It's that time. After weeks of buildup, a lot of nonsense on my part, and passionate voices all around, I'm finally at the end of the journey.

Two teams left, and it's all down to this.

This last showdown will be a departure from the previous USL-1 Project entries, as I'm going to simply announce my new team, and then back it up with a brief summation of the process.

Announcement after the jump, of course.

Today, I'm proud to announce that I am the newest fan of the Puerto Rico Islanders. There was something about the Islanders, their story, and all of their fans that represented here just made the choice for me. This is nothing against, the Thunder, of course, as I have the utmost respect for their passionate fans. Some of them came here and made their case, and for that I am grateful.

I know that some will call me a front-runner or a fair-weather fan. I know that some will question my motives, wonder if the Islanders CONCACAF Champions League run played too large a role in my choice. Though I would be lying if I said that the CCL success didn't play some part in my interest in the club (hell, it was the reason for starting the project), I promise you that I came to this decision exactly the way I had hope I would; completely naturally.

I recently told someone that I wanted my new club to choose me rather than the other way around. As I'm not locally connected to any of the teams, I needed some kind of visceral reaction to organically happen for me to know I was making the right decision. It's even possible that I would have ended the project without choosing a club if I hadn't found myself truly pulling for one. In fact, it was almost as if I was subconsciously giving my heart to the Islanders without even realizing I was doing it.

I'm ecstatic with out the project turned out; I was true to my principals, refusing to artificially choose a club just so I could say I did (or to finally bring this project to an end).

So there you have it. A banner day for me. Now I just have to figure out how to get my hands on an Islanders jersey...

Before I go, let me give a final thank you to everyone that participated and helped in the course of this project; so many of you voted, emailed and commented that it's almost staggering. It just goes to show you how deep the passion in USL runs, and I hope, despite my newly minted allegiance, to highlight more of that passion from even more teams in the future.

GO ISLANDERS! (I'm obviously going to have to work on my Spanish)

Four teams standing, and only one will gain the loyalty of yours truly. This is the semi-finals, where four USL-1 clubs fight it out for the right to be my club.

I expect that when the winner is finally announced I'll receive phone calls of welcome from owners and chairmen, be feted in the streets, and be lavished with team-related paraphernalia to the point of overkill.

Okay, so maybe I won't get all of that. But I will have a new club to call my own, and for that I'm truly excited.

Let the semis begin. No detailed breakdown this time around, just a simple comparison of the clubs based on my impressions to this point in the project.

Montreal Impact v. Minnesota Thunder


MFUSA Vote: Advantage Minnesota (16% to 9%)
Passionate Comments/Emails: Advantage Minnesota (barely)
Cool YouTube videos of supporters: Advantage Montreal
MFUSA's Gut: Even (cop out, I know)

Winner: Minnesota Thunder

That was a nail-biter. If it was a soccer match, it would have come down the last penalty, which was apparently saved the Minnesota keeper.

Good showing, Montreal.

Austin Aztex v. Puerto Rico Islanders


MFUSA Vote: Advantage Puerto Rico (35% to 12%)
Passionate Comments/Emails: Even
Did That Ginge Didn't Choose: Advantage Puerto Rico
MFUSA's Gut: Advantage Puerto Rico (barely)

Winner: Puerto Rico Islanders

The Ginge thing is a joke of course, though I couldn't really choose the same team as him, now could I? Seriously thought, my gut said Puerto Rico, and the Islanders fans truly represented in the poll. Can't ignore that.

It's too bad the Aztex went up against the Islanders in the semis; the might have otherwise made the finals.

One more round to go. Finals are now set:

Minnesota Thunder v. Puerto Rico Islanders

Stay tuned, the finals are coming soon. If you've got a horse in this race, if you're a fan/supporter of either club, step up and hype up your team just one more time.

I'm finally getting around to the last team in the USL-1 Project. I apologize for slacking, but things have just been a little crazy, and other concerns pushed themselves ahead of my profile of the Timbers.

Obviously the Timbers are the other team in USL-1 that won't be there in two years, since the club is "moving up" to MLS in 2011. Lots of history, great fans, and one of the few legacy names in American soccer should serve the Portland club well in the competition for my loyalty.

Scores after the jump.

