Well they start today, any body have any scoops? New teams? Divisional or conference alignments? any other changes?
You would think the USL would post it on their own web site, but the only story about it concerned the meetings were getting started: http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/64074.html Tuesday, November 4, 2003 TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues will hold its Annual Operations Meeting this coming weekend as its teams come together to plan for the 2004 season at the Hilton in Clearwater Beach, Florida Friday, November 7 to Sunday, November 9. ... Among the attending will be representatives from 19 expansion clubs in the four leagues, including the previously announced Edmonton Aviators of the A-League and Harrisburg City Islanders of the PSL. Among the 12 expected new W-League teams will be Western Mass, Richmond, West Michigan, Sudbury, Edmonton Aviators, Detroit Jaguars. The Ajax Orlando Prospects will be one of four projected expansion clubs in the PDL along with provisional clubs from last year Abbotsford Rangers and Jersey Shore Boca, who will be full official members in 2004.
Do I make you laugh? Am I some sort of clown? [and I never saw the movie Taxi Driver] I'm not kidding. One of the guys emailed me the scoop.
Granted I dont follow the A-League all that much, but from what I gather, travel costs are a significant chunk of team budgets and a lot of teams do not break even. Correct me if I am wrong. If so, what is the logic to adding a team in Puerto Rico, where it might increase travel expenses greatly. I must be missing something here.
Oh, so sorry Panic. You're thinking of Goodfellas. I take it from that list that there won't be new teams in Ottawa and Hamilton in '04. Or are they hedging their bets?
I think the USL should do something really weird to really p*** off FIFA, like maybe expand into Tijuana, even though they have a team, and it's in MEXICO's federation as it should be.
didn't see that movie either. What was the DeNiro line from Taxi Driver? No idea about the other teams, but who can tell with USL.
It was just reported on the radio here in Vancouver that the league will have two divisions and there WILL be a team in Puerto Rico.
Just heard it for myself. Vancouver GM confirmed the only new teams will be Puerto Rico and Edmonton, there will be just two divisions and Cincinatti has indeed folded. I told you guys Ottawa and Hamilton weren't getting in.
There is a reason ottawa did not get in.They did not apply i know this for a fact.They were going to but they are holding off until 2005 and the new park is built.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servle...icArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031772056630&path=!sports!colleges&s=1045855934926
Taxi Driver line The line from Taxi Driver: "You talkin' to me?" "You talkin' to me?" "You must be talkin' to me 'cause I don't see anybody else here." Just to clear the air and get that out of the way. So does "waiting on Rochester" possibly mean they could be moving to MLS?
Re: Taxi Driver line Thanks Agogwe. I was losing sleep trying to figure out that line Rochester MLS: its a scheduling problem, but nothing USL can do about it.
On another forum, it was stated that Puerto Rico FC would be in the league next season. There may be a club somewhere named Puerto Rico but that doesn't necessarily mean that the club is in that country. Like the club in Orlando that is bearing the "Ajax" name. Just a possibility.
Thats not what Vancouver GM Bob Lenarduzzi stated in the radio interview yesterday. He went as far as to mention that Puerto Rico is just a 3 hour flight from Atlanta, something that would be irrelevant if they were going to play out of an American city. Then again, perhaps he was mistaken, which seems odd considering he was talking to the Puerto Rican owner at the meetings. I'm sure they must have talked about where they are going to play.
Guess Richmond won't be able to take the "Kickermobile" to Puerto Rico. They'll probably be pissed having to fly!
Thanks for the info, I've not seen that tidbit before. I had seen that some people went google-surfing and hadn't come up with any info from PR on a team playing in the A-league. Someone posted that PR supposedly already has some kind of a pro league. So, if it comes to pass, I predict a one year and out stint. It makes no sense for them or for the USL. Why bother?
This article was posted on USL discussions: SOCCER NOTES Richmond Times-Dispatch Nov 12, 2003 SAME OLD SONG: Once again, the face of the A-League is changing. Puerto Rico (the island) and Edmonton (in far away Western Canada) are in. Cincinnati, Indiana, Pittsburgh, Charlotte and El Paso are out. Oh, and there's an excellent possibility the Rochester Raging Rhinos will join Major League Soccer for the 2004 season. Consequently, the A-League had to put the announcement of its annual realignment on hold pending the outcome of Rochester's flirtation with MLS. The United Soccer Leagues' annual operations meeting was held last weekend in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Richmond Kickers General Manager Billy Hallock said yesterday that everyone was told not to talk publicly until the situation in Rochester could be resolved. "All I can say is we've got our tentative schedule." But this much is known from league sources: The A-League plans to drop the division format and break down into two conferences. At one point, it appeared Rochester would accept being moved to the West so there would be an equal number of teams (8) in each conference. Now, even if the Rhinos stay, that apparently isn't going to happen. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle quoted Rhinos Owner Frank DuRoss as saying, "MLS and the Rhinos have agreed to try to work out an arrangement before Nov. 30 to bring a team [to Rochester]." The paper said that at Friday's A-League executive meeting, the Rhinos asked the league to come up with two schedules for next season - one with and one without them.