The USL First Division owners are holding meetings in Beaverton, Oregon this week in the midst of the ongoing dispute with the Team Owners Association. On the docket was a revamping of the league in light of the likely departure of the TOA teams; what this means for the future of USL-1 will be revealed in the coming days, though word is that several changes are possible.


Among those changes could be expansion to fill the void created by departing teams, and NuRock president Alex Papadakis indicated Canada may be in those plans. Another possibility is Detroit, a city off the radar for MLS but seemingly appropriate for USL-1.


Though their showdown with the league is not yet over, several TOA owners did in fact attend the meetings in Beaverton. There's no indication that those attending were looking for a reconciliation with NuRock; the TOA clubs still take issue with the private ownership of the league and a few meetings in Oregon won't undo those concerns.


While USL looks to round out their top division for next year, it's possible that one of their lower divisions could take a hit. USL-2, populated with teams like Crystal Palace Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, may go on hiatus. The waves caused by the TOA defection will likely be felt for years to come.


Much is still unknown about how USL will cope, and the status of the TOA teams and their potential new league still remains in question, but the next week should provide a few more answers.

*UPDATE* The USL didn't waste any time; here's a press release on the meetings. Expansion teams in Ottawa and Edmonton are mentioned, as well a groups from Baltimore and Detroit.

The future of the "second" division of American and Canadian soccer took a dramatic turn today: Alex Papadakis, chairman of NuRock Soccer Holdings, the new owner of USL, told a Canadian radio station that the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact would not be participating in USL-1 next season.


Papadakis indicated that "the negotiations are finished", and that the league will move forward with those clubs that want to be a part of USL-1. That would indicate that the statuses of the entirety of the Team Owners Association-affiliated clubs (Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, and the new Tampa Bay Rowdies, with a potential St. Louis club and the on-hiatus Atlanta Silverbacks involved as well) are in question.


Papadakis' words didn't jive with those of Impact owner Joey Saputo's who indicated that negotiations are not finished and that the Impact could still play in USL-1 next year. For the Whitecaps part, President Bob Lenarduzzi told John Molinaro of the CBC that the TOA is pursuing a new league option and is on the verge of submitting an application to the USSF (both statements in Molinaro's story at the CBC site); those statements have now been couched by Lenarduzzi, who has since told Molinaro that his club is "in limbo" for 2010.


It appears that Lenaduzzi may have shown too much of the TOA's hand, and was then forced to "retract" (though he didn't fully) his statements. Fleshing out what exactly is happening is extremely difficult; both sides are clearly attempting to influence public opinion, with the high profile Canadian clubs at the forefront of the battle.


Lenarduzzi's comment about submitting an application to the USSF are interesting, in that they indicate that either the TOA or some portion of it is moving ahead with contingency plans should a resolution not be found. Time is of the essence here; if the break away clubs hope to be ready to play outside of USL-1 in 2010, they need to get moving on the process.


Things are messy, that much is sure. I'm still at a loss to explain exactly what it is the TOA clubs might get out of returning to a league that is wholly owned by a third party and that leaves them out of of decision-making process. The backbone of any league, in any sport, is its member clubs; as such, those clubs should helping to make policy, determine direction, etc. USL/NuRock has done nothing to this point to indicate that they get that; instead, they inform players their contracts are voided behind the clubs backs, make proclamations that certain clubs are out of the league despite statements to the contrary by the clubs themselves, and just general look the bully.


I'm solidly on the side of owners who want a say in how the business of their league is conducted. I understand that breaking away would be extremely difficult, risky, and complicated; the new league would have a Herculean task ahead of it to install the proper administrative bodies to make such a thing happen. It all really comes down to how far the TOA member clubs are willing to go to get what they want. It doesn't look to me like NuRock will be backing down.

For an overview of today's events, read friend of MFUSA Andrew Bucholtz's piece on the matter.

What do you make of today's developments?

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.

