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.

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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.

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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.

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Before ESPN or Fox Soccer Channel begins the live broadcast of a Major League Soccer game on a Saturday evening, many soccer fans are burned out. They're burned out from watching a smorgasbord of European soccer that has been on television all day.

Take a typical Saturday on US cable and satellite television, for example. Soccer fans in the United States can watch 7 live English Premier League games (more than anytime in US history), 1 live Serie A game, 3 La Liga matches and 2 Bundesliga games. That totals 13 live games (i.e. 26 hours of live coverage) before a Saturday evening MLS game begins on television. And those 26 hours don't include the handful of European games shown on delay or the EPL-centric shown on Saturday mornings such as the Barclays Premier League Preview Show and Fox Soccer Match Day.

On top of all of that, Fox Sports International launched a new channel on March 1st, Fox Soccer Plus, that is 100 percent European programming featuring games from the Premier League, FA Cup, England national team, Coca-Cola Championship, Champions League, Carling Cup, Serie A and four, yes four, rugby cups and tournaments.

My question again is where does Major League Soccer feature in all of this? Or, for an even broader question, where does U.S. soccer feature in all of this and how can it compete on television? The answer is that it simply can't. The battle has to be won in the streets.

That battle is a difficult one especially when you're competing against soccer TV networks who are showing games in HD, launching new channels, improving their broadband offerings and putting most of its dollars into advertising its European soccer coverage. At the same time, it's hard to convince a family to spend their hard-earned money by going to see a live game for their local team when it's much cheaper to stay at home and watch it on television.

So how does Major League Soccer (or the USL, NASL or WPS for that matter) convince soccer fans that it should either (a) attend one of their matches on a Saturday night or (b) encourage them to watch one of their games on television especially given the fact that there were 26 hours of live European soccer coverage shown earlier in the day?

It's a massive question because if Major League Soccer is unable to figure out how it can do that, it could lead to the death of the league. Seriously.

I've discussed before that there needs to be more local Major League Soccer teams across the country. I also believe it's important for Major League Soccer, USL and NASL to work more closely together to promote its teams across the United States so there's no excuse that soccer fans don't realize there's a local team near them. For example, why isn't there a website or tool that soccer fans in the US can use to find their nearest teams? And, unless I'm blind, why is there no 2010 schedule of NASL and USL matches on either the official NASL website or USL website even though one does exist?

And yes, the product on the field needs to be improved to bring people to live soccer matches and to encourage them to watch it on television. But is there anything else that local clubs can do in addition to that?

I don't pretend to have all of the answers, but I would like to hear from you - the passionate supporters of soccer in North America - what you think the MLS, USL, NASL and other leagues can do to ensure that large numbers of soccer fans go to local games each week and watch US soccer on television. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. I look forward to reading your insight.

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Thirty three years ago two players who earned their soccer wages in America went back to English clubs on loan. Long before David Beckham and Landon Donovan were rented to AC Milan and Everton respectively, George Best and Rodney Marsh spent the off-season playing at Fulham Football club.

In a recent interview the Tampa Bay Rowdies legend recounts his trans-Atlantic occupation. Rodney Marsh, who has returned to Florida to work for a production company, does not sugar-coat his journeys or his exploits. George Best, who passed away in 2005, and the 65 year old Marsh embodied the sex, drugs and rock-n-roll of England's swinging 60's and America's heavy 70's.

Rodney's American odyssey begins with one of many storied bust-ups with football management - this time at Manchester City. Disagreements with gaffer Tony Book and owner Peter Swales led to his release to play for Cork Hibernian. While still collecting a salary from the English club, he earned more playing 6 games for the Irish side - but in essence getting a paycheck from both teams. As one of the top English soccer stars in 1975 Marsh was contacted by Elton John's agent and flown out to California by private jet. Rock legend John, then part owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs, urged Marsh to sign for the NASL club.

While he was given the VIP treatment taking in Elton John's concert at Dodger Stadium he met the Campbell Soup heir George Strawbridge, Jr., who persuaded him to sign instead for his NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies.

In February 1976 the newly crowned champions of NASL welcomed Marsh as the "Clown Prince of Soccer" and the "White Pele". Not familiar with the political or demographics of the American South, Marsh corrected the waiting media with " no, he's the black Rodney Marsh".

