[photo by Karl Fisher]

• by Nick McJannet, writing from Charlotte, NC

Minor league soccer in the US is a fragile animal. A glance at the catalog of teams that have come and gone over the last quarter century is mind-boggling, and not a little depressing. Though they gain credit for keeping some semblance of soccer alive between the demise of NASL 1.0 and the rise of MLS, a large portion of blame for this fragility must be leveled at the United Soccer Leagues (USL). Huge, indefensible franchise fees, non-existent marketing, meaningless competitions, and a complete inability to comprehend fan culture have all contributed to a toxic environment for teams struggling to gain a foothold in their local communities. So when a group of USL team owners decided to make a break for freedom in 2009 by resurrecting the NASL brand, I, like many other minor-league fans, was ecstatic.

In spite of a promising start, it is fair to say that one year after its resurrection, the NASL dream has lost some of its luster. Of the original nine teams that founded the new league, only five will return in 2011. One of those teams, the Montreal Impact, will leave at the end of the 2011 campaign to join MLS, following in the footsteps of fellow Canadians the Vancouver Whitecaps.

And here’s where it gets ugly. The Rochester Rhinos were a late and reluctant addition to the league in 2010, but they have now returned to the USL fold for 2011 amid accusations of a broken multi-year contract with NASL. The Minnesota Thunder ceased operations at the end of the 2010 season due to insurmountable financial problems, while Crystal Palace Baltimore decided to take a “one-year hiatus” to rebrand, restructure, and pursue stadium plans after breaking ties with Crystal Palace FC of London, England. The Thunder will be replaced in 2011 by a new franchise based in the same city, the NCS Minnesota Stars. One can only hope Baltimore returns as planned. Many other minor league teams have taken “a year off” never to be heard from again.

New franchise FC Edmonton, USL converts Puerto Rico Islanders, and a re-vamped Atlanta Silverbacks have been brought in to bolster the league back up to eight teams, the absolute minimum required by the USSF to recognize NASL as a bona fide second division. If you are thinking all this coming and going sounds very USL-like, I’m afraid I have to agree with you, especially when you dig just below the surface. Let’s shine a little light on four of the current teams. We’ll tackle the remaining teams, including the possible 2012 additions, in part two next week.

Atlanta Silverbacks: The Silverbacks took a hiatus in 2009/10 amid rumors that an MLS franchise was eyeing the city as a possible home. I’m still not sure what this holiday was supposed to achieve. If you are trying to prove you are capable of being the main pro team for a large city you might want to consider actually playing – just my opinion. The Silverbacks play at the RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium, a terrific soccer-specific venue of some 5000 seats, and has a reasonable potential fan base, providing they return after the lapse in the team’s existence on the field. The most worrying thing for me is that Traffic Sports, owners of Miami FC (and possibly the Carolina RailHawks – see below), now appears as a “strategic partner” in the Silverbacks. Call me an old cynic if you like, but it is entirely possible Traffic is propping up not one but two NASL franchises (that we know of) in order for the league to meet its required eight teams? If so, then what does that say about the long term viability of those teams, and of NASL?

Carolina RailHawks: My closest NASL team, (I shall be travelling two-hundred-mile round trips to see them this season) the RailHawks play at the beautiful WakeMed Soccer Park, which may be one of the best soccer facilities outside of MLS. There is ample parking, a great view of the field, the team plays some very attractive football, the hotdogs are delicious, and the pitch is like a putting green. Unfortunately for Carolina, this is where the good news ends. Let’s forget for a moment that this is possibly the worst-named soccer club anywhere in the world. Ever. Let us also forget that orange, white and blue is possibly the worst uniform ever, with the possible exception of that nightmare the Galaxy used to play in pre-Beckham. The real problem facing the RailHawks is the plummeting ticket sales that have fallen from over 5000 a game in their inaugural 2007 season, to around 2250 in their regular-season championship 2010 campaign. When you consider that many of these seats are sold for well under $10 each it comes as no surprise that the ownership group is looking to cut its losses and move on. Surely they can’t even pay the rent and the parking attendants on that income! The latest news broken by local sports column Triangle Offense suggests that Traffic Sports, owners of Miami FC and major players in the NASL ownership structure, is on the verge of bankrolling the RailHawks until a long-term owner can be found. So I guess the message for Carolina fans is “watch this space, and get to a game while you still can”.

FC Tampa Bay: Probably one of the more stable of the remaining teams, and sporting the historic Tampa Bay Rowdies legacy, FCTB boasts strong local support in an area with an ingrained soccer culture. The team’s biggest problem is a venue. Having played their opening season at the George M. Steinbrenner baseball field Tampa Bay is seeking for a new venue. Now don’t get me wrong, playing on a baseball field is absolute nonsense for a professional soccer team. It is worse than playing on a gridiron football field (not least because the dimensions of the field are all wrong, and the spectator line-of-site is completely off), but we are only sixteen weeks from the start of the new season and no venue has been found. So, someone might want to get on that? Just a thought…

Miami FC: As previously mentioned, Miami FC is owned by Traffic Sports, a management company that specializes in bringing players from Brazil to Central and North America. Traffic plays a large, if rather vague, role in the NASL organization, and as we have already pointed out, is helping to fund at least one of the other seven teams, and possibly two or more. Miami is probably the most stable, well-managed, and well-supported team in NASL which, believe it or not, is actually the problem. You see the supporters group Miami Ultras is pushing hard for MLS to bring its (final?) 20th franchise to South Florida. If you think this is just pie-in-the-sky fantasy, then you might also like to know they have the verbal backing of one David Beckham, who has been promised this 20th franchise by MLS as part of his five-year deal with the league. Given that Beckham owns this 20th team, that Don Garber has hinted (rather strongly) that 20 is MLS’s magic number, and that Becks loves beaches and sunshine, can you really see Miami not getting the last MLS team? So you have to wonder, how long is the flagship Miami going to be sailing in the NASL pond? And if Miami goes, then Traffic goes, and if Traffic goes, then what the heck is left of the NASL?

So, how’s everyone feeling about Division Two soccer in 2012? Tune in next week when we’ll take a closer look at the remaining four current teams: AC St. Louis; FC Edmonton; NSC Minnesota Stars, and the Puerto Rico Islanders, as well as 2012 hopefuls San Antonio and Baltimore.

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