While Major League Soccer is enjoying a slower week in terms of news and even games (yeah only
three this weekend) due to the World Cup qualifying going on, the USL keeps rolling in the
news.
I just caught wind of another release via SoccerNet that goes into more details about how some
clubs could be splitting from the USL and it's new ownership after this year.
Australia's remarkable run of results has come crashing to a halt at the Seoul World Cup Stadium
as Korea downed the Socceroos 3-1 tonight in an International Friendly. With both teams safely
through to the World Cup Finals as top of their Asian qualifying groups, this was a chance for both
managers to test some new players, and Aussie coach Pim Verbeek rang in the changes in what was a
homecoming for him, as he coached South Korea before taking the Australian job.
In a recent live blog which was hosted by Jeff Di Veronica of the Democrat and
Chronicle in Rochester New York, Rhino's owner Rob Clark, who has been vocal with
his displeasure of the Team Owners Associations issues with the USL, was asked how he was keeping
all this chaos out of the manager's and players' minds.
Big Story
Thanks to the bank holiday in England yesterday, today is transfer deadline day even though we
are into September. It seems like every year there's some last minute scramble and controversy
about whether a deal is done in time or not with all the paperwork behind the scenes.
On Monday, Inside Minnesota Soccer, in conjunction with Kartik Krishnaiyer, released the first
of a three part series on the United Soccer Leagues. The series describes where the league has
come from, where it might be going, and some of the behind-the-scenes events that have taken place
over the last several years as the league and its USL-1 owners struggle for control and
direction.
This week on MFUSA, Jason and Zach discuss FIRE BOB!, the USL-1 breakaway, young Americans coming
home to MLS, and the USA-Honduras TV issues. Match Fit USA Soccer Show, part of the Champions...
By TRAVIS CLARK
Recent business developments within U.S. Soccer lower-tier divisions is creating a ripple affect
throughout United Soccer Leagues. Last week, NuRock Soccer Holdings, an Atlanta-based company,
bought USL from Nike, which came as no surprise after reports surfaced that the league was up for
sale.
I was a little concerned coming into the last fixture. It wasn't because Burnley has already
beaten United and Everton. It wasn't because Burnley aren't afraid to attack. I saw these things as
healthy signs for Liverpool. Liverpool usually do well against attacking sides.
In a battle of teams sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference the Wizards made the most
of a huge Jorge Rojas mistake to score the only goal in a game where the winning team just made one
less mistake than the loser.
A Josh Wolff goal that came off a Claudio Lopez breakaway rebound allowed the Wizards to come
home with 6 points out of a possible 9 in this 3 game East coast swing.
As we are all awaiting the future of our top professional leagues in MLS & the USL when the 2010
calendar starts this coming January there will be some questions before their respective seasons
start. At the same time we are going to also await the future structure of the next edition of the
US Open Cup.
The Italian Serie had a full set of midweek matches including AC Milan at Udinese and
Internazionale (Inter Milan) v Napoli. Overall, AC Milan has struggled early in the season while
Inter and Juventus look strong. Here's a recap of both of these matches along with video
highlights.
Udinese upsets AC Milan 1-0 Video Highlights
AC Milan continued to struggle as they quickly conceded a goal in the 22nd minute by Antonio Di
Natale.
Photo by ISIphotos.com
The U.S. Under-20 national team needed a positive result in its match against Cameroon to keep
alive its hopes of reaching the second round of the Under-20 World Cup.
Yesterday, Simon Evans of Reuters confirmed that the disaffected TOA clubs are seriously
contemplating forming a breakaway league. We also learned of the Ottawa Fury's application to move
from the PDL to USL-1. Inside Minnesota Soccer and Major League Soccer Talk continue to provide
the background that brought us to this point in time.
On Monday, Inside Minnesota Soccer, in conjunction with Kartik Krishnaiyer, released the first
of a three part series on the United Soccer Leagues. The series describes where the league has
come from, where it might be going, and some of the behind-the-scenes events that have taken place
over the last several years as the league and its USL-1 owners struggle for control and
direction.
Since thinking through results of soccer matches require a fair bit of perspective, and I'm
often in need of some emotional detachment . . . I'm going to try offering a view double-sided
view of the US v. El Salvador game (and maybe others) via a glass half-empty vs. glass
half-full analogy.
In a recent live blog which was hosted by Jeff Di Veronica of the Democrat and
Chronicle in Rochester New York, Rhino's owner Rob Clark, who has been vocal with
his displeasure of the Team Owners Associations issues with the USL, was asked how he was keeping
all this chaos out of the manager's and players' minds.
A lacklustre performance and a suitably poor result against one of the division's weaker teams.
For the first hour especially we were utterly aimless, and from that there was no coming back.
The first goal was soft and most unlike our usually solid defence. A Delap-esque long throw-in
was flicked on to Doyle who, somehow unmarked from three yards out, couldn't miss.
The announcement of Flavio Briatore's life ban from Formula One has, as one might expect, sent
shockwaves through the sport. Motor racing, however might not be the only sport to undergo a degree
of soul searching as the result of their sanction against the former head of the Renault team,
because Briatore is also the owner of Championship club Queens Park Rangers, and his F1A ban has
led to speculation that he will now have to stand down from the board of directors of the holding
company which owns the club, QPR Holdings, because he would now fail the FA's "Fit & Proper Person"
test for club directors.
