USL selling - MLS isn't buying

[BigE]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/sports/soccer/25goal.html?_r=2

 

[BigE]

Nurock Soccer Holdings LLC Announces Purchase of USL from Nike, Inc.

Atlanta, Georgia (Aug 27th, 2009) - NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC ("NuRock Soccer Holdings") today announced that it has acquired United Soccer Leagues ("USL") from NIKE.

NuRock Soccer Holdings, based in Atlanta, is led by Rob Hoskins and Alec Papadakis. NuRock Soccer Holdings is currently a USL franchisee with a Premier Development League operation in Atlanta and rights to acquire two USL First Division teams in Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama marketplaces, respectively.


http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3894684

 

[unitedram]

I will be curious to see how this will effect the league. Many teams are not happy and did not expect this purchase.

 

[BigE]

This is currently on the front page of the Tampa Bay Rowdies (http://www.tbrowdies.com/). The fallout from NuRock purchasing NuRock has brought up St. Louis Soccer United is involved with the Team Owners Association. In the above picture is logo I think appeared on some websites a while ago with the name St. Louis United SC. Interesting to see that image appear again.

 

[Nowhereman]

A bit OT, but why do all the American soccer teams have logos and names that remind me of WNBA teams?

 

[BigE]

Because you are one of the few people in the world that know about and care about the WNBA
...but seriously its probably because they are made by the same folks

 

[BigE]

OWNERS OF PROFESSIONAL SOCCER TEAMS IN ATLANTA, CAROLINA, MIAMI, MINNESOTA, MONTREAL, ST. LOUIS AND VANCOUVER FORM NEW PRO SOCCER LEAGUE TO BEGIN PLAY IN 2010

Nov. 10, 2009 – The owners of the Atlanta Silverbacks Soccer News Topics, Carolina Railhawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder Soccer News Topics, Montreal Impact Soccer News Topics and Vancouver Whitecaps Soccer News Topics, formerly of USL-1, together with St. Louis Soccer United today announced that they have formed a new professional soccer league to play in the United States and Canada beginning in April 2010.

The team owners yesterday submitted an application for sanctioning of the new league as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League by the United States Soccer Federation. An application for sanctioning as a Division I League will be submitted to the Canadian Soccer Association shortly and applications to other sanctioning bodies in the region will be submitted as needed.

 

[unitedram]

The USL League meeting is Nov 19 and 20 at their offices in Florida. It will be very interesting to see what comes out of this meeting. I haven't heard too much coming out of what will happen to the Kickers. I wouldn't mind seeing them make the move back up to USL-1, but the thought now is going to be to bring a couple teams up from the PDL to USL-2 with Baltimore looking like they are moving up to USL-1, Wilmington may not be able to afford to field a team, and Bermuda possibly folding.

 

[BigE]

Breakaway 2nd-tier league dubs itself the North American Soccer League

Pele may not be suiting up, but the NASL is making a comeback.

Organizers announced Monday that the North American Soccer League, the second division men's professional football league, would begin play this spring.

The original NASL lasted from 1968-84 and briefly made a splash with the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Giorgio Chinaglia and Johan Cruyff.

The new NASL has nine teams: Carolina RailHawks, Atlanta Silverbacks, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact, St. Louis Soccer United, Tampa Bay Rowdies and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/soccer/11/23/nasl.ap/index.html#ixzz0XjlbiWMw