Geography

Portland is a long, long way from the DC Metro. It if weren't for the Whitecaps, it would be father to PGE Park than to any other USL-1 stadium for yours truly. That's a strike against, though in the days of modern travel, it's not the end of the world. I also have a cousin in Portland (at least I did last time I checked; we're not particularly close), so that's a plus for the Timbers. I've heard plenty of good things about Portland, so I'm going take it easy on them for this category.

Score: 7

History

The Portland Timbers name has just about as rich a history as any in American soccer. Through NASL, two smaller regional league, USL and soon MLS, the Timbers names has been a relative constant. Portland has a strong reputation as a soccer town (dubbed Soccer City U.S.A), a moniker earned through the support of multiple generations. Everything about Portland's soccer history is good by American standards, and so this score is predictably good one.

Score: 9

Name/Colors

I know I covered the name a bit already, but that was more about it's history than it's allure. It's hard to separate the two, of course, so I may be influenced by the historical resonance of the name as well as a more visceral gut feeling. The Timber colors are fine, and because they've been consistent through the years, I feel as though I have to give points for that as well. There's been no fluorescent colors, no wacky combinations, no efforts to "modernize" the look. The logo/badge is clean and classic. Another solid category for the Timbers. This is beginning to look like a rout.

Score: 9

Supporter Passion

Though Sounders and Whitecaps fans (god, I love rivalries) might argue, the Timbers Army has a strong reputation in American soccer circles. Passionate, loud, and organized (meaning they sing/chant/cheer together), Timbers fans give PGE Park a European feel that is hard to find in this country. Tradition applies here as well, with local legend Timber Jim adding a unique element to the atmosphere for many years. The Timbers Army has the of a group that would literally fight for their club, and that's something one has to respect. The rout continues.

Score: 9

Total Score: 34

The Timbers leapfrog the field and take over the points lead in stunning fashion; a strong indication that I could be following the Portland club very soon.

The final first round standings:


Portland Timbers--------34
Montreal Impact----------30
Austin Aztex-----------------29
Minnesota Thunder-----27
Puerto Rico Islanders---27
Vancouver Whitecaps---27
Rochester Rhinos--------26
Carolina RailHawks-----22
Cleveland City Stars-----20
Charleston Battery-------18
Miami FC---------------------18


With the first round down, let's move quickly into round two; I'm narrowing the field to the top four clubs, with the winner to be decided in head-to-head fashion. Two semi-finals and then the Grand Final.

First, a small matter to take care of, something which directly effects the competition:

After consulting with the judges (me), the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps are hereby eliminated from the competition.

I'm sorry, but that had to be done. With those two clubs moving to MLS in two years (still have faith the Timbers will get the stadium deal done), I can't in good conscious become a fan of either one. It just wouldn't be right, since I do already have a club that I nominally support in MLS.

With the Timbers and Whitecaps eliminated, that leaves these four clubs standing (oddly enough, these are also the four highest vote-getters in the USL-1 Project poll):


Montreal Impact
Austin Aztex
Minnesota Thunder
Puerto Rico Islanders


Because the Thunder and Islanders were tied on points, I'm setting the next round up like this:

Montreal Impact v. Minnesota Thunder

Austin Aztex v. Puerto Rico Islanders

First round points are thrown out for the next round. The head-to-head matchups will be based more on my gut, and how I've been influences through the course of this project.

Stay tuned for the USL-1 Project's dramatic climax.

Getting close to the end of the USL-1 Project (first round). The Rochester Rhinos are up next, and it may be tough for the New York club to break into the top half of the project standings.

Rochester happens to be the club I was most familiar with back in my non-soccer days, although I couldn't possibly tell you why that might be. Perhaps it was their success in the U.S. Open Cup, the dedicated soccer stadium they play in, or just the snazzy nickname. No matter the reason, I don't get the feeling that my previous awareness of the Rhinos will help them at all in this competition.

On to the scores...

Geography

Such a bad idea to include this category. I really should have thought it through just a little more. New York's not too far from my home base I guess, though upstate New York is a complete mystery to me. Rochester isn't exactly burning up the list of placed I'd like to visit, so this has to be a bit of a wash. Down the middle. I suppose if anyone would like to step forward and plead Rochester's case, I might be willing to add a few bonus points in the future.

