Up until yesterday, the Carolina RailHawks were basically an orphaned professional soccer team with players and a first-class stadium -- but no one to line up against on the pitch. But the RailHawks -- along with four existing teams and one team yet to be actually established -- have
formed a new league.
The owners of the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps, formerly of USL-1, together with St. Louis Soccer United today announced that they have formed a new professional soccer league to play in the United States and Canada beginning in April 2010.
The team owners yesterday submitted an application for sanctioning of the new league as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League by the United States Soccer Federation. An application for sanctioning as a Division I League will be submitted to the Canadian Soccer Association shortly and applications to other sanctioning bodies in the region will be submitted as needed.
Joey Saputo, President of the 2009 USL-1 champion Montreal Impact, was recently elected Chairman of the Board of Governors of the new league.
“This is not your typical new league,” Saputo said. “Most of our teams have existed for years. We have united some of the best owners, teams and markets around a new vision for a professional soccer league in North America.
“We look forward to elevating our teams and league in order to give more opportunities to players, coaches, media and sponsors, entertain our fans and play our role in helping soccer truly recognize its potential in the United States and Canada.”
The RailHawks, along with several other formerly USL-1 teams, were essentially
kicked out of the league a month ago.
Today, at least, the teams have a home.
“Over the past two years we have been working tirelessly to re-structure the league to be owned and controlled by the owners in order to elevate our league on and off the pitch," Selby Wellman, RailHawks owner, said in a release. "The owners make substantial investments in their teams. However, the level of national level investment required has not been made because the league has always been owned, operated, and controlled by third parties. We simply want our league to be operated and managed like all other pro sports leagues around the world.”
Carolina will continue to play at WakeMed Park, considered
one of the best in the nation for "the beautiful game."
"As for the USL,"
SBI reports, "it will continue operation in 2010 with as many as 11 teams. Austin, Cleveland, New York, Puerto Rico, Portland, Rochester, Tampa Bay, Edmonton and Ottawa had representatives at a recent meeting to discuss the future of the USL, while Baltimore and Detroit were also represented."
The RailHawks had been members of the USL-1 league for three years, and were 16-7-7 last season.