BY DYLAN BUTLER
New York City will be getting a professional soccer team to call its own and it has nothing to do with Major League Soccer's possible expansion to the five boroughs or the New York Mets.
FC New York LLC, a New York City-based ownership group, has purchased a United Soccer Leagues First Division franchise and the club will make its debut for the 2010 season, according to numerous sources.
An official announcement to bring "the world's greatest sport to the world's greatest city" is expected in early April.
For the 2010 season, the club will call Hofstra University home, as was the case for the Long Island Rough Riders during its heyday in the 1990s. There are also plans to play games at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island and Baker Field at Columbia University, according to sources.
After that, sources say, the organization is looking to build a soccer-specific stadium in Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the country. The stadium would seat 9,000, but could be expanded to house another 9,000 if the situation dictated. A possible site would be the area by John F. Kennedy International Airport.
With future MLS stars like Tony Meola and Giovanni Savarese, the Long Island Rough Riders were the last professional team in New York. The Staten Island Vipers were the last club in the five boroughs, playing in the A-League in the late 90s.
As has been the case throughout the USL, there is talk of a partnership with an international club. The Austin Aztex, an expansion team that will play in the USL-1 this season, has a partnership with Mexican club Monterrey and its owner has a share of Stoke City, sources say Pachuca is on the verge of purchasing a club that will likely play in Orlando, Fla., and English side Crystal Palace owns Crystal Palace Baltimore, a USL-2 side that is looking to move up to USL-1 as early as next season.
An agreement with an English-based professional team could be announced as early as April 1.
What do you think of these developments? Are you excited to see a USL-1 team play in a soccer-specific stadium in Queens? Share your thoughts below.
I am looking forward to seeing Puerto Rico Islanders visit NY (a lot closer than going to Puerto Rico or anyplace else that they currently visit since Richmond dropped down to USL2 and VA Beach Mariners got swallowed up by Davy Jones Locker).
Seeing your new club play DC United and Crystal Palace Baltimore USOC games would be cool, to.
Not trying to be a killjoy but…
Crystal Palace USA (Baltimore) does not actually own the USL2 side; they have a partnership mostly based on the allowed use of the brand.
Crystal Palace (parent) will play another exhibition in Baltimore again this summer (the first one was about 4 years ago).
The first season, the sent 3 players over to us (none of which did anything more than the regular squad players did that much but there were some injuries).
A couple Palace players have gotten looks from the home side.
If you go on the “parent club’ website then you can access info about our club here in B’more just like you can the Crystal Palace Ladies.
So there is an official, “little brother” type relationship, no doubt–but to the very best of my knowledge, they do not own the club here.
Let’s not forget Syracuse. They had a thriving team for a while as well.
I’m glad that USL is expanding:
Baltimore and Cleveland were good additions.
Now Cleveland and Austin make the jump to USL1 this year while Tampa and NY join the following year.
That is why I’m not too worried about MLS sucking up some many prime USL1 teams. There’s plenty more good candidate cities in US/Canada:
The sprawling LA could use another team in West LA (well away from Carson), San Fran, San Diego, Phoenix, Ottowa, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Atlanta could come back in 2010 as well.
USL should do fine in the long run. MLS will stop at 20 teams.
North Jersey is part of the NY metro area/TV&radio market. That’s obvious because nearly all of the TV in North Jersey is based in NYC, same for radio. It is also true because both NY NFL teams, an NBA team and an NHL team that cater to the big dollars of The City have all been based in North Jersey.
If you listen to people’s language that live in the area they don’t talk about going to the city and mean Newark, Bayonne or Wycoff (never spelled that before), they mean the BOUROUGHS.
You live in/around the largest metro area in the USA, learn to accept it.
Anyone who says that Uptown (218th) is not “real New York City” can come up here and say that to my face. If you take 10 ppl from here and 10 ppl from your hipster hood…I’d bet ALL the 10 from Inwood would be born and raised New Yorkers. Real hard-working dudes. You’d be lucky if you didn’t have 1 that wasn’t a New England daddy’s boy getting “rent-checks” for a living.
