This morning, my personal site, the Kartik Report along with partner site Inside Minnesota Soccer was among those breaking the story that Crystal Palace Baltimore and Paul Daglish's Tampa Bay Rowdies were joining the new TOA "breakaway" league . Later it was reported at USL News, Â and discussed at Match Fit USA among other places, today it was revealed that Miami FC purchased the trademark for the defunct North American Soccer League. Click to continue reading...

Colorado Caribous 1978 jersey. Can't wait to see this brought back!

"Party Like It's 1979″, says the usually stone cold sober Kenn Tomasch. "The future of American soccer appears to be the past of American soccer."

Kenn writes this because news broke today that the breakaway second-tier league made-up of nine former USL and new clubs may use the North American Soccer League name for itself, after Miami FC put in two trademark claims.

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The future of American soccer appears to be the past of American soccer.

It's being reported that the new breakaway league consisting of several former USL clubs has registered the name North American Soccer League, apparently with the intent of using it at launch next spring.

There are those of us old enough to remember the original NASL (if you're not, go here).

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According to the Whitecaps website the TOA League is now 11 teams strong!

The addition of Tampa Bay and Baltimore brings the new league to nine teams, as they join the owners of the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact, St. Louis Soccer United and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

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USL News, a web site not affiliated with the USL, has discovered today that the new Team Owners Associations League name might just be a knock off of the most celebrated soccer league to ever operate in North America.

According to USL News, Miami FC Blues, one of the original TOA teams, has applied for the name North American Soccer League.

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Miami FC Registered Two NASL Trademark Claims on 11.16.2009
According to a search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office records, North American Soccer League, LCC in Delaware filed two trademark claims on November 16th, 2009. They claims were marked c/o Miami FC 501 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 407 Miami FLORIDA 33131
As we know Miami FC is part of the TOA "Breakaway" second division that today was joined by the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore. Click to continue reading...

The Dayton Dynamo were, I now realize, far from a high-quality team. But in Southwest Ohio in early 1990s, there were few better options. European soccer on television would come later that decade, but growing up the only live option was the Dynamo.

The Dynamo did not even play the true 11-a-side game seen around the world.

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National Soccer Hall of Fame Press Release:
ONEONTA, NY (November 2, 2009) – Two FIFA Women's World Cup champions, two men from the 1990 FIFA World Cup squad, five North American Soccer League alumni, and a 7-time winner of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the 1920s and 1930s are featured on the Election 2010 Veteran Player Ballot the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum announced today. Click to continue reading...

So long, farewell &Â good bye. This coming Saturday, October 24th will officially be the very last time that this club (MetroStars & Red Bull NY) in the NYC metropolitan area & US Soccer will call home. This famed stadium named after the NFL team that plays their pointy ball seasons also shares it with the other football league in the American first division.

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A team effort; Vancouver has built an organic club culture

In 2010 Major League Soccer will welcome the Philadelphia Union to its ranks as the fifteenth club to join the division, and thus far the club has been bolstered by strong ticket sales. The league office will hope Philadelphia's inclusion will create a strong east coast rivalry with New England, New York, and D.

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Don Garber will address the "Leaders in Football" conference

Over the next two days, many of soccer's most influential executives from around the world will meet in London, England for the annual "Leaders in Football" conference. Included in that group are three representatives from the United States: Don Garber, MLS Commissioner and CEO; Sunil Gulati, USSF President; and Tim Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG.

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There is a scene in an otherwise exceptional documentary, The History of Football, that discusses the formation of Major League Soccer following the 1994 World Cup. A smug Clive Toye pops up to tell us how MLS "may never be as successful as the NASL, because they didn't have the money we had," but in the very next sentence bemoans MLS's "tremendous advantage" wrought from a generation of kids grew up watching the North American Soccer League. Click to continue reading...

Sting's 25th anniversary to be celebrated at Fire game
The Chicago Fire announced that the organization will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Sting's North American Soccer League title.
There will be a halftime ceremony and an autograph session before the Fire's match against Toronto FC on Saturday (7:30 p. Click to continue reading...

Growing up playing soccer in the United States is both a blessing and a curse. Most of us became fans of the most popular sport in the entire world, yet in the United States the sport has a third tier status that receives only a fraction of coverage and attention of the major sports in the US. I am old enough to remember the rise and fall of the North American Soccer League.

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First came talk of labor unrest when Major League Soccer's collective bargaining agreement expires next year. Then a corporate shake up at United Soccer Leagues. Now a report that a new professional soccer league might be formed to compete with USL and MLS alike next season. These developments, all within the last few months, threaten to shake U.

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This information is coming directly from Big Apple Soccer.
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USL SHAKEUP AT THE TOP
August 31, 2009
Holt in as president; Marcos out, to be senior director of international development
United Soccer Leagues announced Monday the restructuring of its executive management team following last week's acquisition of the league by NuRock Soccer Holdings from Nike. Click to continue reading...

Papadakis assumes CEO role; Holt named USL President; Marcos to focus on international development

TAMPA, FL (Aug 31, 2009) – United Soccer Leagues announced Monday the restructuring of its executive management team following last week's acquisition of USL by NuRock Soccer Holdings from Nike.

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Papadakis assumes CEO role; Holt named USL President; Marcos to focus on international development

TAMPA, FL (Aug 31, 2009) – United Soccer Leagues announced Monday the restructuring of its executive management team following last week's acquisition of USL by NuRock Soccer Holdings from Nike.

