Category: Sidewinder Insider

For someone who has followed Chattanooga FC for a while now, hearing on Thursday that the club has a new life in a new league was terrific news.

Same goes for Detroit City FC, another club built by supporters, for supporters.

And as a guy who still cheers for the New York Cosmos and used to live for the old “Soccer Bowls” and the original North American Soccer League – the launch of the National Premier Soccer League’s pro circuit resonates.

According to a NPSL news release, the clubs will compete in the first-ever NPSL Founders Cup competition that will run from August to November, 2019.

The exact format is still being worked out.

After that tournament-style debut, the circuit will play a full league schedule from spring to fall in 2020, falling in line with the American professional soccer calendar.

While the “traditional” NPSL plays a truncated summer schedule with amateur players, NPSL Pro (or however it ultimately brands itself) will be full-time with paid coaches, players and staff.

“We are very excited to bring a new brand of community-based soccer to the U.S. market,” NPSL Chairman Joe Barone said in a statement. “Beginning with the Founders Cup, fans will be able to enjoy watching authentic clubs compete with professional players and staff.  This new venture will build upon the success and experience of NPSL and its nationwide network of local soccer club members.”

Aside from Chattanooga, Detroit and New York, the 11 founding members are ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC, FC Arizona, Miami FC, Miami United FC, Milwaukee Torrent, and Oakland Roots, with plenty of room for more clubs in the future.

(The Roots, by the way, have one of the best crests in the history of crests. Look it up).

If you want to view NPSL Pro as a “renegade league,” feel free … I doubt they mind.

It will exist outside of the United States Soccer Federation because instead of a franchise model, these clubs are sticking to their grassroots growth plan.

“Having been Chattanooga’s football club for 10 years, we are really excited about the future and moving up to the next level,” Sheldon Grizzle, Chattanooga FC general manager, said. “This has been in the works for several years and we are proud for our fans and supporters to see this come to fruition.”

Instead of the USSF’s blessing – which was neither sought nor expected – the new league is aligned with the United States Adult Soccer Association.

“We support our members’ growth and expansion of their leagues,” USASA President John Motta said. “This is another opportunity to develop players, coaches, administrators, and referees at the highest level of adult soccer. This is absolutely critical for player development, as it prepares players onto the next level and also for referee development, as this level of adult soccer is the best training ground for referees in this country.”

Growing up in the Deep South in the late 1960s, soccer to me was so rare it was damn near exotic. Now, though, it’s everywhere.

Aside from NPSL Pro, the National Independent Soccer Association is set to kick off its inaugural season in 2019 with eight teams.

USL League One, the United Soccer League’s newest circuit, also debuts in 2019 with 10 franchises.

They function as a “third division” in America’s mythical soccer pyramid, with Major League Soccer and USL Championship serving as the first and second divisions, respectively.

However, since NPSL Pro exists outside the USSF structure, it conceivably can grow into something more.

When you look at the vastness of the fourth-tier NPSL – more than 90 clubs are scattered across the country – the possibility of one day having a true pyramid with promotion and relegation exists.

Beyond that, though, I just like the fact that these 11 clubs want to chart their own course in “The Beautiful Game.”

Obviously I’m happy for all the teams involved, and glad the Cosmos have found a professional home again. But I’m especially pleased for Chattanooga and Detroit, two clubs that have refused to stray from their grassroots model.

If NPSL Pro is ultimately the future of American soccer, those two cities will always be remembered for being ahead of the curve – and helping lay the foundation.

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.