Never one to apologize for his sharp retorts or fiery quips, he explains "that's who I was". Both he and George Best grew up in the poverty of post-war Britain. Rodney admits it was reason for only 9 international appearances. He sets the record straight on his banishment from the England National Team by Sir Alf Ramsey who was a cockney like Marsh.

"I was not one of those guys that ran around the pitch, I could make a few runs, get the ball twice and score".

Marsh reveals that the English Football Association sent Ramsey for elocution lessons after winning the 1966 World Cup to "correct" his strong regional accent. On the occasion of a team talk Sir Alf chided Rodney for his work rate in a rather proper English tone. "I'll be watching you, and if you do not work harder, I will pull you off at half-time".

As both Ramsey and Marsh grew up speaking cockney, this pretense led to Marsh replying with "Christ, Alf, at Manchester City all we get is an orange and a cup o' tea". With snickers abound, Rodney was never to play for England again.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the late 1970's played a very attractive offense-minded brand of soccer. Loads of goals appealed to the American sports public and Tampa fans in particular. With no other major sport in the Florida city, the "fannies" filled the stadium and made "a kick in the grass" their soccer motto.

At the close of the 1977 NASL season, Fulham approached L.A.'s George Best, Bobby Moore, then with San Antonio Thunder and Marsh to join them on loan. Marsh had a two-year contract with the Rowdies at the time and had fully intended to spend the off-season in Florida. However, he says he earned more money for the 6 month loan at Fulham than he did for the full season at Tampa.

To this day, Rodney does not know the exact financial details between the clubs, but his contract renewal increased considerably on his return to the Rowdies. While Rodney describes former England Captain Moore as "the sensible one", his assessment of Best's and Marsh's days at Fulham as "just crazy". Attendance for the Second Division side almost doubled at Craven Cottage where, incidentally, American Clint Dempsey currently plays.

But Marsh also says that he almost did not return to the Rowdies. Rodney's clash with South African Coach Eddie Firmani over tactics had to be settled by owner George Strawbridge - with Marsh coming back and Firmani leaving to take over the New York Cosmos.

While still in England, Rodney was often asked about the standard of play in America and of course the pay. The money seemed almost too good to be true and the exodus of British players to the NASL is well documented. However, Marsh can be credited for influencing a few of those including England World Cup star Alan Ball. When asked about how the subject came up, Rodney says it was after a night out with him and George Best. Ball signed for the Philadelphia Fury soon afterwards.

Rodney played his last NASL game for the Rowdies in the 1979 Soccer Bowl. He left to coach in the A.S.L. although there were rumors of offers from Philadelphia, Montreal and San Jose Earthquakes. Although he knew the New York United were a minor league club, he describes it as 4 months of a negative experience. But he says, he learned "what not to do" as a coach and following 4 years were "very happy" as he was hired away by the Carolina Lightnin'. Rodney's Lightnin' won the 1981 Championship before a home crowd of over 20,000 defeating, ironically, the New York club he left the previous season.

By 1983 genuine managerial offers came. He was approached by his former club Queens Park Rangers, yet he chose to return to Tampa Bay instead.

When asked about his advice to managers trying their hand in American soccer, Rodney chuckles. "I wish they would ask me or contact my consulting firm". "Ruud Gullit should have called me" was his comment about the Dutchman's unsuccessful stint with the L.A. Galaxy.

Rodney draws a serious tone as he shares his insight to soccer management in the U.S. - "if I could advise one thing ... the one word, it would be patience. Patience with the fans, patience with attendance and patience with the media". It is in fact what he told Rowdies new head coach, Paul Dalglish, over dinner recently. Dalglish's father was the star player and later successful manager of Liverpool.

Currently, Rodney Marsh is hosting the TV show "The Road to South Africa" produced by EMG Sports & Entertainment leading up to and including the FIFA World Cup. It can be seen on Tampa's NBC affiliate station.

Chuck Zsolnai is the Historical Director at the International Soccer Archives. He has been covering soccer since 1989.

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AC St. Louis Fills A Big Gap

Professional Soccer has often been a spottingly available product across North America, and MLS, as a Premier Division, cannot fill the gaps by itself.  This is where USL has often filled in, in the past, although USL has often been perceived as small market, for good reason in many cases. The reformed NASL aims to change that.

The North American Soccer League 2.0 (Special Edition, Director's Cut, etc) has stepped up where USL had failed previously.  While many of the teams in the NASL remain small market teams, there has been some significant progress made, specifically with regards to the new clubs entering the league (St. Louis, Atlanta, Tampa and a jumped up Baltimore).

