North American Soccer League (2011)

North American Soccer League (2011)
North American Soccer League
Countries  United States
 Canada
 Puerto Rico
Confederation CONCACAF
Founded 2009
Number of teams 8
Levels on pyramid 2 (US), 2 (CA)
Promotion to None
Relegation to None
Domestic cup(s) Canadian Championship
Canadian team only
Current champions Minnesota Stars (1st title)
(2011)
Most championships Minnesota Stars (1 title)
Website nasl.com
2011 North American Soccer League season

The North American Soccer League (NASL) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began league play on April 9, 2011.[1] It has been provisionally sanctioned as the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer in the hierarchy for the 2011 season. It also fills this role in Canada and Puerto Rico.

The league was founded in late 2009 after multiple teams broke away from the United Soccer Leagues organization following the sale of USL to NuRock Soccer Holdings earlier that year.[2] The official name of the league was announced on November 23, 2009.[3]

The inaugural season was expected to begin play in April 2010,[4] but the United States Soccer Federation refused to sanction the new league.[5] In January 2010, the USSF elected to operate an interim USSF Division 2 Professional League for the 2010 season,[6] comprising twelve teams from both the NASL and USL-1.

Following NASL's annual general meeting, the league announced its formal application to the USSF for Division 2 sanctioning in the United States on November 11, 2010[7] and was provisionally approved by the USSF on November 21, 2010. NASL began regular league play April 9, 2011 with eight members comprising former clubs from the USL First Division, the USL Second Division, plus expansion franchises, with plans in place for at least two additional clubs by 2013.[8] The provisional sanctioning was revoked by the USSF in January due to the collapse of two of the ownership groups involved with NASL and serious questions about several others.[9] On February 12, 2011 the USSF again granted provisional sanctioning for the 2011 season for Division 2 play.[10]

Contents

Competition format

NASL league play debuted on April 9, 2011 with 8 teams playing a 28 game regular season schedule, with 14 home and 14 away games, playing each opponent four times. The NASL’s playoff format will consist of the top six teams, with the first two teams receiving a bye until the semi-final round and the remaining four teams playing in a single-game playoff to advance to the semi-finals. The semi-finals and the finals will each consist of a two-game home and home aggregate goal system.[8]

History

On August 27, 2009, multi-national sports company Nike agreed to sell their stake in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) to Rob Hoskins and Alec Papadakis of Atlanta-based NuRock Soccer Holdings, instead of to the USL Team Owner's Association (TOA), a group comprising the owners of several USL First Division clubs and St. Louis Soccer United.

After the purchase, several prominent TOA members began to voice their concerns about the state of the league in general, its management structure and ownership model, the leadership of USL president Francisco Marcos, and about the sale of the league to NuRock, which the TOA felt was counter-productive and detrimental to the development of the league. Within several weeks, a number of TOA member clubs threatened to break away from USL and start their own league; this threat became official on November 10, 2009, when six USL-1 clubs along with St. Louis applied for approval to create a new North American Division 2 league.[11] On November 20, 2009, one team from both USL-1 and USL-2 announced their intentions to join the new league.,[12] taking the membership of the new league to nine teams.

The official name of the league was announced on November 23, 2009.[3] According to the official press release, the NASL name is intended to "pay respect to the players, coaches and leaders who were pioneers for men's professional soccer in North America, many of whom remain involved and committed to the growth of the game in various capacities throughout the U.S. and Canada". Prior to the announcement of the league's name, it had been unofficially referred to in the media as the "TOA League", after the USL Team Owners Association (TOA) members who founded the league.

