USSF denies sanctioning to NASL, USL

The NASL, USL and Tampa Bay Rowdies were dealt a blow on Wednesday as the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors voted unanimously to deny sanctioning to either league for the upcoming season.

The USSF said in a statement that the two leagues would have the opportunity to come to a compromise within the next seven days to set up an interim plan for 2010 that could meet the required benchmarks.

“After carefully reviewing the findings from the Task Force it was clear there are still too many uncertainties for both organizations, which would be extremely difficult to resolve in a timely fashion that would allow them to prepare for the 2010 season,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said. “In the best interest of soccer in the United States, we decided to not sanction either league at this point. However, we did encourage both leagues to come together in the next week and attempt to develop another plan which would allow a single league to be approved on a provisional basis. We are committed to finding ways to improve the long-term viability of all leagues and teams and continue the growth of soccer in the United States.”

The USL released a statement, which can be read here.

Goal.com’s Andrea Canales has a view on the topic, which can be found here.

South Florida writer Kartik Krishnaiyer, who has done sterling work on the entire USL/NASL breakaway, has also weighed in briefly, with more likely to come.

http://thekartikreport.wordpress.com/

Rowdies join breakway group, USL fires back

The Tampa Bay Rowdies were one of two teams on Friday that joined the breakaway group led by six former USL-1 clubs on Friday that will form a new professional league, bringing to total number of clubs in the group to nine.

The Rowdies and Baltimore Crystal Palace, which competed in the USL-2 last season, join USL franchises the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina Railhawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps and new club St. Louis Soccer United, which has submitted an application to the United States Soccer Federation for sanctioning as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League.

“With this new league, which consists of some of the most established teams in North American soccer, we are excited about our team and collective future and the opportunity to make a significant impact on the beautiful game,” Andrew Nestor, owner and president of the Tampa Bay Rowdies said in a press release issued by the league.

The USL Team Owners Association group formed its own league in response to a disagreement over the manner of the organization of the USL. NuRock Soccer Holdings bought the league from Nike on August 31, continuing the private ownership of the league. The Team Owners Association’s members have been working to make the USL more in line with other professional leagues where ownership is held by the owners of the respective teams, not a third-party.

While currently considered a third-party, NuRock does hold USL interests, with a Premier Development League side in Atlanta, and the option to buy two USL franchises in Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala.

The USL responded with a statement late on Friday night which appeared to be a return salvo in what could become a legal battle that would likely be a struggle for both sides.

The USL statement reads: “Both the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore have contractual commitments to USL to play in the 2010 USL First Division (USL-1) season. USL will pursue all actions to protect its interests and those of the USL-1 teams from any breach of contract caused by Tampa and Baltimore.

“USL further believes TOA is tortuously interfering with USL-1 team owners that are contractually obligated to participate in the 2010 season. TOA has made several misleading statements in a variety of press releases to taint the reputation of USL and its long history of developing the sport of soccer in the United States and Canada. USL will vigorously defend its legal interests against the TOA’s tortuous interference in contractual relationships with its team owners.”

USL: Rowdies name Dalglish as manager

As I wrote earlier today for the Tampa Tribune, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have appointed Paul Dalglish to be the first manager in the club’s new era in the United Soccer League’s First Division.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/17/dalglish-to-be-named-rowdies-manager/

To put on my opinion-writer hat for a moment, instead of my normal reporter hat, I’d like to commend what I think should be a good, and very well may be an excellent hire for the Rowdies.

There may be some who are going to point to the fact that this is Dalglish’s first managerial appointment as a knock on him, and the Rowdies hiring him. Only this week the Rochester Rhinos, a team the Rowdies will face entering the USL-1 next season, appointed Bob Lilley as their new manager. Lilley has prior experience in the USL, taking every side he has coached in the league to the playoffs, twice being named Coach of the Year and winning the league title in 2006 with Vancouver. But when it comes to soccer management, while prior experience can give you a blueprint for how you will manage your new team, it is no guarantee of future success.

