The Roses Rivalry Returns

The decade that began with Leeds United atop the Premier League table has ended with the very same club spending its third successive season, in the third flight of English Football. Much like the start of the 2000s, Manchester United is the reigning Premier League champion and has enjoyed recent success in Europe.

Yet, the new decade will renew the rivalry that has been among the biggest in English Football since the 1960s. This weekend, Leeds will travel to Old Trafford to renew hostilities with Manchester United in the FA Cup Third Round. The Roses Rivalry has returned, and all of Lancashire and Yorkshire will be keeping an eye on the events at Old Trafford.

Continue Reading at Set Piece Analysts

Set Piece Analysts Podcasts: USL/NASL/TOA Situation

On Wednesday, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced that neither the NASL nor the USL has been approved for play as the second division of soccer in the United States, rejected the NASL petition for certification while simultaneously (functionally) revoked USL-1’s sanctioning. In a statement released by the governing body, president Sunil Gulati said there were too many “uncertainties” surrounding each league and prescribed a seven day period for the two sides to work out a compromise and appeal to the USSF. In the interim, much of North America has lost a football league.

Official Response:  USSF | USL | NASL

SPA Coverage, Audio: In a series of podcasts recorded and distributed on Wednesday night, Richard Farley interviewed a number of leading figures who have been following this story (as well as our own Set Piece Analysts):

Round-table: Krishnaiyer, Quarstad, Vázquez | Krishnaiyer, as the news broke |Kristian Vázquez, on the Puerto Rico Islander-implications | Duane Rollins, on Montreal and Vancouver’s perspectives | Daniel Feuerstein, on Crystal Palace Baltimore’s view | SPA Johnathan Starling | SPA Brian Zygo

FIFA, USSF block goals; U.S. pro Soccer can’t score with sports fans

 

The increased instability of professional Soccer in the U.S. is part of its natural progression towards what is best for the sports fan.  As leagues emerge, submerge and merge, executives continue to try to solve Soccer’s puzzle for success. 

Part of the difficulty for so many involved in the investment of professional Soccer in the U.S. is defining what is ‘success.’  Interestingly, it’s not part of the same definition of ‘success’ for owners of other professional sports teams. 

The major difference being that other sports franchises don’t have to rely on the approval of outside organizations to help gauge the success of their teams or leagues.  All approval and legitimacy comes strictly from the fans. 

For all sports besides Soccer, there is only one dilemma for business owners.  Is it more important to make money or win championships? 

Winning championships or making money is the business model that sports franchises have followed for years.  But, it is not the formula for professional Soccer in the U.S.  Their business model has always been to find approval from outside entities first, and than set about trying to win championships or make money. 

What U.S. pro Soccer has not figured out is that the success made by NASCAR, the NHL, the NBA, MLB and the NFL was mostly predicated on the fact that they were orginals and have not allowed outside influences to impact their goals of mixing the chase for a championship while trying to make money or the chase to make money while trying to win a championship.

Not being sanctioned by the USSF is a blessing in disguise for USL and the NASL.  They must embrace their new found freedom and search out what will bring them their best model for success.  With a strike looming in MLS, this blessing couldn’t have come at a better time. 

Those who think that they must count on the USSF and FIFA for sanctioning in order to be successful are mistaken.  Those most closely associated with pro Soccer in the U.S. are still not listening to the sports fans for guidance.  Sports fans continue to be ignored.  Their voice is not heard. 

Other than the occasional blog, is there anyone or anything representing the sports fan when it comes to making Soccer successful in the U.S.?

USSF Rejects NASL

We’ll have much more on this developing story as the day progresses. I apologize for the lateness of my thoughts in advance as I have been on the road to watch the University of Miami play the University of Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl. Feel free to leave your comments on this thread.

Initial Thoughts:

