Austin Mentioned as a possible Expansion City In NASL.

Discussion in 'Austin Aztex' started by eclipse02, Mar 16, 2013.

  1. BigOlTex

    BigOlTex New Member

    Aug 7, 2014
    Dallas
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Why would you hope to be only in USL pro??? I'm so glad to have them back and will support them, but let's not forget, USL pro is subordinate to MLS.
     
  2. Blando13

    Blando13 Member+

    Dec 4, 2013
    Lee's Summit, MO
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Is this really happening?
     
  3. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And the problem with that is.....?
     
  4. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Let's prove the third division is reasonable before you go jumping to the second.

    And is your owner worth $20M?
     
  5. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, wait, joined yesterday. Never mind.
     
  6. Parrothead FC

    Parrothead FC Member

    Jun 29, 2005
    Austin, Texas
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I wasn't comparing it to MLS, though. I was comparing it to NASL. I'd rather be in USL-Pro than NASL, for reasons I explained earlier in the thread. Of course I'd rather be in MLS than in either, but that's a different topic altogether.
     
  7. BigOlTex

    BigOlTex New Member

    Aug 7, 2014
    Dallas
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    And this comment above is about football huh? You've already shown what kind of poster you are with this childish comment, but I don't need to be this petty on here


    USL pro, which I'm glad to see my team the AZTEX back in, is obviously the lowest level of pro soccer in the US. I will embrace USL pro for the time being, but it's gotta be every large city in the USA or teams ambition to move upto NASL or MLS if they have any spots left. In the past when the MLS was planning on expanding and expanding with more slots open, the USL Pro, USL First, or USL A was a cheaper and relatively fast option to move up for possible MLS franchises. This is not the case anymore

    MLS Commissioner Don Garber is only allowing one more franchise in by the year 2020 like he has publicly stated at this point, if "this" remains the case then why would any true die hard fan want their team to be in USL pro? As soccer gains popularity, play and players get better in the MLS and NASL. Why would you want your team in the USL when now more than likely they are gonna spend quite a long time, minimum 5 years if starting in 2015 (aztex) and 24th MLS team is wanted by 2020, if not longer in lower level of soccer in USL rather than MLS as just about all of the MLS expansion spots are already taken as well.

    I could only see a team wanting to be in USL pro over NASL as 1/ the Expansion fee is less expensive and 2/ getting the experience first to run and start a professional sports franchise and then moving up a year or 2 later to NASL. There would be no other logical reason to want to be in USL over NASL nowadays. Feel free to want the aztex in any league, it's your prerogative but ask yourself if you're a true fan of the aztex.
     
  8. Parrothead FC

    Parrothead FC Member

    Jun 29, 2005
    Austin, Texas
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As I mentioned, I explained my feelings on the NASL earlier in the thread. They're a self-destructive league, in my opinion. They're less responsible than the USL in terms of ownership requirements and salaries. The Cosmos are irresponsible in their ambitions and spending habits. The USL has stronger ties to MLS clubs. I think the USL will be around long after the NASL folds. That second tier/third tier distinction is really a legal fiction based on a fairly recent split between then-second-division owners. There's really no clear quality difference between NASL and USL.

    I think it's fair for people to disagree with me, though, and I wouldn't question their fandom.
     
    Blando13 repped this.
  9. BigOlTex

    BigOlTex New Member

    Aug 7, 2014
    Dallas
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
  10. Parrothead FC

    Parrothead FC Member

    Jun 29, 2005
    Austin, Texas
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not in soccer, nor in sports generally. But we'll just have to agree to disagree on this point.

    I'm not sure why you think so. In the 2013 USOC there were four lower division teams in the 4th round, two from USL and two from NASL. One team from each division made it into the Quarterfinals and both were eliminated. This year teams from both leagues made it into the fifth round, though admittedly the only ones that advanced were from the NASL. The NASL teams had played one less game than the USL teams, though, due to their classification as a second division. In 2012 the three lower division teams that advanced to the quarterfinals were all USL teams.

    What I mean by "legal fiction" is that the leagues' divisional classification is really a legal and business arrangement, not something that arose because of the quality of the NASL or USL. There is no such thing as moving "up" to NASL; you'd go directly from USL to MLS if you were going to move up, like Orlando. No stop in the "second" division for them, obviously, since for all practical purposes that would have been a lateral move.

    Given the choice, I'll take the league where the LA Galaxy II plays.
     
  11. BigOlTex

    BigOlTex New Member

    Aug 7, 2014
    Dallas
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #61 BigOlTex, Aug 11, 2014
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2014
    Doesn't make sense, the leagues with reserve teams are not going to attract top tier players from all over to the US, sorry that will never happen. I'll be rooting for USL this season because of the aztex, but that would be short sighted of myself to want them to stay in the lower league, aka USL.

    Your quotes are for a lower league and you obviously have a grudge against the NASL. If you like to support the small hometown teams that's fine or a reserve squad, it's your prerogative.... and i'll leave it at that
     
    ltrebor and OpenCupFan repped this.
  12. OpenCupFan

    OpenCupFan Member

    Jun 19, 2014
    Club:
    New York Cosmos
    I kind of agree with you. Teaming up with MLS is great for stability, absolutely fantastic - and it has spurred investment of new franchises.