Neither is being the son of a legendary player and manager. But with that experience of being around not just the soccer you and I grew up with as youngsters, but the professional game as Dalglish did, you would expect he understands more than most the rigors that come not only with playing the game, but being a top-quality manager. Add in the expertise he will be able to gather from Rowdies Technical Director Perry Van Der Beck, and the way he is reported to have thrown himself into the job since his appointment, and you have someone who could get results quickly.

How quickly? Let’s not go around thinking the Rowdies will win the USL-1 in their first season. The league is a tough one, even if the breakaway group of six does form its own league. Its clubs have had success in the CONCACAF Champions League, and three, Seattle currently and Portland and Vancouver in 2011, will either have moved up to join Major League Soccer, or will be about to. But when I asked Dalglish if it was reasonable to expect the Rowdies to contend in their first season, his first two words in response said a lot.

“Why not?”

Of course, he went on to point out, as coaches so often do, how it is going to take a lot of hard work for the team to achieve that goal, but the fact that he would something like that says a lot, at least to me, about the way he’s going to approach this job. This may be an expansion franchise in name, but as MLS found with the Seattle Sounders this season, with the right players, the right coach and the support of a city, good things can happen quickly.

USL: Van Der Beck happy at conclusion of combine

TAMPA – After five training sessions in three days in hot and humid conditions, there were a lot of tired bodies and minds at the Ed Radice Sports Complex as the Tampa Bay Rowdies first invitational combine concluded on Thursday afternoon.

Injuries, and players being unused to the Florida climate, meant that the final round of scrimmages was tricky for players, coaches and scouts alike, with players moving in and out to fill out teams. Despite that, though, Rowdies Technical Director Perry Van Der Beck said he was pleased with what he had seen over the three days.

“You know what? I’ve seen a lot of good things,” Van Der Beck said. “I can’t put a number of how many players I would take out of this, but I think I can walk away here and say there are some players here that can play at the next level.”

With the temperature well into the 90s, and little to no breeze to provide any respite, both 60-minute scrimmages were understandably not as crisp or up-tempo as on the opening night of the combine. Van Der Beck said he was expecting that, since many of the players had not been in competitive training recently, but was pleased to see a number of players try to play through a lack of match-fitness, with some participating in both scrimmages.

“They’re not match-fit, and that’s ok,” Van Der Beck said. “I know that going in, I take that, but as I told the players sitting down ‘guys, if you don’t come in fit, you come off the field, the more I see a player, it’s an easier decision for me to make.’ ”

One who took advantage of others sitting out was former Brandon High standout Kirk LaBusch, who played the duration of both games. While Van Der Beck didn’t refer to LaBusch by name, he did praise the work he put in over the week.

“There’s one local kid who I think played out of position, and played more games than anybody, and doesn’t have an agent, and was impressive,” Van Der Beck. “He just doesn’t stop.”

Next for the Rowdies is an international combine to be held in the United Kingdom from November 16-18. Van Der Beck said he hoped to have a similar number to the 40 outfield players and four goalies to attend as the Rowdies look for players that may be able to fill some of the seven international spots USL-1 teams are allowed to carry on their rosters.

USL: Day 1 for Rowdies a positive one

TAMPA – The first day of the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ first player combine ended on a damp note, but not before some of the invitees had made an impression on Technical Director Perry Van Der Beck and others looking on at the Ed Radice Sports Complex.

After the first of the evening’s scrimmages had been completed with half of the 44 invitees play two 30 minute halves, the second group managed to play around 15 minutes when a torrential downpour and lightning sent everyone off the fields. With the radar showing the thunderstorms would be staying in the area, the decision was made to end the session early.

While that was disappointing, Van Der Beck was pleased with the way the opening day had gone.
“The way I look at it is you’ve got to start somewhere, and this, I think, is a good start,” Van Der Beck said. “A lot of players are coming in to see if they can play at the next level, and as I told them there are a lot of opportunities, but again there are a lot of players in (USL-1) who are free, and again, it’s a start.”