If you don’t like this ‘hood, then stop claiming:
-Manny Ramirez’s NYC roots
-Jim Carroll’s Basketball Diaries (about Inwood)
-Pedro Alvarez (played in Inwood LL) going 2nd overall last year in MLB Draft
-The predecessor to the Yankees -> The New York Highlanders
-Kareem Abdul Jabbar (200th) growing up in NYC
-Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (212st) Broadway play that won Best Musical
I wouldn’t expect anything more from a person who supports MegaCorporation New York. This is and will always be a people’s club. Something thats extra special in these economic times.
It would be nice to see a coaching duo of Jim Rooney and Chris Armas take part in this team. Some of the Rough Rider legends!
Give them a normal name please, don’t continue to make us a laughing stock with another ridiculous name
This is really great news for the city. The Hofstra situation isn’t so good, but at least its only for a year. By, the way, who is going to be paying for this new stadium???
The Cosmos name must return to New York soccer at some point. Unfortunately it’s probably still too high priced to appear in USL (unlike the Rowdies who are coming back in 2010). Don’t underestimate the power of the Cosmos name – it’s still widely recognized around the world which is more than you can say for any MLS club (yes, even the Galaxy).
And no, it’s far too soon for most of the Cosmos fans to be “dying”. What an infinitely asinine comment. Seriously, it’s only been a quarter century; NASL crowds were very young on average and most of them are nowhere near old age yet.
The Cosmos name is most definitely worth something – I expect a second MLS team in New York (owned by Wilpon/the Mets and possibly co-owned by Beckham) would find the Cosmos name a very powerful marketing tool.
In the meantime, a USL team in the New York area is a good thing, though really Long Island does not count as anywhere in New York City proper.
I wish this team would have been in existence when I lived on Long Island. Getting to the Meadowlands from the Island was an all day journey. It just wasn’t worth the trip to see a losing team play on fake grass with football lines in an empty cavern. I’m happy for my friends who still live there though!
Hey NTC soccer fans, support this team and you get into MLS. If not you dont!!!!!!!
New York City SC…embrace it already
Congrats to NYC for getting a team of their own. Hopefully this team will do well enough to justify an MLS team in the future and would be a great Trans-Hudson rival for the Redbulls. About the possible locations I have to agree with the others on this site. Columbia University would definately be the most favorable location or even Brooklyn or Queens. Also, doesn’t NYC have some minor league soccer teams in the area already like the Westchester Flames, LOng Island RoughRiders, etc. Are these teams well supported? If not, then why?
@ dave clark
Metrostars/Redbull cater to NJ because that is their bread and butter, 75% of redbull fans hail from jersey! how is that a NYC market! i have not sceen an ad or anything( before last year) marketing this team at all, and i live in queens! this is great news for NYC soccer, and playing in both LI and in the city will unite both markets and make this club grow
218th St. barely qualifies as “in the city”…don’t be hatin’ on my hood. This is as city as it gets
This is wonderful news,,when Nike purchased the USL one year ago next week any sports nut would figure beeter days were ahead for the league. Can anyone thing of a better sports marketing firm that the people in Beaverton. I am from the west coast and New York needs this. I drive from Brooklyn Heights..where do we get info on tickets and do you think they’ll have local try-outs
as an original LIer, but current Queens resident, i’m happy with this either way… mass transit all the way, LIRR is my friend as are all subways and buses
this is GREAT news!!!.most of you moan this that and the other thing. This is great for queens-folk I want my season ticket! I want viva FC NEWYORK
As a Jersey Boy (and damn proud of it) I am sick and tired of all the NYC people talking about how much they disassociate with/hate NJ. I know how proud new yorkers can be, but if they don’t admit they have more in common culturally with northern NJ than they do with the actual state of New York… then you’re just lying to yourselves.
I wish the MLS just gave New York a team, and New Jersey a separate team. But there’s no chance of a united Jersey fan base now that Philly is coming into the mix. (south jersey supports philly, north jersey supports nyc) Its a pity, a unified Jersey fan base would have been fantastic.
