Yesterday out at the Nike headquarters in Oregon the USL first division owners got together for a little meeting. It turns out the group does know how to play some hardball with the other group of owners known as the TOA who are planning to start their own league.

The USL called it a new era for the league, especially the first division.

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Well, it looks like the NuRock v TOA saga is continuing, but only a little bit, while the USL-1 meetings are being held in Beaverton, OR this week. With the following teams certainly there - Rochester, Portland, Tampa Bay, Puerto Rico, FC New York, Cleveland and Austin. The TOA clubs, may or may not be Vancouver, [. Click to continue reading...

...and I like it!
Following my weird and wacky vision for a new kind of MLS, which garnered some suprisingly positive reactions, the Canadian Stretford End is pushing the idea for an interim Canadian Soccer League (no, not that CSL) now that Vancouver and Montreal, the two USL-1 finalists, are homeless. Click to continue reading...

There isn't much tonight for the evening links and thoughts. Got some USL-TOA talk and a brief thought about Kevin Payne's fine from the league earlier today.

But first there we gotta go back into the TOA-USL talk that we've been going around and around with for the last few weeks. Reports tonight suggest the TOA and their clubs could very well soon be forming their own league, even as soon as TOMORROW.

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With talks at a stand-still between the Team Owners Association and Nurock Soccer Holdings, new owners of USL, the chances of a breakaway league led by numerous USL 1 clubs next year is looking more and more likely. Vancouver and Montreal became the latest teams to reportedly sever ties with USL this week, and are part of the group looking to start a new league.

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With talks at a stand-still between the Team Owners Association and Nurock Soccer Holdings, new owners of USL, the chances of a breakaway league led by numerous USL 1 clubs next year is looking more and more likely. Vancouver and Montreal became the latest teams to reportedly sever ties with USL this week, and are part of the group looking to start a new league.

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Just getting this out there, no time for extensive thoughts. 24thMinute and CBC on Vancouver and Montreal pulling out of USL. Inside MN Soccer on the fuller situation. The TOA is clearly now the 2nd tier of the sport. Not just due to market size, but also due to the quality of the organizations involved. Click to continue reading...

Now here's something interesting. United Soccer League's CEO Nick Papadakis told a Canadian radio station that "the negotiations are finished" and Vancouver and Montreal are out of the league for 2010. Neither club has issued a statement though so perhaps this is just a hardball tactic on the part of the honchos at USL 1. Click to continue reading...

This was my favorite goal of the week in any league. Montreal dominated Vancouver at home in the USL Championship on Saturday and this goal from Joey Gjertsen was the one that just killed. His finishing was certainly on-point but respect has to go out to Roberto Brown --yes, that Roberto Brown-- for the outrageous assist because that sh*t was just ridonk.

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The next-to-last weekend of MLS action sees the teams broken down into three groups:
1. In the playoffs, still alive for Supporters Shield
2. Not yet in the playoffs
3. Out of the playoffs
Every contending team has two games left except Chivas USA, which has three.
We'll update this glance as the day goes on, pressbox wi-fi permitting (wi-fi or not, check Twitter updates). Click to continue reading...

It's weird to say that its been another quick week for me here but it has, this week has flown by. Tonight's links and thoughts may end up being a quickie. I had some things planned for the day and for the week for that matter but I never got around to some of them. Blame it on time getting away from me and my normal day job.

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From Field of Schemes:

"If I don't get a baseball deal done, I'm not going to finalize the deal with Portland," Paulson told the Beaverton city council Tuesday night. "So MLS will not come to Portland unless I do a deal for a new baseball park."

This is some great goodwill Paulson is building up in Portland. Click to continue reading...

I HAVE NOT THE WORDS to adequately express my thoughts about this photo.
I'm sure it's because I'm a pedestrian, parochial, flyover country rube and thus I don't appreciate high concept art.
Which I hope to God it is.
Because otherwise it's just a bunch of DC United players holding onto their junk while hopping about. Click to continue reading...

USL President Tim Holt.

Boy I get back into town and starting seeing more USL headlines today. According to reports (thanks to Inside Minnesota Soccer), the USSF is meeting today with USL officials and TOA officials regarding the ongoing situation with the recent sale of the USL.

Apparently Tim Holt the president of USL sent letters to players for three clubs, the Carolina Railhawks, the Minnesota Thunder and Miami FC.

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South Florida Soccer Fans may be the ones that enticed a group of investors to discuss an MLS team in Miami with Beckham.
A recent conversation among South Florida Soccer fans revealed that some time ago a letter was sent to David Beckham urging him to bring a team to Miami. Letters were also sent to possible investors around the country. Click to continue reading...

I just watched the second leg of the Vancouver-Portland USL1 semifinal, and it was pretty entertaining stuff. Sure it was played on a rug, some of the violence on the pitch was borderline criminal (I'm aware of the MLS glass house I'm living in),... Click to continue reading...

Big Story

Details are sketchy, but Brian Quarstad's Inside Minnesota Soccer reported on Saturday that USL President Tim Holt sent an email to three USL-1 clubs in the Team Owner's Association (TOA)—Minnesota, Carolina and Miami—terminating their player contracts, which was followed by news from David Fellerath at Triangle Offense that the three club logos had been removed from the USL-1 main site.

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IMS is still working on getting a copy of the letter that USL President Tim Holt sent to players who where under contract with the Carolina Railhawks, Minnesota Thunder and Miami FC Blues but have still not been able to get the original document.

