A USL team for St. Louis?
As I wrote this morning, Tony Glavin is pursuing a USL1 team, the second division of U.S. soccer, to start in 2010. Glavin has talked about this for some time — he mentioned it to me when he started up the PDL Lions three years ago — and he’s now making his move.
The system for getting a USL team are a lot simpler than an MLS team, not to mention cheaper. If you’ve got the $1 million and a functioning business plan, you’re pretty much in. The league isn’t in a bidding war or doesn’t have a limited number of spots that multiple cities are bidding for. The league has nine teams right now and some of them, Minnesota, Rochester and Charleston, have been around for a long time. There used to be a team in Seattle but it’s morphing into the MLS club and Atlanta is on hiatus while that city looks at MLS. Some of the other cities involved could leave the league if they get an MLS franchise — Portland, Miami and Vancouver.
USL has shown some legs and, absent big names like David Beckham, plays at a good level. There are actually some players who prefer playing USL to the low wages found at the end of an MLS bench. It doesn’t have the national team guys, but once you get down to the seventh or eighth men, there’s not that much difference.
Of course, those you worry about the remote location of Collinsville might think the same about Cottleville, where Glavin’s current complex is. He’s been traveling around USL, looking at small stadiums. If he adds on to his current location in the western fringe of St. Charles, well, if you live east of 170, Collinsville is probably closer.
To play in 2010, Glavin said he has to know by July, and any earlier would be better. It would be weird to see St. Louis go from having had no professional outdoor soccer since the Stars folded to having three teams, two men’s and one women’s, by 2011.
Tom, do you have any insight into what this might mean for Cooper? Prevailing wisdom suggested that if MLS were to deny the St. Louis bid, then Cooper would turn to USL1. Does Glavin, with his PDL franchise, have the right of first refusal? Could both get USL teams, one in each state?
Tom, on a totally unrelated topic, can we look forward to a P-D interview with and story on Ibišević while he’s in town during the Bundesliga winter break? It seems to me that his performance should be the biggest American soccer story right now, especially since we missed out on landing him for the USMNT (despite Sorber!).
I would think this could be an indicator that Garber will announce St.Louis in January at the Draft. I know nothing about the relationship between the two(Glavin and Cooper) but MLS should be the #1 priority. USL is a worthy league but I think we have one shot to get an MLS team and this is it.
Weird indeed. The Lions’ press release talks about co-existing with StL MLS, but doesn’t indicate anything about what happens if Cooper doesn’t get into MLS and tries for USL-1 instead. Would Glavin be willing to waive any territorial rights the Lions may have? Would USL-1 even allow two teams in the same metro area, even though they’re 40 miles apart? If we can support two Frontier League baseball teams, it seems like two USL-1 teams would be doable, but who knows if USL will see it that way.
Interesting comments all. If Glavin gets the right deal together, the USL will give him a team. They have no reason to wait to see what happens with Cooper. If there’s a deal now, they’ll make it. I’ll have to check to see what territorial rights Glavin might have. I doubt it’s ever been a problem in USL before. Looking back through their records, I see where there used to be teams in Rochester and Syracuse, which are about 87 miles apart, and in Richmond and Virginia Beach, which are about 100 miles apart. Forty-five miles would be pretty close, but I suspect that for USL1 soccer, your coverage area would be much smaller. Fans might drive miles to go to MLS matches, not quite so far for USL1. (Except for the zealots, and you know who you are.) And you could build quite a rivalry with teams that close. I think it would be worth a try.
I wouldn’t read anything from this into anything about MLS expansion, or the fact the NSCAA Convention is here. It’s going to come down to who has the money and the stadium (and the expansion fee). All things being equal, MLS will choose the guy with more millions. That will work against Cooper, if all things are equal. But it doesn’t look like all things are equal.
Vedad has been on my to-do list for a while.
I am out in beautiful Chesterfield and would love to see a USL1 club. I remember the Knights of the USISL and had a great time covering them. I’d like to see the US open cup. Collinsville is a good 41 mile drive for me, cottleville only 13.
If it happens, I am there.
The MLS has lots of over paid so-called superstars. Why should we pay for the owners dumb financial decisions? Bring the USL1 so we can see some grown up futbol. They can sign up some SLU players and local players past their prime, ie Mcbride when he is past his prime.
Would love to see a club like Hull FC or Ipswich Fc come to town. Man U would be nice, but lets be realistic.
Tony Glavin. Come on man!