No one brought the "Wave back" but Mr. Lindenberg. I think he saw a viable league in the NISL, which welcomed a longstanding (but admittedly struggling) indoor team with a new owner (with cash). I wouldn't call the NISL someone who "brought them back". The Wave were on death's doorstep. The City of Milwaukee and surrounding suburbs were not willing to do what was necessary to keep them afloat.
I'm not defending Soccer-Man, but until you know the real story, don't make judgments. The NISL had "something" to do with the Wave's return. And it does not mean "a league to play in"...ask around, they will tell you.
um... no, you are wrong. We never folded. We were close, but didn't. The office was still open, remaining staff were still answering the phone, the camps were still running, the lights were still on. The end date was August 31. If nothing would have happened by that date, THEN you can say the team folded. But instead, we were in a state of transition. Transitioning from one great owner, to another great owner. So please get your facts straight. And this "expansion" term you threw out there... give me a break. We are not, and will never be considered an expansion team. So please give that one a rest. We have our entire team, coaching staff, front office, facilities, you name it, intact. So brace yourself for a new king of the hill to emerge in the NISL Soccerman....
I hate to side with Soccer Man, but if the Wave didn't fold on July 15 then it would seem the "Save the Wave" campaign was based in part on deception, and it was really just a publicity campaign designed to sell more season tickets for the new owner (and an unsuccessful one at that). And unless the Blast, La Raza and Rampage all have a lot of injuries while the Wave stays healthy, I don't see the Wave being king of the hill in the NISL.
The July 15th date was when the front office staff was being let go, not a "lights out" date. As it was published, Coach Tozer and Larry Sayles were still working in the office every day, making sure camps continued, and the phone was answered, until what would have been August 31. That would have been the fold date had a new owner not been found. The Save the Wave campaign is a big part of how the new owner found us, so please don't think that it was a publicity campaign. gaining season ticket pledges was/is a way to help aleviate (sp) any front end cost that a new owner might incur. As well as show the new owner that the community was/is still invested in the Wave's future. As for being King of the Hill.... it will happen! Have faith!
Which border? Wisconsin-Illinois or United States-Mexico? In either case, signing the players may result in a short-term benefit for the team that signs them but weakening the Wave will be a long-term detriment to the league. In other words, the NISL is just shooting itself in the foot and negating the benefit of adding the Wave if it allows the Wave's best players to be signed away by other teams.
I really don't see it happening. With Chicago, Detroit and NJ all folding, there are going to be quite a few quality players looking for new teams. I imagine the existing teams will look at those players (who may be more negotiable) first, than players from a still existing team, where they may get into a bidding war.
That is why having a single entity operation makes sense. But I think Headhunter is right that NISL owners seeking to improve their rosters will probably look to players from the teams that folded first and avoid bidding wars with the Wave.
Indoor teams always have a relatively high player turnover rate. That doesn't mean anything. I'm sure Rockford will lose players and sign new players, too.
and there are quite a few of those players out there whether or not they want they to play in the NISL, as I am sure there are some players who may have given up on indoor, but I am sure there will be quite a few that will want to and there are some quality players out there that know the game and would certainly bolster up a roster for any team You could put guys like Antuniak or Armstrong or Bennett or some of the guys from Detroit would be a great grab and even NJn- those guys are out there and may want to work/play indoor soccer and some of these guys have established roots here in Chicago and may not want move to far and may even have some connection to Milwaukee Lets Go Wave!!
from detroit - callahan - apple - kyt etc. there are some good players from Detroit that would be good grabs
speaking of that, i wonder if Neto has given up on indoor or will he resurface someplace in the NISL?
If you say that "N" name again you know who will surface spewing his inside knowledge of the Blast. Let's chill on "N" and just follow the press releases as they come out.
Interesting that there is no formal announcement of Milwaukee passing the NISL's, ahem, 'requirements', but they are signing players.
Wave's Leite suffers serious injury By Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel Posted: Sept. 11, 2009 11:14 a.m. Milwaukee Wave forward Marcio Leite missed all of last season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Now the 25-year-old Brazilian has suffered the same injury, a cruel blow which will keep him out of the Wave's upcoming season. Leite was injured while playing for the Croatian Soccer Club in an outdoor tournament in Cleveland last weekend. "Words cannot describe how bad I feel for Marcio, as he has worked extremely hard to get back to his original form," Wave coach Keith Tozer said. "I have all expectations that he will still play for the Wave in the future." Leite was a rising indoor soccer star since arriving from Brazil, where he played futsal for one of the top teams in that country. He scored 50 points as a rookie for the Wave during the 2006-'07 season and scored 80 points the following season, when he was named a second team all-Major Indoor Soccer League selection. He was the first player signed by the Wave this summer after the franchise was purchased by Jim Lindenberg. The Wave will join the National Indoor Soccer League this fall. Leite injured his left knee in the opening practice session prior to last season. He had completed his rehabilitation and was preparing for a comeback with the Wave when he was injured again.
WOW Same thing happened to Denison Cabral here in Baltimore I guess you never fully recover from this. Didn't one of the Dusosky's suffer a similar injury and is done playing?
Troy tore up his ACL, and regained (mostly) his old form. Todd did some damage to a foot and was out over a full season. I don't know if he is capable of playing, or if his separation from the Wave was a business decision.