http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/132774.html Basics: European team buys rights to operate team in Bay Area next year. I would hope this is extra incentive to the MLS to return to that region, but I suppose it probably isn't enough for a 2007 return. (Hope this isn't posted elsewhere)
Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? Still, any high level soccer in the Bay Area is a good thing.
Re: Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? But instead, they'll get USL soccer. (And I'm not moving it, but could somebody amuse the mods with an explanation as to why this thread belongs in the MLS: N&A?)
^ It'd affect a future SJ team if there's already a similar team in the area which states they do not need a new stadium in order to play.
It probably doesn't belong here -- it is being discussed in the USL forum as well as the San Jose forum, both of which are more appropriate than this one.
Re: Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? Really no clue why this is in MLS, but since ElJefe wants a conspiracy... Ummm, maybe this is MLS related because if they're getting a USL-1 team, that closes the door on MLS ever coming back to the area. Alaves wouldn't invest if they thought they'd have to compete with an MLS team sometime in the future.
Strong words of caution: http://football.guardian.co.uk/continentalfootball/story/0,,1775504,00.html Good luck. (link: tedwar)
Re: Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? Actually, I'm personally pretty lenient and would let it go, but I think that Rocket or Chicago1871 might want an explanation. Or maybe not. I believe that we let a couple of Miami FC threads stay here, so I don't see why we shouldn't do the same for similar San Jose-related threads. Anyway, my only opinion of this is that Alaves will find things to be as tough going in the Bay Area as anyone would in any location without control over their own facility and the anciliary revenues from that facility.
Re: Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? I hear Miami got a USL team this year. Don't know about Tampa - though the USL head office is located there.
Re: Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? Both Salt Lake and Toronto had/have USL teams in their city prior to a MLS team arriving.
Re: Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? Right, but the difference here is that Alaves is starting up a brand new team. In Salt Lake and Toronto, MLS and the team owners basically came in to pre-existing USL situations and said, "okay folks, it's time for MLS". It's kind of the opposite here, with the USL coming in and saying "MLS didn't work, but here's the USL-1!" On the other hand, perhaps there's some really smart people at work here and they decided that the best way to get San Jose back into MLS would be to build a minor league stadium (perhaps like Charleston or Rochester) and then slowly expand it until it's MLS-sized.
Re: Why couldn't this guy have bailed out the Quakes? Move San Jose... (Sorry, I just wanted to be the first) Sachin
Can Piterman be president, coach, photographer and equipment manager for two separate teams on two separate continents at the same time? This should be fun to watch.
Anyway, Explanation: While not directly about an MLS team. It is about a(n) (former) MLS market and one that they continue to say they are commited to returning to. As this might effect the dynamics of that. I figured it was something that those who do not check the SJ or USL boards might be interested in. (I didn't even think to check those and see if this was there). Seems to me, the issue of awarding SJ a USL franchise a year after it lost its MLS franchise, is a pretty interesting event.
Exactly. Now if MLS wants to return to this market, they also have to deal with the USL. Same as in South Florida. The USL is moving into areas that MLS abandoned. Nature hates a vacuum.
I think it is a pretty big gamble on the part of Alaves. Lew Wolff's interest in acquiring an expansion Quakes franchise has been reported by all involved to be serious. I don't know where in the bay area Alaves is going to locate this team, but if they put it in the south bay and Lew comes up with a stadium plan for an MLS team in the San Jose area it will spell big trouble for Alaves.
SJ deserves a good team regardless of league. I think they would also benifet from picking up a quality Japanesse player for the squad. The team could make for good rivals with Portland, Seattle and great potential for heated USOC matches agianst LA or Houston.
I tried to go back and find the link (couldn't), but I saw an article on espn.com that said Wolff was looking at Freemont as a location for the A's. He would apparenlty change the name to San Jose anyways. I have no idea where Freemont is. I do remember discussion that a baseball/soccer plex was being considered.
The ballpark site in Fremont that Lew Wolff is looking at is about 8-10 miles north of downtown San Jose. He hasn't really said much about an SSS at that location though. Some of the conjecture is that he will build the baseball stadium in Fremont, and then try to get the downtown San Jose site for an SSS.