Category: Sidewinder Insider

Greenville Football Club proved to be my gateway drug to grassroots soccer in the United States.

Thanks to its 2018 debut season in the National Premier Soccer League, I’ve spent a good deal of time learning as much as I can about organic soccer all across the country.

I watched more live streams of lower division matches than I can count.

I became reacquainted with Atlanta Silverbacks FC, and even made a small donation to their fan ownership trust.

I sided with Chattanooga FC in its fight against a USL D3 insurgence, buying tickets for CFC’s 2019 opener as a way to #StandWithChatta.

Detroit City FC became one of my favorite clubs, despite the fact that this time a year ago, I had never heard of Le Rouge.

Basically, I looked across the country and tried to find people and communities who are serious about growing soccer from the ground up.

And now I’m looking at Alexandria, Virginia.

I’ve never been there. In fact, the closest I’ve come is Norfolk – which is almost 200 miles away.

Regardless, there’s a soccer team in Alexandria that I now follow – Motorik FC Alexandria – and they represent everything that’s right about the sport in America.

“The thing about American soccer is it seems that only one demographic has been able to take advantage of the system,” Motorik FC club president Kenneth Tebo says. “But because of our approach, we’ve created a roster that reflects the cultural diversity of this region. We have maybe 15 nationalities represented on our roster right now. You hear some people freaking out these days about the ‘changing face of America,’ but that’s the America I’ve known since the day I was born.

“I’m from Potomac, and I’ve always lived in culturally diverse neighborhoods, so for me this is the way it should be.”

Motorik FC, which begins play in the Maryland Major Soccer League next month, held its first tryouts last November.

But the idea of this club grew from Tebo’s passion – and has been growing for a while.

“Soccer has been a part of my life since very early on,” he explains. “Potomac is kind of an international community and soccer is king there. My youth club would go to (Washington) Diplomats games back in the old North American Soccer League days. And then I became a supporter of (Major League Soccer) DC United in 1996 when they came long.

“But then I started discovering the local lower division clubs like Real Maryland FC up in Rockville and Northern Virginia FC Royals, and I supported them for a while. And then discovering more about the scene across the country, the Chattanoogas and Detroits and those clubs, got me more interested.”

At first, Tebo wanted to form a league populated by grassroots clubs that shared his vision. He learned, however, that none actually existed – at least not in his neck of the woods.

“I kept seeing all these exciting developments around the country,” he said. “Here in D.C. you have a very cosmopolitan demographic, and it seems like it would be a perfect incubator for lower division clubs, but nothing was ever going on. So finally I decided last year that I was going to take a stab at creating the kind of club that I’d want to support, and that was Motorik FC.”

Tebo admits that initially he had “delusions of grandeur” about Motorik, seeing it as a transformative club that started off with a bang. Once he got down to the business of making it a reality, though, he knew he had to “adapt to the circumstances at hand.”

“I’m not really like a soccer insider – I’m not part of the ‘soccernati’ of D.C. – so I’m coming in as a total outsider because I’ve never done anything like this before,” Tebo said. “It started out as building the identity of the club, and then the presentation and aesthetic of the club, and then around November, it started to get real.”

Motorik managed to put together a 15-match summer exhibition schedule as a fledgling independent, a slate that included matchups with NPSL and Premier Develop League teams.

After a slow start the club became quite competitive, and even managed to play Atlantic City FC – an NPSL side – to a draw back in July.

“A lot of those early matches were tough, but we’ve increased the talent on our roster significantly,” Tebo said. “The highlight of our exhibition season was our trip to Atlantic City. It was a good bonding experience for our guys and we were playing a club that had a roster that had ex-MLS and ex-USL guys and a lot of college prospects, and we were throwing our ragtag squad at them and we came away with a 1-1 draw.

“That was a pretty proud moment.”

While all of those clashes mattered none of them “counted,” so Tebo knew his club had to hitch its wagon to an actual organization going forward.

The Washington Premier League seemed like a logical landing spot due to geography, but in the end, the MMSL proved to be the best fit.

“Obviously, their biggest selling point is they have (Baltimore-based) Christos FC, who were like (U.S. Open Cup) Cinderellas last year and had their big match against DC United,” Tebo said. “My intention was always to join the WPL. That seemed more inevitable because basically all of (WPL) matches take place in northern Virginia. But over time I was able to assess both leagues.

