The U.S. Soccer Federation yesterday announced an expanded Open Cup format and schedule, one that will incorporate all MLS and lower division teams in a newly and hopefully more condensed way.  In essence, the changes allow the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to mirror the English FA Cup, where lower division and semi-pro teams have a chance to play against the top level of the country’s soccer hierarchy.

The Open Cup in 2012 will expand from 40 to 64 teams, which means all 16 U.S. MLS teams, 10 USL Pro, and 6 NASL teams will be included in the tournament.  Last season, only half of the eligible MLS teams and all the eligible USL Pro sides had been included in the tournament, so this format change alone guarantees more participation.  Six MLS teams in 2011 had automatically qualified for the tournament while another two came from play-in rounds held prior, a format that in essence had been in existence as long as MLS.  Now, every MLS side will have an opportunity to participate in at least one match.  The larger pool also means an expanded number of amateur teams are eligible to participate, with 16 spots going to the Premier Development League and the remaining to be divided among other amateur leagues.

What does this mean for MLS teams?  First, it means that they do not have to worry about “playing in” to the U.S. Open Cup; they’re in as of May 29 (more on schedule below).  Secondly, it sets up some very interesting potential match-ups.  Soccer fans who watched the FA Cup this weekend saw major upsets like Swindon defeating Wigan; imagine the Des Moines Menace upsetting DC United or the Real Colorado Foxes giving the Colorado Rapids a run for their money.  Those amateur teams would have a shot, if they survive the first two rounds, to take down the big boys and gain a little attention.  While it is unlikely that too many amateur teams will advance too far (again, see how many were in the most recent round of the FA Cup), the possibility exists.  More likely, for the first time NASL teams, who were excluded last year, will have a chance to show how small the gap could be between the top two divisions.

Another change that addressed a major concern with the tournament is the hosting of home games.  Last year, Seattle played five home games on their way to the title.  This season, everyone theoretically will have a chance to host their match prior to the quarterfinals.  When the match-ups are determined, if both teams meet U.S. Soccer specs for hosting an Open Cup match, a “random selection process” will be used to determine the host.  While few non-professional teams will likely qualify to host, for USL Pro and NASL teams there exists a chance that they can bring MLS teams to their venues and make a little extra money off the match.  After the quarterfinals, the old bidding system of submitting financial bids will be used to determine the hosts.  So while the Sounders could again theoretically only play home games on their way to winning the U.S. Open Cup, the potential exists that they would go on the road due to a random draw.

A final major change of note is the timing.  As referenced above, MLS teams join the competition in the third round, but the tournament itself begins on May 15 and wraps up by the first weekend in August.  All matches will be played on a Tuesday.  This condensed schedule allows MLS teams competing in the CONCACAF Champions League and the Open Cup to wrap up the latter before turning their attention to the former.  However, this is where travel can become a factor in these matches.  Since the Open Cup games are on a Tuesday, MLS teams potentially face large travel distances in a short period of time.  For example, San Jose plays at Sporting Kansas City on May 27.  If they hosted an Open Cup match, they’d have essentially a day turn around.  Because MLS teams come in during the Third Round and the schedule is defused to avoid many of these potential conflicts, it may affect only one or two teams doing very well in the tournament (or it may increase the chance of an upset) but the possibility exists.

So what do all of these changes mean?  Do the problems that existed in the previous few years’ Open Cups still exist?  The answer is, potentially, yes.  But the tournament now at least has the look and feel of a European-style tournament, which undoubtedly will please Euro-phile American soccer fans.  The Davids of the U.S. soccer world will get their chance against the Goliaths, and the NASL/USL Pro sides have a slightly better chance to host and ride upsets to the finals.  MLS teams have a chance to juggle their lineups to take the competition seriously, or use it to play younger players and not have to worry about too much schedule congestion.  While the 99 year-old tournament will never approach the Copa del Rey or FA Cup in term of prestige or fan following, it does raise the professionalism of U.S. soccer and makes the tournament a bit more watchable.