• The USSF is a political body that often times works to protect the interests of MLS. While this is not the worst thing, considering MLS is our first division and our most recognizable professional product, sometimes what is good for MLS as a business conflicts with the overall welfare of the game in this country. I believe the USL/TOA/NASL dispute cannot be viewed in a vacuum and must be analyzed in conjunction with the ongoing dispute between MLS players and the ownership/commissioner of the league. To me it is obvious the USSF is working on behalf of the MLS ownership in trying to ensure no player involved with the MLSPU has a domestic alternative in the case of a lockout. I also would not be shocked if the USSF rejects the registration of current MLS player who seek playing time abroad during a potential lockout.
• USL-1 and its forerunner league, the A-League/APSL have had second division status for 20 years from the Federation. Choosing not to continue this sanctioning automatically while not sanctioning a potential replacement league, the NASL may appear pragmatic, but is probably an outgrowth of the USSF’s failure to properly mediate this situation. They would simply like it to go away, which it will not.
• FIFA requires federations to periodically file compliance documentation. Right now the USSF is theoretically out of compliance with FIFA mandates because of the lawsuit filed in Florida courts between the USL and three clubs that have attempted to move to the NASL. Since a professional league has filed a lawsuit against club sides, FIFA is surely not pleased with the USSF. So, perhaps the USSF feels by not sanctioning either league, they can please FIFA.

More Later…….

Mancini Makes Promising Start

Let me be upfront and honest. I do not like  British managers being replaced with foreign ones. I also do not like players from the British Isles being replaced by players from the continent, Africa or North America. Call me a traditionalist, but I believe the fabric and character of English football has been hurt by a foreign invasion. Not that I am against all foreign players, but I do support the 6 + 5 rule and believe it could ultimately help the English game.

All of this having been said, I am an admirer of football tactics and a supporter of Manchester City Football Club. That puts me in the awkward position of understanding that the sacking of a Welsh manager and replacement by an Italian manager was probably the best move the club could have made from a footballing perspective.

Continue Reading at Manc City Blog

Is Second Division Soccer Neccesary in the USA?

Let me preface this article by stating I do not subscribe to the view that I am about to write about. But enough MLS fans have expressed concern to me about what they consider a piddly minor league dispute potentially affecting the good work of MLS and the USSF since 1996 that I felt it was only fair to air some of these views.

Here are some of these thoughts:

“USL is a waste of time and space. Anything USL does, MLS and the USSF can do better. The USSF has academy teams spread throughout the country and promotes the national team as a brand name that is the “home” team everywhere.”

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“USL’s death would be a good thing for American soccer. It would allow the MLS brand to spread itself into places like Minnesota, North Carolina, Atlanta and also get back into Florida. It is MLS that promotes the sport with clever marketing, a real TV contract, and Sportscenter highlights/good TV audience and brand recognition and USL that no one knows are cares about.”

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“After so much time has been invested in MLS, and it has done so much good work for American soccer, this new NASL threatens everything. The USSF must reject the NASL and take USL out of the business of professional soccer. If you do not have enough fan support to join MLS, support the closest MLS team. With 18 teams around the country and more coming, teams are now close enough to everyone to support. “

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“The teams from USL-1 and USL-2 can either be moved to MLS or replaced with amatuer teams playing in the area. USL’s youth system is obselete now that the USSF has its own development academy club team system and even if this dispute is resolved, the USSF should step in and shut USL down, forcing the youth teams to join the USSF system and the pro teams to either join MLS or drop down to the amatuer ranks. That would be the best solution for the American game and growing the brand. Fans in cities that previously had USL teams can support as new amateur team, growing that side of the game or pick the closest MLS team to support.”

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“With MLS achieving so much success the last few months, you and other soccer writers have focused on a dispute between minor league teams in minor league cities. It is a disservice to soccer in this country and quite honestly, MLS is what matters, and is our league. Most soccer fans have never heard of Carolina Railhawks or Miami FC and do not care. American Soccer is MLS, and these teams should either play by the rules or be shut down. “

Comments taken from various message boards and emails to me since the beginning of the USL/TOA dispute.

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I’ve editorialized in the past that too many american soccer fans have confused what is good for MLS as a business as being good for American soccer. One such example is when a USL team, Puerto Rico faced an MLS team Toronto FC in the CONCACAF Champions League, but so many US fans openly backed a team from Canada with less than half the number of American players that the USL team had.

The above listed comments rub me the wrong way, but they do represent a significant segment of American fandom. This group does not care about soccer beyond the MLS level, and often times shows a contempt for discussion of anything else in American soccer (unless it is the national team).

One more note. The closest Mexican League team (Atlante) is less than half the distance from me in south Florida, than the closest MLS team is from me (DC United.) So the comments that state that MLS teams are close to everyone are slightly bizarre.

SPA Daily: 2009 International Awards

On the Wednesday version of Set Piece Analysts’ daily podcast, SPAs Jeff Kassouf, Johnathan Starling, Kartik Krishnaiyer and Richard Farley hand out their end-of-year awards for the international world, following-up on Tuesday’s club pod by walking through 2009’s best players, coaches, leagues, stories, memories.

