The league that folded more than 20 years ago is set to return, though in name only. The USL breakaway league officially announced Monday that they would revive the name North American Soccer League to use for the new league forming next season.
“By becoming the NASL, we are paying 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 our game in various capacities throughout the U.S. and Canada,” Selby Wellman, owner of the Carolina Railhawks said in a press release.
At this point, there are nine teams in the newly-formed NASL: the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact, St. Louis, Tampa Bay Rowdies and Vancouver Whitecaps. The new league is still waiting for approval from the U.S. Soccer Federation, and will soon appoint a full-time commissioner.
What do you think about the revival of the NASL? Can this league survive? Will it be successful?
Share your thoughts below.
still looks like clip art
1) Soccer is growing in the USA, so this league will definitely be successful as long as its team owners are smart in the outset. 2) The league exists because the owners will now own their league – in USL, the team owners don’t own the league itself … craziest setup I’ve ever heard of.
apparently Montreal and Vancouver will keep a team in NASL, using it as a farm team, but in a different city….
Boo.
There are greater issues regarding promotion and relegation, at this point, than simply the ‘risk’. There are stadium issues as well. How do you promote, into a ‘professional division-I sports league’, a club with a small seating capacities (5K? Less than 10K?) and amateur-level amenities?
Further, losing a huge market like NY, LA, or Chicago could mean drastically reduced revenues and viewership. That costs MLS lots of money at this point.
We are at least ten years away from promotion-relegation. We are likely twenty to thirty years away from it. Sadly.
NASL? Really?
I’m pretty sure that’s the old NASL logo
Imagine the rivalry between USL club and NASL in the open cup.
Mum is the word on the real number of teams in the new league. As stated in an earlier response, both leagues are claiming Tampa Bay Rowdies as a franchise (USL is based in Tampa). Minnesota’s franchise is basically bankrupt. The Thunder released all their players and most of the front office. St Louis only has a franchise on paper (no coach, players, admin, etc.). That’s quite ambitious thinking a team will be ready by the spring. There’s trouble ahead for lower level soccer in the USL and NASL.
can’t have NASL w/o Cosmos!
Goo dgod. There’s never going to be relegation/promotion in the US nor will here be a single table.
I think if they were smart the NASL should join up with the MLS. They know they are going to lose 2 of there teams to the MLS, so now is the time to either make the league the official 2nd division of the the MLS, whether there is relegation or not. They could be like all the Minor league teams in baseball. They will still have there own championship and everything, and if they are connected with the MLS clubs, then they will have more money to help the league grow. Other wise I dont see this league lasting very long, and if things keep going the way they are with the USL, they may fall apart, so they may need to join up with the MLS. So I say in 5 years, you will finally see one major soccer organization.
I really hope these clubs have 100% commitment to make this new league prosper. I really hope they aren’t breaking off just in spite of the USL. I want to see this league be different than the USL from structure to marketing. I don’t want to hear their talk, I want to see it. I would love to read their business plan. I’m not opposed to the new NASL, not one bit, but their motives must be for prosperity of the game and not because the TOA is pissed at USL. I’m curious to see how this all goes down; how the start up is going to work. I’m interested in what the league does, where the league goes when Vancouver, Portland, and potentially Montreal department. I’m all for a “true” 2nd division to MLS but like I said, I want it for all the right reasons not because of bitterness/anger towards the USL. Soccer in North America is on the up and up and I would hate to see failure. Failure is my biggest fear and I pray these group of owners have their proverbial sh** together.
I’d say that it will have to be 15+ years from now. The expansion fees owners paid to be a part of MLS will have to be a distant memory, the teams will all have to be profitable, and there will have to be enough solid teams to have a secondary league that was still good enough to have profitable teams. It’s distant.
How many times does that question need to be answered? It is never going to happen in MLS.
As Wynalda pointed out on the Fox Fone in, it means NY Red Bulls would be relegated just before moving into their new stadium that Red Bull built.
I don’t think so.
DQ – don’t be a downer – think growth and potential !
No negativity – if attacking the logo is all you got then move on! That logo is the roots of alot of soccer in this country.
Ummm, no. They are gone. The USL keeps saying Tampa and CP are contractually obligated to play in USL next year, but as it stands right now, they are intending to play in the NASL next season.
One more thing – that logo is weak, looks like they some clip art from an ancient version of powerpoint.
Blondie, give it up – this is a joke of a league. Before there was the USL, there was the A-League, before that there was the ASL or some such thing, it goes on and on. 9 teams barely makes a league, and as pointed out before, a couple of these will leave for MLS. Inevitably, at least one of these franchises will fold altogether. Meanwhile, as MLS expands and increases its salary cap, there will be even less talent for this league. I’d love to see a farm league where young fringe MLS guys could get minutes, but that would be the most this league could aspire to. As for promotion/relegation, you must be kidding me – NEVER happening.
