NASL/D2 News 2010 Part 5

so here's the $100,000 question: the Open Cup. All 9 American teams in or do they have to have a qualifying series? Safe to presume 40 teams will still get in, including 16 USASA?

Don't forget the NPSL has applied for spots in this year's cup...I don't know if they've been approved or rejected yet.

Frankly, I don't understand how the Islanders can do that. Puerto Rico is the poorest state of the USA and the Islanders have each year less and less attendance

Plus, they spend a lot of money on travel expenses, more than continental teams

But of course it is positive that they have signed a real boricua

My dominiki brother, our owners arnt regular puertoricans, they are mostly all influencial member of the New Progressive Party, one is the president of the PR fed, the stadium cost them almost nothing and they do have some nice sponsorship deals that are very dependent on international play now and they run the team very bear bones. Wich is also why the teams is probably loosing fans as the advertisment buget is almost not existing. I'm not sure but I think the houses they give to players are already owned by the teams owners.

hgrmhph.

Signing puertorriqueños is not a choice for them, since the league has rules about people having to be eligible to play on the national team of their home country, and in the FIFA world PR is a nation of its own. But they also have to sign people who are up to playing at the D2 level; filling their roster with players who don't help them field a team that can compete isn't a good use of their funds.

It may be that paying a little more for a few locals who can really shine (at the D2 level, that is; I don't mean people who would be top players in MLS, because they're not even available below that level) is a more cost-effective use of their budget than anything else.

And, of course, we don't know how big their budget really is. The territory isn't wealthy, but the owners are - we just don't know how wealthy. (At least, I don't. If any of you do, I'd love to see a comparison to other D2 owners and figure out what that says about the various teams' relative budgets.)

Well thanks for explaining it all, and let next signing please be el dominicano Jonathan Faña Frias

Apparently, they're announcing the first signing(s) today:

"AC St. Louis to announce first player on Monday"

As dominico-boricua I think that Faña can be great addition. The PR Islanders has become the flag ship of the Caribbean. But, I don’t believe that this will make a great impact in the attendance. 99.9% of the dominican like la pelota don’t even know what is soccer, you have to go to Moca, San Cristobal or some sugar cane central to see some soccer (that remind me my days in SPM).

With sadness I better recommend that they sign a good colombian or venezuelan that will add from 300 to 900 in assistance (Their population here is around 10K each). Sorry but this still a business.

It would be nice, I think PR future is trying to bring players from the caribean especially if there's good dominicans available, since PR has a large dominican community, as their foreign players and increasing the puerto rican prescence as their talent grows. If Cabrero would'nt of thrown a hissyfit we would have had to PR nats already confirmed.

I guess thats also true, the bump a dominican player would make wouldnt be as big as a venenzuelan or colombian.

AC St. Louis will be announcing their first signee in a few hours. The rumor is that they will be signing Steve Ralston, who did not resign with the Revolution and is a native St. Louisan.

Looks like it's official now.

Nice get by St. Louis. Wonder if they can get Twellman too.

that's a nice coup for NASL. i doubt Ralston's got much left in his legs but the publicity value for NASL and ACStL is big.

With all due respect for Ralston as a person and for his career, but isn't the guy injured?

I heard he'll be game healthy by May.

What a shame he never won an MLS cup, he played I believe 3 MLS finals but lost them all