Thought I would start a general thread for NPSL discussion. So where we left off last year, there has been some additions to the league, including a south east division. However, it seemed like most of the midwest was still up in the air. Can some folks provide listings for the teams in each of the divisions. Also, any news on when the new web site will be up. Hopefully the league will do a better job this year with providing general information.
I'll field this. The league has hired a new company to re-design the site and a re-launch will be up shortly. We are hoping to most of the site up and operational before the NSCAA Convention (so that is about what two weeks away?). Team lists Northeast (10) 1. Maine Sting (Bangor, ME) 2. Boston Aztec (Boston, MA) 3. New York Athletic Club (NYC) 4. Long Island Academy FC (Long Island, NY) 5. PA Classics (Lancaster, PA) 6. Pennsylvania Stoners (Allentown, PA) 7. Morris County Colonials (Morris County, NJ) 8. AC Diablos (Atlantic City, NJ) 9. Maryland United FC (Silver Spring, MD) 10. Queen City FC (Buffalo, NY) West 1. Sonoma County Sol 2. Santa Cruz Breakers 3. Real San Jose 4. Sacramento Knights 5. SoCal Fusion 6. Albequerque Asylum 7. Denver Kickers 8. Colorado Crimson 9. El Paso Indios USA 10. Phoenix Sauharos 11. Salinas Valley Samba Midwest I'm not too sure off the top of my head Southeast I know the cities, but not the names, so I'm sure Andy will post on here his group.
So this means that San Diego Pumitas are gone from last year, and Chico and Las Vegas are now gone for good?
Pumitas asked for a 1-yr leave of absence. And yes we passed the new resolution at the AGM that you cannot have an infinite number of years in a leave of absence. You have 1-yr and you must pay all your league dues during that year. If you fail to come back to the league after that year or fail to pay your fee's for that year you are no longer in the league. If you want back in the league you must pay the current franchise fee to re-enter the npsl.
midwest commissioner told me there most likely will be six teams for 2008. he said he's focusing on getting solid, stable teams in place so there won't be so much change from year-to-year; wants to get teams committed for more than just one year. he said he probably won't have the exact lineup until late january. the princeton-56ers (who most likely will change their name) and milwaukee bavarians will be two of the teams.
Good to hear things are moving along in your neck of the woods I'll keep passing along info as I get it.
It's been quiet in the last few days. Any word on the website? Any new teams or maybe team moves and name changes?
Last I knew they are trying to have it up by the end of this week. The new web company is the company that does ours as well, so I know they've been really working hard on it. I think it will be based upon the WPSL's site (basically), but I have yet to see a demo or anything so I'm just going by what I was told. The boys from Rocket City and Morris County Colonials are in charge of the web team.
Hey, Chris, are you going to have a score-reporting system and match/team stats in the same way that the PDL site does? That was something sorely missing from the other site.
Yes there will actually be stats available. The new company seems to be much more willing to do a lot more with us. Since they are from a small town in Central NY they don't cost ridiculous sums of money to do minor updates to a website (ridiculous is relative, it may have been a pittance in CA for that to be done, but to us here in NY it was a burden to pay what they wanted on the previous site). I finally saw a screenshot of the new site, it looks good, with minor tweaking it should be up by the end of the weekend is the rumor.
NPSL Northwest looks like this, from what I have heard. Salinas Sacramento Sonoma Santa Cruz Real San Jose No additions, no subtractions from last season.
Just a question on the league in general. Are many of the kinks being worked out, i.e. communication within the league? Is the league developing as a community of soccer club owners? Also, what happened with the Chico Rooks?
To answer you question bluntly, the answer is "NO." The league in my opinion struggles at the simplest things, (web site, schedules, communication with fans, rules). Don't really know what the league is doing for the owners, but remember this is a "league run by the teams" so the owners are also the league, or something like that. Chico Rooks took the year "off" last year, and will not return again this year, I think the usual scenarios caused the demise.............money, stadium, volunteers just got tired for running the show after so many years.
See, I would think that the autonomy of each conference would mean that the teams could do whatever they liked, so long as by a given date the season is wrapped up and the conference has a representative for the playoffs. Thus, one would assume that creating a schedule would be down to a regional coordinator having a conference call with the GMs and constructing the most mutually-convenient schedule? Surely that is a league run by the teams? Or am I talking too much sense? Chico had a decent stadium and a decent college program from which to draw the vast bulk of their players and it is a shame they can't keep things going. As far as I knew, David Stahl was running the thing virtually as a one-man band/passion project for years. They did the soccer camps last summer and maybe they will have some this year but seeing as how the Rooks were one of the "old guys" in US soccer as a whole, it's a shame to see them fade away.
From amancalledmikey "See, I would think that the autonomy of each conference would mean that the teams could do whatever they liked, so long as by a given date the season is wrapped up and the conference has a representative for the playoffs. Thus, one would assume that creating a schedule would be down to a regional coordinator having a conference call with the GMs and constructing the most mutually-convenient schedule? Surely that is a league run by the teams? Or am I talking too much sense?" That is in essence what happens. The west likes to play a lot more games where the east doesn't, so we both do our own thing. I know everyone gets pissy about the website. Hell I get pissy about the website (as is well documented). The new version is almost done, but ran into a legal snag which delayed it's launch unfortunately. The old web company started to claim they owned everything that was in the site, including the team logo's now. So things had to be re-designed. You know I will keep you all updated on league matters as soon as I hear. The East got their act together at the Regional Meetings in October, the West is almost done with their scheduling from what I've been told. The Midwest is solidifying things, and the Southeast is coming along nicely too. We don't announce the league wide schedule because each conference does their own thing. It's more like there are 5 regional leagues operating under one umbrella with each group doing something different from the next. We are doing a team of the week in each region this year, so that should give the people wanting more news something to gawk at. I'm in charge of the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast teams. The team owners on the East as just as annoying as I am when it comes to publicity. So there will be news stories all the time. Like I said, anything that you dislike about the league email me and I will take it to the appropriate people or to the league as a whole. Posting it on here doesn't do much to be honest, but emailing me actually gets some wheels moving.
