Over/Under on anymore non MLS II teams being added for 2015? The Michigan Bucks guy sounded like he was given a June 15th deadline for starting in 2015. I don't see anyone else for 2015 except for possibly Detroit and Louisville ... but both of those are somewhat likely IMO. That would put the league at 18 ... and then you throw in another 4 or 5 MLS II teams? (Dallas, Seattle, NYRB, ???). That leaves Montreal, Chivas LA SC, NYCFC, Colorado, & RSL without affiliations (going under the assumption that Orlando would affiliate with Louisville and the Chicago Fire/St. Louis rumors are true). I guess there could always be another team fold (with Orange Co and potentially Charlotte's new ownership team not coming through as the 2 candidates on shakiest ground?). I'm setting my O/U at 22.
u I could see Chivas grabbing an affiliation with OC just for the sake of expediency and convenience, IMO. Charlotte/Queen City and Arizona could be attractive affiliation candidates with their new ownership groups.
With "Real" San Diego as the RSL II option being pushed out I could see them easily affiliating with Arizona. The rumors are the Rapids want nothing to do with the Switchbacks so who knows what goes on with that.
OC has to stick around. Their whole situation at Chivas is up in the air. Their DIII affiliation is probably not in the top 100 things they have to deal with.
Wouldn't be surprised to see Toronto have their own USLPro team. They have no problems investing in infrastructure from their stadium expansion to their training facility, and I could see them erecting some small 2000-3000 seat FC Tucson type stadium at their facility. NYCFC will probably have their own sooner than later, likely not in their first year.
I completely agree with not on the top of their priority list ... but it would be very easy for MLS just to make the decision to affiliate with OC Blues just to get that little detail finished. NYCFC probably has a few roster spots to fill before they really think about affiliation as well! Just making a big assumption (I know ... doesn't mean anything) that they'll stick to the "every team must do something by 2015" statements.
Competely see that ... and likely up north of the city where their training grounds are ... similar to NYRB. Also could see Vancouver doing something different than just affiliating with Charleston.
Let me be one of the first Energy FC fans to say congratulations St. Louis. This move will provide for a great rivalry for both the Oklahoma City Energy FC and The Tulsa Roughnecks FC
But it's a detail that doesn't need to be finished, one, because it's May 1, 2014. And the OC Blues might not be around on May 1, 2015. Might, but might not. And if it goes according to plan, there will be a new owner of What Used To Be Chivas and they may have their own ideas about what works best for them. And I'm sure MLS will let whoever buys the club make the decision to affiliate or whatever. That's what I'm saying. There's no point. No impetus. No reason. No rationale. It doesn't have to be done to check an imaginary box.
And it also doesn't hurt anyone to speculate ... unless it is hurting you right now? And if that's the case, I'm truly sorry for wasting your time and hurting you in whatever way I have.
Love, love, love that St. Louis is back. This time, I hope, it's with the right ownership group and the right vision. STL has such a rich, rich history of soccer and city deserves to have a successful and well followed professional club. I tell you what -- if I were the powers to be -- I would hit a homerun right off the bat by sticking true to the club's STL roots. My first order of business would be to hire a Taylor Twellman as executive of some sort. Then I'd hire coaching staff of Mike Sorber, Pat Noonan, and Steve Ralston all of who have cut their coaching teeth in MLS. Sorber would be my manager flanked by Noonan and Ralston. STL could seriously have quite the franchise if many of the STL connected players, coaches, and personnel flocked back to their hometown.
that would be nice, but that would also require a lot of money. Those guys would probably like to help in some way, but they are also probably happy where they are and I would assume wouldn't want to take a step down to the 3rd tier of US soccer (Ralston is Asst Coach of Dynamo, Sorber is Asst Coach with the Union and Noonan is the Asst Coach of the Galaxy). Same with Twellman, I'm sure he's making plenty of money in broadcasting. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong
Saw the press release. I'm actually rooting for them using the name Scott Gallagher. It's a name with a very long history.
================== My quick thoughts and from what I can remember reading- edit or update accordingly SEA - sounds like they are doing their own NYRB- they are doing their own NYFC- can't see them not doing their own ORL - Louisville ? ATL- maybe go with Charlotte or why not Birmingham? SLC- if they can't get the SD deal done, PHX good option CHI- STL makes geographical sense TOR- weren't they thinking of Hamilton ? MONT- Quebec City would be a nice option COL- wonder why Col Springs is not an option? PDX- do they continue to share SAC, or do they step out on their own? They already have a u23 team MIA- if they get in, what do they do? Their own or affiliate? ====== Of course, I am thinking USL as the partners. I think there are some other non-USL relations out there. I think the NYRB have a team in the NPSL , others have PDL or USL connections and vague story of ATL MLS and NASL Silverbacks.
I fully expect the Rapids and Switchbacks to affiliate like just a couple weeks before the season starts. It just makes way too much sense but it'll drag on, because Stan Kroenke start his own USL team? LOL. I guess there could be some small chance of Charlotte since the Rapids have an academy affiliate in Charlotte.
Schilly was coaching the academy team on the Illiois side before AC came about. He has been a Gallagher coach for years. He was my coach some 30 years ago. I think we were the first team he coached.
Jim Scott owned a sheet metal company called Scott-Gallagher. He sponsored the old Ruiz soccer club. After a few years, they adopted the name of their sponsor.
There was some talk of TFC partnering up with Toronto Lynx and move the team to Hamilton, but that got squashed after city of Hamilton said no, with another group hoping to bring NASL team getting first shot. I think NASL group has 2016 or something, and if nothing happens by then, TFC may reconsider getting back to Hamilton. I suspect TFC may not set up own team in USL and stick with affiliation with Wilmington at least for next couple of years. CSA is trying to support League 1 Ontario which is starting this year as Canadian D3 league, and TFC (maybe Montreal) may be getting a lot of backroom pressure to supporting L1O instead of USL. TFC will field senior academy team in L1O, which may be a full developmental squad if L1O proves to be stable (with token affiliation with Wilmington or another USL squad). Last I heard is that there is some interest from Quebec City, but they are looking at NASL franchise.
Affiliating with someone else's USL Pro team easier than spending the money to upgrade your existing PDL/youth setup to USL Pro?