American soccer, just like the big professional sports in the country, follows a franchise model. This means that each club is wholly owned by an individual or group, whom are free to sell or move the team at any point; when relocations occur, there's always a fan base, passionate and loyal, left behind.

Rumors are circulating that the Cleveland City Stars, a USL club that just completed their first year in USL-1 (they finished bottom of the table) will be purchased by a group looking to move the team to Elkhart, Indiana. MFUSA reader Cody Vild, a loyal City Stars supporter, shares his thoughts with us.

Today started as any other day as a fan of the Cleveland City Stars. That was until I found the article that suggests a potential sale of the team. What compounds matters is that the new owners have the idea of moving the team to Elkhart, Indiana.

As a follower of the City Stars, this news is quite disheartening. After following an USL-2 team, which more or less dominated in its first two years of existence, and had an interesting year after there "promotion" to USL-1, it would be a shame to see them leave. They have just started to build a history with the city and it would be a travesty to see them ripped from us (not quite as bad as the Browns, but still upsetting).

The idea of moving this team to a city with 10x less people seems a little silly to me. I know that Elkhart claims that they can support an USL club, but one would think it would be more important to develop a fan base in a city with a much larger market. It is not like Cleveland is a wasteland of soccer. In a 2006 friendly versus Venezuela, Cleveland Brown's stadium drew a very respective crowd for a game with moderate importance (~30k for a 72k stadium). Also, the Cleveland area is home to Brad Friedel’s Premier Soccer Academies. Cleveland had one of the most popular teams in the NPSL in the Cleveland Crunch, which for me gave me my first nudge in loving the beautiful game. Depriving a large market with a rich soccer history would be truly detrimental to the state of soccer in America.

So hopefully in the end the Green Army has a team to root for. Cleveland cannot afford to lose another team, especially to a city where not only does it hurt Cleveland soccer, but America as a whole.

Thanks to a tip from Ed Serner at Football in Miami and Beyond, comes word from Miami FC President Aaron Davidson that eight organizations will break away from USL to create an owner-controlled league in 2010.

The Team Owners Association, a group of USL-1 owners dissatisfied with the sale of the United Soccer Leagues to NuRock, have been making noise in this direction since the transaction was completed. For many, the sale of the league to a group not previously connected to the league was a shock, and is causing a ripple effect across the division.

Joey Saputo, the owner of the Montreal Impact, a team seemingly headed to MLS in the near future, has also voiced some of the owners' concern. Saputo did not hold back in his criticisms of USL, and the sale of the league to an third party has only raised the acrimony.

The TOA, made up of Atlanta, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, Montreal, St. Louis, Tampa and Vancouver, is clearly intent on gaining some measure of control over USL-1, and Davidson's comments indicate that any discussions with NuRock over a workable relationship between club owners and the league owners have not progressed in a satisfactory manner.

Read the Team Owners Association press release for more information.

Miami FC's Davidson is just the latest in a group of USL-1 club executives and owners who have made strong statements relating to the future of the league.

Two MLS clubs take to the field in the away legs of their preliminary round series for the CONCACAF Champions League tonight, and both will have their work cut out for them. Coming off of last year's disappointing showing, the 2009-2010 edition of the Champions League hasn't gotten off to a good start for MLS. Last week's first round matches saw two clubs fail to take advantage of home legs. Now, Toronto FC and DC United need results tonight to progress to the group stage.

Toronto FC heads to Puerto Rico to take on last year's tournament semi-finalist Islanders (8pm ET, FSC), with the USL-1 club holding a significant advantage after stealing a 0-1 win at BMO Field last week. TFC needs to score, as well as hold down the Islanders, and do so on the road in a hostile environment. For the Islanders' part, this is been-there-done-that territory; last year's tournament success should only give them confidence that they can close out the Canadian champions and head to the tournament proper, where they'd be grouped with Columbus Crew, Saprissa, and Cruz Azul (almost a certainty). TFC worked hard to win the Voyageur's Cup, and to go out to a USL side (no matter their track record) in the preliminary round would be a massive disappointment.

