October 5, 2010
The NASL and the USL are in the midst of a team waving contest.
Yesterday, the NASL announced that San Antonio was joining the NASL for the 2012 season.
The USL announced that the Charlotte Eagles will play in the USL PRO League in 2011.
San Antonio has been a market that has been rumored to be a potential 2nd division market for quite a while. And while the NASL getting a foothold in the market might make Austin more interested in playing in the NASL, that may not matter much with San Antonio not playing in the NASL in 2011.
Charlotte choosing to play in the USL PRO League with fellow USL-2 teams in Richmond and Charleston is not a surprise. The big surprise would have been if the Eagles had chosen not to play in the USL PRO League in 2011.
While this "news" from both organizations isn't Earth shattering, it is a view into how these two groups are really engaged in a tug of war over the future of pro soccer below MLS in North America.
News & Notes:
- MLS Talk has 7 Keys to Success for Miami FC as they rebrand themselves as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
- Steve Davis has some ideas to try and fix the US Open Cup.
- The KC Wizards will have a long road trip to open the 2011 season due to their new stadium opening. Sound familiar?
- The Scots are soccer snobs towards the US? Really?
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.
