NASL/D2 News 2010 Part 5

But it certainly hasn't gotten worse the last couple of years. Crazy, more unsettled? Definitely.

More killified? No.

 

People are always going to overstate problems/situations I guess.

Are those factors he lists holding D2 and D3 back from becoming the successful leagues that many of us believe they can and should be? Yes, for sure.

Are they "killing" the leagues? Your basic, garden variety hyperbole.

 

AC St.Louis goalie Alec Dufty loaned to Chicago Fire for remainder of season:

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/soccer/article_fa4b51e0-d198-11df-82ce-0017a4a78c22.html

 

and don't forget same goes with Rochester!

 

No Austin, no Rochester... who does that currently leave NASL with?

 

Not much.

Montreal
Carolina
CP Baltimore
Puerto Rico
Edmonton
Miami
Tampa
Minnesota

My guess is that the bid was submitted without CPB and Minnesota though since I believe I heard they only submitted 6 teams.

 

Crap, the rochester switch was like a balance of powers.

 

I dunno about that. Basically traded PR for Rochester.

 

Ouch. So St. Louis finally succumbed to their financial woes? And Montreal already has one foot out the door, Miami retains their severe lack of fans... It kind of scary how quickly the tables turn back and forth between the USL group and NASL.

And how committed is PR to NASL, particularly with the addition of 3 Caribbean teams to USL Pro since they joined the NASL camp?

 

Preety commited, believe me.

 

No, St. Louis succumbed to Yoshou forgetting to put it on that list.

I'm not saying they'll definitely be around in 2011, but in the absence of any news, they seem a better bet than CPB and maybe Minnesota.

 

So basically what you're telling me is that several NASL teams are in flux for next year...

 

the bid NASL sent to USSF only include six teams. Carolina, Tampa Bay, Miami, Montreal, Puerto Rico and Edmonton.

They will need a lot of waivers or exemptions to the new standards to become sanctioned.

there has been discussion about which teams the USL would except back in and if those teams would even want to rejoin with the USL

 

We have a winner. I knew I was forgetting someone.

 

I believe USL had already announced their intended "Caribbean Division" or whatever when PR decided to align with NASL.

 

So basically USL Pro is for teams that will never ever go to MLS.

and NASL are teams that for their further goal is to get expanded into MLS.

 

I wouldn't bet on that. Orlando has MLS aspirations and they're in USL Pro. Plus you assume that NASL will get sanctioned. With only 6 teams in their bid they're not in any way guaranteed to be sanctioned.

 

Just about every team above the PDL level, and even some at the PDL level, have aspirations about becomming an MLS club. I consider some as serious contenders, others not. I wouldn't consider Orlando as a likely MLS city... not unless MLS hits the 30-team mark. Even then, I wouldn't count on it.

 

I disagree completely. I don't see any relevance.

After Montreal joins MLS, I don't see any D2/D3 organizations that have the wherewithal to make the jump. Well, maybe Traffic, but they could've skipped the whole D2 empire building thing at any point and just ponied up the MLS expansion fee years ago.

MLS expansion will come as currently uninvolved deep pocket investors step forward.

 

Andy's right. dont get me wrong, I support MLS but the business plan of single entity isnt that appealing to some of the current owners. I know charleston's owners enjoy playing against MLS teams in the preseason and the USOC, but have no intention of pushing for MLS. beside the MLS business model, charleston is also a very small market ( I think it was 99 on the tv market size in the US) and the owner are realistic about what will work and wont work here. right now, it wont work. 10 years from now, who knows?

 

Yeah but most don't have the wherewithal or the financial backing to make it happen. Orlando seems to at least possibly have the backing and funding, though they are currently missing a prime ingredient (a SSS).

 

I haven't looked at where the new D3 team is playing, but I assume the facility is less than 10 years old. Two months before the WUSA launched in 2001 the Orlando Tempest were relocated to be the Carolina Courage because the WUSA and Time-Warner (the team owner) were unable to secure a suitable playing site in Orlando.

 

True, but I think the days when you would qualify for having an MLS team by simply coming up with a SSS and an owner are gone. Salt Lake City may have been the last of those.

The key is also having the right market area - preferably a large one with a big TV market. Orlando is not on the top of the MLS's "ideal North American markets" list for the next several expansion slots. In fact, they're not even at the top of the list in Florida.

From a funding standpoint, Orlando might have enough funds to sustain a D2 or D3 team (time will tell), but that's a far cry from having enough capital to support an MLS club.

 

I would say those days never existed. The most important part has always been a ridiculously rich guy willing to lose boatloads of cash.