In El Salvador (10pm ET, FSC), DC United must score to give themselves a chance; after drawing 1-1 at home with CD Luis Angel Firpo, United will face their own hostile environment at Estadio Cuscatlán in San Salvador. If United does go out, it will certainly be the largest MLS disappointment of preliminary round. Not only is United the best performing team in the American league of the three vying for the groups, they're also playing competition that entered the CCL as a replacement for a club that failed to meet CONCACAF's participation requirements (Chatalenango, who apparently did not return forms on time), and is also in their pre-season. United's head coach Tom Soehn chose to play a less-than-first-choice side in last week's first leg, and is now faced with putting out his strongest possible team on the road in order to salvage the series.

Neither result is predictable in any real sense, and any advantage that MLS may have over their "weaker" competition is debatable; if MLS is going to significantly improve over last year's terrible showing, both TFC and United need to put serious effort into tonight's matches.

Whether they will, and whether they can win, is anyone's guess.

I didn't get a chance to make predictions last week, but I'll go ahead and take a shot for the second legs.

PR 1, TFC 1, Islanders advance (2-1 aggregate)

Firpo 0, DCU 1, United advance (2-1 aggregate)

FC New York, the USL-1 expansion team set to launch next year, is scouting stadium sits in Jamaica, Queens according to a report by the New York Daily-News.

According to the team's ownership, the stadium would seat 9k, which is just about right for a USL-1 side (capacities around the league vary widely due to available stadiums), and be ready by 2012. Location is critical due to transportation and parking concerns, and the group is said to ready to meet with borough officials about the Jamaica site.

If this "second" professional team in New York is to succeed (and potentially make the jump to MLS), a dedicated soccer stadium that the organization controls is crucial. I suspect the facility will be designed as to be easily upgradeable in the future, both for seating expansion if demand outstrips capacity, as well as for any needed MLS-mandated renovations.

I was unaware that FCNY was looking to get a stadium built so quickly, but am glad to see their ownership taking initiative before they've even played a game.

Tonight in Portland, thanks to the magic that is the US Open Cup, the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders will renew their intense rivalry. Longtime adversaries in the USL, A-League, and NASL, the Timbers and Sounders don't generally get along.

In fact, the regional derby might be the singularly most intense in American soccer.

Seattle's "promotion" to MLS put things on hold for a spell, and it's wasn't a guarantee that the two clubs would meet again until the Timbers move up themselves in 2011; but with the US Open Cup involving teams from both USL and MLS, the regional match ups the tournament provides, and each team taking care of their preceding matches to get to this point, the rivalry is back in full effect.

Portland is expecting a near-sellout for the game will have a sellout for the game and has added 400 standing room only tickets. Sounders fans are traveling, the Timbers Army will be in full voice, and the concern over fans clashing has even led to the Portland organization to put out a plea for peace.

While I abhor the fan violence and discourage it at every turn, I do appreciate the passion that can be behind it's potential. Both the Sounders fans and the Timbers fans care about their clubs desperately, and it would be difficult to argue that's a bad thing as long as no one gets hurt.

More than just a chance to renew a rivalry, tonight's Timbers-Sounders match represents a chance to see soccer at it's most appealing. Thousands of fans singing, chanting, waving flags, and exhorting their team on to victory at any cost; I might even argue that there's not a sports atmosphere in America that can compare the total package that tonight's game will produce. Sure, more mainstream American sports get larger crowds, and there are clearly rivalries that have more history and just as much intensity; but for those of us that love this sport, little can compare to soccer for the passion of its fans and the energy of its best environments.

Disagree with me or not about its place in the wider sports picture, tonight's match should be the best American soccer has to offer. As much as we hope it was so, packed houses of people who care desperately on both sides simply aren't common enough in this country to make this game a normal occurrence. I'm looking forward to this game for the energy it will possess and the passion that it will display more than I am for the play on the field; while I expect the Timbers and Sounders to battle it out until the last minute, I have and will see many games like it this year. What I won't see is anything that matches it for what it will provide off the field.