That said, i’m happy for the NYC guys who have been clamoring for an MLS team for a while now. This path to the MLS through the USL seems to be the smart way to go
Other sites in Queens could be the Met Oval (which I’ve never been to) or St. John’s soccer stadium in Jamaica but the Met Oval is a little bit closer to the train. I doubt the City would be open to building a soccer stadium for a 2nd division team so I think the Met Oval or St. John’s are better options. Queens ethic strongholds are really in Elmhurst, Jackson-Heights, and Flushing so the owners need to keep that in mind. Hofstra University is a few miles outside of NYC lines and is really only accessible by car and Long Island transit buses. I do like the idea of Columbia University but I’ve never been to their soccer stadium.
although i support TFC and the MLS i think its still great news, curious to see how well it does
So many tired arguments in here.
People get all excited because 2 USL-1 teams did well in a single tournament, ignoring that MLS teams beat USL teams at nearly a 70% rate over a decade. A single tourney does not make a trend.
Also
“NYC market – ???? – check”
People who insist that Red Bull isn’t in the NYC market don’t have a fricking clue what a market is.
And about USL v MLS pay. Yes bench players in MLS can make more money in USL than MLS, but when a USL team actually has an Angel, Keller, GBS, vdB, Huckerby on the club let me know.
@Becker
‘Zactly. Though I actually live in Pawling, so I may have a problem supporting a club in Poughquag.
@Becker –
‘Zactly. Though I’m in Pawling, so I may have problems supporting a team located in Poughquag. ;-))
Sonicdeathmonkey you are crazy USL dont have money they are happy getting 5k fans per game how can a team go down a division
Matt-
Poughquag FC? HAHAHAHA
Go USL-1!
What took so long to figure out the play was NOT MLS but USL…..or has anyone bothered to see how far teams in the USL have gone in CONCAF cup play…..Puerto Rican Islanders and Montreal Impact…..this is NOT a good move but a GREAT move!!!
God some of you people are just ridiculous. How hard is it to get on the bloody PATH train and walk 5 minutes to the new stadium?
Personally I’m not supporting a team until they locate one in Southeastern Dutchess County. 😉
Come on, that’s not New York. Get back to me when I can root for a team in Manhattan, Astoria, Brooklyn Heights or somewhere that I can get to without an hours worth of annoying travel.
That’s just as far away as Red Bulls, just in the other direction.
I’d love to see MLS and USL have a formal and friendly relationship like the Premier and Champions leagues do. My guess is that’s exactly what will happen, but it’s 5-10 years off.
Once MLS can get to about 20 stable teams and a salary cap more in the $4mil to $6mil range, I think relegation could be added.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that the leagues are competing in a win/loose sense. We’re just measuring the steady progress of MLS against the standard set by the USL. And, if we’re really lucky we’ll someday be able to compete seriously against Mexico and the rest of CONCACAF. It’s all good.
Again I’ll say this, USL1 can compete in any market, they just need to do it right. Look at Montreal for the perfect example. If Miami, New York City, Atlanta and all those other cities followed suit they would have staying power and be workable. If they keep sharing stadiums and being obviously minor league they will keep folding.
It should be Brooklyn or Queens-based. The boroughs are dying for a footie club. Call it the Brooklyn Gunners (which is a men’s club in the borough right now and has ties to the fact a battle in the Revolutionary War took place there). In any case I think this is good. MLS and USL1 clubs scrimmage a lot and I think it will be good for both clubs. I will support both clubs but may support this club if the tickets are cheaper. MLS needs to figure out better marketing. Hire me!
A good move by USL.
My source tells me FC Tuzos will begin play next season in Orlando also.
Tuzos owned by Pachuca is likely to replace Miami FC which could be folded as early as this weekend.
New York and Tampa Bay will also begin play next year and will ostensibly replace Portland and Vancouver.
Atlanta may return per my source if the leadership and direction of USL changes, whatever the heck that means.
To be truly honest, until BROOKLYN gets a professional team – USL 1 (Not PDL) or MLS- i will watch the red bulls and this USL NYC. BROOKLYN REPRESENT!!!!
Posted by: Christopher Davis | March 13, 2009 at 05:12 PM
+1
As they are playing at Hofstra, show some respect to the highway that built the Island, they are L.I.E. FC. Done.
And, I can walk to baker field from my apartment (have done it, actually), but I can’t wait until they play there, and everyone complains about there being zero parking and that traffic on the Deegan makes it inaccesible, because ‘certain people’ are afraid of riding the A-Train through the hood. Massive.