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Over the next several days and in conjunction with Brian Quarstad (who wrote most of this piece and whose counsel on USL matters is invaluable)Â I will be presenting to you a multi-part series on the United Soccer Leagues. Where it has come from, where it might be going as well as some of the behind the scene events that have taken place over the last several years as the league and it's USL-1 owners struggle for control and direction.

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Over the next several days and in conjunction with Kartik Krishnaiyer I will be presenting to you a multipart series on the United Soccer Leagues. Where it has come from, where it might be going as well as some of the behind the scene events that have taken place over the last several years as the league and it's USL-1 owners struggle for control and direction.

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Over the next several days and in conjunction with Kartik Krishnaiyer I will be presenting to you a multipart series on the United Soccer Leagues. Where its come from, where it might be going as well as some of the behind the scene events that have taken place over the last several years as the league and it's USL-1 owners struggle for control and direction.

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Imagine this:

April 7, 2012 - The new New York Cosmos to Face Old Foe In West Coast Clash The reborn New York Cosmos FC will play against a familiar name from it's NASL days, the Seattle Sounders. Seattle reports that all 37,300 tickets have been sold for the marquee Saturday match up on ESPN.

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Football is much more than just a sport. It is nothing without its history and traditions, its routine and habits, or its passion and drama. The sport establishes its roots over an area much wider than the field of play, an art form which - across much of the world at least - has spilled over to dominate mainstream culture.

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Take a good look at that crest ladies and gentleman. We all remember it fondly as this was the most famous name in all of football during the era of the North American Soccer League (NASL). We remember the movie about the history of the New York Cosmos and how popular they were once famed Brazilian International Striker Pele came to these shores and created a major buzz over in Downing Stadium at Randalls Island (Which was torn down and rebuilt as Icahn Stadium), Hofstra University, the first Yankee Stadium and finally calling Giants Stadium home at the Meadowlands in the late 70's thru the mid 80's.

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OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM USL
Atlanta, Georgia (Aug 27th, 2009) – NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC ("NuRock Soccer Holdings") today announced that it has acquired United Soccer Leagues ("USL") from NIKE.
NuRock Soccer Holdings, based in Atlanta, is led by Rob Hoskins and Alec Papadakis. Click to continue reading...

The official website of the United Soccer Leagues is confirming that NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC ("NuRock Soccer Holdings") today announced that it has acquired United Soccer Leagues ("USL") from NIKE.

NuRock Soccer Holdings, based in Atlanta, is led by Rob Hoskins and Alec Papadakis. NuRock Soccer Holdings is currently a USL franchisee with a Premier Development League operation in Atlanta and rights to acquire two USL First Division teams in Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama marketplaces, respectively.

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So if you had Atlanta-based NuRock Soccer Holdings as the buyers of the United Soccer Leagues from Nike, then you are the winners. Congrats.

Seriously though, NuRock has bought the USL from Nike today, a press release just came into the WVH inbox with all the details, except for how much this company is spending on the leagues.

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As a child there were five professional sports teams in my home town of Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves played baseball. The Falcons played American football. The basketball team was the Hawks. Surprising everyone, as winter sports are not popular in the South, we had a pro hockey team called the Flames. Click to continue reading...

Bobbby Robson, 1970

It seemed nothing more than a routine friendly, remarkable only perhaps for providing the first proper international meeting between Canada and England in the modern era (earlier encounters were played between representative sides).  And while the result was closer than most bookies had predicted—a 1-0 win for England with Mark Hateley's goal from a Glen Hoddle freekick in the 59th minute saving face for Sir Bobby Robson's team—the warm-up match for the World Cup in Mexico played on May 24th 1986 at Swangard Stadium BC would have been routine to just about everyone.

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It has been a very sad day for football on the eve of the new season. We have lost one of us. It is, perhaps, a reflection of the the hole in the heart of English football that we should mourn a football man whose greatest single attribute was nothing more or less than a sense of common decency.

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Taylor and Tim Twellman

As part of the Schawan's USA Cup tournament, Taylor Twellman came to Minnesota to speak to high school players.

Tim Twellman, former Minnesota Kicks player joins Taylor Twellman of the New England Revolution in a very fun and informative conversation concerning life growing up for Taylor as a multi-sport athlete and having numerous professional athletes including his father as role models.

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Taylor and Tim Twellman

As part of the Schwan's USA Cup tournament, Taylor Twellman came to Minnesota to speak to high school players concerning a company his father Tim works for that matches student athletes up with colleges for recruiting. I was able to arrange an interview with Taylor and thought it might be fun to included his father in the conversation.

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As the Colorado Rapids prepare to face FC Dallas in a Major League Soccer fixture for the second time in less than three weeks, The Tuesday List looks at the Dallas Burn's draft class of 1996.

The team had one pick in each of 16 rounds of the inaugural MLS draft. The players selected have some interesting coaching accomplishments, quite a bit of international experience and some Colorado ties.

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We now know the finalists for the Confederations Cup taking place in South Africa. Our very own red, white and blue surprised the world and shocked #1 ranked Spain by 2-0 and will now meet Brazil who dispatched the hosts South Africa yesterday by 1-0.
South Florida Fans led by the Miami FC's official fan club the Miami Ultras will lead the festivities this Sunday June 28 at 2:30 pm at Fritz & Franz Bierhaus located at 60 Merrick Way, Coral Gables Fl. Click to continue reading...

Bring up the topic of indoor soccer and you're bound to get several opinionated viewpoints on it. Many soccer fans love it. Many hate it. But no matter which side of the Atlantic you live on, the fact of the matter is that both the United States and, to a lesser degree, the United Kingdom has had an interesting history involving the indoor game.

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