It's a pity this game isn't not being broadcast nationally. It's too bad that so many people will miss out on the showcase of American soccer because the game will only be broadcast on the relatively unknown USL Live for most of us. But at least it's there.

I wouldn't want to miss it.

As our man Ginge said on the MFUSA Soccer Show only a few weeks back; tonight you will see why MLS needs Portland. Now if they could just get that damn stadium renovation fund figured out.

Oh, and I just had to share this: Apparently there was a battle over who gets to wear green for this match. Neither team wanted to back down. How fantastic is that?

Last night, the third round of the US Open Cup began. The third round is the first appearance of MLS clubs in the tournament proper, when the "giants" take on those clubs from lesser leagues in David v. Goliath match ups.

Score one for David.

Score four, actually, because out of six games pitting USL sides from two different divisions against the higher-profile Major League Soccer clubs, four teams from the lower divisions came out on top.

The USL-2 Wilmington Hammerheads beat the Chicago Fire 1-0. The USL-2 Harrisburg City Islanders beat the New England Revolution 2-1, in a game that saw the Revs finish with nine men. The Rochester Rhinos knocked off the defending MLS Cup champions in penalties, and the Charleston Battery took care of Chivas USA 3-1.

Four upsets, and four more bullets for the quality argument; last night did nothing to dispel the myth that USL teams are close to or on par with MLS clubs, and it's bound to set off a barrage of said argument across the soccer community.

That's right, I said myth.

MLS clubs should be, and in my estimation still are not matter the results of last night, superior to their USL counterparts. But MLS clubs are making my belief increasingly shaky, and I'm beginning to find myself frustrated with the amount of ammunition available to those that think otherwise. But one round of one-off victories by a few committed and hard-charging teams does not prove an argument for USL being equal to MLS. What is does prove is that MLS on the whole should be ashamed of itself; because the league chooses to sleepwalk through the Open Cup at almost every turn, because coaches choose to put out what amounts to reserve sides, and because the players themselves are likely less motivated to play well than they might in other competitions, the league finds itself where it is today.

Six games, four losses. Even the fact that three of the upsets took place at the home stadiums of the USL clubs involved doesn't lessen the blow; and although "upsets happen" and the "any given night" rule certainly applies in the Open Cup, it's not an unreasonable expectation that the teams from the richer league should come out on top more often than not. Clearly, expectations mean nothing when one of the participants treats the games as they would a reserve match.

The "ouch" factor is incredibly high today for America's top division, and it has no one to blame but itself. It's clear that few truly care about the under-publicized and under-funded Open Cup, and as long as that's the case, results like those we witnessed last night will continue to happen.

The romance of a tournament like the US Open Cup is undeniable. The potential for massive upsets and lower division teams shining against bigger clubs is appealing. But for me, it sucks away the romance to see MLS teams field lineups full of players we barely recognize, and it does the game as a whole no favors in the United States. Despite opinions to the contrary, when Major League Soccer gets a black eye, the public perception of American soccer on the whole takes a hit. For better or worse, the overall health of professional soccer in the United States is directly tied to the success of MLS, both on and off the pitch; last night is yet another example of the league missing the point and shooting themselves in the foot, both because so many of its teams went down to "lesser" opponents and because many of those teams refused to treat their opponents or the competition in which they were playing with the proper respect.

MLS teams, from top to bottom and in almost every case, should be better then USL teams. I still believe that, but it's getting increasingly difficult to back up that argument. For that I blame the league.

Shame on you MLS. There's no shame in being upset; there's shame in being upset when you're clearly not giving it your all.

Last night, teams from American leagues like USL-1, USL-2, the USL Premier Development League, and even the United States Adult Soccer Association competed in the second round of the 2009 US Open Cup. While only two "upsets" (i.e. the team from the lower league coming out on top) occurred, the tournament is still a draw for the hard core fan of the game in this country. The potential for a team from the higher profile MLS winning the tournament is still there, as unlikely as it may be.

