http://www.thebluetestament.com/201...will-not-field-their-own-usl-team-next-season Article mentions that it looks like any Sporting affiliate would be playing in Sporting Park to keep it close to the home team and the watchful eyes of Peter Vermes. Supposedly the reserves were already nicknamed 'Swope Park Rangers.' That wouldn't be a bad name
Robb Heinamann has mentioned Omaha, Wichita and other locations as possibilities, but I'd imagine PV would prefer it closer to home ... would be great to see Kerry Z coach them. I believe it's a few years away though. I don't know that they're in a rush and our Academy isn't as filled with those types of players yet (like Dallas, LA, etc. ... and we're not in Canada where the CSA actually NEEDS the 3 MLS teams developing more quantity). The affiliate system has worked well for us (Kempin and Dom as well as Ellis, Lopez and Duke) ... and I think that will continue for a couple of years. I'm sure PV doesn't mind letting guys go to develop under Jimmy Nielson in OKC. That being said, I'd go to a few games with my boys to the Swope Park Stadium (we're Missouri residents and it would be much more convinient). I think for Sporting to really use a USL Pro team they'd almost need a residency acadamy (like Philly/RSL in AZ) type of thing just to help fill the USL Pro team with developmental players instead of older guys looking for one more year at the USL level.
Also ... you mis spoke/typed? ... the would NOT be playing at Sporting Park ... rather, Championship Field at Swope Park (where SKC trains, not plays games). Which is what I mentioned above regarding the 2500k stadium. I think the next step is to have a Sporting KC U23 team in the PDL to replace the recently departed KC Brass. They could play at that championship field and SKC could help develop their acadamy kids that have gone to college a little closer over the summers. But that's just me!
I hope this is true. I think they would get better support in Cincinnati. if it happens I will buy a season ticket package and support the club. Especially if they still are affiliated with the Crew and have some of their developing players playing. I think they were only averaging 500 or so per game in Dayton. I would like to think in Cincinnati it would be 3 times that.
I've been thinking about this through the lens of the KC Royals and their relationship to Omaha because of the Royals' AAA affiliate baseball team in Omaha. The reason there are so many Royals fans in Omaha is because 400,000 fans a year go to the local AAA games and get connected to the players on their way up. They develop an interest that follows when the player moves 200 miles away to the big leagues. Without that connection, I think there would be far less interest in the KC Royals (especially in these past few "lean years"). There would be less fans making the trip to Kauffman stadium, buying the merchandise, etc. If there wasn't the local AAA affiliate, I imagine Omaha would be a Cubs town. Even though it is easier for SKC and the other MLS teams to host their new USLPro teams at their practice facilities, I don't think it grows the game of soccer as well in the country. Over 40 million people a year go to minor league baseball games- families, kids. Because of that many of them become more connected to the major league affiliates and more connected to the game itself. In the long term I think it would be healthier for the growth of the sport in the country to have the MLS II teams in the "minor league towns" like Omaha, Des Moines, Wichita, etc., rather than at the team's practice facility. What do you guys think?
The MLS farm teams in D3 USL Pro won't be run on the most part to grow the game, bring in fans, and win USL Pro championships. They're basically to develop the prospects, give some playing time to players coming off of injury, and provide depth for the D1 team.
I think it goes without saying, setting up a stand alone team in a different market "spreads the brand". Those teams could start their own academies as well. The only problem is the expense and resource commitment, which is considerable for both.
Fricking iphone cut off half my reply. Like @Prosoccercdn said, the D3 purpose is player development. Which is cheaper? LAG adding a few players, allocating coaches to the reserve team, thus forming G2. And playing them at the training facility. Or setting up a stand alone second team in an independent market, paying for a complete management staff, marketing, etc., coaching staff. Finding/paying for a place to play. Basically putting in an awful lot of work to hopefully recoup the costs of setting up shop in a stand alone market- for a process which is ultimately tasked to "develop players". Now granted, there is the "brand spreading", but the big question is whether that is worth the hassle. Sounds like Houston is going that route, though, so it "may" be worth it. My .02 cents
Developing prospects, rehabing injured players, and providing depth for the major league team is what the AAA baseball team does as well. Omaha's AAA team has been very successful on the field the past few years (back to back national AAA championships). That's probably been a key component to the KC Royals recent success. In addition, ever since the local Omaha team got their own stadium, they are making good $$$ since they don't have to share any of it with the city, who owned their old stadium.
