Yesterday the Rochester Rhinos announced they would leave the USL in favor of the new NASL for the 2010 season. This more-or-less leaves the USL First Division dead in the water for next year, although you should fully expect their lawyers to be on the case. This is a sign of the times though, just a month ago Rochester seemed to be firmly in the pro-USL camp.
One has to wonder what this means for Austin and Puerto Rico. It’s pretty much assumed that Cleveland will join Charleston in the Second Division next season, if they field a team at all, and 2010 is Portland’s last season in the USL before joining MLS as an expansion team for the 2011 season. FC New York is a bit of a mystery, and there are even some rumors floating about that they won’t even be prepared for their announced start date. It certainly looks like USL-2 will become the main professional division of the USL structure next year, but we still have to see what teams will be part of it.
The other announcement concerned the slot currently occupied by the Vancouver Whitecaps who, like Portland, will join MLS in 2011. That spot will transfer to Edmonton as the Drillers name will be revived. I’m not exactly sure about Edmonton, but it does have some soccer history. I just hope this team does a lot better than the Aviators did. In truth I was hoping for Victoria. Interesting though as the USL recently announced that they might expand to Edmonton. The hair-pulling and name-calling will continue, I guess.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
IMHO at this point,
IF you own a Non-MLS team and are not preparing to join MLS someday, you are a fool.
It is sad, many of us went to many games in a league that practically evaporates in months. I loved the A-League and USL, but no one ever took it serious enough in Seattle. Only showing up for games versus MLS teams.
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The more I hear about the USL it is hard for me to see it actually surviving. However, perhaps making USL-2 the only professional division and rebranding it as simply USL, and maybe taking a step down and standing at the 3rd div. of prof. soccer in the States will end up being for the best. Then again they have not yet announced that they are desolving USL-1. I’ll say one thing and that times are certainly interesting in the US soccer world.
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I’m not really certain how the First Division could possibly play next year, especially if another team bolts and rumor is, PR has one hand on the doorknob.
The USSF has to play this one very delicately.
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just wondering if a USL-1 division season could even occur next year. If not, and Portland is left without a league could this influence the politics concerning any funding issues on their stadium reconstruction?
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I don’t think it would, Portland joins MLS in 2011 regardless of what happens with the USL.
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I am so excited about the TOA leaving the new owners (NuRock) of the USL! All the USL fan sites are dead now. NuRock has done nothing for American soccer and has no part in its history. NuRock claim the TOA are ruining their reputation. What reputation? Being in soccer since August doesn’t give NuRock much credibility. Neglecting your owners and fans makes it even worse. Sorry Nurock…you can’town fans. Have fun with your 3 empty rosters and your current fan base of ZERO fans.
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