Rangers Make Another Signing, Put in Western Conference

The Swope Park Rangers season inches closer, and the club continues to make additions. Today the club announced that they had signed Canadian forward Mark Anthony Gonzalez. Gonzalez comes to Kansas City after a four year career at Evansville where he scored 27 goals and added six assists while appearing in 71 games while playing with Sporting KC fourth round draft pick Faik Hajderovic. The 21 year old played for Sigma FC in the League1 Ontario division in 2014, at the same time fellow Ranger, Johnny Grant was playing with the club. He also spent time playing with Toronto FC's academy team in the PDL. It would appear that Marc Dos Santos' work in Canada is paying early dividends for the club ahead of their first USL season.

Also today in regards to the Rangers the USL announced the conference make up for their 29 teams for the 2016 season. The Rangers will be grouped in the Western Conference with 14 other teams including last year's finalist, the LA Galaxy II and the 2014 champions, the Sacramento Republic, and cross state rival, St. Louis FC. The Rangers will play 30 games with the top eight teams in each conference making the playoffs with the team's full schedule being released next Tuesday, the 26th.

Swope Park Rangers Officially Announced

Sporting Club today officially announced their USL club that will begin play in the United Soccer League next season as the Swope Park Rangers. The name, an homage to the name that fans had given the club's reserve team back when MLS had a reserve league, is one that most fans seem to be a fan of. It's unique and gives the team its own identity going forward.

The team will play at the championship field in the Swope Soccer Village, joining FC Kansas City as tenants at the stadium. No coaching announcement was made, but that will be coming in the upcoming months. With the club announcing open tryouts on November 21st and 22nd, one would expect the head coach to be in place by then.

For me personally I love the name, and the logo is clean and crisp, I like it quite a bit.

Sporting to Announce USL Team Tomorrow

Sporting Kansas City announced today that they will be joining the growing list of MLS teams to have their own USL team next year. When the partnership between MLS and the USL was announced, Kansas City was one of the first teams to jump on the bandwagon and picked up the first USL affiliate, partnering with Orlando City before they moved to MLS and then partnering with the Oklahoma City Energy the past two years. This year though, seven MLS teams joined the LA Galaxy and fielded their own team in the USL instead of using an affiliate and next year they'll be joined by Orlando City. Following the pattern that would give Peter Vermes and KC more control over their loaned players KC too will field their own team in the USL next season.

You can certainly insinuate things about the team based on the announcement. With it occurring at Starlight Theatre tomorrow, close to the team's training grounds and the Swope Soccer Village, one can certainly assume that the team would use the championship stadium there as their home field, joining the women's team, FC Kansas City as tenants at the facility.

Also at the announcement sporting will unveil the team's name and logo. Most fans seem to be hoping that the club joins the likes of the Real Monarchs and FC Montreal in not adding just a 2, II, or B after the first team's name. A number of fans seem to want a return to the old reserve team name, the Swope Park Rangers. I'm one of those fans that would like to see that become the team name; it would give the team a bit of its own identity instead of just being the reserves. Sporting has even trolled that name a little bit on their team website with sporting.com/rangers being a live site, but having an embedded video of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up.

The announcement doesn't mention anything about a coaching announcement at this time, but for me there are two lines of thinking at this time when it comes to the coach. The first is that KC will have current assistant coach, Kerry Zavagnin take over the new USL team. Zavagnin has been an assistant for Kansas City since his retiring as a player after the 2008 season. I've often wondered why he hasn't gotten offers to become head coach at another club considering all of KC's success over the last five years.

The other option could be current Ottawa Fury coach, Marc Dos Santos. The Canadian coach has already announced that he is leaving the NASL club to take a job with an MLS team after the current NASL season finishes. At the same time word out of Canada was that he was leaving to take a job with Vermes' staff. Dos Santos would certainly make a good option for a USL team just like Zavagnin would. Either one I think would be a good choice to lead KC's team in the USL.

A third option that a number of fans would love would be the return of Jimmy Nielsen to Kansas City as head coach. The current head coach of KC's affiliate, the Energy, has had a successful second season in charge of the club leading them to a second place finish in the Western Conference. If rumors are true he'd also garnered interest from the Chicago Fire before they fired head coach Frank Yallop. At this time though I don't think Nielsen is going to leave OKC, I think he's got a good thing going there, and while he was a legend in KC, I don't think bringing him back is the right move right now.

In the end I think this move overall will be a big boost for KC. I think part of why KC never used the full allotment of loans to their affiliate had to do with Vermes' wanting to be able to be more in charge of their development than he could when they were in OKC or Orlando. This will give him that opportunity and allow him to watch training and have combined trainings when he wants to.

Sporting "2" Coming to the USL Next Year?

