: NASL (10 teams) Atlanta Silverbacks Carolina RailHawks FC Edmonton Fort Lauderdale Strikers Indy Eleven Minnesota United New York Cosmos Ottawa Fury San Antonio Scorpions Tampa Bay Rowdies (coming in 2015: Jacksonville, Oklahoma City, Virginia Cavalry) The season will start in April. The schedule is up in the air a bit with Virginia postponing entry until 2015. USL PRO (13 teams) Charleston Battery Charlotte Eagles Dayton Dutch Lions Harrisburg City Islanders (Philadelphia Union) Los Angeles Blues Oklahoma City Energy Orlando City SC (Sporting Kansas City) Phoenix FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Houston Dynamo) Richmond Kickers (DC United) Rochester Rhinos (New England Revolution) Sacramento Republic (Portland Timbers) Wilmington Hammerheads (Coming in 2015: Colorado Springs, Tulsa) There may be other teams and affiliations announced before the season starts in April. The Sacramento-Portland affiliation is being challenged by San Jose. LA Galaxy is rumored to be starting their own team. Divisional alignments will be announced once all the teams are set. PDL (70 teams) I'm not going to list them all but here is the local division Southern Conference Mid South Division Austin Aztex El Paso Patriots Houston Dutch Lions Laredo Heat Midland/Odessa Sockers Oklahoma City FC This will also probably change. The season starts in May NPSL (89 teams) Again just the local division. South Region South Central Conference (Bryan-College Station) BCS Clash Flower Mound FC (Frisco) Liverpool Warriors (Houston) Regals SCA Tulsa Athletics See PDL.
Hmm. Looks like I haven't kept up. NPSL (89 teams) Again just the local division. South Region South Central Conference (Bryan-College Station) BCS Clash Flower Mound FC (Frisco) Liverpool Warriors Tulsa Athletics Right now those are the only four area teams listed on the NPSL website. Texas Premier Soccer League (6 teams) Premier Divison (Bryan-College Station) BearKatz FC Houston Dutch Lions FC Galveston Pirate SC Houston Hurricanes FC Houston Leones FC Regals SCA That league is playing a winter schedule. They are at the halfway point (5 games) with the 2nd half in February and March. The TPSL also has lower divisions. Not sure if some of those teams will re-join the NPSL in the summer or not. The Houston Dutch Lions are still listed on the PDL website.
So Oklahoma City is a serious hotbed of soccer with a USL PRO and PDL teams now and OK FC on the way into the NASL in a year. Interesting USL PRO and NASL going head to head there. That should be an interesting US Open Cup match.
I believe the PDL team will become the NASL team. It has the same ownership, at least. Tulsa also has competing groups with a NPSL team and a future USL PRO team. Interesting days in Oklahoma soccer.
It's supposed to be a winter league then those teams will play once again in their respective leagues in the summer. edit: Found this. edit: I'm having this feeling Brendan Keyes will continue to make leagues until he can finish first place in them.
Oklahoma, the sport is strong there. Tulsa had the Roughnecks in the old NASL and that era laid a foundation in Tulsa for the sport that has grown statewide. Also, and this is just mho, since gridiron is SO powerful in Oklahoma and that there were no other competing professional teams in the state until the Sonics got moved there not to long ago it is almost like the folks up there looked at soccer in a non threatining way where as many other gridiron loving states and their people have generally displayed a disdain for association football and looked to avoid/degrade it at any opportunity. Oklahoma folk appear to be so confident that gridiron is boss and their state has so much success in it that this other code of football was given a fair shake at making inroads, well 30 years later and the sport really has solid roots up there.
The Houston Leones are playing against the Houston Dynamo Reserves on January 11, at 8222 Airline Dr Houston Tx 77037. 330 pm
How are they defining "Reserves"? I'm skeptical that it is actually the reserves from the Dynamo senior team.
They, Houston Leones FC, haven't defined it, nor has the Dynamo put out the roster yet. It is likely that the game will be played by academy players. It's hard to say who the reserves will be playing now, with the restructuring of the MLS relationship with the second division.