    But, long term I'm interested to see what happens when the excitement wears off and teams realize they are playing reserve teams in front of tiny (zero) crowds.
     
    BigOlTex repped this.
  13. Blando13

    Blando13 Member+

    Dec 4, 2013
    Lee's Summit, MO
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought it was proved that the opponent really doesn't factor in greatly when it comes to figuring D2/D3 soccer crowd sizes so teams hosting reserve sides shouldn't see a significant drop off when hosting those teams. And it really doesn't matter a great deal when the stand alone teams play road games AT reserve squads ... playing in front of tiny crowds isn't a great deterent to development or excitement in the fanbase back home. I agree, there are some things that are "wait and see" and some developments COULD happen to limit the USL Pro with this arrangement, but they may be worth it to get to a more regionalized division of our soccer pyramid ... and the stability that comes with it.

    I figure at some point in time, people in USL Pro cities will see that they get to view MLS All Stars (Dwyer won't be the last one to have come through USL Pro either as a loaned player or off a full reserve side) ... before they become a star. I'd go out to watch that young striker the Galaxy has ... he could end up on a national team, and would be cool to see him in some minor league venue before that happens! Just saying there are many reasons for people to not care they're watching reserve sides/loaned players from a higher league. Not everyone will dislike that arrangement and what it means.
     
    Parrothead FC repped this.
  14. OpenCupFan

    OpenCupFan Member

    Jun 19, 2014
    Club:
    New York Cosmos
    How could it have been proved when it hasn't happened yet?

    But it doesn't matter really, especially not in the short term, because there is no way USL Pro should have/could have said no to this arrangement. The benefits are a group of stable teams you don't have to worry about folding year to year and also this goal of regional divisions as you stated, not sure how important this is but it is something USL Pro has wanted.
     
  15. Blando13

    Blando13 Member+

    Dec 4, 2013
    Lee's Summit, MO
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    A couple of things ... 1) It has happened ... LAG2 has hosted and traveled to play USL Pro games, yes, very small sample size so I'm not arguing that it should set a standard, but it's a data point. 2) I didn't say that the data collected was for reserve teams, just said that D2/D3 capacities had little to do with opponent (meaning good, bad, reserve, etc). League games are league games to fans at this stage, doesn't matter if you're playing the Orlando City team or the Dayton Dutch Lions, the Pittsburgh croud is the same ... so why should it be expected that a team called LA2 would be any less attractive than the Dayton Dutch Lions team coming in to play? And 3) I don't think a traveling fans would have issues with traveling to see their team play a reserve side ... those cities may be larger than typical USL Pro markets and offer something different to a traveling fan ... and like we've said ... it may become more regional and allow traveling fans to be road fans more often than before.
     
  16. OpenCupFan

    OpenCupFan Member

    Jun 19, 2014
    Club:
    New York Cosmos
    Do USL Pro fans travel? Besides OCFC.
     
  17. soccerFrank

    soccerFrank Member

    Dec 11, 2011
    Club:
    Rochester Rhinos
    I can't speak for the rest of the USL-Pro teams, however the last 3 seasons in Rochester our attendance has plummeted dramatically . The "announced" 2014 season average is over 5k ,which is a fantasy land for this organization.....1.5k-3k(stretching it) is the norm here.
    As for MLS reserve teams playing here, those are the lowest draws to date. The Rhino's organization advertise the match as if its an MLS team, not a reserve side ( not mentioning Dallas FC "Reserves" or Montreal "Reserves").....it doesn't matter evidently because hardly anyone shows for those matches in Rochester.
    It may do wonders in other USL pro cities however.
     
  18. OpenCupFan

    OpenCupFan Member

    Jun 19, 2014
    Club:
    New York Cosmos
    That's what I figured. Sorry to hear it though.

    - btw - went to the Rhinos/Rev game in the US Open Cup, great effort by the Rhinos, unfortunate loss.
     
  19. TwoMeters

    TwoMeters Member

    Jan 27, 2008
    Austin, TX
    Club:
    Austin Aztex
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Of course some do. Austin fans have traveled to some away games even in the PDL the last couple years. Not in huge numbers, and not to every game, but it's happened. Surely the distance is a big factor; we can more cheaply & easily travel from Austin to Tulsa or Oklahoma City than we can to Richmond or Sacramento. On the other hand, as Blando13 says, different destinations may have different attractions, too.
     
  20. Blando13

    Blando13 Member+

    Dec 4, 2013
    Lee's Summit, MO
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think a lot of them do ... having MLS2 sides shouldn't change that. I do believe some of the ones in the Carolina's do just because it's so close.
     
  21. Blando13

    Blando13 Member+

    Dec 4, 2013
    Lee's Summit, MO
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I understand the attendance issues in some locations, I just fail to see it as a direct indication of the MLS partnership. I think it has more to do with the effort put in their marketing, which like you said, does things to hide "reserve" side options. You said 3 years ... and this partnership isn't that old, which leads me to believe that it was an issue before the MLS/USL affiliation. Just an opinion though, not in one of those markets.
     

Share This Page