Set Piece Analysts’ daily podcast features the site’s best talent talking about all the news in the football world. You can get it via iTunes, from the site’s archive, in the Flash player (top and to the right) or from the inline player below.

Don’t forget you can get in touch with the show either in the comments below, at podcast@setpieceanalysts.com or on our individual Twitter accounts that can be found on the left hand side of the page. While your at it don’t forget to follow Set Piece Analyst on Twitter at twitter.com/spanalysts.

SPA Daily: 2009 International Awards

It’s time for Texas to have its own pro Soccer league

Phil Rawlins, team owner of the Austin Aztex, take note. 

As one of the only stable entities left in USL and someone who has the rare affiliation with a professional team outside the United States (Stoke City), Rawlins is someone who carries clout at a time when professional Soccer is at one of its most unsettling moments.  A players strike is looming for one league and the other two (USL Div. 1 and the NASL) leagues are trying to figure out whether they will play a 2010 schedule.  (USL Div. 2 will play 2010 with what appears to be only 6 teams, all from the Eastern part of the U.S.) 

It’s the perfect time for the 7 PDL teams from Texas to seek one more team ownership for San Antonio and come together to form their own league.  They should ensure their success by complimenting their men’s teams with a women’s league.  Thus, eight teams because 16 teams.  Both the men’s and women’s teams of each city/area can use the same team colors and can travel together to give fans a doubleheader for all regular season games. 

Texas may be the only state that could be successful with its own pro Soccer league.  The only other ones with a chance to accomplish it would be Florida or California.  But, a close look at each state’s current infrastructure puts Texas out in front.  Though youth Soccer is strong in Florida and California, it may be strongest in Texas. 

Also, quite a few of these Mid South PDL teams have been around a while and have lots of fans who support them from year to year. 

Laredo is a big competitor every year for the PDL title, winning it once.  The El Paso Patriots have an enormous history as far as Soccer teams go in the U.S.  They were founded in 1989, made the U.S. Open Cup final in 1995 and have been playing in a soccer-specific stadium since 2005.  And, the West Texas United (from Midland, Texas) seem solid as they made a big splash in their inaugural season of 2009, making the playoffs. 

There are two Texas mottos that seem to always stand out.  ‘Don’t Mess with Texas’ and ‘Everything’s Bigger in Texas.’  Do these mottos hold true for Soccer too? 

For these 7 owners, it’s time to take a deeper look at the possiblity of forming an all Texas pro Soccer league. 

It seems, that if they only want to be part of the USL’s base, than they are selling themselves short when it comes to the bottom line of making money.  Starting their own league and pulling their resources together without the middle man would create more possible revenue from new franchises and all other marketing efforts.

Alejandro Bedoya Called into US Camp

Former Weston Fury Youth player and St Thomas Aquinas Alumnus Alejandro Bedoya has finally been called into the US National Team. He will be attending the January camp at the Home Depot Center which ends with a friendly versus Honduras.

For more on Bedoya, including his youth and professional career, check out this article I wrote earlier this year for MLS Talk.

USL/TOA/NASL Update

The gag order placed by the USSF on parties involved in the dispute between USL and several of its (former?) clubs  has precluded fans of the clubs and reporters from gathering much information the past few days.This gag order was necessary given the poisoned waters of the rhetorical war that had ensued between all parties.

I am told by a source close to the situation that the USSF has been working diligently to foster a compromise that will work in the best interests of all the affected clubs. The source reveals that Dan Flynn, the Secretary General of US Soccer has done a remarkable job of attempting to build a consensus based solution to the extremely tricky situation. Flynn, I have been told has shown remarkable leadership the past several weeks.

Our source maintains that all plans currently being considered, would permit every current second division club scheduled to play in 2010, to play somewhere, be it in USL or a newly sanctioned NASL. It is possible that only one second division will play in 2010, but that every team planning to play in 2010 will be permitted to play regardless of the league they play in. So rumors that some teams would be dropped based on which league gets sanctioned can now cease.

With this small piece of information revealed, I certainly hope supporters of the affected clubs will have a Merry Christmas knowing whether it is the USL or NASL, to plan on a 2010 season. I have received a few emails from supporters of various clubs concerned that they will not have live soccer in 2010. Based on what I have learned, I believe fans can be assured their teams will play in 2010, even if we don’t know which league they will compete in, just yet.