“Originally, I thought traveling would be too much in the Maryland Majors because our guys are working class guys, and they have jobs they depend on and that need them to be accountable to as well.”

However, conversations with league commissioner Bill George helped ease Tebo’s mind about the logistics.

“I started having a lot of discussions with Bill, who gave me a lot of tips and insights on how to secure players and how to make things work,” Tebo said. “It endeared me more to the Maryland Majors, and then it became apparent they were making efforts to expand more southward toward the Beltway, and that gave me an in to convince my players to get on board and join the league.”

The MMSL features promotion/relegation, and Motorik will begin their affiliation as members of the Second Division South, which has six clubs.

The Second Division North is made up of seven clubs, and six play in the First Division.

And while Motorik now has a league, it will still have its unique identity.

“What separates us, and what I’ve been most proud of in building our roster, is that we’re not really tapping into the NCAA player pool,” Tebo said. “Our focus is more on finding the guys who either through circumstances of social economics or immigration, they’ve sort of been outside of the academy system. We’re taking these guys and seeing what they can do if they get real focused training and if they actually see that their hard work will get them to an advanced level of competition, and so far it’s been successful.

“We’ve found a lot of rough diamonds. Once we put them in a team environment and put certain expectations on them, they’ve risen to the occasion.”

Obviously there’s more to the story of Motorik FC Alexandria, and a new chapter will be written this fall.

They’ll enter a new league as underdogs, but that’s fine with Tebo.

Like amateur soccer clubs in communities all across the nation, all they want is a chance.

And they’re determined to make the most of it.

“I don’t think we’re necessarily doing anything noble,” Tebo said. “We just put up a flare and attracted the players that were in the area and inevitably that’s going to reflect the demographic and culture of the area.

“When we had our first tryouts and when I first saw these guys come out and want to represent the badge, that’s when I felt like this is something cool.”

For more information about the club and league, go to motorikfc.com and marylandmajorsoccer.com.

Follow Motorik on Twitter @MotorikFC

Is it hyperbole to say the battle for the soul of American soccer is being waged in Chattanooga, Tennessee?

Sure. That’s way over the top.

But I’m going to say it anyway because, in a sense, one of the battles for the soul of American soccer is most certainly being waged in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In one corner you have Chattanooga Football Club, mainstays of the National Premier Soccer League (an affiliate of the United States Adult Soccer Association) and proof that adult amateur soccer can, indeed, be elite.

They have rabid support – led by the Chattahooligans – and have turned the Scenic City into the scene of some of the best grassroots soccer anywhere in the United States.

And in the other corner is Chattanooga Pro Soccer, an ownership group in the United Soccer League’s upstart USL Division III.

They’re set to field a team of paid players in 2019 under the umbrella of a league that is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation – and one that fits perfectly within the closed pyramid, American soccer model.

So why are so many people in Chattanooga pissed off about having two teams?

Because community soccer is a pretty big deal when you’ve built that community, and that’s what Chattanooga FC and its faithful have done over the past 10 years.

Founded in 2009, CFC has been not only a consistent winner on the pitch but a box office success as well. Playing at Finley Stadium, which seats 20,000-plus, the club is a solid draw and will never be accused of having “casual” supporters.

These people are true believers and have been given something to believe in for a decade.

Obviously the USL took notice, and decided it wanted a piece of the action. CFC chairman Tim Kelly, however, wants the homegrown team to chart its own course.

Simply put, he isn’t sold on the new league.

“It’s not a sustainable business model, we don’t feel,” he told the Times Free Press in Chattanooga. “We’re not going to (make a move like that) just to say we’re a pro team.”

Enter Robert Martino, a real estate agent in Utah who is now staking claim to soccer real estate near the Tennessee River.

“This is a fantastic opportunity and watershed moment for soccer fans in Chattanooga,” Martino said. “This market has proven that it has the right ingredients to launch and sustain a professional franchise, and we are excited to take this next step into USL Division III for fans and the community. I applaud the existing grassroots support and passionate fan base already in place in the city, and I welcome the opportunity for us to work together to realize the great vision for professional soccer in Chattanooga.

