How would you like to see the Relationship between DCU and the Loudoun Co. NASL franchise develop?

Who's knocking it? I'm just saying the youth market is their natural target (unless they are really stupid) and they should be able to do well. I was DCU liaison for my local club, and I can tell you that parents (who even the 14 year olds need to get to the stadium) in a distant suburb did NOT want to go to RFK, even when the team was good, the kids got to go on the field pre-game, and the tickets were free! Now the stadium, the traffic and the team are that much worse. If I'm a parent in Loudoun, western Fairfax or Western Prince William, a game night in Sterling looks a lot better (cheaper, more convenient, safer [at least that is the perception - not looking to start on argument on that point]) than a game night at RFK.

BTW, here's the latest from Mark Simpson.

http://www.soccerwire.com/news/leag...cavalry-fc-respond-to-soccerwire-com/?loc=psw

 

My comment was much to those who complain about youth teams at RFK.

And, sorry, but only families in Loudon County would be willing to trek to a field in Loudon County

 

This is what I have said all along.

 

Years ago, I saw a few Real Maryland games in Rockville, they were a USL Pro team, then they "auto-relegated" to PDL. When I saw these games, they were still in USL - their average crowd was some ~200 folks, to be generous. Then last year I was in San Antonio and I went to see the Scorpions, although they hadn't still won a game, their crowd was about 8K. NASL is trying to become (and I think they're doing a good job about it) an MLS alternative, or MLS 2 or however you want to call them; I think this VA team would probably draw a few hundreds folks (maybe a thousand) rather than a few thousand - I can't prove it but it's my impression. It would feel a lot like "minor league", like the "Real Maryland of Virginia" if you see what I mean. That's why I think this team is a mistake for NASL - although I think it'd be a good fit for USL or (better) PDL.

 

I tend to agree about the potential for poor attendance. Unless DCU relocated out of the area, I really can't imagine traveling from near Mount Vernon out to Dulles to watch a match. What would put me off is not the "minor league" aspect of the team, it would be the distance and, more importantly, the fact the game was being played in a converted baseball field with shitty sight lines and patches for the pitcher's mound and bases. By way of contrast, I have and will travel farther to the 'Plex to see a woman's league game or U.S Open Cup because the stadium is a great place to watch a match. Same with Charleston, if I lived there I would have season tickets because that stadium also is a little gem.

 

Obviously we don't know whether the team will be any good, or even if the stadium will get built. And I don't know the merits of the different leagues. I'm just pointing out that there are a lot of people living in that area and youth soccer is really popular. I think they can make it work if they do it right. There is a viable minor league baseball team in Woodbridge, which is about as far from downtown as Sterling is, and the Nats are actually decent and their stadium is nice. It seems like there are plenty of people content to watch a minor league game for less money and aggravation than going in to DC.

 

No doubt they need to find a nice looking venue with stands, and the room to set up (probably temporary) concession stands - A nice looking place goes a long way with families and youth teams

Wasn't Steve Zack originally part of this effort?

 

Not sure whether this is clear or not but NASL ain't a "minor league". Nor "youth soccer". There are teams like San Antonio, Atlanta, NY Cosmos, Tampa Bay, Ft Lauderdale, Ottawa, Indianapolis. Does this sound more a minor league / youth soccer or more like an MLS2? One of the main sponsor of NY Cosmos is Emirates, that doesn't sound very much as minor league to me...

 

NASL is D2, so for all intents and purpose, it is Minor League. D2 might not follow the same structure as traditional minor leagues (ie farm system) but it is not the top flight division.

 

I just googled the cosmos. Danny Szetela is on their roster. There is only one other player I've ever heard of on the roster. So yes, it sounds very minor league. I would not pay serious coin or drive long distances to see this team play.

 

You've never heard of Marcos Senna? He's probably better known worldwide than any DC United player.

Also I'd say that Carlos Mendes and Hunter Freeman are both generally better known than Szetela for most MLS fans. Ayoze is pretty well known for La Liga fans and he's still in his prime. Henry Lopez played in the last Gold Cup for the Guatemala NT. There's a few former fringe MLS players there too like Marosevic and Nane. Their other internationals I've never heard of either but a quick glance at their bios and some of them have experience in pretty well respected clubs.

Not disputing your point in general though ... NASL is clearly a minor league compared to MLS. But the quality there is quite better compared to where minor league soccer was 10 years ago.

 

Freeman is the other name I recognized. I'm not going to disagree with anything, but I would say that the soccer knowledge of the average Loudoun / Fairfax / PW county resident is closer to me than to you. I intend to go to some games if the stadium ever gets built, so it's good to know the quality will be pretty good.

I think the most important point is that the NASL thinks this is a good place for a franchise. Time will tell whether they are right.

 

Something I don't think most realized until now (or wasn't the case until recently) that has been noted on the team's board is that the potential baseball team and potential soccer team are not under the same ownership. The soccer team would simply be a tenant in the baseball stadium...

 

Sorry, not buying it, NASL is not a minor league, despite what you guys say. PDL is a minor league, USL to a degree, but not NASL. They way I see it is like a northamerican Serie B. You wouldn't say Serie B is like Serie A, but certainly you wouldn't call it a minor league.

 

I agree. The difference between Serie B, the Championship or any other "lower" league in a system with pro/rel is that there is a gray area where the best teams in the "lower" league probably are the equal of the worst teams in the "higher" league. Moreover, teams in the lower league may have players quite capable of playing and starting in the "higher" league. In the US, the players in NASL, with very few exceptions, would be bench warmers in MLS or because of age could not play regularly at a high level in MLS. A good example would be Conor Shanosky who played regularly for Fort Lauderdale two seaons ago and was considered one of their better players. Right now he is on the bubble for an MLS team that won only 3 games last year. I recently read that one of Atlanta's "international" signings was a forward from Belize who last played in the Belizean Premier League -- that is exactly the type of player you find in NASL or USL. Bring an NASL side into MLS now and it would struggle to outperform DCU's performance last year. NASL is a minor league. Whether it is better than USL-Pro is a question for another day.

 

So Theo, I'm struggling to understand your original point. You think the Loudoun team will have trouble surviving because NASL is too good? Shouldn't it be easier to sell tickets if the product on the field is better?

 

they now need $55 mill in bonds...

http://www.insidenova.com/news/loud...cle_dca3331e-071d-5c0a-ab37-ab1b4ddf1bd4.html

 

They're dead. $55 million for a baseball stadium for a team in an unaffiliated league? I think someone needs to ride in and save the Cavalry. Maybe they could piggyback at Buzzards Point, playing alternate weekends. Perfect place to try out promotion/relegation as well when DCU goes down and the Cavalry went up.

 

Or ....... Maybe United should build their stadium in Loudoun County

yeah, yeah, whatever, I know, it'd be dumb for United - but more importantly, I'd be happier about all the traffic it's adding if it was United instead of some lame little baseball team, regardless of their sub-tenant who I like

Can't say I'm sad for a delay in that stadium being built, but wish it didn't impact the Cavalry so badly.

 

If they're going to call them the Cavalry, why not build it in Manassas? They have this big empty space where actual battles were fought. Good highway access, too.