USL President Tim Holt
The future of USL-1 remains in limbo thanks to ongoing contention between a group of team owners and the leadership of USL. The Team Owners Association (TOA), a cadre of USL-1 club owners dissatisfied with the direction and structure of the league, is threatening to pull out, and have refused to renew their league membership agreements. The most recent salvo was fired by the league office on in the form of a letter to players contracted to TOA clubs Minnesota, Carolina, and Miami, informing them that they have been released from their contracts.

USL contends that because the three clubs in question have chosen to remove themselves from the league, the contracts they hold with their players are no longer valid. The teams disagree and have assured their players that their contracts are with the club, and the the club's league status has no bearing.

Either way, the status of the TOA clubs, which includes Vancouver and Montreal, for the 2010 season is in serious question. It's fully expected that the two Canadian sides will receive the same correspondence from the league office when their seasons are completed, and were left off of the original list due to the ongoing playoffs.

You can catch up on the recent happenings in the USL-TOA battle at Inside Minnesota Soccer, and read a revealing interview with Carolina RailHawks President Brian Wellman at Triangle Offense. Both provide excellent insight to the mess.

While the future of USL-1, the TOA clubs, and those that remain on the periphery of the disagreement should be of keen interest to anyone that cares about professional soccer in the United States, for the fans of the clubs themselves (aside from Vancouver and Portland, teams destined for MLS) are more interested in the survival of their beloved teams.

My observations from afar seem point to dividing lines being drawn; for the fans of TOA teams, it's simply a matter of their clubs finding a place to play next year, though they certainly want the best for their teams' business futures. For fans of non-TOA clubs, there's a definite resentment toward both the TOA and the league for creating a mess that may leave their teams without a place to play in 2010.

Meanwhile, MLS fans sit back and observe with bemusement; some might care, in the big picture sense of soccer in America, but for most it's more about a potential USL-1 (or the clubs that might leave USL-1)-MLS relationship. The disintegration of USL-1, as disheartening as it might be for fans of that league, is viewed as a possible gain for Major League Soccer.

I'm not so sure that will be the case. I'm enjoying the drama simply because it's interesting to watch unfold, but I understand that larger implications that both sides could come out losers. If the TOA teams decide to leave USL-1, they will either have to convince others to join them in a breakaway league (a minimum of eight is required for FIFA sanctioning, something the TOA is thought to be seeking), or scramble to find ownership groups in other cities willing to enter teams. Meanwhile, USL itself will be forced to fill out their top league with clubs from the lower divisions; as we've seen with the Cleveland City Stars this season, the jump to USL-1 shouldn't be taken lightly, both in terms of players and the money required.

It's a worst case scenario, but instead of one strong USL-1, problems or not, MLS defectors or not, we could instead see a pair of weakened leagues, neither doing itself any favors by fragmenting an already small fan base.

The weekend is officially here, and I couldn't be more relieved. It's been one hell of a week, and it's about time I kick back with a nice beer (I recommend Smithwick's), my HDTV, and a little televised soccer action.

Luckily, I won't have to wait until tomorrow to get my fix. There's some proper soccer on Fox Soccer Channel tonight, and I'm exhorting you to check it out.

Saved from the executioner's ax for 2009, the Miami FC Blues opened their season with a resounding 3-1 victory over the Cleveland City Stars last week. Diego Serna scored two, and the Blues are off to a flying start. If nothing else, Miami is intriguing because of how close they came to not playing this season. I'm anxious to see them play. I'm also curious to see what kind of crowd Miami gets at FIU Stadium.

Montreal is the biggest club in USL (apologies to Vancouver and Portland; you can't be too mad, you're moving up soon). The UCL run, the 50,000 at Olympic Stadium, the passionate supporters and big attendance (by USL standards); it all has me intrigued.

I highly suggest you watch, as I know I'll be. Hell, if enough people comment on this post that they'll be watching, I might even step up and do an impromptu live blog.

USL! FSC! TONIGHT!

After a great live blog event with several of the soccer blogosphere's best and brightest, I'm back to the business of my quest to find a USL-1 team to support.

Up next, the Miami FC Blues, a club whose recent history could only be described as "turbulent". Whether or not Miami would even participate in USL this year was up for debate as little as a few months ago; only a last minute surge of support from the community saved the Blues.

Onto the scores and more after the jump.

I'm armed with new and more convenient information for this round, thanks to my handy-dandy USL media guide. Not sure what this will mean for the Project, though it certainly can't hurt.

Geography

Miami has a lot of things. It has great weather, palm trees, and South Beach. All of those things are great (or so I've been told). Unfortunately, what Miami doesn't have, is any pull over yours truly. Still, if I ever made it down to a Blues match, I could enjoy all of those great things that Miami has to offer. What better way to prepare for a match than to get a little sun on the beach? As long I remained focused enough to make it down to the stadium, I think I might enjoy that. Not exactly my idea of a great soccer atmosphere, though. I'm all over the place on this one, so we'll split it right down the middle.

Score: 5

History

The club history of the Blues is short; the team only came into existence in 2006. The soccer history of Miami is obviously much, much longer, with more than a handful of teams calling the city home over the past thirty-plus years. Miam's MLS club, the Fusion, was contracted by the league in 2002, much to the chagrin of soccer fans in the area. With the recent interest in Miami expansion by FC Barcelona, much was made of Miami relatively poor record when it comes to soccer. I'm ignoring that perception to a point, though I'm not enamored with the possibility of the Blues folding (or pulling out of the league for a year or more). I'll give a bonus point or two for the fact that former player and Brazilian World Cup winner Zinho is now the club's the head coach.

Score: 6

Name/Colors

The club's name is certainly traditional, even if it is a bit boring. I tend to lean toward traditional though, so I'm fine with both the FC moniker and the rather pedestrian nickname. The colors of the team are officially tropical blue and white, and while neither the combo nor the "tropical" designation are really appealing, they do match the club's environs. Points for sticking with the basics and not getting too crazy with color and logo, and a point off for no other reason than I'm just not overly crazy about any of the factors at play here.

Score: 6

Supporter Passion

There's both good and bad here for the Blues. On the one hand, the club came close to being dissolved because support was so low; on the other, new life was given by the owners because enough supporters came forth to plead its case. The latter does not completely cancel out the former, however, and I have to take the events of the last year at face value. Miami FC just doesn't have the type of support that would draw me in, so this will be a particularly low score on the MFUSA scale.

Score: 1

Total Score: 18

Into a tie for last Miami FC goes, sitting at the bottom with Charleston Battery. I never really expected the Blues to challenge for my allegiance, and while I tried to be as fair as possible, the total score certainly represents my predetermined bias. It's my project though, so I make no apologies. If any Blues fans would like to speak up on their behalf, I might be persuaded to give them a leg up in the final round of consideration.

Links for Miami FC:

Miami FC Offical Site
Miami FC's Wikipedia Page
Supporters Group Website

On to the updated scores:

Montreal Impact------30
Austin Aztex---------29
Minnesota Thunder----27
Carolina RailHawks---22
Cleveland City Stars-20
Charleston Battery---18
Miami FC-------------18


The remaining clubs:

Rochester Rhinos
Portland Timbers
Puerto Rico Islanders
Vancouver Whitecaps

Big day of household chores and soccer tomorrow, so I'm not sure I'll get to the next club. I'm going to try to work a little USL action into my evening schedule, so perhaps I'll augment the next club overview with a few reactions.