The boys at TheCup.us just alerted us to the news that two more clubs — the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore — have broken ranks with USL and officially joined the new Team Owners Association league. For those of you keeping score at home, that gives the TOA a total of nine clubs — Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, Montreal, St. Louis, Tampa and Vancouver — and until expansion clubs are announced, it leaves both the first and second divisions of USL with only 7 clubs each.
As if that weren’t enough, there is speculation now that the TOA league will brand itself as the New North American Soccer League. Apparently, Miami FC somehow got its hands on the old NASL name and filed a trademark claim on it. Nothing like a little nostalgia to promote a brand new league.
There was some speculation that the Rowdies would be stuck in USL-1 for the 2010 season, but they had always sided with the TOA. Perhaps they had to strike a deal with USL to free them from whatever contractual obligations they had and make their inclusion in this new league official.
The addition of Crystal Palace Baltimore is a surprise here. That club was a prime candidate to move up to USL-1 after the TOA clubs bolted. That the Palace joined the TOA as well will give this new league some added flexibility. If for some reason one of the TOA clubs is unable to field a side for 2010, the TOA still has eight clubs that can play a full 28-game season. That might make it a lot harder for the US Soccer Federation to turn down this league’s application for Division II status.
It also makes it harder for USL to keep its bigger clubs in the fold over the long term. If the first season of this “New NASL” goes according to plan, clubs like Puerto Rico, Charleston and FC New York will have to have a serious look at their 2011 plans. I’m already envisioning Paul Kemsley, current owner of the New York Cosmos brand, selling that name to FC New York as the new club switches leagues. Who knew soccer’s past in America would end up being its future, too?
UPDATE (11/22): USL is now claiming that Tampa and Baltimore are still under contract to play in USL-1 for 2010. They’re threatening a lawsuit. Hoo boy…
1 response so far ↓
1 a different Dave // Nov 22, 2009 at 7:32 am
It’s a slippery slope. First they bring back the Earthquakes, Timbers, Whitecaps, Sounders, Rowdies, etc., now they might bring back the NASL. Next thing you know we’ll all be wearing 70′s hair and bell bottom trousers.