The National Premier Soccer League is joining the ranks of professional soccer.
The national amateur league will launch a pro league in the summer of 2019 with eleven founding members, all of which were members of its amateur circuit in the last year.
The new league will play an abbreviated schedule from August to November next year in what the league is calling the Founders Cup. A full league schedule, possibly with additional teams, will follow in the spring of 2020.
“We are very excited to bring a new brand of community-based soccer to the U.S. market,” said NPSL Chairman Joe Barone. “Beginning with the Founders Cup, fans will be able to enjoy watching authentic clubs compete with professional players and staff. This new venture will build upon the success and experience of NPSL and its nationwide network of local soccer club members.”
The eleven teams to compete for the Founders Cup and join the full league when it begins are ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC, Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, FC Arizona, Miami FC, Miami United FC, Milwaukee Torrent, New York Cosmos, and Oakland Roots.
Two of the founding members, the New York Cosmos and Miami FC, were part of the NASL during its final season in 2017 and fielded teams in the NPSL last year.
The official format of the Founders Cup, along with roster rules and other league information, will be revealed later this winter.
The NPSL is a nationwide amateur league that serves as a developmental competition for many college players throughout the country. It also features adult amateurs that are no longer in college, but still wish to play at a semi-professional level.
California United Strikers FC. There’s a mouthful. I don’t know what the league structure/travel will look like but I don’t see CAL FC, CUSFC, or ASC San Diego drawing very well.
Lol stuff.
Anybody knows about Mr. Motta’s income ? or the source of? and of course of Mr Barone..
What exactly is a “new brand of community-based soccer”? What is so new about what they’re going to be doing, as opposed to any other league? And what is community based soccer anyway? I mean, every team that’s ever played in every league that’s ever existed has played in a community, with offices in a community, so how is this going to be any different?
And what makes these NPSL clubs so authentic and, really, what does that even mean?
Is this just code for we’re going to continue as an amateur league, but now we’re going to call ourselves professional?
Why? Why are American leagues so intent on competing with one another rather than building within the existing structure so as to strengthen both the new clubs and the infrastructure we already have? I don’t understand this stupid bullshit that keeps going on. I will not be supporting this group without a better explanation of their intentions and some practicable way that they can coexist with what’s already there. This sounds like the NASL saying they want to challenge MLS again…. Just dumb.
Not only dumb but stupid.Did you know who’s behind the league: Rocco Commisso
(Cosmos) Riccardo Silva (Miami F.C.) and Joe Barone ( Brooklyn Italians)