2010 St Louis Lions

This is going to be an interesting AGM meeting. The Rochester Thunder have suddenly closed up shop this week. There are rumors circulating everywhere.

So as it sits our division is:
St Louis
Des Moines
Kansas City
Springfield
Colorado
Thunder Bay

I know Colorado was working on a deal to move to teh western conference but with Rochester folding I think that will pull Colorado back into the Heartland.

It is a shame to see Rochester go. They were producing some good players.

 

Interesting ruling from the Canadian Soccer Association yesterday. This was on the Canadian Soccer News website.

"We were treated to a bang yesterday when members of the Canadian Association voted in favor of a moratorium denied access to future Canadian clubs in the divisions of American soccer, excluding the MLS.

Although there is no direct impact on the current situation of the Montreal Impact, the decision of the CSA would prevent future Canadian clubs such as Hamilton and Ottawa to join the D2 until September 2011.

What meaningful as the NASL will probably seek an 8th club outside of Canada since it was awaiting the inclusion of Ottawa (transfer from NSC to the Minnesota capital of Canada). As for Edmonton, they can make their entrance in D2 next year since the moratorium imposed by the CSA would only apply to new applications.

This is a very important decision of the CSA, which attempts to regain control of the Canadian teams. There is also talk of a future 100% Canadian league. I have difficulty seeing the success of a project like this, but I respect the gesture very gutsy of CSA. To me, the CSA seems so desperate to act it does not necessarily see the negative aspects of such a decision. Admittedly, a Canadian league would be idealistic, but have we looked at the feasibility of such a project? And how many teams would be part of? If only for five teams had better join the American federation.

Side impact, it has summoned the media to a press conference held Wednesday. I expect a very strong reaction of President Joey Saputo. Anyway, I will follow it closely and you'll hear that famous conference.

Incidentally, we could not have picked a better day to start this project. The excellent timing.

 

I have heard the Winnipeg rumors. Hopefully the CSA ruling will prevent this from happening. The cost to travel to Colorado and Thunder Bay is already large adding Winnipeg would put a huge financial strain on everyone in the conference.

 

I love the rumors flying around but they are not true. Nice to know we are being talked about.

We have reviewed and discussed going USLPro. USLPro is certainly something that we would like to pursue but not for 2011.

Although the league is being set up to be more regionalized it is lacking a region in the midwest. This was one of the issues with USL-1 and USL-2. There is a big void in the middle of the country. To make the move it would require at least 4 teams in the midwest and as of right now I know there are cities talking but nothing concrete.

The thought of joining the league to just make it bigger or in an effort to capture a market is the wrong approach. That would be a recipe for failure.

We will continue to build and we have some really good thing's happening in the very near future. All of which is a plan to make us a strong PDL team or help us get us closer to being a professional team, if the opportunity is right.

AC St Louis is the professional team and St Louis and we will keep an eye on how the progress and the NASL developments.

 

FORMER ST. LOUIS LION STEVEN BEATTIE
LEADS NORTHER KENTUCKY TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND
NAMED NCAA DIVISION II PLAYER OF THE YEAR

St Louis, Mo.... Steven Beattie, a native of Skerries, Ireland and a former St. Louis Lion of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League, has been named NCAA 2010 Division II Player of the Year. In leading Northern Kentucky University to the NCAA Division II Men’s National Championship, Beattie factored in 17 of the 22 goals scored by his team during the tournament. For the season Beattie had 24 goals and 64 points in 22 games. Beattie was also named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2010 and for the second year in a row was named to the NCAA Division II All America First Team.

“We were very fortunate to have had Steven with us.” said St. Louis Lions President and Head Coach Tony Glavin. “He’s a fine player who not only can find the back of the net but who is also able to help a side with his passing and his aggressive defense. We often used him at central midfield position because of his ability to control the tempo of a game, then move him up top when we needed a score. I would expect that with a solid performance at the combines he would be a natural as a first round MLS pick.”

Beattie felt his time as a St. Louis Lion was well spent. “It was a really great experience,” said Beattie. “The majority of the players I played against were from top Division I schools or former professionals. I was able to hold me own and start every game, scoring seven goals and five assists in ten games. I learned a lot from the summer.”

The United Soccer League Premier Development League (PDL) has been termed the “top amateur soccer competition in the United States” in 2009 by the Houston Chronicle. In the January 2010 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, 48 players with PDL experience were chosen, a full 75% of the draftees. Even more telling, many of those drafted with PDL experience are now having significant impact on Major league Soccer, including St. Louis University’s Tim Ream, a recent addition to the United States Men’s National Team and a top rookie for the New York Red Bulls in 2010.

St. Louis Lions players who have received professional contracts in recent years include St. Louis native Tom Heinemann, who was the Most Valuable Player in the USL DII Championship game with a goal and an assist for the Charleston Battery, and then moved up to play in the DI Championship series for the Carolina Railhawks and scored the team’s only goal. Former Lions Lawrence Olum and Jarius Holmes have received professional contracts with the USL while Calum Angus and Kyle Patterson are both playing professionally in Europe. Most recently, goalkeeper Nate Thackery signed a professional contract with Corby Town FC in England’s third Division. Oliver Dyson and Brian Harris signed professionally with the Missouri Comets of the MISL.

The St. Louis Lions were awarded a USL-PDL franchise in 2005 and was named “Rookie Franchise of the Year” in 2006. President and Head Coach Tony Glavin is a former professional player from Scotland who has played and coached professionally in the United States since 1978 with the Philadelphia Fury and the St. Louis Steamers where he was a three time MISL All-Star and also won the MISL All-Star Most Valuable Player Award. He has coached the St. Louis Steamers, the Kansas City Comets and the Dayton Dynamo.


-END-

 

Congratulations to former St Louis Lions Steven Beattie!! Beattie has been added to the MLS Combine.

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/soccer

 

Busy day for former St Louis Lions players. Tommy Heinemann has officially put pen to paper and will be starring in the MLS with the with the Columbus Crew. Congrats Tommy!! We always knew you would make it!!

Heinemann signs with Columbus