"The Freedom has been invited to move up to the Major Arena Soccer League and full professional status." http://www.vaildaily.com/news/sports/freedom-fc-fighting-for-league-lead-saturday-in-edwards/ Founded in 2009 and based in Edwards, CO, Freedom FC are an Amateur/Semi-pro Arena Soccer Team that currently competes in the Rocky Mountain Division of the PASL-Premier. There home arena is the WECMRD Fieldhouse, a steel-framed rec center. No word if they will remain playing here if they move up to the MASL.
This is interesting and can be viewed as either as 'glass half-full' or 'glass half-empty'. Half Full - The quote "The Freedom has been invited to move up to the Major Arena Soccer League and full professional status" seems to indicate that someone in MASL is out looking for good existing amateur teams to join MASL Half Empty - The quote "The Freedom has been invited to move up to the Major Arena Soccer League and full professional status" seems to indicate by it's wording that this 'invitation' is to some sort exclusive pass to joint MASL. Half Full - The photo shows that the team has built an impressive place to watch indoor for an amateur team, hopefully they can find a facility to play in or add some seats to allow the fan numbers they will need. Half Empty - The photo shows that the team is crazy if they think they can play in the above facility and will need to move to a real venue. Half Full - If you click on the link you can see this quote. "All of the Freedom players are local and almost half have played at the collegiate level. " (seems like a good way to have a community spirt) Half Empty - If you click on the link you can see this quote. "This is their first season back after a two-year hiatus." (seems like an average indoor team already) I will defer my judgement because I've never heard of them but wish the Freedom full success.
One would hope not. And how, exactly, does Edwards, Colorado (110 miles west of Denver, out past Vail) make the MASL better?
Makes perfect sense NSL. But then is MASL2 fully professional? "The Freedom has been invited to move up to the Major Arena Soccer League and full professional status." (to be honest, is MASL even 'full professional status'?)
Honestly No , it's not even close to a full professional status. If the Freedom FC do in fact join the "Professional" league and play in that rec reaction center it just says the league is going in reverse and not forward. Baja & Turlock are complete embarrassments to the MASL I dont really care how good Baja is if you cant play in a real arena then go to the MASL 2 , Let Kevin Milliken run it like he ran the PASL
Card - I know where you are coming from. I really do. Seeing the Wave, the Blast, the Sidekicks, the........anyone. ANYONE in that arena is a sad come down from the halcyon days. That being said......let's give them a chance. Let's give MASL a chance. To my knowledge, this is the first "expansion" team.
[ I can understand giving them a chance but if they are going to play in a rec reaction center then absolutely not. What happened to teams being required to play in a minimum of a 2,000 fixed seat arena ? If they play in a rec center the MASL is going backwards not forward. As for Expansion the Monterey Flash will be back Toronto & More than likely Rochester.
Toronto........ Kind of like a North Korean attack. It is always "coming". I have heard Toronto for 3 years. Air Canada Centre- too expensive Ricoh Coliseum- good location high cost Hershey Centre- out in Missasauga, 2 junior hockey teams have folded and an echl is 3rd to last in attendance. If you can't make hockey work in Toronto, then nothing will work Copps- this is actually in Hamilton. I want a Toronto team but like a lot of cities, if it is minor league it might not work, simply because Toronto is a not a minor league town. I would be willing to *safely* bet my entire 401k that more people in Edwards Colorado have heard of Toronto, than the number of people in Toronto who have heard of Edwards Colorado. Wikipedia puts Toronto metro population at 5.9 million people, that would be the 5th or 6th largest city in USA
The Ricoh Coliseum would be a great location if they would be able to keep costs reasonable. Right next to BMO Field so already a part of town with a soccer connection. Drove past the stadium on a trip to Toronto last week and was really impressed with the vintage look of the stadium. As everyone has already pointed out, it's very hard to compete against hockey and curling in Canada. Had dinner in a downtown Toronto bar and the TVs all had the great curling derby Ontario versus Northern Ontario. Didn't stay long enough to see who won.
You're just leaving out one fairly important fact: this sport isn't particularly popular. You can put a team in a "great location" in a "cost-effective" arena and even in a "soccer market," but this sport still can't draw well. And no renaissance is on the horizon.
Ricoh used to be part of the Canadian National Exposition (like a state fair, but bigger) we went there for the Marlies AHL team and stayed at the Hyatt. At the time we all said 'this is great'. It has worked for AHL. Kenn- yes I have been saying Toronto for a long time. I think I talked about the Toronto thunder hawks and the Toronto Shooting Stars over the years. And Hamilton, which may (according to a geography prof) be a part of Toronto or may not (according to a Torontonian) be apart of the metro area. .,,,,,,,and kick a555. What a fun city. Seriously. Toronto was a great time the times I visited. 99s bar across from the hotel, Mrs. Shelts loved the theatre, the shopping, I loved the hockey hall of fame, the mlb team, the cfl team, the everything. It is a great weekend
I was told by a couple of different parties that Bernie had ties to a new Bakersfield team. Wasn't clear as to if it was MASL or MASL2. The thought was that they might be playing in the AHL arena if any of this is true.
I would doubt that a MASL 2 team would be allowed into that place without a ticket or a job offer to sell popcorn. http://www.rabobankarena.com/ That's a real arena, with real costs. An indoor team will be looking at anywhere from $6-18K per night just to get the place and that is needed up front. IIRC, I think there is a little smaller space in the arena or near it that might be more appropriate. The guy (Daryl Katz) that owns the Bakersfield Condors also just sold the Rexall Drug store chain this month and owns the Edmonton Oilers. If MASL were to attract a guy like that it would be a win. IF................
I'm assuming dcunitedTV means Bernie Lilavois, Head Coach and a Managing Partner for the Ontario Fury.
Per Syd's (NSL2004) reply higher above, Freedom FC appears to be a possible MASL2 team. Another possible MASL2 team is the resurrected Houston Hotshots (http://www.houstonhotshots.net/). Their own website calls themselves a "MASL2 2017 Applicant". Might be time to break out my old Hotshots jersey.
That would be correct, despite Ed Hale indicating legions of current AHL owners were just clamouring to get into IPL, none did. Nobody is expecting any on these boards