One of my big concerns and questions regarding KC's player development has been their lack of establishing a USL team of their own that they would operate. Back when MLS and the USL partnered up, KC was the first team to pick up an affiliate, Orlando City. The club was their affiliate for two seasons before becoming an MLS team this year. Last year as Kc prepared for Orlando to make the jump to MLS they affiliated themselves with the expansion Oklahoma City Energy and former goalkeeper, Jimmy Nielsen. The big success story of the USL loans for KC has to be Dom Dwyer and his performance in 2013 with Orlando City, setting a USL scoring record. Multiple other players have gone on loan with varying degrees of success, including the likes of Kevin Ellis, Jon Kempin, Christian Duke, Jimmy Medranda, and Mikey Lopez.

Sporting KC though has never really seemed to use the affiliation to its full advantage, KC never seemed to have the full complement of players loaned out to the USL team and for much of the second half of the season with all the injuries, didn't have anyone on loan to either affiliate. This year KC sent more players on loan to NASL side San Antonio (2, Kempin and Saad Abdul-Salaam) than they have to their USL affiliate, OKC (1, Lopez).

Today though out of Louisville comes a report that KC will be joining the likes of LA, Portland, Seattle, New York, and a few other teams and entering an expansion "2" team in the USL next season. In a report about an expansion team coming to Cincinnati, the article, quoting a source said that five new teams will be joining the league next season; one of those will be a KC reserve side. Coinciding with that move is apparently a move of St. Louis FC to the Western Conference, meaning an in-state rivalry for St. Louis.

Back in June, Robb Heineman had done a poll on Twitter asking for input on where a USL team in KC would play, Swope, Sporting Park, or moving around the metro/region, so this isn't a new idea that's been completely hidden from view. Swope would seem the obvious choice with its small stadium being a good size for a USL team, especially an MLS reserve side, as the highest average of a reserve side in the USL is the Real Salt Lake reserves, the Real Monarchs, averaging 3,966, while at the other end, FC Montreal is drawing just 357.

I really think a local affiliate would be a major plus for Kansas City, allowing them to more readily use the USL team to get players time. If KC is off a weekend, send a couple of the kids who are usually on the bench or just outside the 18 to the affiliate to play a Friday/Sunday stretch in Oklahoma or something similar. It also allows the players that are on loan to still be close enough to be observed by Peter Vermes, which I think was one of the original draw backs of the affiliate system for KC. Being able to see the guys train each day would allow Vermes to have a more active role with them, which to me seems like something Vermes would be big into that can't fully be done with affiliate in OKC.

Hopefully this would allow the return of the fantastically named Swope Park Rangers, the name fans used for the reserve team back when MLS had a reserve league.

Heineman Takes to Twitter Again

Once again while killing time while on a flight, Sporting Club CEO, Robb Heineman took to Twitter again, conducting a Q&A with fans. Heineman answered a number of questions over an hour or so of Tweeting. There was lots of decent information in his tweets, but as always with these conversations you always have to take it with a grain of salt and remember Heineman's tendency to troll the fans on occasion.

Heineman came out with his first question answering Orlando City fans who have held out hope that they could some how get Dom Dwyer to return to their club now that they've entered MLS in 2015. Quickly seeming to put an end to any speculation (and really any hope Orlando City fans had of getting him were a delusional to begin with).

Heineman also crushed some wild fan hopes for player signings, from the hopeful, to the never gonna happen. And also crushed the baseless speculation that the team was chasing Giovanni Dos Santos again. He did though provide some hope of an incoming Designated Player, and also said that the team was still looking to bring in a defensive midfielder. Heineman also seemed to indicate that the club has yet to give up on getting Brazilian right back, Igor Juliao back in Kansas City.

Heineman answered a few questions pertaining to stadiums throughout the tweet along as well. The first one would be a blow to a number of fans who were hoping for an expanded Sporting Park in the future. When asked when we'd see an expanded Sporting Park, Heineman responded "I'd guess never." It's a departure from his previous comments on the topic when he's said things from five years to that they'd look into it after 2015. While Toronto is working on an expansion of BMO Field to up their capacity, Sporting Park really is restricted by the land it is on. The only way to go is up. In the past talk has been about raising the roof on the East Stand so that he matched the level of the West Stand and adding a second tier, as well as adding more seats above the Cauldron. The process for that certainly wouldn't be cheap or as easy as the expansion of BMO appears to be. On other stadium topics, Heineman was asked whether the team would ever return to the Truman Sports Complex, to play at either of the two stadiums out there. In regards to Kauffman, Heineman was more interested in the idea if it were a downtown stadium. As for Arrowhead, Heineman was asked about playing one game a year at the team's former home, to which he responded that the chances were low.

Back to Sporting Park, Heineman was asked about friendlies this summer for Sporting, to which Heineman responded that they had nothing lined up at this time regarding a big name European team. Heineman did though say that they were working on setting up a friendly between the team and former goalkeeper, Jimmy Nielsen's Oklahoma City Energy, which would be fun. But on the other hand I also think that game would do a lot more for Oklahoma City to host Sporting for a game (just don't get hurt). My assumption had been that one of the friendlies this summer would be a visit from partner club Fluminense as part of the home and home friendlies that were part of the agreement. Heineman was asked about training at Fluminense ahead of the 2016 season, for which Heineman said that the club would like to, which would be the perfect time for the "return" leg of the friendlies.