“Our goal is to build upon the remarkable soccer history that has been created here, and establish a professional club of which both fans and our community can be proud – one that will make a lasting contribution to what makes this city great.”

Yeah, that prepared statement didn’t go over terribly well with a good portion of the “passionate fan base already in place in the city,” – not according to Twitter mentions, anyway.

Adding insult to injury, (former) CFC general manager Sean McDaniel resigned from the club and joined forces with the new entity.

McDaniel is co-founder of Chattanooga FC and was an NPSL board member.

But, such is life in American soccer.

Club teams like the idea of putting down roots and seeing how big they can grow.

“We are pleased that CFC’s success has drawn national attention to our city, and we remain committed to keeping Chattanooga FC as Chattanooga’s homegrown team,” CFC tweeted. “Our club was founded for Chattanoogans by Chattanoogans, and, after 10 years, we are dedicated to growing Chattanooga FC in a fiscally responsible manner from the grassroots up. Professional soccer has eyed our incredible support in Chattanooga and now wants to enter our market. Chattanooga FC has grown organically, built a solid fan base, introduced the sport to kids and adults alike, helped launch a women’s team and hosted national teams from around the world. Chattanooga FC embodies the ‘Chattanooga Way’ where we bring the community together who share our values to make the city a better place. Our board is already working on plans for the 2019 season and we look forward to strengthening our bonds throughout the community during the off season.”

Franchise owners like the buy-in option, and the USSF heartily endorses this franchise model.

Whether it’s Major League Soccer or the USL, the idea is to identify markets, put a team in place, and make money for the owner/operators.

Nothing wrong with that, of course – no one gets into business to go broke – but the differences between community soccer and franchise soccer is stark. For clubs like CFC, community is the business.

In the case of the USL team in Chattanooga, team officials want to parachute into town after all the advance work has been done by the NPSL team. And they apparently expect Chattanooga FC supporters to share their allegiance, if not switch it.

“In light of recent circumstances, it’s important to reiterate that Chattanooga FC was built and not bought,” Kelly wrote on the club’s website on Friday.

Interim GM Sheldon Grizzle added, “Chattanooga FC has been homegrown from day one and we are committed to keeping it that way. In concert with our supporters and community stakeholders, against all odds, we have a created something truly unique in Chattanooga. Professional and amateur soccer team ownership groups from around the country continue to look at Chattanooga as an inspiration for what can happen when something is created from the ground up.”

Invading this territory is an extremely aggressive move by the USL (and by proxy, the USSF), so a peaceful coexistence just ain’t gonna happen. And you have to wonder why a fledgling league started such a big fight right out of the gate.

Franchises were already in place in Statesboro, Georgia, Greenville, South Carolina, Madison, Wisconsin, Tucson, Arizona, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in advance of a 2019 launch. And there are plenty of other cities to choose from that, unlike Chattanooga, don’t already have a club embedded in the town’s culture.*

*While Greenville FC just completed its first season and built a solid base, the city and USL Division III were already openly courting each other before the NPSL club was formed. In addition, Greenville Pro Soccer is spearheaded by a local ownership group.

Yet instead of respecting one of the crown jewels of lower division soccer, the USL opted for a power play and swooped in on a city that is already spoken for.

Does USL have a legal right to put a team in Chattanooga?

Absolutely.

Does that make it right?

It depends on whose side you’re on.

So get ready for one helluva fight.

And as a fan of grassroots soccer, I already know who I want to win.

Man, I’m gonna miss the National Premier Soccer League season when it ends.

Thanks to Greenville FC giving me a local team to root for in their inaugural NPSL season, I shifted much of my domestic focus to “grassroots” football this year, relegating Major League Soccer to the backburner.

With the North American Soccer League in legal limbo, the NPSL provided the New York Cosmos reserves a home, and I’ve enjoyed following their (to date) unbeaten campaign.

As a Cosmos guy from back in the original NASL days, I’ll support them any time, in any league.

I also became reacquainted with Atlanta Silverbacks FC, who had a terrific season and claimed the Southeast Conference championship of the South Region.

