For 2015, there are 9 MLS teams without an affiliate yet (assuming NYRB come through with their USL club): DAL CHI CHV COL MON RSL SEA ORL (exp) NYC (exp) There are 5 unaffiliated USL clubs: Charlotte, LA Blues, Phoenix, Colorado Springs (exp) and Tulsa (exp). That means 4 other MLS clubs will need to share, or start their own USL club. LA Blues and "Chivas TBD" makes a logical pair, as do the Rapids and Colorado Springs. Maybe DAL->PHO, RSL->Tulsa and CHA->ORL?
Orlando has a USL team, despite building a stadium for their new MLS team. Like Orlando, the Revs could (not that it will ever happen) have a USL team in the city until the Revs are ready to move there, then move the USL team elsewhere.
Those two situations are not the same. The New England Revolution are an existing MLS franchise, adding a USL-PRO team in Boston would almost serve as a competitor to their current product. Meanwhile, Orlando City is a USL-PRO team that is growing into an MLS franchise. Once they join MLS the USL-PRO team will be moved (most likely to Louisville). I really don't see how the two situations relate.
I'd like to see a Rev's USL reserve side somewhere in the area. If our first teamers play/rehab there occasionally, I worry about a facilities gap. I'm not sure I'm crazy about Saer Sene getting match fit on Rochester's pitch (for example). Many if not all the candidate facilities in New England might need some investment (especially if you want people to pay to attend).
Have the USL-Pro team play in Boston. And then watch it outdraw the MLS side still in Foxboro. That would be a fun thing to watch.
The only difference is Orlando City isn't playing in MLS this year. They are "moving" a team to Orlando next year, just the Revs would, hypothetically, be moving their team to Boston. If the Revs have to worry about competition from a division 3 team, they have more problems than I thought. And if they owned the club, they'd still be getting the revenue. Like Orlando, they'd be developing fans who would jump to the Revs when they moved to Boston and the USL team moved elsewhere. But it's silly to argue, because it will never, ever happen.
The difference is that the New England Revolution currently are an MLS team, so launching a USL-PRO team in a better/competing market makes no sense. Orlando City are currently a USL-PRO team that will be moving up to MLS next year. Those are very different situations. Of course it would be competition. Games would most likely be on the same nights, accessible to public transportation, and cheaper. I, as a Boston resident, would be very tempted to go to an imaginary USL-PRO Boston team's games ahead of the Revs. And yes, this is very silly to argue.
CHA->ORL is wrong, as I forgot that ORL is planning to keep their USL team, so they would join LA and NY. Orlando City SC Exploratory Meetings With Louisville, KY. Lions looking into new markets for their existing USL PRO franchise in 2015 01/14/2014 9:09 AM OrlandoCitySoccer.com Interesting comment posted at the end: Foward-looking, I think that is one description we can all agree does NOT apply to Kraft Soccer...
Not a big deal, but the news about Agudelo leaving broke "publicly" about 8 months ago, give or take a week or two. [Arguably, the possibility of a Agudelo departure has been known about by the BigSoccer community since late July 2013, but go with August 2013 if you're in a lenient mood and want to give FO some more leeway. But I would argue the FO should get less leniency - they probably knew about it before it went public.]
Revs would never put a USL-Pro team in Boston. They would either spend enough money and effort on it that it would end up cutting into their target market or they wouldn't spend enough money and effort and it would hemorage money at an expensive facility and exhibit a poor product so that whenever that miracle happens and the Revs move to Boston the brand has already been further spoiled in a new and unusual way.
RSL also planning their own USL club (in San Diego?), but probably not until 2016. Q&A: Talking With RSL GM Garth Lagerwey — Part 1 An inside perspective from the Real Salt Lake general manager by Wes Brown Thursday, March 13, 2014
Building the Soccer Pyramid: Long road could lead to huge expansion for USL PRO March 21, 2014 Nate Sulat MLSsoccer.com
Preki must be scouting the MLS academies pretty hard. First, he signed Gabe Gissie from the Revs. He's done it again, adding Houston Dynamo academy player Jose “Cristian” Gonzalez. Republic FC Adds Four Players to Roster sacrepublicfc.com
If the Revs were to start their own team in the region, where do people think would the best area to put such a team? Places that come to mind would be the larger New England cities - Worcester, Springfield, Providence, Hartford, Portland, as well as Albany (yes, I know NY hasn't been part of New England for many a year). For whatever reason, I don't think Worcester would be a great location, and Providence seems too close to Boston, never mind Foxboro. I would think Springfield would be great, though I know the Pioneers currently are there.
Springfield just lost their NBA DLeague team. I think that most of the people that would attend already go to the Pioneers games, too. http://www.masslive.com/sports/inde..._armors_admirable_e.html#incart_flyout_sports
The Armor never had a shot, in fact, I think this is the first time I have heard about them in a couple of years. Soccer would work much better if given a proper venue, however I think New England has better markets like Providence and Portland.
Yes - any of the New England AHL cities are candidates for a USL team. Manchester, Portland, Worcester, Hartford, Providence, maybe even Burlington (plenty of hipsters go to UVM!). Springfield is iffy.