The West Coast is getting USL PRO representation next year with the announcement of the new LA Blues franchise, set to begin play in 2011. The club, which had been rumored for about a month to be the newest franchise for U.S. soccer’s new third division, will play in Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium and be coached by Charlie Naimo, the former head coach of the Pali Blues (a professional women’s soccer club) and team general manager. The club becomes the third division’s fourteenth team and moves USL PRO two teams away from its stated goal of having sixteen for the 2011 season. Being able to field a stable and competitive league for the upcoming year would be a major accomplishment for U.S. soccer, considering that last season there was so much turmoil in the second and third levels. For 2011, the USSF Division 2 Professional League (composed of the USL and NASL) will be replaced with the NASL, while the third division USL-2 will be replaced with USL PRO. http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/
USL PRO really came through on that promise of "Regional Divisions," huh? The closest team to LA is still 2,500 miles away. That's the equivalent of flying to Hawaii for an away game. The distance from LA to Puerto Rico, where the three other teams in their division will play, is over 3,500 miles. That's roughly the distance from New York to Paris. I think it's a little absurd that the LA Blues ownership group are acting like travel expenses won't be a problem for them. It might not be next year, when USL promise to have more teams in California, but with that kind of travel, there may be no next year. How can they expect to keep a team fit when they're traveling that extensively? I hope they can find a way to do it. If they can stick it out till next year, USL PRO could get a nice presence going on the West coast again. I hope these teams can make a long term run out West.
It will be interesting to find out what the details of IMS' report that the Puerto Rican FA will be suplementing travel to the islands
Well, it'd certainly have to be a lot to make it worth while. But in the interview, he says that it's a per diem, which aren't traditionally very much per player. And those go to the players, not the team. I would think they'd have to, especially being that most of these players will have other jobs.
it also mentions travel in the article. I imagine it will be something like what the USSF gives visting teams for travel during the USOC. Also dont know what other teams budgets will be but most players in USL2 last year did not have other jobs during the season. Off Season most look to supplement there income and earn additional money playing indoor, coaching, and camps. I know of one that helps his family business in the off season but I dont think many have to work during the season a second job.
good to see the USL is still upholding their high standards in terrible, horrible, crappy team crests. USL still sux...
p.s. does anybody have the scoop on why Hollywood United, Sandy Eggo Flash etc. decided to not join USL Pro and leave the L.A. Blues all alone to play the Puerto Rican teams??? seems pretty retarded to me, typical USL nonsense...
Was it ever verified that those were the two teams USL was looking at? I figured they'd go with all-new franchises for new territories. They're usually better able to persuade new owners to drop tons of money on their franchising fees than organizations who actually have a sustainable business plan.
Well, there's bad news on that front. BQ at IMSoccer News just printed a correction straight from the mouth of USL President Tim Holt, I wonder if Adams was misled or misleading on this one.
i know Hollywood and Sandy Eggo were two of the teams that were rumored to be joining USLPro in these threads. is there anyone anywhere outside the USL offices who thinks it's a good idea to have Los Angeles play in the Puerto Rican division? it makes no sense. it's hard enuff for minor league soccer to make a profit in this country without boneheaded decisions like this. same situation with Edmonton in the NASL too. seems like a disaster waiting to happen...
Say what you will about Edmonton; the owners knew what they were getting into a year and a half in advance, and they've been preparing. For whatever reason, they made the calculated decision to move forward, knowing full well that they'd be putting on more air miles than most Premier League teams in a season. Probably not a very good decision, but a thought out one. LA Blues, on the other hand, are being thrown together less than 6 months before their season starts. This may have been in the works for a while, but judging by the quality of their crest and the clear misunderstanding between their GM and the USL PRO front office, I highly doubt it. I'm becoming less and less optimistic that they'll even be around by the time the other west coast teams decide to make the jump. Problem is, if they fold, then those teams either won't make the jump, or worse, the will and then they'll fold too for the same reasons. I really hope none of those fears come to fruition. The west coast needs a stronger lower division presence again.
You have managed to have quite a bit of inside information on what's going on out west with USL PRO. You've once again alluded something that, as far as I know, no-one else has heard or seen anywhere. Any chance you can answer this one? What 'clear misunderstanding'?
Well, when your GM says that your team is going to get funding from the Puerto Rican Federation to subsidize your team's travel expenses, and then less than one week later the president of your league says, no, in fact, the Puerto Rican Federation will not be footing the bill, I'd call that a pretty clear misunderstanding. What would you call it? What reason would their be for the president of the league to issue a statement of correction if there had not been some misunderstanding? (By the way, I cited a reputable source, IMSoccer News, as providing that info in my original post, which you can find here.) The question is not whether there was a misunderstanding--clearly LA Blues GM David Adams was incorrect in his belief that his team would receive travel aid; the question now is what sort of a misunderstanding was there. Did Adams knowingly lie about receiving funding to assuage the fears of many, that the travel situation for the club would be unsustainable? Did Tim Holt in some way deceive the LA Blues organization, giving the impression that funding would be provided? Did the Puerto Rican Federation give such an impression? Or was there simply a miscommunication which caused the President of the USL to comment on the incorrect information which the GM of a newly announced team had provided to the press? My guess is that what actually occurred was a mix of these and other possibilities, and that Adams' statement, benign in intention, was simply based on incorrect information or a lack of precise communication between the LA Blues and the USL PRO league office.
I see why they want to place a western expansion franchise to show how it works. But LA? They couldn't get a group in San Diego San Francisco Fresno Sacramento Fullerton Anaheim Eugene And that's the west coast alone, ignoring the southwest. All over 100000 people and favorable demographics, and we see a 4th LA team?
Anaheim and Fullerton border. I'd freak if they both had teams. And, relevant to your post, Anaheim is 25 or so miles from L.A. city. Could the Blues be looking at situating themselves in either of these two cities (Fullerton would be nice, so I hear, but Angel Stadium is the only Anaheim venue I can think of, and that's too big).
On their web site, just noticed that they are only having 7 home games this year. Or at least that's what is in the season ticket package. So maybe they are playing a reduced schedule. Fullerton Season Ticket Plan/ 7 regular season games: Adult: $63 Youth $42 http://www.labluesprosoccer.com/tickets/index_E.html
The Blues signed their first players today: - former Mexican national goalkeeper Oscar Dautt - former LA Galaxy midfielder Josh Tudela - college standout midfielder Cesar Rivera, who has been playing lower league ball in Mexico
That crest has been their crest since the club was formed in 2007. It's not new. You're really grasping at straws if that's one of the things you think is indicative of a lack of preparation.
Yes, we were looking at it. We decided that we didn't want to cripple ourselves financially just yet, and decided to stay in the PDL for the time being.
No, CHHSFan said that LA Blues was the 4th LA team. I'm (genuinely) wondering what he thinks the third is.
Way to pick the absolutely most trivial of my many legitimate concerns over the club's future and use it as indicative of my stance. Read my posts on this thread; I think you'll find that the crest isn't my primary concern. That said, the crest is chintzy.
No, you also said that they have been "thrown together" six months before the season starts, which patently isn't true. The Blues have been working on this since last March.