Yup; if you have the necessary resources, that's the way to do it. Rely on no one but yourself, bring it all in-house, and keep all of the money. That’s a best case scenario obviously. Organizations that are investing time, effort, and of course finances to set up a D3 shop in a different market are thinking way beyond just player development, and obviously have to. It depends on what your mentality is. If you want to strictly develop players, you do it the cheap way. It’s certainly healthier for the growth of the sport in the country to have MLS II teams in smaller markets, but bottom line, it’s all about the benjamins. You start a sports franchise with the intent of turning a profit. Selecting the right market and actual operational competence certainly has a lot to do with whether or not it happens.
When it comes to Omaha and Sporting, there is already a supporters group who comes down for every game. It would seem to be in Sporting's best interest to look maybe a little further away to a stand alone, like Wichita, Des Moines, or Springfield, MO. I do believe that if an MLS franchise wants to grow the brand though, the best way would be to try and find a local ownership group, and go for a split in cost. So if Sporting put a team in Wichita, they would want a local ownership group to help with cost and marketing, since they would know the city better. This grows the brand, keeps it fairly local, and increases the reach of soccer. That would seem to be the best case cost saving scenario
I think financially it's harder, unless you can do something similar to Orlando did ... and have a secondary ownership group that pretty much acts as an extension of the SKC ownership group who have a voice in everything they do ... but someone to share the costs such as stadium costs (rent or construction), local marketing in the secondary market, etc. Otherwise I'm not sure it makes sense. I think it would be great considering SKC has academy affiliates in Omaha, Lincoln, West De Moines that could help feed the USL Pro club as well as main Academy and other affiliates.
But, having that Omaha SKC supporters group gives you a GREAT starting point to get the USL team going as far as attendance/culture/supporters group recruiting ... obviously they each have their own advantages. Personally, I think there is a key factor that could work for Omaha ... Creighton University. The stadium they play in is amazing, you could set up a deal with them to use their game day facility, build a practice facility (for both the University to use and the USL Pro team), possibly even work it so that when you sign players to the USL Pro squad they can attend class's at Creighton (or a JUCO in the area). I think the education part of a USL (which is likely to be a U23 type of team) could really help, you could get the kids that don't want to sacrifice education for a 40k/year soccer dream that may end up ending early without a degree.
TFC side will operate from Waterloo Ontario http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/i...to-operate-tfc-usl-pro-side-in-waterloo-r4883
I would have thought that TFC would use their KIA training facility field that already has seating for fans. Although it seems to be clear that while TFC will own and run their USL Pro Side they also want it to be a club that they can promote similar to the Marlies with the Leafs. The first attempt was for THF in Hamilton to the south of Toronto proper. Instead now expanding pro sports to Vaughn to the North in the York GTA region. The GTA regions are already being home to OHL Junior Hockey Clubs as well as NBL of Canada clubs. Oshawa places an OHL club in a new arena in the Durham Region. The Peel Region has OHL and NBLC clubs in newer arena in Mississauga and NBLC in Brampton Region. Barrie has an OHL club which is just to the north outside of the York Region. So having a USL Pro soccer club in Vaughn puts a pro team in York Region as well. York does have one of the two major Tennis Centers in the modern Rexall which hosts Major ATP and WTA tour. With Downtown Toronto filled with 6 pro clubs already. I think it is great to begin spreading new stadiums and arena's for other pro and top level Junior hockey clubs to the GTA regions which have the populations to support a team as well as other entertainment events in Arena's and stadiums being built.
That's intersting with Brampton moving it OHL team way North Bay. Placing a lower level minor league affilate for the NHL Lighting to go with Syracuse in the AHL. Junior Hockey rules in Canada. Now with a Central Hockey league team in Brampton, AHL marlies in downsview, and Bulldogs in Hamilton. 3 minor league Hcockey clubs in the GTHA. The mayorial candidate in Mississauga is talking uping the pro sports to the CFL with a similar type Hamilton/Ottawa stadium and development project. Mississauga has grown to over 700K population with Peel being over a million. It puts that areas population at the same level as the traditional Canadian Pro Sports cities/cma's.
Dont say that on a CFL sight you will be laughed at like I was. People take change hard to believe sometimes. They dont seem to realize changes that have already happened that were never thought possible. That a city like Mississauga does have a population now that is equal to the traditional cities aside form the big three Toronto, Montreal , Vancouver. Or that at one time it was thought that Alberta could not sustain two NHL clubs but we all know how that turned out. Toronto is really the first city metro to grow like this. In the US the thoughts of two NFL teams playing in a stadium in New Jersey or that MLB baseball could thrive in Orange County outside of LA proper
If this were May or June, it would obviously be a lot easier. Sorry to see the CHL go, though. But the writing was on the wall. Now the ECHL is...wait for it...AA in name only!