Van Der Beck didn’t point out anyone specific from the opening game that impressed him, but would say that there were some who gave a good account of themselves.

“There were some players that did stick out, you know, but again (the question is) are they going to be consistent?” Van Der Beck said. “What we’re also looking at is how they match up, so again, they did well for themselves, but it’s still early.”

Four players with local ties appeared to fare well, with former Bradley University standout Joe Donoho, who attended Jesuit, and Brandon High graduate Kirk LaBusch having strong games defensively for the yellow squad.

Ryan Maxwell, who was drafted in the first round of the MLS Draft earlier this year by New England after a strong career at the University of Tampa, also had some excellent moments down the right side for the yellow squad, creating opportunities for his forwards as he attacked with pace when he got the opportunity. Maxwell’s fellow former Spartan Chad Burt had a solid game in midfield for the blue squad.

Aaron King scored both of the goals in the opening scrimmage for the yellow squad, first sliding home a shot into the left corner of the net from 12 yards out, and then combining with strike partner Sean Buckner on a quick give-and-go in the penalty area that gave King a simple finish from close in.

The players will reconvene on Wednesday morning for a technical session before another round of scrimmages in the evening, with a final set of scrimmages on Thursday morning to complete the combine. The task in front of them to go from the opening day of the first combine to the opening roster that will begin play in 155 days is going to be an arduous one, something Van Der Beck has made clear to all those in attendance.

“How many players at this camp right now (will be on the opening roster)? I don’t know,” Van Der Beck said. “What I was telling the players this morning was there’s players in the league that become free agents, and are we interested? Yes. We’re allowed seven internationals, and we’re going to do a combine next month in the U.K. to look for players there. MLS has done away with the reserve system, so now MLS can ... loan players to the USL. Do we have an interest? Yes, so there’s only 22 spots, it’s not going to be hard to do it. I’ve just got to get the right players.”

Famliar faces at first Rowdies combine

The Tampa Bay Rowdies have revealed a few names with bay area ties the USL-1 expansion franchise will work out when it holds the first of four tryout combines at the Ed Radice Sports Complex, beginning on Tuesday evening.

Four of the invitees were selected earlier this year in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Former University of Tampa standout Ryan Maxwell, who was a first-round selection by the New England Revolution, will attend, as will former South Florida forward Jordan Seabrook, who was a Colorado Rapids selection.

Richard Jata, who played for Ridgewood High before playing collegiately for Furman and Campbell University, may be best known for the speech he gave after he was selected in the fourth round of the draft by the Chicago Fire.

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2009/01/the-best-mls-draft-speech-ever.html

Rounding out the quartet is former Clearwater standout Brian Shriver, who had a stellar career at North Carolina before being drafted by FC Dallas and playing for FC Miami in USL-1 this past season.

Others invited include Steven Morris, who attended Countryside and Palm Harbor before travelling to play in Honduras for Club Deportivo Motagua and others in the past five seasons, and New Port Richey’s Tanner Wolfe, who finished his collegiate career at Stetson as the fifth-highest scorer in Hatters’ history.

The combine will be held over three days, with Tuesday and Wednesday’s session being held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday’s session taking place from 9 a.m. to noon.

USL purchased by NuRock Soccer Holdings

The United Soccer League announced on Thursday that NuRock Soccer Holdings had purchased the organization from Nike.

http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/359940.html

From the official release, it appears that not much will change in the short-term for the Tampa-based USL. Tampa Bay and New York franchises are still scheduled to begin play in 2010, with Vancouver and Portland scheduled to move up to Major League Soccer in 2011.

From the release, it could be inferred that Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala. would be likely destinations to replace the Whitecaps and Timbers when they move on, as NuRock owns the rights to acquire two USL First Division teams in those two markets. NuRock currently runs a Premier Development League franchise in Atlanta.

As for Nike Soccer and Umbro, both will continue their relationships with the USL, Umbro continuing as an official sponsor and exclusive supplier of match balls for USL’s professional and amateur leagues and Nike Soccer as an exclusive sponsor for USL.