U.S. soccer pioneer and long-time coach John Kerr Sr. pass away yesterday at his home in North Carolina.  For newer soccer fans this name may mean nothing but for long-time American soccer fans, Kerr was a pioneer who was a mainstay in the American soccer landscape up through the early days of MLS.

Kerr was born in Scotland and began his soccer career with Scottish club Patrick Thistle before moving with his mother to Canada.  In 1968, he joined the Detroit Cougars of the NASL and the next year signed with the Washington Darts, who at the time were a second division club.  He helped lead his team to the first division before bouncing around American soccer for the next decade with stints with the New York Cosmos (1972, 1973-1975) and the Washington Diplomats (1976-1977).  He was a key contributor to the Cosmos’ 1972 championship.  Between his stints for the Cosmos, he was acquired by Club America and was one of the early U.S. soccer league stars to be coveted by an international power.  He had ten caps with the Canadian national team but never played in a World Cup.

After his playing days were over, he spent many years as a youth and professional coach in the DC metro area.  He led the amateur Fairfax (VA) Spartans to the 1986 Amateur Cup and remained on as head coach when the team rebranded to become FC Washington and the Washington Stars in the American Soccer League.  Two of his most high-profile pupils in the youth ranks were U.S. forward Bruce Murray and his son John Kerr Jr., who played in England for years.  In 1993, he became the head coach of the Richmond Kickers and remained there for two years.  Throughout his career he was a passionate supporter of player’s rights and was involved in the creation of the NASL, Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), and MLS player’s unions.

Kerr was named to the Virginia-DC soccer hall of fame in 2005 and is considered a local legend.  Even though he was a Canadian from Scotland, his impact on U.S. soccer was immense and long-lasting and his memory should be honored.

By abdallah

Amidst our discussions over USL-PRO and the USSF soccer pyramid, the NASL released some good news this week and announced its 2011 season schedule.

The NASL, now composed of eight clubs, will have each club play 28 games and face each opponent four times.  The season runs from April 9 through September 24, with the top six teams making the playoffs.  The top two seeds will receive a bye, and seeds 3-6 will face-off in a one game quarterfinal round.  The winners will then advance to face the top two seeds in a home-and-home semifinal round, before the two finalists play a home-and-home championship the weekends of October 22 and 29.

You can read the press release here.

The teams composing the 2011 NASL are the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina (formerly the Carolina Redhawks), FC Edmonton, FC Tampa Bay, Miami FC, NSC Minnesota Stars, Montreal Impact, and Puerto Rico Islanders.  In 2012, NASL hopes to add a San Antonio franchise and will lose Montreal to MLS, while Miami will become Miami FC/Strikers.

The schedule and playoffs are ambitious for such a small league, but many of these clubs have good fanbases and support, so the success of the 2011 season is possible.  The big IF however is the unresolved “second division” situation; if NASL cannot get that resolved by the February USSF meeting, the thoughtful schedule may be for naught.

Thoughts on the NASL schedule and playoffs?

This week USL PRO continued its development as a USSF minor league by releasing its playoff schedule. Last week it had released a season schedule and division format outlining how its clubs would compete in its first year of existence as USL PRO.

The playoffs will consist of three rounds, with the top three seeds from the American and National Divisions and the top two seeds from the International Division making the playoffs. All matches will be single-elimination played at the site of the team with the better record, and teams will be reseeded after the quarterfinals. The championship will take place between September 2 and 4.  The press release can be seen here and our story on the league format can be seen here.

Also interesting is this line at the bottom of the release: “USL PRO is the strongest, best operated and most sophisticated North American men’s professional soccer league below MLS, both on and off the field.” This of course was released after it was reported the NASL was losing its provisional sanction from the USSF. I personally don’t believe in coincidences, but maybe it was just a  coincidence that the line was included.

What do you think?  Can MLS learn something from the USL PRO playoff structure, and is it reasonable?