Score: 5

History

The Rhinos (Raging Rhinos back then) were founded in 1996, AS an A-League club, and eventually made the move through the various stages of second tier soccer to the modern day USL First Division. They're success is extremely impressive: playoffs every season of their existence, three league titles, and the only U.S. Open Cup won by a team outside of MLS since that league started. While the Rhinos' history doesn't reach back as far as some other USL-1 clubs, all that success has to count for something.

Score: 8

Name/Colors

I'm a big fan of stripes, especially the vertical kind. I like the new logo (revised in 2008 I believe), and I like the colors. I don't particularly like the nickname (that dreaded "minor league" thing again), though I have to give credit to the new owners for dropping the "Raging" adverb. I think my previous knowledge (such as it was) is coming to bear in this category; but for the mediocre nickname, I like almost all of the aspects in this category.

Score: 7

Supporter Passion

The Rhinos play in a soccer specific park venue called PAETEC Park, and while financial issues surrounding the club have but a damper on enthusiasm, it's still a pretty impressive place by American standards. Capacity is 13,000, which is right up there with Montreal for largest stadium in the league. While I don't believe the Rhinos do as well as the Impact for attendance (I don't have my reference guide with me, maybe I'll update that later), they're certainly in the top two or three clubs in USL-1. I know absolutely nothing about the club's main supporters group, The Stampede, though I was able to find a few videos online of the group exhibiting their passion. Here's one:


Now, I'm not normally a fan of videos with music instead of the group making their own noise, but this looked to be a pretty solid representation of the Rhinos' supporters. I'm reasonably impressed.

Score: 6

Total Score: 26

Mid-table result for the Rhinos. They're not out of it yet, but there are a lot of clubs ahead of them.

Current standings:


Montreal Impact----------30
Austin Aztex-----------------29
Minnesota Thunder-----27
Puerto Rico Islanders---27
Vancouver Whitecaps---27
Rochester Rhinos--------26
Carolina RailHawks-----22
Cleveland City Stars-----20
Charleston Battery-------18
Miami FC---------------------18


Remaining clubs:

Portland Timbers

Just one club to go. Almost done with Round 1. Get your pleas in now, it's not too late!

I was tempted to leave Vancouver till later, examining them as one of the last two clubs. The move to MLS for the club in 2011 certainly colors their candidacy for my affections, and at first, it only seemed right to make them wait.

But I just finished watching them play via the wonder that is USL Live, so perhaps the timing is right to check out the Whitecaps and what they're all about. One Canadian club has already faired well in the competition, so maybe the other will as well. Examining the Vancouver Whitecaps, after the jump.

Geography

Once again, I'm regretting the inclusion of this category; it matter not entirely too often, and while it would be nice to support a club from somewhere I know, it's really not that important. I've heard good things about Vancouver though, and that should count for something right? It's in Canada, which is like, a whole other country, and it's on the West Coast (which I'm not), so those might be strikes against. Conflicted as usual, I split the difference, with a point added because I truly want to visit Vancouver one day.

Score: 6

History

Not too many North American clubs north of the Rio Grande can boast as rich a soccer history as Vancouver. The Whitecaps have existed in various forms for over thirty-five years (minus a brief hiatus and a short-lived name change), an eternity for an American or Canadian club. Success is also part of the Whitecaps resume, and the club has more than a few trophies in their showcase. To call Vancouver the "shining-light" of Canadian soccer doesn't seem like too much of a stretch, though perhaps I've descended into hyperbole. On to the score already.

Score: 9

Name/Colors

The Whitecaps name goes with the Whitecaps history, so I certainly can't complain about that. Blue and white are classic football colors, colors I would be proud to wear should I become a Vancouver supporter. The logo isn't the greatest (does the word "Whitecaps" really have to convey depth like that), but I'm happy to overlook it (for the most part) in light of the other good things. Another good score for the Whitecaps.

Score: 7

Supporter Passion

With a strong history usually comes strong support, and the Whitecaps are certainly evidence of that. The Southsiders are the team's main supporters group, and while they seem passionate, I have to say that I'm a bit underwhelmed. As an observer far removed from the club and it's local support, I have to use the means at my disposal to judge the atmosphere in the stadium; in this case, it's all about YouTube.