Would L.I.E. FC and PR qualify as an ‘Islander’ Derby?
A couple of thoughts:
Miami will fold by season’s end if not sooner. If Portland and Vancouver move on, there could be a big problem looming for the USL, and merging USL1 and USL2 would not be welcomed by all clubs (nor as easy as it might seem). So they need as many new franchises as they can get and I think they have been working hard for that. This economy isn’t helping that situation.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Reyna was able to secure some backing from new rich Man City for the NYC club. Just a hunch.
The USL / MLS competition is healthy and will allow for this to evolve into something great years from now, but I agree USL gets screwed on developing talent, as MLS refuses to set the precedent for high transfer fees for USL players.
USL’s success in the CCL has been a blessing, it continues to gain the attention and provide credibility to foreign investment.
If USL is really serious about competing with MLS like Marcos and Saputo are making so much noise about, they should absolutely buy the rights to the name and bring the NY Cosmos back in USL.
that would be some juicy news indeed…
Viva Cosmos Zombies!
Great news. Bring them to Baker Field. They’d have me as a season ticket holder.
Chros,
Columbia has it’s own SSS independent of American Football. No conflicts there. Hofstra…conflicts.
To be truly honest, until BROOKLYN gets a professional team – USL 1 (Not PDL) or MLS- i will watch the red bulls and this USL NYC. BROOKLYN REPRESENT!!!!
Northzax,
Please do research before stating stupidity. Many American soccer players choose USL over MLS because of stupid contract issues. Why struggle for playing time for $20,000/year when you can make 3x that and play 90 mins? Obviously you know about the CONCACAF Champions League, and you obviously know about the massive buzz three USL (or former USL teams) have this year. If PDX and Van get bids, they will almost instantly become the most profitable teams along with Seattle (do you know where they played last year too?). USL -> MLS route is the most successful way to go. I think no one hear wants MLS to fail. This is an adequate step to promo/releg and an MLS franchise. STL should join on too. US Soccer in general seems to be falling into the right place.
No Beckhmam – check
No Barca Miami – check
NYC market – ???? – check
They honestly shouldn’t even bother if they aren’t going to do it right from the start. If they put the proper investment into the team and had a personal, intimate stadium right from the start I would be optimistic.
Putting a minor league team in some college football stadium isn’t going to convince anybody that they are worth supporting.
are there even any teams left in USL after Vancover and Portland jump ship?”
Um how about the Montreal Impact and Puerto Rico Islanders – both making more than a spectacular show for the USL in the Concacaf Champions League
Within the next 3-4 years USL-1 will probably have more teams and a more solid league than ML$
Posted by: Pasion Naranja | March 13, 2009 at 03:30 PM
ok, that was flat out funny. in 3-4 years, MLS will have 18 teams, assuming two join in 2011. USL-1, if al four teams join as expected, will have 15, assuming the Timbers and Whitecaps don’t join MLS. if they do, they’ll have 13. one MLS franchise is worth more than the entirety of USL-1 (the league currently values USL expansion fees at $1m US.
yes, USL is a good thing to push MLS, but to call them even close to equivalent is ridiculous. how many players have been cut by MLS and now play for USL? I can think of five or six in the past two years from DCU alone. now how many have been cut by a USL team and now play in MLS? I thought so.
spurs have a deal with san jose, so no, that wont happen. however, hank steinbrenner was offered a chance to buy spurs a few years back but turned it down, and he publically admits that he regrets turning the deal down. look for hank to be the next owner of spurs.
why cant the new ny team play at the cyclones ballpark on coney island temporarily? call them the “brooklyn wanderers”… that name has real history
Will this make the Borough Boys shut up?
Good luck getting a stadium built. It’s not that easy.
Also, please let the Cosmos RIP. An MLS team couldn’t live up to the name, much less a USL-1 team. Just get over it already.
Hugo:
They would have to get out of their present arrangement with San Jose first.
As far as “the area by John F. Kennedy International Airport”, if it’s accessible by the A train then OK.
Tottenham already has a working relationship with San Jose and is working on developing it further. I see Fulham and West “Mia” Hamm United wanting to align with MLS very soon.
Yes Baker or Icahn. Icahn seems like it’s unused 95% of the time (and I could walk there)