The schedules for the USL Pro and PDL are out so I thought I could update this. NASL (10 teams) Atlanta Silverbacks Carolina RailHawks FC Edmonton Fort Lauderdale Strikers Indy Eleven Minnesota United New York Cosmos Ottawa Fury San Antonio Scorpions Tampa Bay Rowdies (coming in 2015: Jacksonville, Oklahoma City, Virginia Cavalry) The season will start on April 12. They are playing a 9 game Spring season and an 18 game Fall season which starts after the World Cup. USL PRO (14 teams) Charleston Battery (Vancouver Whitecaps) Charlotte Eagles Dayton Dutch Lions (Columbus Crew) Harrisburg City Islanders (Philadelphia Union) Los Angeles Blues LA Galaxy II (LA Galaxy) Oklahoma City Energy (Sporting Kansas City) Orlando City SC (Sporting Kansas City) Phoenix FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Houston Dynamo) Richmond Kickers (DC United) Rochester Rhinos (New England Revolution) Sacramento Republic (Portland Timbers & San Jose Earthquakes) Wilmington Hammerheads (Toronto FC) (Coming in 2015: Colorado Springs, Tulsa) Their season starts on March 22. Teams will play 28 games each including two against MLS reserve teams. PDL (64 teams) I'm not going to list them all but here is the local division Southern Conference Mid South Division Austin Aztex Houston Dutch Lions Laredo Heat Midland/Odessa Sockers Mississippi Brilla The Mid-South division will play 14 regular season games starting on May 10. NPSL (76 teams) Again just the local division. South Region South Central Conference (Bryan-College Station) BCS United Clash Corinthians FC of San Antonio Dallas City FC Fort Worth Soccer Group Houston Regals SCA (Frisco) Liverpool Warriors Tulsa Athletics No schedule yet. Texas Premier Soccer League (6 teams) Premier Divison (Bryan-College Station) BearKatz FC Houston Dutch Lions FC Galveston Pirate SC Houston Hurricanes FC Houston Leones FC Regals SCA That league is playing a winter schedule. They are at the halfway point (5 games) with the 2nd half in February and March. The TPSL also has lower divisions.
Update. NASL (10 teams) Atlanta Silverbacks Carolina RailHawks FC Edmonton Fort Lauderdale Strikers Indy Eleven Minnesota United New York Cosmos Ottawa Fury San Antonio Scorpions Tampa Bay Rowdies (coming in 2015: Jacksonville, Oklahoma City, Virginia Cavalry) The season will start on April 12. They are playing a 9 game Spring season and an 18 game Fall season which starts after the World Cup. USL PRO (14 teams) Charleston Battery (Vancouver Whitecaps) Charlotte Eagles Dayton Dutch Lions (Columbus Crew) Harrisburg City Islanders (Philadelphia Union) Los Angeles Blues LA Galaxy II (LA Galaxy) Oklahoma City Energy (Sporting Kansas City) Orlando City SC (Sporting Kansas City) Phoenix FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Houston Dynamo) Richmond Kickers (DC United) Rochester Rhinos (New England Revolution) Sacramento Republic (Portland Timbers & San Jose Earthquakes) Wilmington Hammerheads (Toronto FC) (Coming in 2015: Colorado Springs, Tulsa) Their season starts on March 22. Teams will play 28 games each including two against MLS reserve teams. PDL (64 teams) I'm not going to list them all but here is the local division Southern Conference Mid South Division Austin Aztex Houston Dutch Lions Laredo Heat Midland/Odessa Sockers Mississippi Brilla The Mid-South division will play 14 regular season games starting on May 10. NPSL (78 teams) South Region South Central Conference North Division Joplin Demize (Frisco) Liverpool Warriors Oklahoma City FC Tulsa Athletics South Division (Bryan-College Station) BCS United Clash Corinthians FC of San Antonio Dallas City FC Fort Worth Soccer Group Teams will play a ten game regular season starting on May 9. Playoffs will be July 11 & 13. Texas Premier Soccer League (6 teams) Premier Divison (Bryan-College Station) BearKatz FC Houston Dutch Lions FC Galveston Pirate SC Houston Hurricanes FC Houston Leones FC Regals SCA (Coming in 2014-15: Austin Real Cuahutemoc) The TPSL spring portion of the season is underway. It ends on March 1. The TPSL also has lower divisions.
