Ah, the business of soccer in America. Just when a club (I use that word ironically, despite treating it as a synonym for "franchise" in an American context) begins to take root, just when the fan base is growing and just when a supporters groups see success in building their numbers, it's all taken away.

The rumor (Update: It's false - see bottom of this post) that the US Open Cup winner won't receive a spot in next year's CONCACAF Champions League has been bouncing around for quite some time. Until now, it's all been speculation, with much of it emanating from Adrian Hanauer out in Seattle. Though the confederation has still yet to confirm the rumor, you can add the Crew's technical director Brian Bliss to those who say it probably won't happen.

If you didn't notice, USSF Division II kicked off last weekend. The odd forced reconciliation over the winter of the NASL splinter and the former organizers USL by US Soccer drew a significant amount of attention to the US and Canada's second division; yet, only a few months later the league has receded to its to its former level in the American soccer consciousness.


That's unfortunate, but understandable. As MLS picks up steam with attention-grabbing events like the opening of a $200 million stadium in New Jersey and the debut of a new team in front of 35k people in Philadelphia, the second division just can't really compete. Even with a momentary bump in attention, and the subsequent acknowledgment that the division is important to the growth of the game, NASL/USL/D2 lacks the national profile, television contracts, and market penetration to reap any benefit.


It doesn't help that two of the league's marquee franchises are headed to MLS next year, meaning that their play in the league and any off-field news happening in 2010 will always be viewed through that prism. Portland's renderings for the renovation of PGE Park are of more interest than their results, and Vancouver's efforts on the field mean more for building their 2011 squad than simply trying to win a championship this season. Lame duck teams don't make for interest-building, never mind the apparent lack of cooperation between the USL and NASL groups in anything other on-field competition.


Meanwhile, Montreal sits as the other MLS-club-in-waiting, further invalidating a league that seems to simply be a way station on the journey to first division glory for its biggest clubs. That trend may end with the Impact, but the damage will have been done; the most historically significant and well-supported teams will have departed, leaving behind a motley collection of franchises either just starting out, playing in high school football stadiums/minor league baseball stadiums, or finding their feet after moving up from a lower division.


None of that precludes what could be termed success, though the issues of organizational affiliation, and just who will be given second division status in 2011, will need to be clarified. The NASL group has a vision, that much is clear; what isn't yet is whether or not they will have the opportunity to full enact it.


And what for USL? They fought hard to maintain their leadership of the second division, and now find themselves marginalized with only a few clubs to their name; an ownership change in 2009 precipitated the schism, and the new owners won't likely go quietly. They bought a structure with a top division that was also Division II for the US and Canada, and shouldn't be expected to willingly back down, even if it might be "for the good of the game." Our only conclusion can be that almost nothing has changed since the winter's fireworks.


Tom Dunmore crystallized the larger issue with a simple question on Friday, just a day before the start of the season: What should the purpose of a second division actually be?


No one, least of all US Soccer seems to know. They have established that the division is important, and that they clubs needs to be stable; beyond that, without integration into a traditional pyramid that includes promotion and relegation, the second division is just American professional soccer on a smaller scale and with smaller budgets than MLS.


Combined, the United States and Canada represent a massive soccer market. MLS will never be able to fully sate the demand for the game, and there will always be massive gaps geographically. There's certainly room for a well-run second division to fill those gaps, and in that way, 2010 is important in determining the direction and ultimate footprint of whatever group takes over for good. Assuming that's the eventuality, of course.


The World Cup is coming, and the buildup to the planet's biggest soccer event always takes up the lion's share of leftover attention. The schism, the uncertainty, the World Cup, and MLS' big news have stolen any possible spotlight from Division II. Without scientific measurement, it seems safe to say that 2010 will represent a deep bottoming out of attention for the temporary league, and that 2011 will be a new dawn for second division soccer in this part of the world.


It will be intriguing to see what that new dawn brings.

There's a season coming, and I felt the obligation to write a brief preview. The only problem is that we're still not quite sure what will happen with the MLS labor negotiations, and I didn't want to write something that would be useless if the players strike and the season is delayed or cancelled.


So you get this; a general, shallow, and ultimately worthless thumbnail sketch preview that is nevertheless applicable no matter what happens. Simply follow the footnotes to relevant league/team as the situation, or your own preference, dictates. This is harder than it looks, by the way, so if I stretched things a bit in a few cases, I apologize. At least it can't become obsolete.

***

Squads are filling out, preparations are intense, and the new season is just around the corner. Hope is at it's highest levels as fans around the country harbor dreams of a championship for their beloved teams.


This season will feature stiff competition for the title. North of the border, there is real hope a Canadian team can find themselves contenders¹. It will be on the veterans to push the club where they're fan base believes they belong, at the top of the table and in position for a high playoff seed.


Down south, the club whose owner who also has Premier League interests and the English head coach hopes to make the playoffs after missing out in 2009², while New York's team has big plans after coming up short of their goals³ last year. A new team is starting up in an American soccer hotbed, and has designs on making an immediate impact on the league⁴ with their regional history and built-in fan base.


International flavor and a future that involves finally getting out of a baseball/soccer stadium sharing situation has things looking up elsewhere⁵, and though the focus might be off the field for now, the club won't be throwing in the towel on 2010.


There are intriguing stories around the league. From the mid-Atlantic team with the famous name needing a big season⁶ and hoping to settle their stadium situation to the men in orange looking to repeat their strong 2009 regular season finish but hoping for better luck in the playoffs⁷.


There's the club with the Latin flavor trying to get over the hump⁸, the southern team hoping to turn around fairly dismal attendance⁹, the Scot-led club with more than a few questions⁹, and the mid-west squad with the beer-loving fan base and legitimate playoff hopes¹⁰.


The long off-season, full of often unbearable anticipation is finally over. From coast to coast, every club believes they have a chance to make their mark on 2010, and have little time to prepare themselves for the battle. While talent may ultimately decide the champion, one can never discount the role luck will play, and fans everywhere have their fingers crossed.


¹Toronto FC or Vancouver/Montreal
²Colorado Rapids or Austin Aztex
³New York Red Bulls or Rochester Rhinos
⁴Philadelphia Union or AC St. Louis
⁵Kansas City Wizards or Portland Timbers
⁶DC United or Crystal Palace Baltimore
⁷Houston Dynamo or Carolina Railhawks
⁸Chivas USA or Puerto Rico Islanders
⁹New England Revolution or Tampa Bay Rowdies
¹⁰Chicago Fire or NSC Minnesota Stars