Here's the best Southsiders video I could find (admittedly only after a brief search):


I'm sure Swangard is a fine place to see a match, and perhaps I would be more impressed in person; I just can't find it in me to give a great score to the Whitecaps on this one. Their first truly poor category of this round.

Score: 5

Total Score: 27

A good solid score for Vancouver, one that will push them into a clutch of clubs at the top-half of the table.

The current standings:


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


Hmm...three teams on 27 points. This might be harder than I thought.

The remaining clubs:

Portland Timbers
Rochester Rhinos

Almost done. Two more clubs, and then onto Round 2. Stay tuned for the next installment, vote for your favorite club in the poll, and comment on my decisions; as I've said before, I could easily be swayed to change my opinions if given enough reason, or if support for one club is overwhelming (as it appears to be for the Thunder at the moment).

Back on the USL-1 Project horse, and he's a temperamental beast. Luckily, we're headed down the home stretch, with just a few more teams to go, and I certainly want to see this project through.

Next up is the Puerto Rico Islanders, darlings of the American soccer scene after a wonderful run into the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals. The Islanders are an intriguing team, one that I could easily see myself supporting. There are bound to be a few problems with their candidacy though, so lets get right to the scoring and see where things land.

Geography

Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean. That's just about all I know about the place, other than that the national language is Spanish, baseball is extremely popular, and travelers are warned not to leave San Juan's airport when traveling through. Which is the extent of my experience with Puerto Rico; a brief layover at the San Juan airport. I do like the idea of supporting a team from an island though (have no idea why that might be), and I'm not adverse to the working through the language issue. All in all, not a bad start for the Islanders.

Score: 6

History

After a little digging (i.e. the Islanders wiki page), I discovered that there have been two iterations of the Puerto Rico Islanders. The first played seven games in the old USISL back in 1995 before owner Joe Serralta moved the team to Houston. After lasting exactly one game there, the team folded. The second edition has obviously been much more successful, with 2009 being their sixth season in the A-League/USL First Division. The Islanders have gotten increasingly better over the course of the last five years, with a runner-up league finish last season. Add to that the recent run in the CCL (the Islanders entered through the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship) and the Islanders history just gets better all the time. It's certainly not a long history, but it is fairly impressive.

Score: 6

Name/Colors

There are some out there that just can't get their heads around the color orange on a soccer kit. I'm not one of them. I'm in the bag for orange, and I love the colors the Islanders sport. The logo is nice; modern but not overly cheesy, works in the flag of the island, and just generally comes off well. I can't possibly argue with the name "Islanders", and as long as the people of Puerto Rico are fine with, so am I. A solid category for the club on the whole, best of the bunch so far.

Score: 8

Supporter Passion

I've been personally entreated to follow the Islanders by a few people, and I'm generally impressed by their support. Average attendance is supposedly between 4000 and 6000 (didn't have time to check for hard numbers), which is definitely a good sign. The club has their share of supporters groups, and while I can't really get a sense of them through Spanish-only online sources, there certainly appears to be strong backing for the club. I'm struggling a bit with the idea of following a team whose website I can't really understand, but I here an English version is coming soon, so perhaps I'll overlook the problem.

A brief display of Puerto Rico's support:



Score: 7

Total Score: 27

Fair score for the Islanders, I think, and it will serve them well in the final competition. I'm going to have to dig a little deeper on all of these teams, and this first round of scoring is a good starting point.

A few links I used for the Islanders overview:

Puerto Rico Islanders Official Site (Spanish only)
Islanders Wikipedia Page
Islanders at TheOffside.com
Pasion Naranja! (Orange Passion) An Islanders Blog

The Islanders fit nicely into the table, which now looks like this:

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

The remaining clubs:

Rochester Rhinos
Portland Timbers
Vancouver Whitecaps

Close to the end now, with just two northwest sides and the Rhinos to go. I'd like to get to the next round of the process (still not sure what the will be, and I'll also need to work in the voting) by the middle of the week, so perhaps I'll knock out the remaining clubs here in the next couple of days.

As always, please give me feedback; there's so much I (and many others) don't know about USL, and anyone with knowledge should certainly share.

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.

After a brief break, the USL-1 Project returns. Up next, the Minnesota Thunder.

Thanks to Brian Quarstad of Inside Minnesota Soccer (I highly suggest you go there, get educated, and then return here to read the rest of my nonsense), I have plenty of good information on the Thunder.