Please God, Allah, whoever, make this happen: http://soccer.si.com/2014/02/26/wyn...s-interested-in-signing-freddy-adu/?eref=sihp
Good news for local football. Houston Dutch Lions are building a PDL team this year. http://www.houstondutchlionsfc.com/houston-dutch-lions-fc-sign-first-pdl-players.aspx
Houston Dutch Lions PDL Schedule All pre-season and regular season home games will be played at: Houston Dutch Lions FC Soccer Complex 14562 Interstate 45 South Conroe, Texas, 77384 Regular season home games: Thursday, May 22nd at 7:30pm: HDL FC – Mississippi Brilla SC Saturday, May 24th at 7:30pm: HDL FC – Laredo Heat SC Saturday, June 21st at 7:30pm: HDL FC – Austin Aztex Sunday, June 29th at 7:30pm: HDL FC – Midland/Odessa Sockers FC Tuesday, July 8th at 7:30pm: HDL FC – Austin Aztex Sunday, July 13th at 7:30pm: HDL FC – Midland/Odessa Sockers FC Saturday, July 19th at 7:30pm: HDL FC – Laredo Heat SC
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ustin-aztex-announce-move-usl-pro-2015-season I wonder if the Dynamo will switch affiliation away from Pittsburgh to Austin. Starting our own USL Pro team is still an option. NY has already said they are starting a team in 2015 to join LAGII. There are rumors about other MLS teams. I see 19 teams for 2015: 2015 ULS Pro (at the moment) New teams. Arizona United Charleston Battery Charlotte Eagles Dayton Dutch Lions Harrisburg City Islanders LA Galaxy II Oklahoma City Energy Orange County Blues Louisville City (the former Orlando City SC) Pittsburgh Riverhounds Richmond Kickers Rochester Rhinos Sacramento Republic Wilmington Hammerheads Austin Aztex Colorado Springs Switchbacks NY Red Bulls Reserve Tulsa Roughnecks St. Louis FC
It is still not clear what the NASL is doing for 2015 but it looks like expansion is done for USL Pro in 2015. 2015 ULS Pro (24 teams) New independent teams Kind of a mixture MLS reserve teams Arizona United Charleston Battery Charlotte Eagles Dayton Dutch Lions Harrisburg City Islanders Oklahoma City Energy Orange County Blues Pittsburgh Riverhounds Richmond Kickers Rochester Rhinos Sacramento Republic Wilmington Hammerheads Austin Aztex Colorado Springs Switchbacks St. Louis FC Tulsa Roughnecks Louisville City (the former Orlando City SC) FC Montreal LA Galaxy II Real Monarchs SLC Portland Timbers 2 Seattle Sounders FC 2 Toronto FC Reserves Whitecaps FC 2
USL Pro. Nearly doubling size in one year. Impressive. I wonder how this density and MLS affiliations in the USA/Canada will translate into competitiveness vs NASL. I.e will USL Pro become on par with NASL?
Not exactly lower division but I ran across the new Major Arena Soccer League. They are a continuation and merger of some of the other recent indoor leagues. The current 20 game season is underway with most teams having played 4 or 5 games. The playoffs are in March. The 24 team league has a few teams in Texas and a couple in Mexico. Eastern Division Baltimore Blast Detroit Waza Harrisburg Heat Rochester Lancers Syracuse Silver Knights Central Division Chicago Mustangs Milwaukee Wave Missouri Comets St. Louis Ambush Tulsa Revolution Wichita B-52s Southern Division Brownsville Barracudas Dallas Sidekicks Hidalgo (TX) La Fiera Monterrey (MEX) Flash Oxford City FC of Texas (Beaumont) Saltillo (MEX) Rancho Seco Pacific Division Las Vegas Legends Ontario (CA) Fury Sacramento Surge San Diego Sockers Seattle Impact Turlock (CA) Express
We need indoor soccer back in Houston!! Problem is no viable place to play until they redo or rebuild Reliant Arena for the rodeo
I wish someone would bring back the Hotshots. They were a fun team to watch in 1996 and 1997 when they made back-to-back appearances of the CISL Cup Finals. Maybe Les Alexander can let them use the Toyota Center if the Hotshots are to make a return to professional indoor soccer.