MEDIA ADVISORY/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

WHAT: Major Announcement regarding Orlando’s newest professional sports franchise

WHEN: 2 p.m., Thursday, March 4, 2010

WHERE: Courtyard by Marriott, 730 North Magnolia Ave., Orlando

WHO: Orlando Titans President Steve Donner; United Soccer Leagues President Tim Holt, Central Florida Kraze Head Coach Joe Avallone

DETAILS: Media requiring additional details should contact Jay Preble at 813.373.9451 or Dan Pearson at 407.601.6516, ext. 313. Light snacks and drinks will be served.

USL Public Relations – Jay Preble / Gerald Barnhart / Jason Minnick – Tampa, FL – 813.963.3909 – Twitter: USLsoccer

I guess we’ll know more by the end of the day about this new team in Orlando.

The USL called it a new era for the league, especially the first division. From the sound of things they are banking heavily on some expansion in the coming year to make up for the losses of clubs like Miami, Montreal, and Minnesota to name a few. Last night they announced expansion plans in cities like Detroit and Baltimore as well as a couple Canadian cities to make up for the losses of Vancouver and Montreal.

I think the move to get a couple Canadian cities on board was going to happen regardless of the TOA thing. Losing Vancouver to MLS in a couple years and potentially Montreal really put pressure on the USL to get more Canadian clubs back in the league. Adding Ottawa and Edmonton seem like a good idea on the surface, especially when you think Ottawa failed as a MLS expansion bid.

Detroit and Baltimore are big cards in the USL’s hands. Getting Detroit is a big time thing that should make up for losing some small markets like Minnesota and Carolina. What the USL did by bringing in Detroit and Baltimore wasn’t just new cities in the top division it was expanding it’s TV map to bigger markets. You can’t tell me trading Carolina and Minnesota in for Detroit and Baltimore isn’t a big win for the USL in this on-going battle with the TOA.

Others on hand at the meeting were new clubs that will join next year in Tampa and New York. Sure New York is a shared TV market with its MLS brother but it is still a big market to have in the league no matter what. Tampa as we all know carries a big name in the Rowdies, which should help in some ways. Tampa being at these meetings kind of signals that they have made peace with the USL and are possibly done with the TOA. Seeing Tampa make peace with the USL really hurts the TOA right now.

Right now for the TOA it comes down to what Carolina, Miami and Minnesota are going to do. We know Vancouver and Montreal have MLS in their sights as it is so going with the TOA would really be just for a single season or two for Montreal.

People need to not worry how the USL will move forward from this whole TOA issue because with this news they certainly have. Something tells me this mess with the TOA is long from being over but don’t be shocked to see at least Carolina and Minnesota come back to the USL. Miami seems like a wildcard in all of this but at the end of the day if they lose another club in their little party it will pretty much mean the end of things for the TOA.

The time is now for the TOA to make their move but what that move will be is going to be interesting. I think the longer they wait to act the tougher it gets for them.

I suppose the dream of a MLS club in Ottawa is over, for now at least. Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), along with their partner Ottawa Fury owner and CEO John Pugh, announced today they have applied for a United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1) franchise.

The team would play and be based at a proposed new stadium at Lansdowne Park.

“Our application for a USL franchise, at this point in time, ensures that soccer specific elements will be incorporated into the stadium design to optimize the experience for soccer fans and players,” said Jeff Hunt, an OSEG partner. “And I can tell you, the fan experience for USL-1 soccer is top-notch. The caliber of play, the quality of the stadia and the involvement of the players in community activities is second to none. It is a tremendous environment for soccer purists, casual fans and families seeking an affordable, fun outing.”

I’m curious to see how this new team fits into this on-going situation between the new owners of the USL and the current team owners. Its a sticky mess right now with that league but it does look good that they are adding teams for next year.

Ottawa will join the Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC New York as new clubs in the league.

Just got another release in the ol’ inbox regarding the NYC club in USL’s first division. For more information visit www.newyorkusl2010.com.

The entire press release is after the jump.

NEW YORK — FC New York has joined the USL First Division, the top flight of United Soccer Leagues (USL). The addition of the club will expand the USL First Division to 13 teams for the 2010 season. The ownership group, led by New York natives Jo-Ellen Treiber and Doug Petersen, along with USL Founder and President Francisco Marcos, and USL Executive Vice President and COO Tim Holt announced the news today at a press conference held at the Yale Club in Manhattan.

