They were only paying for the team, not the fans visiting. The theory was that the Bermuda national team (most the players on the team were national team canidates) would be improved by playing competative games in the league.
They very nearly folded before their last year in D3 was out and they drew a few hundred people a game while finishing no better than 9th in their history. That's a train wreck.
guess Im using CPB and California Victory as messuring sticks. Perhaps those were Hindenburg type accident in retrospect...
So what's the offical count for team for next year? So far I think we are at 10. This assumes that all 6 teams from this year are coming back, plus (4) Dayton, Baracudas and the 2 PR team. And if the previously other expansion teams ( Orlando, New York) actually come in, we're up to 12. Although I'm taking a wait and see attitude with those two teams.
Not the six at the third division level. The ones that have pledged allegiance to the NASL are all at the D2 level (for now).
Just to clarify I'm talking about Charleston, Charlotte, Richmond, Real Maryland, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh. I don't think any of them are moving to NASL.
Made sense for whom? Given these small island nations can't have much of a league on their own, it would make sense for them to join into some sort of conglomeration, I guess. But it doesn't make a lot of sense for a US-based league to include them unless you're just trying to pad your number of teams.
Not only to pad the number of teams but also legitimize those teams by (possibly) mandating US-based teams play league games against them regardless of travel costs.
I'm sure that would be something you'd go in for, right? It wouldn't legitimize them if they (a) got smacked 6-0 by the Charleston Battery or ( b) folded because of an attitude of "Eh, whatever. Not important." And, again, who wins by a Turks & Caicos team being legitimized? Turks & Caicos. Not the US. Not the USL. Not American soccer. To be quite frank, I'm not interested in us being soccer missionaries. The minnows haven't shown me they can either compete or logistically pull together teams and programs.
Precisely... it de-legitimizes the league for perpetuating this nonsense in the name of upgrading the sport in places were we have no business. But these poor souls will only find this out after the substantial franchise fee is paid up and the lopsided results starting piling up next season. Depending on the US to spread the gospel of soccer in the Caribbean is analogous to a minor league baseball putting a team in Holland to spread baseball to the Faroe Islands. US Soccer should put a end to this farce and not legitimize any US based league for perpetuating this B**L S**T.
Caribbean Football Union not association and thats just a front to get Papa Jack the votes to maintain control of CONCACAF, considering that the Caribbean conference will probably just be mainly Puerto Rican teams it does help US soccer, they will not be the main benefactors but most player are going to be Americans that includes Puerto Ricans. Alot of PRSL teams have a good amount of american players in them.
I don't believe Orlando has been named yet, have they? I know there are those who are hoping for Lions because there was a team of that name years ago, but I didn't see where they've actually taken that name.
here is a short interview with Charleston Battery president Andrew Bell. Mostly about the Battery but some tibits about USL PRO as well http://give-em-no-quarter.blogspot.com/2010/09/battery-very-happy-with-usl-restructure.html
Rochester Rhinos are back with USL. Not official but it might as well be since they have a press release on USLsoccer.com. http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/470112.html And their link from USLsoccer.com is also back up. http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010 Division II/22376.html#MAIN This is assured because when PR Islanders announced joining NASL their link and any pr releases halted immediately. Likewise over time when the other USL-1 teams left USL