Source: https://www.soctakes.com/2019/09/10/usl-league-one-adds-4-clubs/ USL League One set to add 3 West Coast, 1 East Coast clubs September 10, 2019by Colton Coreschi Timbers 2 and LA Galaxy II get it on at Providence Park. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes Three MLS 2 and one independent team will join league in 2020 USL League One — the United Soccer Leagues’ third-division competition — is set to add three Western Conference members and one Eastern Conference member for the league’s sophomore season in 2020. According to sources, three MLS 2 teams and one independent will join the fledgling competition and help fill out the league’s Western profile. The three MLS 2 clubs set to move join are Portland Timbers 2, LA Galaxy II — both dropping from the USL Championship — and a newly-formed, unnamed New England Revolution reserve team. The three reserve sides will be joined by a Riverside, Calif.-based club backed by Serie A side AS Roma. The United Soccer Leagues have long been rumored to be seeking a way to move MLS reserve sides down to its newly established third-division league — both to solidify the status of the new league as well as create more room for independent clubs in the USL Championship in Division II. While a definite blight on the USL Championship’s attendance, MLS reserve sides have been hit or miss in terms of on-field competitiveness. Among the three teams rumored to be moving down, Los Dos have been the most successful, reaching the playoffs in three of their five seasons and sitting above the playoff line currently in 2019. Timbers 2 reached the playoffs for the first time in 2018, but currently sit out of the playoff picture.
I feel like there is a really easy way to move underperforming teams from a higher division from a lower division based solely on their on field results. The name for it is on the tip of my tongue but I cant quite get the words out
Former Revs affiliate and currently "on hiatus" franchise Rochester Rhinos are slated to revive and join USL League One in 2020.
This is definitely a step in the right direction and something that is long overdue! How many guys who don't make the 18 just rot away without any competitive game time, and never improve? This is a clear path for college draftees and other guys who aren't ready for prime-time just yet, but now some day might be. Oh yeah, raise your hand if you thought this would ever happen if Bruce Arena wasn't here.... Yeah, didn't think so!
I don’t think it absolutely had to be Arena but it ABSOLUTELY wouldn’t have happened under Burns/Biello. This is great news. But every time these BA led steps forward come out, one has to ask why Burns/Biello didn’t try to make it happen. The need to find competitive games for your reserves is about as obvious as holding your breath when submerged under water. So I guess Burns and Biello should stay out of the water... In short, why did that duo benefit from so much “patience?”
Because the only thing that makes total, abject failure tolerable is surrounding yourself with yes-men. I can understand if it took them until, say, 2000 to figure out this stuff, but it's amazing how long Burns got to do absolutely nothing. And how's that stadium search going, Brian? I think OJ Simpson is having better luck and is making more progress in his search for the "real killers."
Yeah, they should be able to do something within a hour's drive - Worcester, Providence, Portland, Fall River/New Bedford, Lowell/Lawrence, ...
FWIW Andrew Uttaro @UttaroSports Replying to @ramincol and 6 others I can confirm per Rhinos GM @patercoli that Rochester's return has been delayed to 2021.
To be fair they did mention a team was in the works months ago. I figured it would be inevitable but its better under Bruce as Burns would have F'd it up
Actually, that's not a bad idea. This way, the Revs would be on the radar of the car-less soccer fans who can't get to Foxboro very easily, and a good opportunity to cross-promote. They can have at least a trial balloon for running buses from Boston to Foxboro on occasion and cross-promote the Revs.
That would probably mean BC or Harvard - and Harvard is bigger and has better T access (BC's field is off the beaten track in Newton). I think low-rent is probably key, since attendance, at least initially, would likely be spotty. The advantage of one of the 'satellite' cities around Boston is that they'd be a bigger fish in the local sea, and would be more likely to develop a steadier following IMO. Lowell/Lawrence would be a quick/easy/cheap trip for the whole Merrimack Valley. New Bedford/Fall River, the same for SE Mass. Worcester could be an interesting spot, with the Pawsox coming (maybe play at Holy Cross?).
There's also Nickerson Field. I don't think the issue here is developing a following for the Jr. Revs. I assume the team will train with the MLS squad in Foxboro and staff will attend the USL games to evaluate talent. It's a lot quicker to zip up to Boston that to go to Lowell or Worcester.
I don't think they are looking for a huge following, but I'd guess they'd like to draw enough to offset the expense of running the team. Plus, help stoke up interest in the parent club.
In USL news, Cody Cropper has started all 4 games since joining Hartford, going 2-2 (for a team that was 4-17-4 before that). 7GA, 21 saves Brian Wright (Birmingham) has done the best, with 1682 minutes, 21 GP, 18 starts, 4 goals, 4 assists.
USL League 1 leadership considered Portland, Maine as a potential market a couple of years ago when the league was preparing to launch. Now, the president of a Portland-based marketing agency and a Maine real estate developer are meeting with USL executives and city officials in an attempt to make professional soccer in the city a reality. They're scouting stadium sites, optimistically targeting a 2021 launch, and have settled upon Portland United (meh) as a name. https://www.pressherald.com/2019/09/18/pro-soccer-in-portland-its-a-possibility/
We should set up our reserve team there and call them the Timburrs just to mess with them. Or better yet, "Real Portland," since that other Portland is a Johnny Come Lately. Anything United is just such weak sauce these days. 20 years ago it was somewhat unique, but not now. I'm waiting for the lawyers to come out when a yute club in Manchester-by-the-Sea decides to call themselves "United." (if they haven't already)
Real is spanish for royal, implying the team is owned/funded by an aristocrat United comes from 2 or 3 sporting clubs banding together at some point in their history. FC, SC, etc at least are accurate titles (or would be if the team opperated like actual clubs and allowed membership to be purchased and give voting rights). If they want a really unique sounding name, the best way to go would be to name the team after what the native americans called the place.