Geography

I'm beginning to think that it was a bit unfair of me to include "geography" in the scoring process; I'm not likely to have strong connections to any of the localities involves, which generally leads to low scores for everyone. I prefer to be consistent, and since Minnesota is team number six in the journey, I'm going to stick with it. As you can probably guess from my babbling here, Minnesota doesn't do well on my arbitrary scale; no family connections, never lived there, etc., etc. I did fly through Minneapolis once, and that has to be worth something, right?

Scoring: 5

History

This is where Brian's information came in particularly handy. The Thunder were established in 1990 as part of USLSL, the forerunner of the modern United Soccer Leagues. Twenty years of continuous operation is pretty damned impressive in American soccer, and speaks well of the Thunder's support and management through those years. Add to that solid history the fact that the Thunder have had three (THREE!) head coaches in their entire history, and this is looking like a big winner for the club up North.

Score: 8

Name/Colors

I'll try not to be too harsh here, and please remember that this is a subjective exercise based solely on my ridiculous feelings: but when I hear "Minnesota Thunder", I think minor league hockey. It's not something I can help. I spent a few years in Wichita, Kansas, there the local minor league hockey team was known as the "Thunder"; I therefore connect "Thunder" to that minor league hockey team, which lead to my negative feelin about Minnesota's nickname. Still, I don't mind the colors, and the logo is nice, so I won't completely kill the Thunder in this category.

Score: 6

Supporter Passion

Again, I have to thank Brian for giving me a little background on the Thunder's support (Inside Minnesota Soccer, and it's not just Minnesota focused). The main supporters group for the team is called the Dark Clouds, and they're clearly passionate about their team. Brian himself is prominent in this piece from the Star-Tribune. I taken by this group; this is exactly the type of thing I love to see at any level of professional soccer in the U.S., so I could absolutely see myself joining up. Atmosphere is tough to judge from my vantage point (something I've mentioned ad nauseum; sorry about that), and Brian concedes that almost all USL stadium atmospheres trail that of Portland: but it's not always about the numbers, and I'm still a big fan of the passion Thunder supporters display.

Score: 8

Total Score: 27

Very strong score for the Thunder, no doubt influenced by the extra information I received directly from one of their most ardent supporters. I'm not above being influenced by something like that, especially because both appreciate the effort and see it as visible evidence that the team engenders the type of passion that makes a team attractive.

Thunder links, before we get to the updated scores:

Inside Minnesota Soccer (one more time, because it's a fantastic site)
Minnesota Thunder Official Site
Dark Clouds Forum
Minnesota Thunder Wikipedia Page (wish this was a little better)

On to the current standings:

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


Still tight at the top. This is going to go down to the wire (and bonus points could still be awarded at my discretion).

The remaining clubs:

Miami FC
Rochester Rhinos
Portland Timbers
Vancouver Whitecaps
Puerto Rico Islanders

Perhaps you notice that I've changed the name of the project slightly; it was pointed out to me that USL is much more than just the First Division, and since I'm contemplating a look at other USL leagues, I thought it was important to be clear that this phase of the project is USL-1 only. Essentially, the idea of choosing a team to follow was born from the USL Live free video service; I want to pick a team because I can actually watch them. Any future look at lower USL levels will be more of a "profile" exercise, a way to expose people to those teams that play on small budgets and in small stadiums, but have passionate followings. I believe that local soccer in any form, nationally televised or not, is important to the growth of the sport in the U.S.

Now that we've cleared that up, let's get straight to Cary's own Carolina RailHawks.

Geography

Carolina is easily the USL-1 club closest to me, at least until CP Baltimore enters the league, which I believe may be on the horizon. Points for proximity then, which means that if the mood and opportunity ever struck, I could head down to Cary to take in a game. I also have a bit of family in North Carolina (though I'm not sure where), and my little brother went to school in the state for a short time. If I was going to choose a team strictly on geography, the RailHawks would certainly be it. I can't score this a ten just because the club isn't in the Virginia or the immediate DC area, and I can't score it a nine because, well, I just don't feel like I should.