No griping from me, I'm just a long-term follower of the league which, to be frank, is what most people who follow US soccer and don't approve of the USL or MLS thinks should be happening; a network of regional leagues that do their own thing and come together for the end of the season. When I say long-term, I mean since the MPSL was originally founded.
Any predictions on the final 4? East: QCFC Midwest: PSC 56 Northwest: Sacramento Knights Southwest: Indios USA Indios had an impressive first season and expect them to win the division. PSC 56 have a cakewalk division and return a starting line up almost entirely of D1 players with a couple of them getting all-american honors in the fall. QCFC has great management and will continue to set itself up for success. PSC 56 over QCFC in the final. I think the west is over-rated and will strugle at nationals
I would disagree that the west will struggle, considering they have won the last two championships, Knights and San Diego (Northwest or Southwest). PSC 56 has not beaten a team outside of their division that I can remember (could be wrong.) Sonoma were unlucky to get knocked out last year, and lost in the final the year before. I expect Sacramento and Sonoma to battle it out in the Northwest, I think San Diego will edge Indios, PSC will win the Midwest, QCFC are favorites in the East, isn't their a division were missing? The South?
I've got to agree with CaliforniaSoccer on this one...some may consider the West overrated, but they've sure held their own. I like QCFC out East; seems like they're the most organized / well-run team out of any that I've seen. I'm sure it'll be tough for QCFC and the Fusion to repeat their journeys to the final, but it seems to be pretty well agreed that they're among the favorites in their respective divisions, so there's always that possibility. I'm afraid I don't know much about anyone in the middle of the country, so I can't really offer any opinions there. Any news on the new website and the legal issues with the old website co.?
Alright so strugle may have been an over statement. I was trying to make the point that unlike a few years ago the west will not dominate the league. PSC 56 and Bavarians from the midwest would have a good shot at winning any division, 2-3 years ago they would have been bottom of the table. and btw. . . PSC 56 has beat a west team. They lost 1-0 to SoCal in a game they dominated in posession, shots (11-6), and corners (6-2). They then beat Sonoma 1-0 in similar fashion, outshooting (11-7) and more corners (5-3). I realize stats don't always tell the story of the game but in the case i think it is an accurate indicator of the match. either way. . . it's nice to have some rivalries developing in the league now that there is contenders across the states and not just cali
As a fan of some of the San Diego teams, I have become frustrated over this league the last few years... it's a joke, website and all..... you guys know the drill about everything wrong with this league. Sorry to see the Pumitas not playing this year so I guess it's the Fusion but couldn't tell you anything about this team, there website has not been updated since June of 2006. There is one good thing, I can still purchase tickets for the 2006 season on the NPSL website.... Sounds to similiar to the NIFL (National Indoor Football League) or the ABA..... Hope it turns around this year .....
well I have been in the loop on the site (there are four teams on the website committee). So it's coming along, I saw the newest version today so it's coming along. If you want to take a look at it let me know, I'll try and take a screen shot of it so you believe me. I understand your frustration grim. Believe me! Try owning a team when things aren't being done and that should multiple your pains. As for the predictions...haha. Just because we won last year doesn't mean anything. We thought we'd finish in 5th place last year so I dare not to make any predictions. We played to win, not for style. This year I hope we can mix some flair into the mix. The Northeastern slug ball mixed with a little flair would be nicer on the eyes. My predictions are for our conference: Northern Division: 1) Morris County Colonials 2) PA Stoners 3) Boston Aztec 4) Queen City FC 5) Maine Sting Mid-Atlantic Division: 1) Long Island AFC (I know their name is LI Academy FC, I just think LI AFC sounds cooler) 2) AC Diablos 3) Maryland United FC 4) New York Athletic Club 5) PA Classics Playoffs: I think 3 teams from the Mid-Atlantic will be in. For some reason I see the Northern Division with teams taking points off one another making it too close for a 2nd team to make the Northeastern Regional Finals. Semi's Long Island AFC vs. Maryland United FC Morris County Colonials vs. AC Diablos Final's Long Island AFC vs. Morris County Colonials. Long Island AFC to take the crown off our heads. I really have no idea on these predictions though. I haven't spoken to any owners about their players except for MCC. They have some nice quality in their side already. We've gone extremely young from our side last year. We do have a good spine to the team, but is it enough? I don't know. I would love to say yes. US Open Cup, I think we have a good shot at getting out of the Region I qualie's depending on who we draw. Aegean Hawks are scary to go up against, so if we can avoid them I'd be happy. So far the teams in the Region I Qualification are: QCFC Aegean Hawks SC Vistula Garfield United German Hungarians There are four more spots to fill and they are coming from the state play downs that will happen this spring.
Region IV USASA Qualifying is May 15-18 in Scottsdale AZ. Any one from the new South Division going to pipe up with some predictions?
Based on what i've heard out of the South Division i'd pick Rockey City United, they're well run, I can see them doing very well.