The biggest name in North American football! I doubt the they will be joining USL anytime soon unless Queensboro fail to materialize.
Still, would have been fun to see what the Cosmos in MLS would have been like. I can't remember when (year wise) when it "didn't happen" and what the size of MLS was around that time. Would the name been enough? Obviously to match the rosters the original Cosmos had may have been tough and would they have tried to play in the Meadowland again or stake out a different part of NY?
Sela Sports bought the Cosmos in October 2011 with the intention of them competing in MLS. However they balked at the $100 million expansion fee. Garber then reached out to Ferran Soriano, the newly appointed CEO of Man City, who he knew from discussions over a Miami bid. The proposed stadium location was near Belmont Park, a shitty location imho, as bad if not worse than Harrison.
Where are you getting this? They draw less than Detroit, which doesn't even account for Chattanooga and Cosmos. Last fall showcase this was probably true, but not with NISA's current set of clubs.
They barely drew less and both where the only ones averaging over 5k. So it’s still a blow to the league. Chattanooga and Cosmos get around 2-3k.
So nothing in my comment was wrong. They're not the most popular team and they didn't draw more than half the total fans. Absolutely, which is why fans of NISA clubs are disappointed by it. Saying that the above claims are hyperbolic isn't undermining Oakland's success or how their departure leaves a large crater. However, the implication of "drew more than the other league members combined" is that their absence is leaving NISA a hollow shell, which is hardly the case. Nobody is denying that Oakland was the flagship of the NISA western teams, but they were 1 of 4 "big" clubs in the league. 25% is significant, without a doubt. But still a minority. FC Cincinnati literally compiled about 20% of USL's total attendance, even with clubs like the Republic averaging 11k, but nobody thought their departure to MLS was leaving behind an empty husk of a league. I know there is a lot of disagreement about Cosmos' numbers and I'm in no position to defend or dispute them. CFC's are 3-4k, however, with many more than 5 home games ever in their history. I am personally of the opinion that any lower division team that averages over 3k is doing pretty damned good, especially in D3. And, again, I don't think it's dismissing what they've done so far to question the hype of a team that's existed for a year and a half, is joining their 3rd league in 15 months, has two total wins, and Dame Lillard wore their jersey on TV once. You can be both impressed and skeptical of the hype, especially when part of their mythos seems be based on specious claims.
NISA is going into the amateur league business. https://www.nisasoccer.com/news/2020/09/17/nisa-nation-paves-new-path-to-pro-soccer
I am deeply conflicted about this, especially the 50/50 chance that it implies that NPSL and UPSL are so dysfunctional that NISA couldn’t figure out how to work with them And the alternative is that they didn’t try.
Maybe NPSL and UPSL rebuffed them also. There seems to be a lot of understandable league insularity that is possibly perpetuating to lack of working together.
NISA is where USL used to be circa 2014. Another layer with affiliate amateur leagues. Yawn. Done many times before. Really funny to see reactionary people in the social webs saying that would lead to their Anglophile system of internal sporting bliss.
NISA’s bubble tournament starts tomorrow in Detroit 2020 NISA Fall Championship Tournament Seedings and Matches Announced https://t.co/YYI4oWJ3Gj pic.twitter.com/dNc7L8hcY5— NISA Official (@NISALeague) September 18, 2020 the groups are: Group A Oakland Roots Michigan Stars Detroit City FC New Amsterdam FC Group B: Chattanooga FC Cal United Strikers New York Cosmos LA Force 2 games played each day, broadcast on BeIN Sports Xtra
Possibly, but that’s what they get for being the top seed in the tournament. Cosmos will, too, though, so the CFC/Cosmos game will be the important one, although I would expect them both to advance.
Remember the days when Chattanooga filled their stadium to watch Cosmos B? Isn't promotion and relegation great!
I am pretty sure that if they were hosting the NISA final and could have more than COVID capacity crowds, you would see something similar.
Very smart for NISA to put the start time of the tournament matches on a weekday during when people are coming home from work, MLB, NHL games and Monday Night Football happens. Monday's ratings will soar.
In America's arguably fifth most popular sport with already lackluster TV ratings? No, sir. That's why its on Bein's freemium channels.
Well, you clown on it, but the fact that, say, Michigan Stars/New Amsterdam will appear on the cable guide for normal people in a whole slew of major cities seems... not insignificant for a league of NISA’s stature? Granted, it would be nice if NISA teams were in more than 2 of them...