Tim Holt of USL was emailed and called for a comment and did not return either message.

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IMS is still working on getting a copy of the letter that USL President Tim Holt sent to players who where under contract with the Carolina Railhawks, Minnesota Thunder and Miami FC Blues but have still not been able to get the original document.

Tim Holt of USL was emailed and called for a comment and did not return either message.

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Our tiny little corner of the World Wide Web is all a titter because the USL office has emailed players under contract to Miami FC, Carolina, and Minnesota that their contracts have been voided. This information was broken by Brian Quarstad at Inside Minnesota Soccer.
It seems that these three ring leaders of the TOA group have not paid their fees for the 2010 season by the September 1st deadline. Click to continue reading...

Inside Minnesota Soccer had learned that United Soccer League President Tim Holt has released the players from USL-1 teams, Minnesota, Carolina and Miami FC from their contracts. In an email on Friday and addressed to all players from the 3-teams they were told that they were being released from their contracts.

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Inside Minnesota Soccer had learned that United Soccer League President Tim Holt has released the players from USL-1 teams Minnesota, Carolina and Miami FC from their contracts. In an email on Friday and addressed to all players from the 3 teams they were told that they were being released from their contracts.

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One of the arguments used against Major League Soccer expansion markets is that they already have a USL-1 team that draws poorly. Now that the Seattle Sounders have jumped ship, there are two franchises we can examine to see if this critique is fair.

• Before Toronto FC came into existence in 2007, the Lynx represented that city in USL-1.

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By L.E. Eisenmenger - BOSTON, MA (Sep 29, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- After the first season success of the Seattle Sounders, the USL-1 2008 Champions Vancouver Whitecaps FC have a hard act to follow as they prepare to enter MLS as a 2011 expansion team. The Vancouver ownership group consists of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash. Click to continue reading...

With the impending addition of franchises in Philly, Vancouver and Portland, I thought it would be interesting to see how much of a "sophomore slump" expansion franchises experienced in regards to attendance.
Here are the numbers for the recent expansion teams, as well as Houston who moved from San Jose in 2006. Click to continue reading...

After the success of the Showdown in Chinatwon, Stevie Nash has decided to take the show(down) out west to Vancouver. Highlights and inteviews in the clip above, including an appearance by one of the best players ever to grace MLS, Youri Djorkaeff, in the 7th minute. Click to continue reading...

#2 Carolina RailHawks vs #7 Vancouver Whitecaps
Sept 24 at Vancouver – 10:30 pm ET :: Sept 27 at Carolina – 5:00 pm ET
#3 Puerto Rico Islanders vs #6 Rochester Rhinos
Sept 24 at Rochester – 7:05 pm ET :: Sept 27 at Puerto Rico – 6:00 pm ET
#4 Charleston Battery vs #5 Montreal Impact
Sept 24 at Montreal – 7:45 pm ET :: Sept 27 at Charleston – 7:00 pm ET Click to continue reading...

It looked like they were going to lose after the first half of the game. However, the Vancouver Whitecaps managed to come back and defeat the Austin Aztex 2-1. The tie and winning goals where put in by Marcus Haber and Gordon Chin on home turf at the Burnaby Stadium near Vancouver. It was Chin's first goal on home grounds.

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I'd like to address U.S.-based TOR readers for a moment if I could...everybody else go get a tall, decaf, skinny mocha-chino or something for a minute. Cool? OK.
Now (as I channel my inner Bernie Mac) listen to me America. I'm no financial expert and I don't claim to be. But if our nation's large and small businesses would "buy American, hire American" with the frequency that Mo Johnston is buying Canadian, hiring Canadian we could fix this whole economic freakshow that we are currently sack-deep in by MLS Cup weekend. Click to continue reading...

The 2009 season has been a frustrating one for the Minnesota Thunder players, their front office staff and for the fans themselves. Inside Minnesota Soccer has broken down some numbers on the season and found some interesting patterns and facts.

With 2 games left to play, the Thunder have an overall recored of 7 wins, 12 losses and 9 draws for 30 points.

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The 2009 season has been a frustrating one for the Minnesota Thunder players, their front office staff and for the fans themselves. Inside Minnesota Soccer has broken down some numbers on the season and found some interesting patterns and facts.

With 2 games left to play, the Thunder have an overall recored of 7 wins, 12 losses and 9 draws for 30 points.

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In their first trip to Portland of the year, the Aztex take on the Timbers again on Friday, Sept. 11. Kickoff will be at 9:00 PM CT; as always you can watch online for free on USLLive.com.
Austin fans will already know the result of both teams' last game: the Timbers squeaked out a 1-0 win with a late goal here at Nelson Field on Monday. Click to continue reading...

Left at home this weekend with no where to go? Your friends are all at the cabin? Feeling sorry for yourself?

The Minnesota Thunder are stuck at home this weekend as well because they've got a game to play tonight. But they're not feeling sorry for themselves. Nope! Instead they will be playing their butts off for you at the National Sports Center at 7:00 p.

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Left at home this weekend with no where to go? Your friends are all at the cabin? Feeling sorry for yourself?

The Minnesota Thunder are stuck at home this weekend as well because they've got a game to play tonight. But they're not feeling sorry for themselves. Nope! Instead they will be playing their butts off for you at the National Sports Center at 7:00 p.

Click to continue reading...

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.

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