Following the controversial 2010 season which saw neither the USL First Division or the NASL receive Division 2 sanctioning from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) (resulting in the temporary USSF Division 2 Pro League), the league consolidated its member franchises to meet the new Division 2 standards set out by the USSF. The NASL submitted its formal application for Division 2 sanctioning to the USSF on November 11, 2010 [7] and was provisionally approved by the Federation November 21, 2010.[8]

The U.S. Soccer Board of Directors provisionally sanctioned the North American Soccer League (NASL) to operate a Division 2 men’s outdoor professional soccer league in the United States on February 12, 2011.[13]

The first official NASL season began April 9, 2011.[8]

Championships

NASL Trophy Winners
Season NASL Championship Series Regular Season
2011 Minnesota Stars Carolina RailHawks[14]

Teams

North American Soccer League (2011) is located in North America
RailHawks
FC Edmonton
FC Tampa Bay
Locations of teams for the 2011 NASL season

The following teams had intended to take part in the inaugural season of the new NASL in 2010[15] before the USSF refused to sanction the new league.

The Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps all played in the USL First Division in 2009, and comprise the set of TOA teams that initiated the original breakaway from the USL. The Rochester Rhinos, also formerly of the USL First Division, were not part of the initial breakaway, but joined the league on November 30, 2009. FC Tampa Bay were scheduled to be a 2010 USL-1 expansion franchise, but switched to the NASL shortly after the league was officially formed. Crystal Palace Baltimore played in the USL Second Division in 2009, and joined the NASL at the same time as Tampa. The Atlanta Silverbacks last played competitively in USL-1 in 2008, and spent 2009 on hiatus from the league prior to joining the NASL. St. Louis Soccer United is the parent company of AC St. Louis, and was part of the initial TOA group that formed the league.

FC Edmonton began play during the inaugural league match, defeating the Ft Lauderdale Strikers 2-1, after the Vancouver Whitecaps moved to Major League Soccer. Also, the Minnesota Thunder ceased operations due to financial problems, and were replaced by a team owned by the National Sports Center in the Twin Cities suburb of Blaine, Minnesota known as the NSC Minnesota Stars.

On October 4, 2010, NASL announced that San Antonio, Texas was awarded the 12th franchise. The team, will be mostly owned by former real estate developer Gordon Hartman and will play at the South Texas Area Regional Soccer Complex (STAR Complex), which is located in north central San Antonio, adjacent to Morgan's Wonderland. Named the San Antonio Scorpions FC, the team will begin competition during the 2012 season.[16]

As of October 25, 2010, the Rochester Rhinos had switched league allegiance again, returning to USL to join the new USL Pro League for 2011.[17][18]

Following the conclusion of the 2010 NASL Annual general meeting, the league announced its formal bid to the USSF for Division 2 sanctioning with the required minimum eight teams, including the NSC Minnesota Stars and the revived Atlanta Silverbacks.[7] With provisional approval for the league to begin play in 2011, eight clubs were officially confirmed to launch the inaugural season: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, FC Edmonton, Miami FC (since renamed Fort Lauderdale Strikers), Montreal Impact, NSC Minnesota Stars, Puerto Rico Islanders & FC Tampa Bay.[8]

The league had left open the possibility of adding additional franchises prior to the inaugural season, including the return of AC St. Louis, while expansion has been planned for San Antonio, Texas in 2012. Crystal Palace Baltimore stated intentions to join the league for the 2012 season under a new name and structure, following a re-branding and re-organization of the club in 2011.[19] NASL has yet to announce whether Baltimore will officially return to the league.

On June 20, 2011, NASL officially announced that Ottawa, Ontario has been granted an expansion franchise. The team will begin play in either 2013 or 2014, pending the refurbishment of Frank Clair Stadium.[20]

2012 Teams

Team City Stadium Founded Joined Color Head Coach
Atlanta Silverbacks Atlanta, GA Atlanta Silverbacks Park 1995 2011[21] Red, Black, White Honduras Alex Pineda Chacón
Carolina RailHawks Cary, NC WakeMed Soccer Park 2006 2010 Orange, Blue, White Vacant
FC Edmonton Edmonton, AB Foote Field 2010 2011[22] Blue, White Netherlands Harry Sinkgraven
Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale, FL Lockhart Stadium 2006 2010 Yellow, Red, Black United States Daryl Shore
NSC Minnesota Stars Blaine, MN National Sports Center 2010 2010 Blue, Gold United States Manny Lagos
Puerto Rico Islanders Bayamón, PR Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium 2003 2011 Orange, White, Sky Blue Northern Ireland Colin Clarke
San Antonio Scorpions[16] San Antonio, TX Heroes Stadium 2010 2012 Red, Black. Gold United States Tim Hankinson
FC Tampa Bay St. Petersburg, FL Progress Energy Park 2008 2010 Green, Gold England Ricky Hill