Major League Soccer and USL had previously failed to succeed, or even enter, in certain major markets in the United States and Canada. In all of the cases of folded teams, we have numerous examples in the wasteland which is the southeastern United States, and of course, "Western Canada" (read as Alberta).  In the case of non-starters, we have St. Louis, among others.  But regardless of case, the reason for failure has largely been due to poor business plans.

It seems that NASL seeks to learn from the mistakes made by both the MLS and the USL.

Evidence can be found with the new club in Edmonton, known at this point as FC Edmonton (a name which I hope they keep, it has a nice, crisp feel to it).

Where the Drillers have failed before, FC Edmonton seeks to succeed. It seems the ownership and management understand the need for a successful team in what could be considered a barren wasteland for the beautiful game. They certainly have shown an understanding for the Prairie psyche, and are establishing a youth academy in order to reach out to talented youngsters across the three provinces. What is most promising is what seems to be the commitment to winning, and the acquisition of pedigreed coaching in Dutch-Canadian Manager Dwight Lodeweges.

Other smart moves taken by NASL can be found with AC St. Louis.

It has already been documented on this website that AC St. Louis has acquired Steve Ralston from the Revolution, in both a player and coaching role, but one cannot emphasize the importance of such an acquisition. The talented player will undoubtedly be important in what could be a rocky start for the expansion side. Even more important though, is his role as a coach as well as a player. It is little secret that once players get over the hump of 30 years of age, their abilities start to decline quite quickly.  Ralston is well over that hump and will be making the transition from player to coach, and potentially manager one day.

Essentially, NASL (AC St. Louis in particular) is making an investment for the future in this acquisition, and sending a clear message that they're serious about sticking around.

We can also talk about the Florida market and the attempt by NASL to lock it up with teams in Tampa and Miami. One should note that MLS has left this place a soccer wasteland.

Essentially, NASL has filled the gap of pro soccer in mid-major markets in North America. This will allow for more professional opportunities for youth across the continent and allow for longer term development. Why is it able to succeed where USL has failed? Simple branding. The North American Soccer League is a brand which remains one of the strongest in North American football and it will play an important part in filling a major gap in the availability of association football in North America.

In my next piece, I will discuss the importance of capping MLS at 20 teams and which markets should fill the final positions.

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It's with great pleasure to announce spectacular news today, and that is Kartik Krishnaiyer, the host of the EPL Talk and MLS Talk Podcasts, as well as writer for both sites, has been appointed Public Relations Director for the North American Soccer League (NASL).

As a result of the full-time position, Krishnaiyer will be stepping down as the host of both podcasts. However, he will be a guest on some future EPL Talk episodes and will return to writing for EPL Talk once the World Cup tournament kicks off this summer.

Due to his position as PR Director at the NASL, Krishnaiyer will not be writing for MLS Talk for the foreseeable future due to the obvious conflict of interest.

Krishnaiyer's appointment as PR Director is testament to the hard work and dedication he has given to the coverage of the sport in this country as well as the connections he has made since joining the EPL Talk Network in 2006.

While it'll be sad to see Krishnaiyer move on, I'm very pleased to announce that his replacement as host of the EPL Talk and MLS Talk Podcasts, as well as contributing writer for both sites, will be Richard Farley, an accomplished writer and podcaster who is extremely well versed on world football.

Farley has previously written and appeared on websites such as Set Piece Analysts, World Soccer Digest, World Soccer Reader and has hosted several podcasts including Set Piece Analysts, Inside The Six and Russian Football Now.

We have no doubt that Farley, being a scholar of the game, will be warmly welcomed by both the EPL Talk and MLS Talk readers. His understanding of the tactics of the game is exemplary, and I am personally looking forward to his contributions to both podcasts and sites.

Between now and the end of the month, Krishnaiyer will continue hosting the EPL Talk Podcast and will then officially hand over the reins to Farley on February 1, 2010.

Please join me in welcoming Richard Farley to the network and congratulating Kartik Krishnaiyer on his well-deserved appointment as the NASL PR Director.

NASL released a press release today to announce the news.

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On Thursday night in Philadelphia, MLS Commissioner Don Garber was interviewed on the Fox Football Fone-In show by Eric Wynalda and Nick Webster. There was one particular statement that Garber said that peaked my curiosity. It was in context of MLS and how the league has been in business for 15 years. "For 50 years, professional soccer has failed [in this country]." said Garber.