As USL Pro is moving forward with its realignment and scheduling, the NASL has taken some huge step backwards.  On Wednesday, A.C. St. Louis announced it was ceasing operations, depriving the fledgling NASL of a critical metropolitan area.  But even worse news came right before the weekend, as Inside Minnesota Soccer reported the USSF was unhappy with NASL’s progress so far and voted to remove the league’s provisional second division status.

First, let us mourn the loss of A.C. St. Louis, and use it as a warning to those start-up clubs with dreams of MLS.  Owner Jeff Cooper had the dream of bringing an MLS club to the city and after being denied an expansion franchise in 2008 and 2009, he began A.C. St. Louis in order to eventually bring them up to MLS.  Despite signing Steve Ralston and hiring Claude Anelka as head coach, the team finished only 11th overall in the USSF D2 and never resolved its financial difficulties.  It is especially sad considering the city also lost its women’s pro team last year, and a metropolitan area which boasts six supporters groups will be without soccer.

More troubling is the future of the NASL in general.  The NASL does have the option of appealing the USSF’s preliminary decisions to deny second division status at the USSF annual General Meeting in February, and it would seem like that is the league’s best option.  Failure to be certified, period, would subject the league to FIFA penalties including preventing the players from playing for their country’s national team.  If NASL addressed the USSF concerns somewhat, they could also receive third division status, but with USL Pro already certified and moving forward with their season this would be very unlikely.  Most likely if the league cannot get its act in order it will fold, depriving eight cities of professional soccer.

It looks like the impetus for this action was the financial instability of the league that went beyond the A.C. St. Louis situation.  According to the reports, the Carolina Railhawks have been facing serious financial trouble and have sought assistance from Traffic Sports USA, a sports management company that already controls three NASL clubs.

Regardless of the reason, this is a major setback for American soccer.  I mentioned in my USL Pro post that American soccer needs a stable soccer pyramid to not only provide an avenue for talent development, but to grow the game in areas not covered by MLS.  That stability was not there last season and it looks again to not be here this season.  The USSF needs to determine right now if the NASL can be a stable league worthy of second division status and if not how they can immediately stabilize the soccer pyramid.  Otherwise the development of American soccer will continue to stagnate.

As MLS prepares to begin its first season with 18 clubs, the recent talk on the Internet has focused on its possible 20th team.  Recent talk on this site has centered on Don Garber traveling to Miami to meet with Miami soccer fans; if you have not read The Gaffer’s article on the meeting then definitely check it out.

But Miami will be in a tough race for that 20th slot, as one familiar name and one new name seem to be their biggest competition.

The famed New York Cosmos, who have been maintaining operations in the hope of becoming an MLS franchise in 2012, made news this week by hiring a familiar name as its associated director of soccer – former U.S. national Cobi Jones.  As Jeremiah Oshan notes, this looks to be a serious move at making the jump to a top-flight professional team unlike many of their rumored moves.  Currently the owner of a uniform and development academies, the “team” still has a way to go before it is ready for MLS play, but with the names it is gathering it could only be a matter of time before Don Graber announces it as the next expansion team.

But the Cosmos may be squeezed out by a new contender whose infrastructure suggests it is ready to make the jump to MLS.  San Antonio’s new NASL team unveiled its new name and plans for its own stadium with the stated goal of entering MLS…. by 2012.  San Antonio Scorpions FC will play in the 5,400 seat STAR complex which will have the ability to expand to 18,000 if the call-up is made for the club.

Of course there are other NASL, USL PRO, and imagined clubs that are yearning for MLS status, but these three markets seem the most viable right now for expansion.  All three also have their pros and cons.  Miami is a huge media market with a long soccer history, but that history includes one failed MLS franchise so far.  The Cosmos have the name and the history, as well as the country’s largest media market, but would also share their city with an established MLS franchise.  Plus, the Cosmos have an affiliation with the old NASL, a time in history that MLS would probably not like to relive.  San Antonio is another market that demographically and geographically makes sense for MLS; the soccer supporters group the “Crocketteers” numbers in the hundreds without a club to support.  However, in addition to the Scorpions the ownership group of the San Antonio Spurs is establishing their own USL Pro franchise with plans to move up to MLS eventually.