But that's exactly what the tournament needs at this point. I've made clear my feelings on the Open Cup, those being that as long as the competition is not highly regarded by MLS sides, the tournament will struggle to gain any traction beyond the passionate fans of the teams involved. If a "lower" (that's for all of you USL-1 fans out there that want to put your league on the same level as MLS) league team can lift the trophy this year, it just might shock the big boys into treating the tournament a little better.

No matter the reaction by MLS or its clubs, the Open Cup desperately needs a shock winner. The status quo isn't cutting it anymore.

Of the non-MLS teams remaining in the competition, five are from USL-1, two are from USL-2, and one is a Premier Development League side. As nice as it would be to see the PDL Ocean City Barons pull off a miracle and make it all the way to the Cup Final, it's probably too much to ask. The Barons are an amateur club after all, and they'll be facing the MLS Eastern Conference-leading DC United in Round 3. No matter what type of team Tom Soehn decides to play against the Barons, they will be massive favorites.

It's from among the seven other USL teams that the chances for an upset lie. One or two (at least) are bound to get out of the third round, beating their MLS opponents. USL-1 clubs are known to beat the big boys on a fairly regular basis, and there's no reason to expect that this year's Cup will be any different. While MLS clubs will line up less-that-full-strength teams, the USL teams will take the match more seriously, relishing the chance to prove that they're better than their "second division" reputation. It's simply a matter of following through at this point; while USL-1 clubs might go deep into the tournament, even as far as the final, they haven't been able to win the Cup since Rochester's 1999 victory.

I know little about the two USL-2 clubs still in the tournament, though I wouldn't be surprised to see one pull off a massive upset. The Harrisburg City Islanders take on the New England Revolution, and with a congested schedule and injuries to deal with, I doubt Steve Nichol will be putting much into the match. The other USL-2 side, the Wilmington Hammerheads, have the more difficult task, facing off against a Chicago Fire club that traditionally does well in US Open Cup play.

If you're a fan of an MLS club, you might not be tracking with my hope that someone other than one of them lift the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup this year. If you're a fan of a club that has yet to make an appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League, you might not want to see a lesser team earn that spot. But the Open Cup competition is laboring, and laboring mightily. It will take an upset winner, someone other than the usual suspects, to inject some life into the tournament.

So when Round 3 comes around on June 30th, and the "minnows" are facing off against the "whales", I'll be rooting for upsets. If the the Open Cup isn't going anywhere, and it sure doesn't seem like it will if it hasn't yet, then it desperately needs a breath of new life. Maybe MLS clubs missing out will do just that.

It's been pointed out that perhaps I'm neglecting my new USL-1 side. After going through the process of choosing the Puerto Rico Islanders, I've been lax in giving them the attention they properly deserve.

This post is an attempt to make amends, as well as an opportunity to crow about the club's imminent return to the CONCACAF Champions League.

Tonight, the boys in orange will face Haitian club Tempete FC in Trinidad & Tobago in the semi-finals of the Caribbean Football Union championships. A win puts Puerto Rico in the finals and gives them the CCL spot, while a loss would put them in the third-place game. A victory in that game could still get them in the CCL, however, and would be a repeat of last year's CFU finish.

The Islanders come into the CFU semis having played unevenly in USL-1. The club currently sits on eight points from five games, with road form holding them back. A win tonight and the guaranteed CCL berth might just be the lift they need to get back to the top of the USL-1 table. The club is bound to be slightly fatigued however, as they've just returned from a long trip to Austin and Vancouver.

The game is not being televised or streamed, unfortunately, so Islanders fans will be forced to follow the game through the Islanders twitter account.

Because Tempete FC plays in the Haitian league, and because the language of Haiti is French, I found it difficult to find any information on them. Ah, the idiosyncrasies of soccer in the Caribbean.

Regardless, I'll be pulling for the Orange tonight, hoping they can repeat last year's feat and get back to the Champions League.

Glory to the Islanders!

Naranja hasta la muerte! (I think that's right)