Score: 8

History

These are bound to get shorter as I go along, so I apologize in advance. The RailHawks are in their third season of existence, having started play in USL-1 in 2007. Not a whole lot of history there, obviously. I know nothing about the overall history of pro soccer in the Triangle (the name of the area that Cary is a part of; it includes Raleigh-Durham), so feel free to enlighten me if I'm missing something.

Score: 2

Name/Colors

Two problems with Carolina's name and logo; they're incredibly contrived. "RailHawks" is catchy, but it smacks of Single-A baseball. The logo (badge, crest, whatever) isn't horrible, there's just something about it I don't like. North Carolina doesn't really seem like the type of place where a traditional "football" name would fly though, so I guess it's an example of the team knowing their market. Despite my reservations about the nickname (and the spelling; I still can't get over the no-space-capitalization thing), I have to give bonus points for it being the brainchild of the founder of the Triangle Soccer Fanatics. The colors are fine, and actually fall in line with one of my other sports passions (I'll let you guess who that might be), so I'll give a bonus point or two for that.

Score: 7

Supporter Passion

The aforementioned Triangle Soccer Fanatics is the team's supporters' group, and they certainly look well-organized. It's impossible for me to know much about the in-game atmosphere they create without some testimonials (which I've obviously not received), and I haven't been able to find attendance numbers for USL-1. Points for the groups, points for a good looking and reasonably sized soccer-specific stadium (WakeMed Park, 7,100 capacity), but that's about as far as I can go.

Score: 5

Total Score: 22

Decent score of the RailHawks, though their chances were obviously hurt by the history and supporter score. I guess if I had a few RailHawk fans coming by here to give me some information, it might have been a little better.

A few links relating to the RailHawks:
Triangle Soccer Fanatics
Carolina RailHawks Official Site
RailHawks USL Team Page
WakeMed Park Wikipedia page


Let's take a quick look at the standings so far:

Montreal Impact 30
Austin Aztex 29
Carolina RailHawks 22
Cleveland City Stars 20
Charleston Battery 18


Extremely tight at the top, with a gap to the second tier. I certainly think there could be other contenders for the points title (the Supporter's Shield if you will), and we still have six teams to go.

The remaining clubs:

Miami FC
Rochester Rhinos
Portland Timbers
Vancouver Whitecaps
Minnesota Thunder
Puerto Rico Islanders

Almost half way through the quest; stay tuned for more, and share your feelings on the Project to this point.

Thanks to MFUSA reader Chris of The Aztexan, I'm now overflowing with Austin Aztex information.

Makes sense then, to make the Aztex today's USL Project focus.

There's something about Austin, the ownership, and the connections that the team has that makes it a very appealing option; let's do the scoring and see how the first year USL-1 side stacks up.

Geography

Austin is the home of the University of Texas. Austin has a reputation as a weird, funky kind of city. Austin is about as far away from stereotypical Texas as a city in the state can get (or rather, that's my impression). Again, another city on the list I have not visited yet (apparently I need to get out more), though I've at least spent some time in that part of the world. Giving Austin bonus in the geography, mostly because I can, but partly because I dig the weird.

Score: 7

History

This is where all of the information that Chris provided me comes in handy. Austin's soccer history is fairly typical for any decent-sized American town, with the obligatory indoor soccer team(s) and an attempts at the outdoor game. "Rocky" was the impression I got from Chris' email and I'm going to stick with that assessment. Still, the team now has an owner with the all the right pedigrees (including a stake in Stoke City) and the Aztex' rapid ascension from PDL (where they still have a team competing) to USL-1 is extremely impressive.

Score: 6

Name/Colors

The name "Aztex" doesn't strike me as particularly good, thought I understand the reasons behind it. A lukewarm rating there, thought the club more than makes up for it with a badge and colors that tie in to their connection with Stoke City. Perhaps it's the soft spot I have for Stoke that is leading my feelings here, though it would be difficult to argue with the classic look. One of the best scores of the bunch so far, and like Cleveland, is only a "9" because I just can't let myself hand out a perfect "10".

Score: 9

Supporter Passion

Because Austin is new to USL-1, this is a tough one. The Aztex play in a high school stadium for the time being, and while I appreciate their circumstances (and Chris assures me that a soccer-specific stadium is on the agenda), I can't in good conscious sweep that fact under the rug. The club certainly has a strong online presence, not just due to their impressive website, but also thanks to blogs like Native Aztexan and Chris' aforementioned The Aztexan. The team's main supporters' group is Chantico's Army, looks to be organized and passionate, something I certainly like to see. Add to all of this the owner's availability (Chris tells me he often joins supporters at the pub before the game), and the Aztex clearly have the makings of a well supported team with a passionate group of core fans.

