It’s that soccer time of year again for the Triangle and for the nation. Two weeks after the start of the MLS season, the United Soccer League (USL) regular season is underway.
After not being selected in the first round of the MLS expansion process and the decline of the North American Soccer League (NASL), NCFC made the switch to the USL in order to face stronger and more varied opposition. The move will also allow NCFC to continue play as the NASL has suspended its entire 2018 season. NCFC is still in play to be selected for the next round of MLS bids.*
At the end of last month, the NASL’s attempt to get a preliminary injunction at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit failed, as the league’s suit against the United States Soccer Federation did not demonstrate a clear chance of success. The league contends that its demotion to Division III by the Federation constitutes a violation of U.S. antitrust laws as the Federation allegedly is attempting to limit competition with MLS by illegally denying NASL Division II status. This past weekend, the NASL added MLS to the list of defendants, claiming that the influence that league exerts over the Federation constitutes an action through which the league can claim civil damages.
The move to the court system is not surprising in the litigious U.S., where lawsuits regarding professional sports organizations like the NFL are common. However, this lawsuit goes against precedent in the sport of soccer, as FIFA encourages all disputes in the game to be settled in-house or through FIFA arbitration.
If NCFC is ever going to return to the NASL, it may be contingent upon the league regaining that higher classification.
Now in the only remaining Division II league with 32 teams to play against as opposed to the 7 they had last season, the Blues hopes to gain experience through the crucible of the USL.
Their home opener this past Saturday ended in a 3-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. NCFC was able to wipe away the one-goal deficit it gave up on a turnover in the first half with a Steven Miller tally. Minutes later, an ill-advised challenge put the ball on the spot for the Rowdies, which Georgi Hristov converted to give his team a 2-1 lead at the half. The second frame staged a battle up and down the field before Jack Blake settled the game for Tampa Bay with a spectacular long-range finish in the final minutes of play.
The Blues hit the road for the next two weeks, taking on Louisville City FC and the Richmond Kickers before returning to Cary on April 7 to face Indy Eleven at 7 p.m. The season runs from March to October, with 17 home games to look forward to before the playoff stage begins.
U.S. Soccer’s final pro-league kickoff will take place at 3:30 p.m. this coming Saturday when the North Carolina Courage play host to the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League. The Courage are coming off a shield-winning season where they fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Thorns in the championship final.
*Editor’s note: This article originally stated that NCFC’s MLS bid had failed, and has been corrected for accuracy