Expansion teams

Team City Stadium Founded Joining Colors Head Coach Refs
Ottawa Ottawa, ON Frank Clair Stadium 2011 2013/2014 TBA TBA [20]

Former teams

Staff

The following individuals were named as members of the NASL's front office in a press release on November 10, 2009.[15]

  • Selby Wellman - President
  • Joey Saputo - Chairman of the Board of Governors
  • David Downs - Commissioner [23]

Wellman is the American co-owner of the Carolina RailHawks. Saputo is Canadian businessman and sports executive, currently chairman of Montreal Impact.

Controversy

The USL issued several press releases questioning the legality of the teams choosing to break away, suggesting that it considered litigation to protect its interests and those of the USL-1 teams from any breach of contract.[24] The USL also claimed that the NASL and the TOA ownership group was "tortuously [sic] interfering with USL-1 team owners that are contractually obligated to participate in the 2010 season" and "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".[25]

The NASL disagreed with the USL assessment, and the USL did not file suit against the new league as a whole. The USL sued three of the constituent teams (Crystal Palace Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Rochester) for breach of contract, claiming that the teams had committed to playing in USL in 2010.[26][27]

In January 2010, after announcing that it would not sanction either the NASL or the USL First Division for 2010, the USSF announced that it would be running a second-tier league in 2010, putting the NASL on hold for at least a year. The USSF Division 2 Professional League included teams from both the NASL and USL-1.

Controversy continued to surround both the NASL and the USL through the 2010 temporary USSF D-2 Pro League season and in the lead up a 2011 compromise on Tier 2 and Tier 3 soccer in the United States, as the leagues have fought for the loyalty of various clubs. Most recently, USL's Puerto Rico Islanders joined NASL, while a founding member of the NASL, the Rochester Rhinos, returned to the USL in October.