Score: 7

Total Score: 29

That's a pretty damned good score there, and will certainly serve the Aztex well in the overall competition for my allegiance. I was tempted to take off a point or two for the field turf the team plays on at home, but I would just have to give them back for the effort Chris put in on behalf of his team.

You never know, I might be an Aztex fan at the end of this quest...

The 2009 USL-1 season will kickoff tomorrow, with two evening games on the schedule.

As I have yet to decide on my USL-1 side, I'm anxious to watch some league action in the hopes that I'll find myself drawn to a team.

Of the four teams playing tomorrow, I've only examined one of the them to this point: the Charleston Battery. I'll be looking to see if I was too harsh in my scoring of the club on the MFUSA Arbitrary Scoring Scale. The match, against the Whitecaps, is taking place in Vancouver, so I will still be without a idea of their stadium atmosphere and home support.

Vancouver obviously comes into their next-to-last USL season riding the high of MLS expansion; it will be interesting to see if the news will have any effect on the Whitecaps support in 2009. Their current home, Swangard Stadium, seats 5,200. You would expect that excitement for MLS in 2011 would lead to sellouts in '09 and '10, though I have no idea what's expected. If I'm able to watch the match via USL Live, I certainly will.

The early game tomorrow pits the Minnesota Thunder against the Carolina RailHawks (don't know if I realized until just now about that weird capitalization thing), two clubs I know absolutely nothing about. I am aware the the Thunder are usually a pretty good side, and that they seem relatively well supported (if the Internet is any judge). Carolina, a team based in the Raleigh suburbs, has former Galaxy and San Jose forward Gavin Glinton up top.

Unfortunately, I don't expect to be able to watch the early match. Family obligations on the holiday weekend will keep me away from a computer until late in the evening.

I hope to post reactions to whichever match I'm able to see, both in the context of the USL project and as an exercise in simple soccer appreciation.

If you're at all intrigued by USL, I suggest you go sign up for their free online video service; it's a great marketing tool, one that will only add to the exposure of the league. Perhaps MLS will learn that lesson in the future. For the time being, however, you can't beat free streaming soccer, American style.

Day three, and I'm heading north of the border to consider Canadian side Montreal Impact.

The Impact are heading into the 2009 USL season riding the wave of enthusiasm created by their improbable run into the CONCACAF Champions' League quarter-finals. Despite a breif flirtation with MLS, Montreal will remain in USL for the foreseeable.

Montreal has always fascinated me, and there are several reasons that the Impact might do well in the Project scoring system.

I'm wondering if I should just stop saying "jump"...

Geography

I'm fairly certain that Montreal is in Canada, which means that it's in a different country than my own. Still, I have an affinity for Canadians and wouldn't mind supporting a "foreign" club that plays in a predominantly American league. I'm also in the bag a bit for the French thing; I took three years of high school French, feel like I could pick it up again if I had reason to, and wouldn't be happy walking into a hotel in Montreal and saying "Une chambre pour le nuit, s'il vous plait" (I apologize if I butchered that; in an misguided attempt to be charming, I'm not going to check if it's right). Even if the guy behind the desk speaks perfect English. Remember that these scores are arbitrary, and there's no rhyme or reason for most of them.

Score: 8

History

The Impact have been around since 1992, though the city's soccer history goes back to the NASL days. In recent times, the team has certainly been one of the most successful in USL First Division. Big points all around here, I think, especially since I've just decided to include that last three months in the "history" I'm examining; that means that the CONCACAF Champions League run gets included, a giant pleat in the Impact's soccer cape.

Score: 8

Name/Colors

I'm struggling with this one. On the surface, there's nothing wrong with either the colors or the name "Impact", though it does smack of that 90's marketing trend that led to too many sports franchises being labeled with singular nicknames. I have to take points off for that, just because it would be against my stated principals if I didn't. At the same time, the logo is pretty cool, even if it is a little over-stylized. I am a fan of the fleur-de-lis being worked in, but don't like the trails on the flying ball. So conflicted...

