This is kind of a shock to some but in a tough economic time here in America it could come as expected for others. The USL-1 Atlanta Silverbacks announced they will not field a team in 2009, citing the economy as well as the potential arrival of an MLS expansion team in Atlanta in the coming years.

“This was an extremely difficult decision that was prompted by the dynamic events in our economy and the soccer community,” Silverbacks general manager Michael Oki said. “We would like to thank all of our fans and partners who have supported the team over the years and hope they continue to come out to the women’s games.”

With the Silverbacks are now the first victim of the economic situation here. No word on what this means for the players currently on the roster for the Silverbacks. Also, no word on what it means for forward Mac Kandji, who is currently on loan to the New York Red Bulls, who will play in the MLS Cup Final on Sunday. The Red Bulls acquired Kandji on a loan deal earlier this year that included an option to buy Kandji’s contract outright.

Tough break for Atlanta soccer fans. I think this hurts their MLS expansion hopes a lot here too. Sure a couple bids out there don’t have a USL club right now (like St. Louis) but with the bid already being pretty weak by most standards, having a club fold will definitely hurt their chances. It just doesn’t look good on it.

Let’s take one striker off the shortlist of players the New York Red Bulls are after. Reports today say Major League Soccer has blocked a bid for New York to transfer in USL star Macoumba Kandji from Atlanta for $200,000.

According to SBI, the league denied the New York’s club bid for a USL player. That means the league basically passed on the 23-year-old Senegalese striker, who was probably more MLS ready than the league would even admit.

You can’t blame Atlanta for the high transfer fee. USL clubs rarely, if ever, get transfer fees for players they lose. So putting a price tag on a guy that is getting a lot of press makes total sense on their part. Plus that kind of cash would easily come in handy for any USL club which would probably help attract some of the younger developmental players from MLS who aren’t getting paid as much.

The Red Bulls secured the necessary funds to pay the asking price for Kandji when it traded goalkeeper Zach Thornton to Chivas USA for an allocation. The league didn’t like the idea of paying that much to a USL club, thinking it would set up a bad precedent for all of the league. Continue Reading…

I guess we can’t count this New York club out just yet here this season. Juan Carlos Osorio didn’t make many moves before the season but he sure is making up for it this summer. With a slew of new players already on board, Osorio has recently put in offers for three different strikers.

New York has submitted formal proposals for USL-1 side Atlanta Silverbacks striker Macoumba Kandji. If you haven’t seen this young Senegalese play in the USL yet, do so, because he is a special talent that will follow the links of Maykel Galino and Brian Ching that have made the jump from USL to MLS.

At 23, Kandji has 12 goals in 27 games for the Silverbacks. Not bad, not bad indeed.

Apparently the Red Bulls have to put in a heavy offer to Atlanta for Kandji. From what I’ve heard they are going to be offering around $200,000 or maybe even more for the striker. Sounds like a lot for a USL player but believe me this kid can play. Continue Reading…