The Aztexan

There's a new podcast on the American soccer scene that I'd like to recommend: Waiting for Gaetjens. You can get it from their website, WaitingForGaetjens.com, or subscribe to it in the iTunes Store here.

The hosts are Greg Lalas and Adam Spangler. Lalas is a columnist for SI.com, commentator for New England Revolution TV broadcasts, and Site Director for Goal.com, while Spangler is a freelance writer who runs ThisIsAmericanSoccer.com.

It's a weekly show, clocking in between 40 and 50 minutes per episode so far. Their format, dubbed "the starting 11", keeps things moving along well by cramming 11 topics into each show. I like the balance between news coverage, opinion, and Lalas and Spangler just basically chewing the fat about the American game. They cover it all: MLS, the U.S. national team, the World Cup, even the ongoing drama in our 2nd division.

They've brought some good guests on already, too: Real Salt Lake's GM, LA Galaxy's Dema Kovalenko, the Tampa Bay Rowdies' CEO, Grant Wahl and former NY Cosmos star Shep Messing (who dropped some serious hints about the future of that brand). They've even interviewed Austin's own star of the international soccer scene: Dan Wiersema of the Free Beer Movement (covered here previously).

So, what's a Gaetjens? Until they fix the broken "Who is Joe Gaetjens?" link on their website (you should fix that link, you guys), I'll just point you to his Wikipedia entry. With an upcoming World Cup group that pits the U.S. against England, here's hoping they picked an auspicious namesake.

Check it out, an entertaining and informative new soccer show: Waiting for Gaetjens.

Labels: media

The 2006 hit "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley popped up in my iPod's shuffle today, and it struck me as a near-perfect fit for the mood of uncertainty facing 2nd division pro soccer in America this winter. A sort of theme song for the USL/TOA/NASL train-wreck, if you will.

You can listen along to the song in this YouTube video.

I remember when,
I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
But there was something so pleasant about that place
Even your emotions had an echo
In so much space

And when you're out there, without care
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Possibly...

And I hope that you are having
The time of your life
But think twice
That's my only advice

Come on now, who do you,
Who do you, who do you, who do you think you are?
Ha ha ha, bless your soul
You really think you're in control?

Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart
To lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember
Is thinking, I want to be like them

Ever since I was little
Ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come...
And I can die when I'm done

But maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably...

Labels: deep thoughts, The League

The Cleveland City Stars are no more. I'd heard rumors that they might move back down to USL-2, but for some reason the league decided to pull the plug:

After months of negotiation and meetings, and in the midst of the conclusion of our sale, the USL decided to terminate our franchise just prior to Thanksgiving. This news came as a significant surprise to us given the nature of the process we were involved with up until that point. After much consideration and counsel the leadership of Cleveland City Stars decided to accept the leagues termination of our franchise and all implications thereof.

Well, there's another batch of second division soccer players on the market, including Gordon Kljestan (Sasha's big brother).

When I dug up my City Stars expansion team preview from the beginning of the year, I was struck by the fact that their "promotion" to USL-1 was announced on Dec. 5, 2008. If you take a look at your calendar, you'll see that's almost exactly one year ago.

By all accounts, Cleveland had been building a decent team in USL-2 up to that point. They won that league's title in 2008, in fact. But it was clear that the league rushed Cleveland's move to USL-1, to help make up for the Atlanta Silverbacks' sudden departure last November. Perhaps if head coach Martin Rennie had known they were going to move up, he wouldn't have taken the Carolina Railhawks job.

Whether it was the gap left by Rennie's departure, or just expansion-team growing pains, there's no argument that they struggled this season. As did the other expansion team, our Austin Aztex. 2009 was the first USL-1 season for the Aztex, though with the 2008 PDL season under its belt, the organization wasn't completely new. But even with some experience from their USL-2 and PDL campaigns, the two USL-1 sides wound up slugging it out for last place, as expansion teams are often expected to. Cleveland eventually claimed the bottom spot by just 2 points.

They were our fellow expansion team — our freshman classmates in the class of '09, if you will — so I'm sad to see them go.

Meanwhile, we're watching the USL/TOA/NASL/WTF drama unfold. Who knows what tomorrow, let alone next Spring, will bring. But as of now, here are some of the new teams which may be launched onto the front stage of 2nd-division U.S. soccer next year:

1. Atlanta Silverbacks — yes, there used to be a USL-1 team with that name, but what does their roster look like right now?


2. Crystal Palace Baltimore — moving up from USL-2, like Cleveland did


3. Tampa Bay Rowdies — brand new organization, despite the retro name


4. St. Louis — brand new team, not even a name yet; same owner as WPS's Athletica


5. FC New York — brand new organization (and rumored to already be in trouble)


6. Ottawa Fury — existing PDL team

And not only brand-new teams, but depending on how it all plays out, possibly a brand-new league, too.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, and nothing is settled. (And you know no work gets done anywhere the last 2 weeks of the year.) My point is that this is all harder to pull off than it looks. Having meetings, making presentations, trademarking names and issuing press releases is the easy part.

Just ask the Cleveland City Stars.

Labels: deep thoughts, The League, USL-1