Score: 6

Supporter Passion

As you would expect, this is a major scorer for the Impact. Not only did the club get 50,000 to show up for the home leg of their CCL series with Santos Laguna, the Montreal Ultras provide fantastic support for every Impact home match. Noise, motion, smoke; it all gives the Ultra's the right to call themselves one of the best supporters' groups in North American. If I did sign on to be an Impact fan, I'm sure I would have a blast watching a game among the Ultras.

Thanks to reader Steve, who pointed me in the direction of videos showing off the Ultras passion. Here's one of many:



Score: 8

Total Score: 30

Montreal Impact, early leaders in the clubhouse. That's a pretty big lead, and a score that reflects the affinity I have for the club. I'll admit to being swayed by their CCL run and the success they had filling Stade Olympique; I'm not so cyncical as to ignore something like that. Even when they're not playing in the big stadium with the big crowd, I get the feeling that Montreal is a great place to follow a soccer team.

A few links:
Montreal Impact Official Site
Montreal Ultras (French)
Montreal Impact Wikipedia Page

The journey continues, as we move (in a completely random fashion) from the southern shores of Lake Erie to the southern confines of Charleston, South Carolina.

Charleston Battery was founded in 1993, and has been in the second level of U.S. Soccer (first the A-League, now USL-1) since 1997. The club has it's own soccer-specific ground, Blackbaud Stadium, the first of its kind in USL-1.

Just as with Cleveland City Stars, I know almost nothing about Charleston Battery, so I'm looking forward to learning about one of the more tenured teams in USL-1

Scores and thoughts after the jump.

Here we go with the scores: keep in mind that the scores are just a way to quantifiably compare the clubs, and will not necessarily determine my choice.

Geography

As with the previously examined club, Cleveland City Stars, the home of the Battery is a mystery to me. Charleston seems like somewhere I should visit, but I have yet to make it down there. It is on the East Coast and within the general region (although I think the drive to Charleston is longer than to Cleveland), so I'll give the Battery a few points for that. I'm not much on the deep south as a general rule though (please no flaming, I've done my time there and it's just a preference), hence the score.

Score: 3

History

Unfortunately, over fifteen years of continual operation is an eternity for an American soccer franchise, and that will certainly bode well for Charleston in this category. The list of former players is also fairly impressive, including Eric Wynalda and Raul Diaz Arce.

Score: 6

Name/Colors

Nothing really wrong with either the name or the colors of the club, though there is a big of a minor-league feel to "Charleston Battery". I'm sure that makes me sound jaded and petty, but it's just what my gut says, and this project is all about guy. The badge/logo of the club is fine, and I like the cannons representing the "Battery". A strong enough category for the club's chances overall.

Score: 6

Supporter Passion

Charleston's supporters group is called "The Regiment". More than that, I don't really know. I know I've seen a few matches on FSC involving the Battery at home, though I can't recall how much noise was made by their supporters' section. From the group's official website (I'm not sure how I feel about it being hosted by the team itself) it looks like it's a "family friendly" group. Again, not sure how I feel about that, though it might just be the nature of small-market soccer. Coming away from this category with a very ambivalent feeling about the Battery's supporter situation. If I had more evidence it might bump the score higher, but with the situation as it is, I have to go with something low. I almost missed this: apparently the stadium has an on-site pub. That's pretty cool. Two bonus points, even if it has nothing to do with the supporters.

Score: 3

Total Score: 18

Not the greatest score for the Charleston Battery, though I'm not really surprised. I never thought of them as one of the favorites, and the score certainly reflects that.

The Battery must be doing something right, as they're still going strong into their seventeenth year, a record of longevity that too many clubs in this country can't reach. I don't think that Charleston is necessarily a prototypical soccer market, so points to their organization for making it work.

I'll update this post in the future (and possibly revise the score) if I receive any info from a Battery supporter.

*UPDATE*
I'm probably didn't give enough attention to the Battery's stadium; it is clearly one of the best venues in USL. Still, I'm not going to change their score, just mention that Blackbaud Stadium might push Charleston over the edge if things are extremely tight at the end of the project.



A few links:
Charleston Battery Home Page
Charleston Battery Discussion Forum

Check back soon for the next team in the quest.