The issue I have with Garber's comment is that it belittles the incredible success that the NASL achieved in the United States and around the world during the 70s and early 80s. Yes the league eventually went belly up and ultimately failed, but the league achieved far greater success than Major League Soccer. Garber's comment is also insulting to other leagues in the States such as USL, WPS, NPSL and former leagues such as the USA (United Soccer Federation) - that was popular in the mid-to-late 60s - and indoor soccer leagues, which were popular in the 80s and 90s.

I honestly believe that if it wasn't for the rise and fall of the North American Soccer League in the United States in the 70s and 80s, we wouldn't be where we are today in the soccer landscape in this country. And Major League Soccer would not exist as we know it.

The popularity of the NASL introduced the sport to the mainstream and created a solid fanbase in this country. On top of that, the league became popular on a national and local scale due to the press and TV exposure, as well as incredibly successful worldwide as some of the best players in the world (in their prime, I might add) moved to the States to play in the NASL.

It was not only soccer fans that were born during the 70s and 80s thanks to the NASL. US soccer players were also born. Young kids grew up on NASL, many of them idolizing their heroes on the field and later became some of the greatest soccer players the US has ever produced.

Ever since the league formed, MLS has long tried to distance themselves from comparisons to the NASL. More recently, when the new team was being organized in Seattle, officials resisted putting the name Sounders among the team names to choose from. After Seattle fans protested vociferously, the Sounders name was reluctantly put into the hat. And the rest is history.

The decision of the Seattle fans to choose the Sounders name and the resulting success of the team in the northwest is partly due to the legacy that NASL left. Sounders was the name of the NASL team that played in Seattle from 1974 to 1983. By selecting the Sounders name, the MLS team was able to tap into the legacy of NASL and the foundation of soccer support in the Seattle area. And then to build upon that, which they more than certainly did making Seattle one of the best team launches in the history of not only soccer but any sports franchise, according to Garber.

So yes, Garber is correct when he says that professional soccer has failed for 50 years in the United States. But he needs to add a disclaimer when he says that and give professional soccer credit where credit is due, whether it be the NASL, USL, WPS or other professional organization.

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MLS Superdraft

A good starting point for Superdraft information.

Generation Adidas explained, reported by L.E. Eisenmenger.

Before the expansion draft I was pegging Philadelphia to take defenseman Ike Opara with the first pick in the upcoming SuperDraft. But with their strong back line picks, Jordan Harvey and Shavar Thomas, along with the signing of Danny Califf, I am now leaning towards them taking forward Danny Mwanga. Update: It's being reported that a deal is in place between the Union and Mwanga.

MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA)

In Defense of MLS Players by the Ginge.

Jason Davis' overview of the demands.

Back in September, I gave my take on the rosters and financial portion of the.CBA and didn't address free agency and guaranteed contracts which have been generally reported as the two top issues for the players. Many good writers have extensive posts on these issues, so I'll just give my 'from the hip' viewpoint.

If a player without a guaranteed contract is dropped before July 1, he should be able to sign with any team that wants him without compensation to his former team. If a player is out of contract, he should likewise have the right to sign with any team, his former team retaining no rights whatsoever. Retuning MLS'ers from foreign leagues should also be able to sign with any team. With salary restrictions still in place, this does not change the structure of the league.

USL/NASL Stuff

The official USL/TOA/NASL solution, for one year at least.

Inside Minnesota Soccer's articles on the USL/TOA/NASL situation.

Bill Archer's summary of the USL/NASL solution.

A view of the USL/NASL dispute from the perspective of Portland Timbers community bloggers. The Timbers are scheduled to move up to MLS in 2011.

Financial stability. I think that was the keynote of Sunil Gulati's address on the 'formation' of USSF D-2. The continuous turnover of USL-1 teams lends credence to this opinion. The current solution may be the best thing to have happened, with a possiblity of direct affiliations with MLS clubs a real possibility in the near future.

Good Things that Effect MLS

Development Academy teams are poised to become true feeders to the parent clubs. Now the league needs to loosen up the rules about signing developmental players in the upcoming CBA.

Does MLS Have it Right?

Manchester United is debt ridden by John Leicester of AP.

And now they are looking to raise money to restructure its debt.

Manchester City is reporting huge loss.

Portsmouth is having trouble paying its players.

Kenn.com with a great explanation of who owns MLS teams.

Some folks across the pond are wondering the same.

Dumb Things I Expect to Read This Year