#soccersupporters

In a previous post I talked about the NPSL Midwest Division becoming a single table. Here it is from the league's webpage

Midwest Region AFC Cleveland         Cincinnati Saints     Detroit City FC         Erie Admirals         FC Buffalo       FC Indiana         Fort Pitt Regiment      Indiana Fire      Lansing United          Madison 56ers          Michigan Stars     Minnesota TwinStars          Minnesota United Reserves

The geographic center of this wide spread of teams is Detroit and Cleveland. The good thing is the Rust Belt Derby is still alive and well. The old home and away format is a thing of the past.  This season Cleveland comes to Estadio Casstecha on May 15.  Eight days later we play in Buffalo.  Two good wins and the cup stays in The D. 

Now we venture into the weird. The TwinStars (5/29) and 56ers (6/6) travel to face DCFC in an environment they've never experienced before. Say hello to the NOISE and SMOKE. The videos don't do it justice. This a link to a professional produced video for a state specific PBS show.

http://utrmichigan.com/episodes/episode-504/

On June 14th, City travels to the face MN United. The NPSL club for the NASL MNUFC.  The DCFC owners have been their guest in Blaine. They also have been talking to Indy and San Antonio. All first rate organizations. Future planning?

The Midwest owners did a good job of balancing travel cost and regional rivals. Lansing is a home and away feature. Traveling support gets its own gate if your NGS. Who doesn"t DCFC play in the new single table, the two Indiana teams. I don't think anyone is going to miss the endless corn fields and useless GPS guidance.  Except the Chicago Fire NPSL club in Indiana, the Fire, won the championship last year.  They edged Detroit City out by better GA. Thanks Eau Claire. 

http://www.detcityfc.com/dcfc-schedule

Ever since the Timbers and Whitecaps moved up a discount rate to make the West Coast more appealing, other clubs have wanted to leave the lower divisions.  Orlando City took advantage of the non existent MLS presence in the Southeast to position themselves has the next team in line for promotion. Why fools gold? 

Portland and Vancouver have deep rich history to draw on from the past version of the USL PRO league. Those gap years when they were the only professional soccer in America.  Orlando replaced the two failed MLS teams disbanded in Florida.  The main owner of OCSC is Brazilian.  Nuff said.  

In that void the NASL V2 started. The circumstances, has I understand them were, came about after the failed two tier system of the USL PRO I/II. Soccer is all about egos in the ownership ranks.  It the same with any sport. Men become boys where ownership is involved. Soccer traditionally has a way of making successful business lose their savvy. So here are the basic differences between the MLS and NASL. It's all about the Benjamins.

The franchise fee for the MLS is $100 million plus a stadium contract.  Modern stadiums have the House that Jerry built syndrome. The stadium of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds cost around 12 million.  The Scorpions new stadium was 35 million. It currently seats 8000 but can be expanded. The location is easily accessible and very traditional in design.  

Orlando City will have a prime downtown location. Price tag 85 million. Added together the franchise fee, $100 million, and the soccer specific downtown stadium puts the entry at $185 million to the ownership group. With the new TV contract, sponsor and rabid supporter culture it looks good for them to be successful earlier than say Tronto, Columbus or DC.

The new $70 million dollar contract with Fox and ESPN started this wild rush to only have the MLS or Bust mentality.  At the same time the agreement between the MLS and USL PRO started to be sorted out. Some early partnerships worked while others didn't. LA started it own team instead of loaning players. Sacramento has two clubs providing players.  This is all well documented by the MLS/USL PRO media juggernaut.  So who's getting left out? The NASL.

The NASL started anew in 2011 where the MLS left a void, the Southeast and smaller markets.They follow a more traditional European league format regarding independent ownership than the uniquely MLS setup.   Yes one owner has three teams.  So did the Hunt's who finally sold the Columbus Crew to someone else.They still own FC Dallas. Both mid table clubs. The original Florida clubs started again.  Florida is also where the USL PRO headquarters are. Familiar breeds contempt. In 2014, the Indy XI and Ottawa start play this season.  Virginia is on hold due to stadium issues with the minor league baseball team that will share the field. Oklahoma City is forming a club for next year.The league is expanding into underserved markets.