Speaking for FC New York, Petersen stated, “We are excited to bring professional soccer back to New York. The USL First Division has established itself as a highly respected and competitive professional league in North America. Our group will rise to and relish the challenge of putting together an organization on and off the field worthy of the greatest city of the world. It is also our intention to announce a European club affiliate in 2009 to aid the club’s effort moving forward.”

“We are thrilled to welcome FC New York as the newest addition to the USL First Division,” said USL Executive Vice President and COO Tim Holt. ”Their ownership group’s impressive and ambitious plans to develop a complete soccer club with a strong international partner and privately-financed future stadium will boost the profile of our league in one of the world’s largest and most diverse markets. The conditions are right for FC New York to excite the soccer community, which has a history of support for top-level professional soccer. With the additions of the Austin Aztex and Cleveland City Stars for the upcoming season and the Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC New York in 2010, the USL First Division has added important markets and ownership groups that will strengthen the league for years to come.”

FC New York has a commitment with Hofstra University to utilize James M. Shuart Stadium and the state-of-the-art training facilities. The 13,000 seat stadium will host league and international exhibition matches. Plans for 2009 include establishment of their youth academy, hiring staff, player recruitment and indentifying sponsors.

The FC New York shield is representative of the Queens flag, which was adopted June 3, 1913. The blue background with a horizontal white stripe is symbolic of its first Dutch governor William Kielt, who acquired the area from the Native Americans. The area’s first settlers are represented by the two flowers – the tulip, emblematic of the Dutch, and the double red and white rose of the English. The Queen’s crown signifies the name of the county and borough in honor of Queen Catherine of Braganza.

It was also announced that the group’s advisory board includes fellow Hofstra alumni Jim Kilmeade, who was the architect of 1995 Long Island Rough Riders championship team in what is now the USL Second Division, USL’s top flight at the time. Former Rough Rider, NY/NJ MetroStars and Los Angeles Galaxy center midfielder Travis Rinker will also serve as an advisory board member. Other key advisory board members also include Mark Francis, a New York Financier and British Chartered Accountant, and Almut von Biedermann, an international business strategist of Munich, Germany and Alicante, Spain.

Today at the Yale Club in Manhattan, New York. The press conference is scheduled to begin promptly at 11:00 AM (ET). No word if the USL site will have any sort of video stream of the press conference.

FC New York LLC, a New York City-based ownership group, has purchased a United Soccer Leagues First Division franchise.

According to SBI, an announcement is schedule for April.

For the 2010 season, the club will call Hofstra University home, as was the case for the Long Island Rough Riders during its heyday in the 1990s. There are also plans to play games at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island and Baker Field at Columbia University, according to sources.

After that, sources say, the organization is looking to build a soccer-specific stadium in Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the country. The stadium would seat 9,000, but could be expanded to house another 9,000 if the situation dictated. A possible site would be the area by John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Are you excited to see a club in the city and not in Jersey? For me I think this is a good test for MLS to see if a club in NYC actually does work like most believe it will.

While some folks in the Gateway City are dreaming of a Major League Soccer team in 2011, a few others are wanting a bit of a test run in the USL in 2010. Reports out of St. Louis suggest that the city could enter the USL first division as early as 2010.

Tony Glavin, the former indoor player who came to St. Louis from Scotland and stayed to become a coach, has met with officials of the United Soccer Leagues about having a team in the USL First Division.

“When I put together my youth program, part of the goal was to build a pyramid of youth programs through men’s and women’s senior teams and hopefully a professional team,” said Glavin, who already has an amateur team in the USL’s Premier Development League. “We’ve talked about it enough and now we’re trying to piece things together to make it happen by 2010.”

According to the report, the expansion fee for the USL is much cheaper than it would be to enter MLS. With only a $1 million fee to enter the league it seems more appealing to try it out. Gavin would have to find a suitable stadium situation as the USL requires a 5,000 seat stadium.

Even better news for those still wanting a MLS club, even should both bids go through it won’t mean the USL team will have to fold. Gavin believes the two can co-exist with one another in the same city. A risky move if it happens but I honestly think its a great idea for them to get on board with the USL before a possible MLS bid.

While the MLS decision will come down before March, Gavin and his potential owner group will have to wait until July.

What do you all make of this news? Is it a good idea for them to try things out in the USL before entering MLS?