And after immersing myself in all things NPSL this summer, watching as many live streams as I could, I believe now more than ever that an open system that springs from lower division soccer is the key to a stronger foundation for the sport’s American future.

Once an innocent bystander in the promotion/relegation movement, I now count myself as a true believer. The big question is whether or not the United States Soccer Federation would ever allow it. And if not, how would it be feasible?

The United Premier Soccer League, a full-season adult amateur league, started experimenting with pro/rel last season. And there have been rumblings that maybe the NPSL can ultimately let it take root domestically.

The National Independent Soccer Association is a proposed open system that plans to start with third and fourth division clubs, possibly in 2019.

So why is an open system a big deal? Why should I or any other American soccer fan have an issue with MLS and the way “top tier” soccer does business here? Yes, it’s a closed system, but that’s the way pro leagues function in the United States.

No one expects the Huntsville Rockets of the Gridiron Development Football League to be “promoted” to the NFL, just as the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League will never be in the National League of Major League Baseball and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League won’t have the chance to trade up to the Association.

There are a fixed number of franchises in each league, and the only way for a “new” city to become a part of it is through relocation or expansion.

That’s how MLS rolls, even though it differs from many of the other leagues in that it does business as a single entity structure.

I just think soccer is a different animal, and don’t really like seeing it altered to fit U.S. pro sports norms. The Beautiful Game is also the simplest game, and that’s why it’s played throughout the world by people of all shapes, sizes and stations in life.

And in many towns and villages, it’s the very soul of communities that groom future stars from its neighborhoods.

The best part, though, is that it’s designed so that you can take it as far as it’ll go.

Winning trophies doesn’t just mean standing atop your league, it can ultimately mean stepping up to another league.

Play winning soccer, and you get promoted.

Play losing soccer, you get relegated.

It’s not what you pay that determines your place in the pyramid, but how you play. And that structure brings in more players with more incentive to play on and play up.

However, MLS thinks its model is just fine. And for years, I thought it was just fine, too.

If you live in a city with a franchise, it’s easier to share that sentiment. Supporters of Atlanta United FC don’t seem to have a problem with it, averaging 52,409 fans per match this season.

In the interest of full disclosure, last Sunday I was among the 72,243 people who watched Atlanta and Seattle play to a 1-1 draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the vast majority of those in attendance had a great time. And I get the feeling promotion/relegation isn’t something many of them even think about since it has never been part of their reality.

Regardless, with the United Soccer League starting its D3 circuit in 2019 – and leagues such as NPSL representing the Fourth Division – MLS sits atop a closed pyramid that promotes players, not teams. It’ll look more and more like the kind of farm system used in professional baseball in the coming years.

And MLS has the full support and blessing of the United States Soccer Federation, which is clearly biased toward MLS at the expense of all other challengers.

Ideally, soccer governing bodies (under the umbrella of FIFA) oversee the sport with a more inclusive eye. It’s that body that actually implements pro/rel.

The USSF is snugly in bed with MLS, whose investor-operators also own Soccer United Marketing (the marketing arm of both MLS and the USSF). All are in the business of making money for stakeholders, and the way to get the most bang for their bucks is to mold one league above all others into something akin to a soccer version of the NFL.

So when someone buys into MLS, there is no risk that a bad season will bring demotion, just as the Brooklyn Nets don’t ever have to worry about spending a season in the G League because they stunk it up in the NBA.

If you have no other point of reference than the American sports model, you’ll likely shrug at the torch and pitchfork crowd coming at MLS and demanding change. And if you think American soccer should do business like American football, American baseball, American basketball, etc., you’re getting what you want.

Still, I’m hopeful a pro/rel system can happen outside of MLS (and outside of the USSF) sooner than later, and give grassroots soccer a place to grow up and grow out.

Just as the NFL once had the American Football League to deal with and the NBA received competition from the American Basketball Association, a renegade soccer federation in the U.S. would be welcomed by people like me.

In the meantime, I’ve got four NPSL playoff games to follow tonight: Orange County FC vs. FCM Portland, Miami FC 2 vs. Little Rock Rangers, AFC Ann Arbor vs. Duluth FC, and FC Motown vs. New York Cosmos B.

And if you haven’t given lower division soccer a serious look, you’re seriously missing out.