What city do you think will get the 20th franchise and why?  Answer in the comments and in the poll.

Update: RSL Soapbox has some intriguing option for expansion as well.

The West Coast is getting USL PRO representation next year with the announcement of the new LA Blues franchise, set to begin play in 2011.  The club, which had been rumored for about a month to be the newest franchise for U.S. soccer’s new third division, will play in Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium and be coached by Charlie Naimo, the former head coach of the Pali Blues (a professional women’s soccer club) and team general manager.

The club becomes the third division’s fourteenth team and moves USL PRO two teams away from its stated goal of having sixteen for the 2011 season.  Being able to field a stable and competitive league for the upcoming year would be a major accomplishment for U.S. soccer, considering that last season there was so much turmoil in the second and third levels.  For 2011, the USSF Division 2 Professional League (composed of the USL and NASL) will be replaced with the NASL, while the third division USL-2 will be replaced with USL PRO.

LA will join Barracuda FC (Antigua), Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, FC New York, Harrisburg City Islanders, Orlando City FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, River Plate Puerto Rico, Rochester Rhinos, Sevilla FC Puerto Rico, and Wilmington Hammerheads in USL PRO.

Notice one thing about the Blues, however, compared to the rest of this list.  Los Angeles is the only team on the West Coast.  In fact, it is the only U.S. club not on the East Coast, which could cause some major headaches and travel costs for the small start-up.  But USL PRO CEO Alec Papadakis promised further West Coast expansion as soon as 2012 and stated LA would be the building block of that effort.  Hopefully the team can remain financially competitive until then.

Additionally, the team is located in a city with two other major soccer franchises.  Despite the promised Fox Soccer Channel coverage of the league, it will be hard to garner attention in a market already saturated with a product that does not receive enough attention.  The club is playing it smart by playing in a small stadium but I wonder where the club’s fan base will come from.

However, I think this is major progress for U.S. soccer.  If the Blues can survive and thrive as a west coast division is built, it will help USL PRO reach into new markets and further stabilize the USSF structure.  As soccer fans know, a stable soccer pyramid will help this country begin to solidify its hierarchy and regularly produce national team and international club talent in this country.  Until that happens, MLS and the rest of American soccer will be a step behind, so welcome to the league LA Blues!

Athletic Club of Saint Louis is on the verge of folding its North American Soccer League and Women’s Professional Soccer clubs, sources have confirmed. The club’s weakened cash reserves may not allow them to make their next payroll obligations, and despite ongoing conversations amongst the United States Soccer Federation, NASL, and WPS, no plan is currently in place which will allow the teams to complete their 2010 seasons.

The situation came to light when AC St. Louis failed to make a regular payment to the NASL league office. Each club within NASL periodically sends money to the league office to cover the owner-operated league’s operating costs. Upon investigation, the NASL learned the Jeff Cooper-led group did not have the cash reserves to meet the obligation or its future operating expenses.

The United States Soccer Federation has been notified of the circumstances in St. Louis and is in contact with the NASL and WPS, attempting to find a solution that will allow the teams to continue through the 2010 season. As of Thursday afternoon, those attempts were ongoing.

AC St. Louis’s next payroll obligation comes due Friday, May 21. Efforts were being made as of Thursday afternoon to try and meet that obligation. According to sources, Saint Louis Athletica must meet payroll the following week.

AC St. Louis is prepared to fold its teams before the end of the season; however, in recognition of the importance of the St. Louis market and its teams, USSF has been working with the leagues to try and keep both clubs in operation.

Women’s Professional Soccer in continuing to monitor the state of Saint Louis Athletica; however, WPS was unavailable for comment at the time of this submission.

The North American Soccer League referred all requests regarding St. Louis to the USSF, otherwise declining comment on the story.

One of the biggest derbies in US soccer history returns Saturday night when the Tampa Bay Rowdies visit Fort Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium for a match against their arch-enemy.