Heineman also pretty much confirmed the leaked jerseys as the team's new primary jersey for those that were doubting that the leaked jersey was really going to be the team's new jersey in 2015. He also gave further proof to the word going around that there was going to be no third jersey in 2015. Rumors had been making the rounds that KC would have a third that would keep the argyle pattern but would instead go to white instead of the black that the team had over the past two years.

A few other minor bits of information from his tweets tonight. He said that the land where the US Training Complex will be going in is currently being prepped for the ground breaking, which previously mentioned was planned for some time in the first half of 2015. He also seemed to confirm an eventual interest in the team creating a USL team that would play at Swope Park with FC Kansas City. It's an area that I feel is the next logical step for Kansas City. The LA Galaxy showed how a successful model for their USL team can help players develop to eventually help the main team. With a number of other MLS teams starting USL teams themselves this year, it'll be interesting to see how many do it right and how many do it wrong, and whether that pushes Kansas City to create their USL team quicker or not.

We also may have finally found out why I'll likely never get a job with Sporting Kansas City. This may have been my favorite question of the night, though it went unanswered.

Heineman ended the night with the below Tweet, that will certainly lead to a lot of responses and create further interest locally in the team and their push in 2015.

Keep hearing rvdv rumor....definitely on the radar.  Not imminent...
— Robb Heineman (@RobbHeineman) February 12, 2015

Of course, as I feel obligated to say each time Robb does one of these things, make sure you take your grain of salt.

MISL Join Up with USL

From the Missouri Comets.

United Soccer Leagues is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and will operate North America’s most storied and tradition-rich professional indoor soccer league beginning with the 2011-12 season.

The MISL represents the top level of professional indoor soccer in North America and currently consists of seven franchises for 2011-12, with additional announcements expected in the coming weeks. The league roster includes existing MISL franchises in Baltimore, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Wichita. They will be joined in the MISL by a trio of first-year USL indoor franchises in Norfolk, Rochester and Syracuse.

The League will be led by Chris Economides, senior director of USL’s professional leagues. Scheduling, competition and playoff format and rules for the MISL will be determined by the league’s Board of Governors.

“We are obviously pleased to bring the top indoor soccer league in North America into the USL family,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said. “We announced several months back that we would be operating a professional indoor soccer league in November of 2011, and this agreement with the MISL allows us to move forward with our plans. Combining the experience and tradition of the MISL with USL’s team services and league management resources will ensure the MISL reaches new levels of success.”

The MISL will follow a financial model that is viable for team owners. USL intends to seek affiliation under the U.S. Soccer Federation umbrella, consistent with its other league properties.

"We are all pleased to join USL which has many strong leagues and numerous franchises," MISL Chairman Ed Hale said. "This will give us a platform for future expansion of our indoor game throughout the country."

“This is a great day for the Comets and the Major Indoor Soccer League,” said Comets President, Brian Budzinski. “USL’s footprint is all over the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. The ability to promote the MISL and the exciting game of professional indoor soccer to millions more soccer fans through this partnership only helps to strengthen our brand.”

MISL indoor soccer was developed to appeal to sports fans around the world. The fast-paced, fiercely competitive game is played on artificial turf on a hockey-rink-sized field surrounded by dasher boards and Plexiglas with eight-foot high by 14-foot wide goals receded into the end boards. Creative dribbling, pinpoint passing, acrobatic goalkeeping and rugged defensive play are all skills demonstrated by MISL players.

A typical MISL game features end-to-end-action resulting in approximately 60 shots and 11 goals per game. Each game includes four 15-minute quarters and a popular feature is multi-point scoring, with goals from long distance worth more. Other unique characteristics of the MISL include action-packed power plays and free substitution of players while play continues.

United Soccer Leagues
Celebrating its 25^th anniversary, United Soccer Leagues has become the largest organization of elite-level soccer leagues in North America by building on the vision, commitment, and passion of players, fans and investors. Now in its third decade of operation, USL continues to be a driving force in the growth of soccer in the United States, Canada and Caribbean. USL provides a clearly defined path for the progression of male and female soccer players beginning at the youth level (USL Super Y-League/USL Super-20 League), continuing up through the amateur level (USL Premier Development League/USL W-League) and on to the professional level (USL PRO, MISL). A platform for countless players to reach for their dreams each year, USL is devoted to developing the sport at the grassroots level in every community across the region.

USL Communications - Jay Preble / Nicholas Murray / David Wagner - Tampa, FL - 813.963.3909 - Twitter: USLsoccer

For Comets information, visit: www.cometsindoorsoccer.com