USL/TOA Update: Breakaway Option Looking More Likely
The USL-1 season has now concluded with Montreal’s championship series win over Vancouver.Both clubs involved in the finals are members of the TOA and both clubs owners were present for the meetings between the TOA, USL, MLS and USSF in New York, two weeks ago.
However, despite these face to face meetings, no breakthrough has occurred and a resolution to the fight between the TOA and USL is now more likely to involve a new league, sources confirm for us.
As was indicated on last week’s Match Fit USA show with host Jason Davis, several USL-2 teams are also dissatisfied with the way USL is being managed out of the Tampa offices. I can now safely report several PDL clubs, some very prominent in the landscape of American soccer are disaffected and are entertaining the possibility of leaving the USL structure. These clubs would not automatically join a breakaway league run by the TOA but could instead head for the NPSL or perhaps even form a development league in association with MLS.
As Inside Minnesota Soccer has reported the USSF is likely to rule in favor of the three clubs (Minnesota, Carolina, Miami) whose player contracts were canceled by the league office via an email from Tim Holt.
NuRock Soccer Holdings, it is confirmed to us by multiple sources has a management plan for USL which does have some new wrinkles to the old operating procedures of the league. However, these changes we are told do not address the numerous, articulated concerns of the TOA.
More news as it becomes available, likely later this week.
No shock- USL was never going to yield its almost authoritarian control over the clubs.
Today in La Presse (a Montreal newspaper), it was reported that Joey was confident that an arrangement with the USL is within reach and that the TOA teams would reintegrate the USL div1.
(in french) http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/soccer/impact/200910/19/01-912579-limpact-devrait-defendre-son-titre.php
ATN_LR…..thanks for the update.
I have been told however that Montreal is actually playing both sides against the middle (and MLS too), so Mr. Saputo’s public comments are one thing, but what he’s really thinking, I am not even going to speculate on.
But thanks for the link and the article.
I don’t think authoritarian is a fair term to use. USL is not China or Burma. In fact they may be too hands off in some areas. In others they make decisions without consulting the clubs.
The most revealing part of this story is the growing the discontent in PDL and USL-2 which I am told is growing.
My source tells me the same thing, Kartik and I’ll go you one step further. Marcos and Holt’s words in those meetings in NYC actually made matters worse after the pleasantry and formalities had been dispensed with.
The behavior of both men turned Garber and Gulati into allies of the TOA, per my source.
Good to know. It’s also possible that he tries to not worsen the already bad situation with the USL before meeting them again. Thanks for your continued coverage of the situation.
I have heard similar feedback as Savannah Silverbacks Fan on the meetings in NYC
“Smokin” in Savannah – Marcos wasn’t even in the meetings in New York he was in London..who is your source? As for the G&G’s is the tail wagging the dog or has the dog found out he is a german shorthaired pointer and isn’t wagging much!
I agree. Not authoritarian. The USL was built up from the ashes of NASL and USISL. It grew up organically and in a grass roots way. This model was important for it’s growth and survival in finding the niche. It was not top down like MLS, where the league was planted in 1996. Now MLS is growing and using the roots of teams like the Seattle, Portland and Vancouver. The USL model is not equipped to compete with the MLS or to take advantage of a big growth opportunity. Hence one of the conflicts. MLS is also not equipped for growth. I don’t mean adding teams, I mean finding that one superstar that transcends the sport and creates interest (and not Beckham) outside of football.
Whatever the solution, I hope that football/soccer just keeps getting bigger in the US.
Either way this is a disaster and it will be a blow to the growth of the sport. Some MLS fans may not agree, but USL is a hugely important part of American soccer and any disruption to is bound to have consequences.
Hey Kartik! I have no idea how to reach you, so I’m posting this information here. Papadakis said in an interview that the negotiations between the TOA and the USL broke and that he wishes the best for the TOA teams. The audio is in english, but the article is in french. Any news coming from Florida?
http://www.corussports.com/soccer/nouvelles/l-avenir-de-l-impact-qui-dit-vrai-1808421.html