See also

References

  1. ^ "FC Edmonton wins first-ever NASL game". The Soccer Room. 2011-04-10. http://thesoccerroom.com/?p=25480. Retrieved 2011-10-07. 
  2. ^ Hayes, Pete (2009-11-23). "The NASL is Returning". The Telegraph. http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/nasl-33446-returing-.html. Retrieved 2011-10-07. 
  3. ^ a b "New Men’s Second Division Professional Soccer League Announces Name: North American Soccer League". Carolinarailhawks.com. http://www.carolinarailhawks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=793&Itemid=141. Retrieved 2011-10-07. 
  4. ^ "It’s not MLS, but St. Louis gets an outdoor men’s pro soccer team". stltoday.com. 2009-11-10. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/soccer/article_49a24966-3fba-54ef-8c27-c6e46c630c55.html/. Retrieved 2010-10-21. 
  5. ^ "Whitecaps 2010 soccer season in jeopardy". The Vancouver Sun. 2009-12-30. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:qjSNWX1O7vQJ:www.vancouversun.com/sports/Whitecaps%2B2010%2Bsoccer%2Bseason%2Bjeopardy/2392924/story.html&strip=1. Retrieved 2010-10-21. 
  6. ^ "US Soccer Federation To Oversee Combined NASL/USL League". Goal.com. 2010-01-07. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/66/united-states/2010/01/07/1731779/us-soccer-federation-to-oversee-combined-naslusl-league. Retrieved 2010-01-08. 
  7. ^ a b c "NASL Concludes AGM and Finalizes USSF Application". www.nasl.com. 2010-11-11. http://www.nasl.com/article/nasl-concludes-successful-agm-and-finalizes-ussf-application. Retrieved 2010-11-11. 
  8. ^ a b c d e "NASL Provisionally Sanctioned by USSF". www.nasl.com. 2010-11-21. http://www.nasl.com/article/nasl-provisionally-sanctioned-by-ussf. Retrieved 2010-11-23. 
  9. ^ Wittmann, Gerry (2011-01-25). "NASL Taking Proactive Stance on Schedule Announcement". insidemnsoccer.com. http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2011/01/25/nasl-taking-pro-active-stance-on-schedule-announcement/comment-page-1/. Retrieved 2011-02-15. 
  10. ^ "NASL Provisionally Sanctioned by USSF for 2011". www.nasl.com. 2011-02-12. http://nasl.com/article/nasl-provisionally-sanctioned-by-ussf-for-2011. Retrieved 2011-02-15. 
  11. ^ "Teams Split From USL-1; To Form New League In 2010". Goal.com. 2009-11-10. http://goal.com/en-us/news/66/united-states/2009/11/10/1616579/teams-split-from-usl-1-to-form-new-league-in-2010. Retrieved 2009-11-20. 
  12. ^ "Palace Join New Professional Soccer League". Crystal Palace USA. 2009-11-20. http://www.crystalpalaceusa.com/home/378338.html. Retrieved 2009-11-20. 
  13. ^ "NASL Provisionally Sanctioned as Division 2 Professional League for 2011". ussoccer.com. 2011-02-12. http://www.ussoccer.com/News/USSF-D2-Pro-League/2011/NASL-Provisionally-Sanctioned-as-Division-2-Professional-League-for-2011.aspx. Retrieved 2011-03-31. 
  14. ^ "2011". Carolinarailhawks.com. http://carolinarailhawks.com/index.php?id=111&newsid=1339. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
  15. ^ a b "TOA forms new league for 2010". Whitecaps FC. 2009-11-10. http://www.whitecapsfc.com/archive/feature11100901.aspx. Retrieved 2009-11-20. [dead link]
  16. ^ a b Oliver, Richard (April 10, 2010). "S.A. gets professional soccer team". mysanantonio.com. http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/North_American_Soccer_League_coming_to_SA_104308314.html?showFullArticle=y. Retrieved October 25, 2010. 
  17. ^ "Rochester Rhinos Back in USL". www.uslsoccer.com. 2010-10-25. http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/476335.html. Retrieved 2010-10-28. 
  18. ^ "NASL Continues to Build on Strong Foundation". www.nasl.com. 2010-10-28. http://www.nasl.com/article/nasl-continues-to-build-on-strong-foundation. Retrieved 2010-11-11. 
  19. ^ "Crystal Palace Baltimore to Sit Out 2011 Season". www.nasl.com. 2010-12-03. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=152. Retrieved 2011-06-20. 
  20. ^ a b Starnes, Richard (2011-06-20). "Ottawa lands pro soccer franchise". Ottawacitizen.com. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Ottawa+lands+soccer+franchise/4975117/story.html. Retrieved 2011-10-07. [dead link]
  21. ^ [1][dead link]
  22. ^ "Article". canada.com. http://www.canada.com/sports/Edmonton+lined+soccer+franchise/2289284/story.html. Retrieved 2011-10-07. 
  23. ^ "David Downs Named NASL Commissioner | North American Soccer League". Nasl.com. 2011-03-28. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=234. Retrieved 2011-10-07. 
  24. ^ "USL Statement regarding USL-1". United Soccer Leagues. 2009-11-10. http://usl1.uslsoccer.com/home/381192.html. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  25. ^ "USL statement regarding Tampa, Baltimore". United Soccer Leagues. 2009-11-20. http://usl1.uslsoccer.com/home/383511.html. Retrieved 2009-11-20. 
  26. ^ "news from USL". Thekartikreport.wordpress.com. 2009-12-09. http://thekartikreport.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/breaking-news-usl-sues-rochester-rhinos-tampa-bay-and-baltimore-for-breach-of-contract/. Retrieved 2011-10-07. 
  27. ^ "official website However on December 21, 2009 the suits were dropped in favor of binding arbitration.[http://www.impactmontreal.com/images/NewsArticleAttachments/TOA%20Press%20Release%2011.10.09.pdf Press release announcing formation of new league". Uslnews.com. http://www.uslnews.com/. Retrieved 2011-10-07. 

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