Comments on: North American Soccer League: Dead in the Water?

By: Sohbet odalari

Sohbet odalari — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 20:56:39 +0000

use. Or perhaps I feel that the object needs to be available

By: sohbet

sohbet — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:19:43 +0000

It’s been tossed around that Vancouver would move their Div. 2 side to Victoria once the Caps move to MLS.

thanks

By: Holiday Presents for the Soccer World | Pitch Invasion

Holiday Presents for the Soccer World | Pitch Invasion — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:22:37 +0000

[...] American Soccer League: A ruling by US Soccer to sanction the new US 2nd Division League and give the owners who have invested millions of dollars into the sport the autonomy they deserve [...]

By: Rochester Rhinos Switch Leagues: What Now for USL and NASL? | Pitch Invasion

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:34:52 +0000

[...] joining America’s Great American Soccer Independence Movement of 2009 by quitting the USL for the newly revived NASL leaves the status of America’s lower league structure in quite the [...]

By: Culture of Soccer » Blog Archive » American Soccer Cultures

Culture of Soccer » Blog Archive » American Soccer Cultures — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:01:59 +0000

[...] Most people are focused on MLS these days, with Real Salt Lake having just won the title. 15 teams makes up MLS, though 3 more will join the league in the next two years, with more expected to follow them. The league has made steady progress since its inception in 1996, growing to a level of prominence on the American sports scene many never thought possible. The league’s success in recent years has come as it has switched away from Americanizing the sport by gimmicks such as hockey style shootouts to settle ties and embraced a more traditional brand of soccer. Although the league’s popularity is still well behind that of professional baseball, basketball, and American football, MLS is growing steadily and will likely continue to do so. (he newly announced “competition” for MLS – the name-appropriating NASL – will likely go the way of so many other professional leagues in the US (see, for example, this article on failed American football leagues) that have tried to compete with their more established competition: nowhere. [...]

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:55:49 +0000

It’s been tossed around that Vancouver would move their Div. 2 side to Victoria once the Caps move to MLS.

By: bud

bud — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:18:55 +0000

I could never understand how a new league could use as its foundation a team (Vancouver) that was heading out the door in one year. Makes no sense at all.

Agree with the earlier comment about the Montreal/Quebec ‘synergy’. That’s like expecting Mets fans to rally around the Phillies if the NY franchise moved.

By: The Gaffer

The Gaffer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:50:47 +0000

KT, I completely agree with you. Miami FC last season was a failure for many different reasons (too many to mention here). And Traffic and Horowitz have been woeful in the past in terms of marketing the teams to South Florida. It can work, which is why I was excited about the possibility of Barcelona working with a team here, but that rug was pulled out from under us at the last minute.

Cheers,
The Gaffer

By: KT

KT — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:29:09 +0000

“First, “no magic dust will make fans come to matches in South Beach.” Miami FC doesn’t play in South Beach. They split their last season between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.”

And nobody came to those games, either.

I’m not one of those who just says “South Florida…South Florida…nothing works in South Florida.” I do think there are challenges in that market, but I also think Traffic and (before that) Horowitz, et al, were woefully unimaginative when it came to dealing with those problems.

By: The Gaffer

The Gaffer — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:09:31 +0000

I could write a novel about Miami FC’s failure in USL. But to answer the easy question, I don’t think a Miami team in a new Division 2 would have the credibility to thrive (or survive). Soccer fans in South Florida have incredibly high standards, so the only thing that I see saving us is the possibility of Beckham launching a MLS team here in the 20th slot. Anything outside that will be a tough haul for the owners to get fans to visit the stadium.

Cheers,
The Gaffer