Detroit Soccer Thread, Part III

The Michigan Bucks (PDL) don't begin playing until May 2007.

The Detroit Ignition (MISL) is probably your only bet for this time of year.

 

Are you looking for a team to play against? What level of team are you looking for? The Michigan Bucks(USL-PDL) and Detroit Arsenal(NPSL) don't start playing until May. Both squads are mostly college players from the area. The Detroit Ignition(MISL) will actually be in Califonia for a game on the 24th so I don't think that they would be available for you. You could try some of the bigger youth clubs like Vardar or the Michigan Wolves/Hawks. I think that the Hawks also have a USL W-League team now to, but they don't start playing until May either. You can google for any of these teams and get contact info. Hope that helps.

 

Note the event is a table soccer tournament, not real soccer. And I was looking for people who knew people, the old Vitamin A (for acquaintance). I know I can google for the names. Thanks for the responses I have had so far.

 

I'm not a Detroiter, but I'm engaged to one...

Has anyone mentioned Dearborn as a possibility for a SSS site? I would think the MidEast population there might by into a team, especially with all the Mexicans that fell for Chivas USA. Or am I way off base with this one?

 

I always thought that appealing to the middle eastern population in Detroit would be a positive thing....but as far as the stadium/expansion team goes, but what I gather the problem is the lack of an investor right now. So, if you know anyone....feel free to let us know.

 

I don't think you would need to build a SSS in Dearborn, but advertising to them and possibly bringing in some Middle Eastern players wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

I think that a central location is the most important thing.

The Bucks played their games in Rochester Hills this year, and I thought that was WAY too far north.

When you're building in and around a major city, you need to make sure you maximize the number of people who can get to the stadium...but at this point, I'll take anything I can get.

 

ya, really. for some reason, i had completely overlooked the middle eastern connection for se michigan. if the world rivalries forum is any indication, middle eastern fans can be pretty rabid!

rochester was way too far. i only made it to one (usopen) game. dearborn would be better, but really, pdl games don't seem that much better to me than the umich games i can get to by bicycle. and those are free.

just from what i hear in this thread, it'll be a long time before any even semi-pro sss gets built in these parts. so, it'll be trips to columbus, chicago and toronto for me as far as pro outdoor games go...

 

The worst part about playing at Stoney Creek is that it's about 10-15 minutes from the highway. With their association with Vardar you can count on them keeping the games in the Rochester area. I have been more tempted to go to a Detroit Arsenal game just because it is easier to get to the games. They play in Berkley just off 696.

 

I always thought OU would be a good spot.

 

At least it's closer to the freeway, but it is still pretty far north. It's not like Piston game where people are willing to go out of their way. I think it would have to be closer to the city to be successful.

 

For the first time in my 4 seasons of Bucks attendance, I did not make it to all of the games. It takes an hour(+/- 10 mins) to go from Redford to Stoney Creek, and a not insignificant amount of gas. Sometimes I've just got better things to do. A move back to Berkeley would be fine, but I ain't holding my breath. At least this season I hope to have the 4 year old along for company.

It should be noted that if you are going to take into account the quality of play when making the decision to go, that Nate Jafta is the best player I've seen in those 4 seasons. A number of Bucks have been drafted into MLS over that time, and Nate Craft played with the Rhinos last year. But no one has approached Pat Noonan's level of success. Jafta has a shot.

 

at the risk of starting some sort of firefight, are the bucks guys the best hope so far of mls in detroit? i mean, we don't even get mentioned as a possible expansion candidate anymore. i'm kinda tired of living within 3-5 hours of now 3 mls teams, but having no top flite games of our own... (all due respect to the bucks and pdl an all...)

 

There's a bit of discussion on this very topic within this thread. Whatever you do, don't say they're not doing anything. At this point, I have more confidence that Bush will succeed in Iraq than Detroit will get an MLS team.

 

The last time there was any action on the www.mlsdetroit.com website, which was started by the owners of the Bucks, was 1/12/2005. That might be a pretty good indication that they have lost interest or were getting nowhere. I also sent the Bucks a email last year about them moving into any kind of pro soccer and they said that they were content to stay a PDL team.

 

I made a point of getting to the friendly and the Cup match vs. the Crew but that was about it. Not that I don't want to go to the every week matches, but driving an hour (It's about an hour for me too during that time of day whether I take 75 or M59) just didn't seem worth it to me. I really don't like driving out there for the Pistons games either.

 

3 or 4 years back I asked Duggan why the Bucks didn't play in the A-League. He replied that he'd rather lose 20K per year than 200K.

 

I would really love for them to get a PR person in there. I was really disappointed that those Crew games didn't sell better, but they didn't advertise it at all. I didn't even see it in the News or the Freep that it was happening. The News doesn't suprise me, but the Freep occasionally mentions soccer.

 

I think the disappointing Open Cup game attendance last year had more to do with location than it did awareness. I miss Hurley Field....

 

As much as the move to Stoney Creek frosted me, I have to admit they really did make some marketing strides last season. If you'll recall, Duggan stepped back from the day-to-day stuff(he does love to scout though) and brought in that guy with the t-shirt shop in Berkeley. He's the guy responsible for the partnerships with the Crew & Vardar & Ignition, as well as other changes. The t-shirt giveaways for example. I think I bagged 3 myself. When the weather was warm my boy wore one to bed at least once a week.

So I do think things are looking up.

Me, I'd like to see them capable of bringing kids from other places than UM, MSU, Lindsey Wilson, and OU. It should be noted that ESPN's coverage of the recent combine mentioned Nate Norman(Notre Dame) as a draft sleeper, and Nate played for the Bucks a couple of years back.

 

Yup. I think maybe they underestimate the number of locals who just showed up to see what the fuss was about.

 

You might not be too far off base with OU. They have put up a fence around the OU soccer field which means that you cannot see the games now without going inside the fenced area or from the Multi-level parking structure and I'm sure the could charge entrance to that. Personally I think OU would be a great location, 2 minutes from I-75, like a previous poster said, Stoney was too far from the freeway and for midweek games it was a nightmare to get to.

 

What kind of seating capacity do they have at OU?

 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070117/SPORTS17/701170383/1048/BUSINESS05

 

I'm convinced that there's a dedicated soccer community in Detroit. Just not one that's all that interested in MLS. Perhaps there's a premise here that if it's built, the fans will show. But Detroit can't put the cart before the horse. This town has suffered one too many setbacks and is too averse to risk taking. Plus, having a soccer team here isn't all that high on most peoples priority list, including mine. I want a stable job market with improved economic opportunities. Soccer falls far down on that list.