More information about the USL/MLS affiliation: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/01/24/mls-exec-usl-pro-partnership-can-change-soccer-us Just to clarify the option available to MLS sides: ...league owners voted in November to give MLS clubs three options for reserve player development moving forward: 1) create an affiliation with an existing USL Pro team; 2) join the USL Pro with a standalone team; or 3) continue to participate in the MLS Reserve League while integrating matches against USL Pro teams. also: It was also confirmed on Thursday that Chivas USA will be the only MLS club that will not have a USL affiliate partnership or play matches against USL opposition in 2013. Durbin expects the Goats to be involved in upcoming seasons. I wonder why the goats don't want to at least participate in option #3 above? They have a reserve league team. I sure hope to see the 'Quakes reserves at Hughes stadium this season or next.
Still no name for the Sacramento side, right? I worry about playing in Sacto in the heat of the summer, but I suppose that night games would help with that. Here's hoping for success. - Mark
Because the GoatShaggers suck! I suspect that they either are focused on their Mexico connections right now, or they are in such a state of transition that they just couldn't get this bit together. It might also be that they want their reserves to play against teams in Mexico. They seem to really be going back to that path. I don't think it will work out for them. Quakes reserves won't play at Hughes this summer, but maybe next. I've got friends in Elk Grove. Maybe I can get down to Sacto for a match or two? - Mark
NO, USLPro has a draft. There's a combine. And then the teams get to draft players from the combine. (At least, I think that's right.) They sign a lot of MLS rejects and some guys out of college. So after the MLS draft, some of the guys that didn't get picked get signed by USLPro clubs. (Or by NASL clubs.) It's all kind of murky. - Mark
I wonder if every USLPro team is contractually obligated to say stuff like this just to piss off NASL? "the two best organized and successful outdoor soccer leagues in the U.S." What a load. I want for USLPro to be more successful, but their track record sucks. Hopefully, some new owners (el-lay, Sacramento, Phoenix) and their new association with MLS can force them into becoming a more structured, rigorous league. We can only hope. - Mark
Not sure I understand, if Antigua is matched up with both SJ & Dallas why the goats can't share with another mls side, as well.
Antigua is a special case in that the team is playing all road games this year, including at San Jose and at FC Dallas. All other USL Pro teams are playing home and away games against a single MLS team. Chivas USA not participating this year does not seem that big a deal to me. San Jose and FCD are each only getting one extra reserve game against a USL Pro team (i.e. Antigua). Next year will be the more interesting case when hopefully there is more integration, with MLS reserve teams teams perhaps playing a full season in USL Pro. We shall see...
For team name, I'd go with either of these three: Sac City - just has a nice ring to it/used commonly as a term already Real Sacramento - like someone mentioned previously, it ties in with the Kings/also just a good name for a football club Sacrament Untied - another option as it's common for a football club to have the name United
Well, Sacramento is Spanish for Sacrament, anyways. I hope it's nothing like "Real" or "United" or any of those Euro-imitation tags. While we're at it, I'd much rather prefer SC to FC. We play soccer in the United SOCCER League.
guamster, buddy, you have it wrong. Only four USLPro teams are going the affiliate route. The rest of the USLPro teams will play a home and home series (or two) with an MLS Reserve side. Only the GoatBangers have opted not to play a USLPro side. Not sure why they are doing that. But right now, only these pairings are going forward. Rochester - New England CounterRevs City Islanders - Philly Onions Richmond Kickers - DCUntied Orlando - KC Sporks So we'll see how this year goes. My guess is that we'll see more affiliates going forward. If Phoenix FC are half as well run and they boast, they'll probably affiliate with the SaltLickers, or the Crapids. SJ are no doubt waiting on Sacratomato. We'll see. Should be fun. Should also be a boon to USLPro. - Mark
Combine players to watch... http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/home/690686.html and team rosters... http://www.uslsoccer.com/docs/2013 USL PRO Combine -- Team Rosters.pdf
But Sacramento won't be drafting any players this year, right? They'll be signing players next season, maybe at the end of this season, when some guys will be out of contract. There are plenty of good local soccer programs in California too, so Sacramento ought to be able to find some players to fill out their squad. Hope it works out for them. - Mark
As to the comments about the name and colors, based on the emails I have had with the Sacramento ownership group, Twitter, and Facebook, they will be having a "Name the Team" contest this next year. I would assume the team colors will be based on the results of the contest. They also mentioned they were going to be working with the local youth leagues on having clinics and other functions. I am on the Board for my daughter's league.
USLPro-Sac just tweeted a story that included this line: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/01/25/usl-pro-ties-could-lead-next-expansion-cities-mls
I was going t add to my last post... It looks like Sacramento meets all of the requirements for the USL and USL-Pro is seen as one way to get an MLS team into a market. Basically, use a USL team to prove that the market is mature enough to support an MLS team by starting simple and building a customer base that can be moved over to MLS if it make economic sense. After all, sports is a business... as proven by the actions of the Maloofs and their desire to make money at all costs and that everything is for sale, given the correct price..
I like this bit: Now the Sacratomato owners are proven minor league team owners, in the market in question. So clearly, they know what they are doing, they have the money and presumably the commitment to see it through. Hughes Stadium is a good short-term solution, but they'll need a better stadium long-term. So, can Sacramento support a USLPro team? I think so. It's a fair sized market, and there are a fair number of people who are into soccer. But teams like The Blues, The Dutch Lions, and the Eagles seem a little more dicey. I know the Eagles have been around forever, but their attendance is crap and they don't seem to care. I think that USL needs to add a minimum attendance goal for each team, and less than 1,000 doesn't cut it. - Mark
Magpies are common in Sacramento. They are really cool birds, and they'd give you a color scheme out of the box. - Mark