Since the 1970′s, the names and ownership of both Florida clubs have changed on many occasions. But the competitive nature between Tampa and South Florida remains – more than 30 years later.

Saturday’s USSF Div 2 game between Miami FC and FC Tampa Bay Rowdies will be the first game between both clubs.

The Rowdies, managed by former MLS player Paul Dalglish, will be hoping for a strong performance on the field from a team that he has carefully molded over the last several months.

Miami FC, meanwhile, will be hoping for their first home win of the season after draws against Rochester and Vancouver.

But in a game like this, the storylines often carry themselves over to what happens off the pitch. Such as whether the Rowdies will bring 200-300 supporters for the 3-4 hour drive across state. And whether the South Florida soccer community will come to Lockhart for the first rematch of many between their team (i.e. the “Strikers”) and the Rowdies.

From personal experience, I have mixed emotions about Tampa fans. In the years of the ASL and APSL leagues from the late 80s and early 90s, I remember the jovial Rowdies fans standing in Lockhart to cheer their team on.

But I also remember a bus trip by Miami Fusion supporters for an away game against Tampa Bay Mutiny, where the Fusion fans (myself included) were chased and attacked by Tampa fans while exiting the stadium.

Let’s hope that the rivalry between both teams, on and off the pitch, will be a healthy competitive spirit.

Kickoff time at Lockhart Stadium is 7:30pm. But be sure to get there between 5-5:30pm for a tailgate party which will include free food and drinks.

Sold out crowd at Lockhart Stadium for Miami Fusion v DC United

I had the sudden realization Sunday that if aliens descended on my town and were asked to find any life of Major League Soccer in South Florida, the only thing they would find is MLS trading cards in the bargain bin of the local dollar store. Seriously.

Sadly, Major League Soccer is extinct in South Florida. The nearest MLS team is 1,000 miles away. The last time I saw anyone wearing a MLS jersey was more than two years ago. And the last time there was a trace of a MLS team in all of Florida was nine years ago.

I sound like a broken record, but the reality is that if it wasn’t for television, I would be — as the Brits say — a miserable old git. It’s practically my only outlet to watch the professional game. And even then, the amount of MLS coverage is few and far between especially when compared to the smorgasbord of European soccer on US TV.

Yes, I go watch my kids play AYSO games. Yes, I attend Miami FC matches in the USL, now NASL or whatever temporary league name the USSF gives it, but the reality is that it’s not MLS. It’s nowhere close to a MLS experience. It’s nothing like when I was a Miami Fusion season ticket holder when most of my life revolved around when the home team played at Lockhart Stadium.

Many critics may argue that South Florida had its chance and failed at Major League Soccer. But that’s a far too simplistic explanation. The reality is that it was a combination of drastic mistakes everywhere from the back office staff to poor marketing and a failed attempt to target the Miami-Dade community, most of whom didn’t want to drive the short distance to Fort Lauderdale. But the main culprits were, in my opinion, the ownership of Ken Horowitz who decided to pull the plug too early just as the team was becoming successful both on and off the field, and the failure of Major League Soccer to find an investor willing to take over from Horowitz.

The reality is that there are hundreds of thousands of soccer fans around the United States, or perhaps more, who are in a similar boat to me and have no local MLS team to follow. Arsenal is just as “local” to them as is Chicago Fire. There’s little bond between MLS and these isolated soccer fans, so the next best thing is either the USL or NASL or, more likely, television. And as I’ve discussed previously, when it comes to the TV war, MLS almost always loses.

So in communities such as South Florida and tens of other large metropolitan areas around the United States, we have to be patient. But the longer we wait, the more the new soccer fans will gravitate to what is most accessible — which is European soccer on television. And the longer the wait, the harder it will be for new MLS teams to make the local team its passion instead of Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur or whatever team he or she supports.

If you’re fortunate to live near a MLS team, count yourself lucky. Go watch games at the stadium and support the beautiful game. There are huge amounts of soccer fans nationwide who would jump at the chance to go see a MLS team.