USL/TOA breakaway situation

[opal347]

This has been brewing for quite some time, and it may soon come to a head. For those not in the know, the Team Owners Association consisting of eight current, former, and potential USL-1 teams are completely unhappy with the situation regarding not only the sale of the USL to NuRock, but how the league is run. Therefore, they want to break away and form their own league next year. How do you think this will play out, and if it happens, will this boost or ruin minor league soccer in this country?

USL-1/NuRock teams
Current:

• Austin Aztex
• Charleston Battery
• Cleveland City Stars
• Portland Timbers
• Puerto Rico Islanders
• Rochester Rhinos

2010 Expansion:

• FC New York

Potential expansion:

• Atlanta
• Birmingham

TOA breakaway teams
Current:

• Atlanta Silverbacks (will come back if in new league)
• Carolina RailHawks
• Miami FC
• Minnesota Thunder
• Montreal Impact
• Vancouver Whitecaps

2010 Expansion:

• Tampa Bay Rowdies

Potential expansion:

• St. Louis

[blazindw]

This has been a really sticky situation and I've been watching it play out over the past few weeks.  The TOA was talking with MLS to try and form a MLS2 league, but that would bring out legal ramifications.  MLS would try to make MLS2 the 2nd tier league in U.S. Soccer, while USL1 and USL2 would fight to maintain their spots in the pyramid.  Unless MLS or another major backer enters the fold, I really don't see the TOA doing anything.  Hell, Miami FC can't even commit to another season in any league, much less in the new one.  It will be interesting to watch this develop.

[MrTuktoyaktuk]

News from Sunday's mtg between USSF, USL and TOA starting to trickle out from third party sources.

http://www.24thminute.com/2009/12/nasl-in-trouble-csa-not-ready-to-bail.html

I assume that there is a finite window of opportunity to set up next year's season so if anybody pulls the trigger on legal action, that could scupper the whole Div 2. Plus, assuming that FIFA's stance on the dispute in Chile would be their stance here, legal action by any of the parties could put USSF in a big jam.

[blazindw]

I assume that there is a finite window of opportunity to set up next year's season so if anybody pulls the trigger on legal action, that could scupper the whole Div 2. Plus, assuming that FIFA's stance on the dispute in Chile would be their stance here, legal action by any of the parties could put USSF in a big jam.

This is crucial...in this country, I'm afraid that people filing lawsuits will not be sympathetic to the "But we'll be kicked out of the World Cup!" defense.  Also, we don't want any instance of the courts messing with something the USSF should deal with while we're bidding for the World Cup.  The USSF needs to just grow a pair and just become the decider...say what's going to happen and that it.

[Davids26]

10 points for the Decider reference. Intentional or not, I love it.

Its a tight line USSF is trying to walk right now IMO:

Sanction the TOA with all current "affiliated" American teams and risk the filing of lawsuits which could very well affect the US going to the World Cup as well as the bids in 2018 and 2022.

-or-

Don't sanction the TOA, try to force a compromise with all teams that aren't delinquent going back to USL, at the same time taking the risk of having a rogue league or teams simply refusing to play, making non-MLS markets miss out on professional soccer in their towns...

I'm confident the direction of all this will be decided within a week, but its 100% sure that someone will be unhappy.

[blazindw]

http://ow.ly/KfeW

Here we go...

[DanTheMan474]

http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2010/01/07/joey-saputo-says-nasl-and-usl-have-reached-agreement/

As noted via the above link to Inside Minnesota Soccer, according to the Montreal Impact's Joey Saputo, it appears an agreement has been reached between USL and NASL that would salvage a sanctioned Tier 2 of soccer in the U.S. for the 2010 season.  Supposedly, U.S. Soccer will operate the provisional league in 2010, and details of Tier 2 soccer beyond that have yet to be worked out, with USL and NASL each taking some responsibilities therein.

At 3:00 PM today (1/07), there will be a conference call involving reps from both USL and NASL, along with U.S.S.F. president Sunil Gulati.  It will be interesting to hear what they have to say about this.  Also, it should be noted that today is the first day of the 1st general meeting of the NASL.