I keep hearing this argument that the “big owners” wouldn’t allow themsewlvbes to be relegated. But people forget MLS has revenue sharing. There’s no reason to think second division clubs wouldn’t get help from the Mother Corp.
and i forgot about atlanta. another great potential fanbase.
FAIL
This will feed directly into the mls til they eventually get enough teams to force a promotion relegation. 3 of the teams are mls bound if you include montreal. I can see tampa and miami starting to revive the fan base in 5- 10 years. st Louis may finally get the mls team, though i believe kansas city should move to st louis. minnesota and carolina are great fanbases waiting to be exploded. Carolina hosts the college cup. crystal palace Baltimore already has plans for a stadium, but the city wants to build a large one to attract an mls team. Though it may take until 2030 for this to become a reality.
Yes. FIFA recognizes MLS as the top of the US Soccer Pyramid. (and Canada’s for that matter) but of course, the actual Champion of the US is the winner of the US Open Cup, just as the English Champion is the winner of the FA cup, the Spanish Champion the winner of Copa Del Rey, etc…
Those questions you raised about who is the real American Champion is what will drive these 2 leagues to merge into a single table with promotion/relegation.
Screw the Super Classico I want the Holland Tunnel Tussle! RED BULLS vs COSMOS – Dreaming of that Ticket Stub!
Since there is no promotion or relegation, does this league have any relation to those other leagues or are they all independent? I guess MLS champions are considered to be the champions of US soccer, but is it stated somewhere officially that it is the highest league and usl-1 is inferior to it? And where does this new league fit in? If a team wins the NASL, can it claim to be the US champion? Or are there two second level leagues at the same time?
Do they have play-offs?
It’s kind of cool, in a retro kind of way. I remember going to Chicago Sting games as a kid and always have had a fond memory of those days. I actually got to meet Lee Stern and talk to him about it.
I don’t know how long this league will last with its most “successful” franchises waiting to join MLS.
I hope it does well in its respective markets and that MLS works out a working partnership with it, unlike the USL.
It might seem a bit off-topic, but I think a big reason for MLS growth was their exclusive deal with Adidas. If NASL (or USL for that matter) wants to stay afloat, they should look for something similar. American sports fans are very much uniform-centric, and a good looking kit from Nike for each NASL team would do wonders for marketing this as an “MLS alternative.”
I’d buy a T-shirt.
Is this going to eventually lead to promotion and relegation for MLS clubs? I hope so at some point. The more soccer, the better. If something isn’t working right then fix it. You gotta fight for your right to play.
Tampa will play in 2011 in the NASL, but has already paid to play in the USL for 2010
I bet the NY Cosmos are next!
Within 5 years this will be MLS2
All I’m gonna say is pretty much every league in this country has had it’s nemesis! WHA(NHL)-AFL(NFL)-ABL(NBA)
This is the best possible thing that could ever happen to soccer in this country, especially the way USL teams have performed against MLS in the past.
I hope this leads to a single table 20 team league MLS or NASL with a 10 Team Second Division with 2 team promotion/relegation system.
the excitement this would generate would = The Wild Card System in the NFL and MLB. Think of it a whole city banded together for 1 day rooting there team on for a possible promotion – Priceless!
They need a team from California.
What, no Cosmos?
I don’t see it in our lifetimes. Why would the owners risk their place in the top flight now?
Exactly. The St. Louis ownership group is the same that has been bidding to get an MLS franchise, so I imagine that unless these teams (like Vancouver) want to keep a NASL team as a reserve squad, they’ll try to conitnually replace teams when necessary.
If that’s the case USL could be screwed as MLS would probably form a pretty close working relationship with the league. They need to bust out some retro jerseys for this league for sure.
I’m confused, will there be a Tampa Bay Rowdies team playing in both the USL and the NASL?
will relegation and promotion ever happen in US soccer?
they need to add richmond!
If they put a team in So. Cal. I’d show up, especially if this whole Sampson to ChivasUSA thing comes true. I just don’t think I could stomach that…
More soccer….is good for soccer ! A perfect place to play for the no extinct “reserve” players.
9 teams….yawn
Off Topic- but when are the protected players lists going to be released? As a Union fan I have checked this site, the union site and MLSnet about 100 times today.
I think it could work out as a feeder to MLS. Montreal and Vancouver are leaving but I think they could still have a team in the NASL. There is no reserve league in MLS. It could give guys in MLS a chance to play but also foster any upcoming talent.
They will be losing Montreal and Vancouver in the coming years to MLS. I think it can still work. “Work” depends on what you feel the goals are for the league.
Just make sure you bring that sweet looking ball back!
I imagine this league will likely serve as a staging point for teams making the jump to MLS. MLS would be well-served to figure out a farm-system if this league becomes viable.
stupid, especially since 2 of the members are jumping ship to MLS in a year or 2.