Archive for January 24th, 2013

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Commissioner: NASL does not want to be an affiliated developmental league

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/24/2013

Bill Peterson

NASL commissioner Bill Peterson doesn’t believe the new USL-MLS partnership will affect his league at all.

“We’re concerned about building our business, connecting with fans and having some very competitive games,” said Peterson, who runs what’s officially recognized as North America’s second division.

On Wednesday, MLS announced a partnership with the third-division USL Pro. MLS teams can affiliate with USL Pro teams, start their own USL Pro affiliates, or keep their current reserve setups, with games scheduled against USL Pro teams. Canadian Soccer Association President Victor Montagliani has stated that if the three Canadian MLS teams launch affiliates in Canada, they would be seen as part of those clubs’ structures and would not be sanctioned as Div. 3 clubs in this country.

Peterson said that NASL does not have an interest in being an affiliated minor or developmental league.
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MLS-USL partnership: Whitecaps, Impact will have “seamless transition” into new model

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/24/2013

Tim Holt

USL President Tim Holt said it was a “seamless transition” to bring the Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact back into the USL-Pro fold.

Holt and MLS executive vice-president Todd Durbin spoke to media Thursday to give more details about what they called the “groundbreaking” MLS-USL partnership. Under the new deal, MLS teams have three options on how they want to proceed with their reserve plans.

Beginning this season, teams can either affiliate with an existing USL Pro club (four U.S. MLS teams have already gone this route) start their own teams in USL Pro or remain in the reserve league and play occasional interlocking matches with USL Pro clubs.

Eighteen of 19 MLS teams are taking part in 2013. Chivas USA is not collaborating with USL Pro this year.
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Montagliani: CSA won’t sanction USL clubs as official Div. 3 teams in Canada

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/24/2013

Victor Montagliani

Canadian Soccer Association President Victor Montagliani says the new USL-MLS partnership will not impact the push for an all-Canadian Division 2 or 3.

But he said that if any USL-Pro teams take root on Canadian soil, they would not receive an official Division 3 sanction, even though the USSF recognizes the league as Division 3 on its soil. As it stands, there are no Canadian teams in USL-Pro at the moment, though that coul change through the new partnership.

“In Division 3, at the semipro level, we have the regional based model,” said Montagliani. “Take Quebec, for example. We have an eight-team league and they are sanctioned whether the Impact have a team in there or not. When it comes to Division 3 sanction, our priorities are for the Canadian club.”
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