This one caught us all a little off guard. The USL-1 announced today that they held meetings with its remaining clubs along with four potential expansion markets.
Ottawa, Baltimore, Detroit and Edmonton.
Yes, the Aviators 2.0 could be a reality if we are to believe the USL press release (For the record there is no indication that the ownership of the original Aviators would be involved or even that team in Edmonton would be called the Aviators. It's just more fun -- and part of my artistic licence -- to do so here now).
This is literally out of left field -- like, way out of left field, 10 rows into the bleachers out of left field. Outside of one or two true believers no one was calling for the Alberta capital to come back into the fold, nor was anyone thinking it was possible. Ottawa we thought was pretty much a sure thing. Hamilton had been mentioned. Even Winnipeg had some traction, and Victoria has been in the mix too. But, Edmonton? Edmonton, Alberta?
That dream died in 2004 in a half empty Commonwealth Stadium.
Now, it's likely that the USL-1 is bluffing right now in the hopes that the TOA will fold. But, still, it's good news to hear that that there are apparently investors in Edmonton looking to bring USL-1 soccer back. I fear for its long-term viability, but really, really hope those fears are unjustified.
As for the other candidate cities, Ottawa we've talked to death about over the last year. I think it's a matter of time before it happens. Baltimore has a USL-2 team and a history in the sport and Detroit has long been pointed out as a market that almost is MLS ready. So, they all make some sense.
But, Edmonton?
God, I hope so.
4 comments:
I can't decide if this news has a post for me in it or not. You hit most of the rhetorical points, leaving me to pretty much say "HAHAHAHA" except over fifteen hundred words.
I'm a true believer that USL-1 could work in Edmonton, sure! Well, if we define USL-1 as "a league with some Canadian teams in it to form a rivalry with and that isn't losing almost all of its money-making clubs to either MLS or a TOA league in the next couple years". This proposal - if I can call it a proposal - seems more laughable than serious.
Is there ownership? Sure, there've been a bunch of guys without any actual money kicking tires on a soccer team in Edmonton. Those guys have kicked at the CSL and the USL-1 and now they're doing it again, but the reason why Edmonton hasn't got a team yet is because there's no cash behind it. And if you recall, the main reason the Aviators failed was that the owners were dreamers rather than money men.
Nobody seems to know if this Edmonton idea has ownership, or a stadium selected, or is anything more than an increasingly desperate Nu-Rock saying "yeah? yeah? Well, we'll put USL-1 teams in Edmonton and Detroit and Moscow and the moon bitches!"
Wasn't the rumours that Vancouver were keeping their USL1 franchise after getting to MLS and putting it in Edmonton or Kelowna? Anyone else hear that? And if so, any credence to those rumours?
If TOA goes ahead with a league, I wonder if bidding war would ensue over potential franchise locations. I'm sure Ottawa was going into this witht the idea of a Canadian USL team nearby (Montreal -> Quebec City). Should prove an intereseting month for MLS expansion and the USL/TOA battle.
This is the golden opportunity that leagues are born out of. While I'm not saying that the quality of the CSL is up to USL1 standards I do think that Serbia and Trois Rivieres(though it's the Impact farm team) and possibly Italia Shooters and Croatia would be excellent candidate franchises for a new USL/CSL league.
And hopefully the vaccuum created by those teams leaving the USL would cause some of the PDL teams to return to the senior, fully professional fold. Biggest example being the Toronto Lynx who demoted themselves.
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