Now for the numbers. To have a franchise is $50 million over three years. An operating budget of 3-5 million and a place to play. This year the online streaming will cost a minimum amount instead of the free streams paid for by ads. Still a lot of money but half of the MLS. Make no mistake the NASL is not challenging the MLS for dominance in American soccer.  That battle was lost before it started. No TV deal. Regional except for Canadian clubs. No major markets except Atlanta and the Twin Cities. Most of the field are more Second Division Europe than NCAA D1 football in size.  5 to 8 thousand.

The makeup of the teams are radically different.  The MLS has a complex system of player roster opening and a limit of three DP slots exempt from the salary cap.  The average salary is $40 to 50 thousand with rookie making 35,000. That is a guess.  The MLS is not transparent with the business side of the league. The NASL allows a maximum of 7 foreign players per team. Again the salaries and business side is opaque but easier than the MLS.  When Minnesota played Tampa Bay in 2011, the Minnesota side had 10 Americans and one foreign player in the starting 11.The clubs sign players that represent the local soccer community. Very smart of them.

What's the problem with all of this?  Simple. The NASL has identified cities to expand into only to have the MLS and USL PRO slide in behind. Oklahoma City's USL PRO team is ahead of the OKC NASL organization. Tulsa is also getting a USL PRO franchise. Author Blank wants an MLS team in Atlanta.  The Silverbacks are wildly successful just need a larger stadium. The San Antonio Scorpions are now wanting to jump into the MLS. The whole argument over Promotion and Relegation ala Europe is gaining ground on the internet. My question remains, why are the MLS and the USL PRO squeezing so hard?

If the reason for professional soccer is to one day bring the World Cup to America, why are the competing leagues being so short sighted?  The NASL are signing MLS players has they are cut. The MLS are signing the Best XI of the NASL.  USL PRO clubs are filling roster slots with both. The NASL clubs are starting their own academy systems centered in the NPSL.  

Not every professional will reach the MLS. Many a player have had long careers playing in the European lower divisions. Players need to compete against quality sides.  The Canadian National Team coach is from the NASL.  The Champions League, English Div 1, has more clubs than the EPL.  American soccer has to have levels for players to develop.  The American system of college eligibility limits the numbers of matches and minutes versus a European player of the same age. Where do these young players get such minutes if the number of club options are limited?  

Last but definitely not least is the American fan. We have been spoiled. Major cities have major sport's teams. Baseball boomed because of radio. The NFL because of TV. The NBA is an more urban than others.  Hockey is closest to Soccer in rabid insane supporters. Soccer is growing because of the Internet. Social media used by Digital Natives has been simmering under the radar until recently. I can speak only for the Detroit fans who firmly believe that they deserve an MLS franchise.

While the Midwest is underserved by the MLS right now, Detroit has no shot at a club. The outside news paints to bleak of a picture for the league. To be brutally blunt, Detroit is not a major city for a new sport.  I love Detroit.  My clubs is Detroit City FC. The straight forward honesty of the people who call the city home is what I feel. Chip on their shoulder? Don't really care what outsiders say? Fuck Yes.

If the NASL wanted to come to Detroit, it would be welcomed with open arms.  If they thought Indy success was something, just wait and see.  Cheap land for a close to downtown stadium? Check.  Sold out crowds every game? Check.  Insane passionate Supporter Group? Hell yeah. Attitude to make Atlanta look tame? again Hell yeah. In order for all this to happen the MLS and USL PRO need to back off and let the NASL grow too.  The way I see it the Cool Kids bullies are going after the Not so cool Grinders.

Unlike the way other NPSL club's announce player signing for the next season, DCFC releases a full roster before tryouts.

http://www.detcityfc.com/news/detroit-city-fc-season-preview/

In June 2014 there's going to be a soccer game played at the summit of Mt. Ranier.  All money goes to the Wounded Warrior Fund. Wanna be on a team?  Check out the article link.

http://hooligansforheroes.com/mission-soccer-on-the-summit/