The United Soccer League (USL) has continued its expansion through successful D2 expansion as well as its soon-to-be-launched USLD3 division with a rumored 8-12 teams. However, lapses in franchise registration filings in a number of states may pose a problem for the league’s expansion hopes. Soc Takes has learned that the USL currently lacks up-to-date franchise registrations in 12 states, including several locations where USL announcements are expected in coming years.

The USL is a registered franchisor that offers franchises across the United States. Thirteen states require franchisors to meet annual registration requirements in order to maintain active status as franchisors in those states. These requirements include paying a nominal fee and/or filing annual franchise disclosure documents (FDD). This only applies to new franchises, and does not affect the status of existing franchises.

These FDDs reveal critical details about how the franchise of interest operates (in this case, the USL), in accordance with the “Franchise Rule” as stated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) including manuals and audited financial disclosures.

According to the FTC, “the Franchise Rule gives prospective purchases of franchises the material information they need in order to weigh the risks and benefits of such an investment. The Rule requires franchisors to provide potential franchises with a disclosure document containing 23 specific items of information about the offered franchise, its officers and other franchisees.”

Put simply, these required documents inform potential investors if the franchise is a good financial and ethical decision.

The USL has been filing publicly available documents annually since 2010 in most of these states. Yet, for an unknown reason, the USL stopped filing FDDs in all but one state since 2017.

And as a result of this cessation of filing, the USL is currently not an active franchisor in 12 out of the 13 states requiring those documents. Without active franchisor status, USL cannot offer new franchises in many of these states.

Soc Takes contacted each state department to better understand the USL’s status.

EXEMPTIONS

One work-around for franchisors is to seek one of a myriad of exemptions. These exemptions allow successful franchisors to not file annual FDDs if they meet certain metrics. These metrics include a high net worth of the franchisor (in this case, the USL) and/or the parent company (in this case, NuRock). However, as indicated below, in many cases, even filing under exemptions requires submission of paperwork.

Soc Takes was unable to determine whether the USL and/or NuRock met exemption requirements. Though, it must be recognized that the league has been operating under significant profit recently.

STATES REQUIRING FDDs

The states requiring FDDs are: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Out of these states, Soc Takes has learned, via online searches and phone calls made to respective regulatory agencies, that the USL is currently an active franchisor only in the state of Wisconsin.

Interestingly, neither the now-dormant North American Soccer League (NASL) nor Major League Soccer (MLS) count as franchisors, while the USL does. The reason is that MLS owns all its teams, while the USL does not. On the other hand, the NASL did not operate as a franchisor, as independent owners controlled and owned the league as opposed to the reverse.

STATE BY STATE

Here is a state-by-state summary of the same:

California – USL has not been an active franchisor in the state of California since 2017. Their last filing was in March 2016. Yet, On WRALSports, Jake Edwards spoke about multiple California teams who were interested in USLvD3. Additionally, discussions have taken place about USL teams in Walnut Creek, San Francisco and San Diego.

Hawaii – No filing on record.

Illinois – Correspondence with the office of the Illinois Attorney General revealed that the USL’s status (File No. 537-16) has been inactive since April 2017. A representative at the office said that even if the USL were offering franchises under an exemption, they would have to indicate that they were doing so via filed paperwork to the Office of the Attorney General. Chicago is expected to be a site of future USL expansion.

Indiana – Correspondence with Indiana’s Secretary of State revealed that the USL’s status as a franchisor in Indiana expired in October 2016. The Indy XI joined the USL as a new franchise team in January 2018. It is possible that the USL could offer franchises under one of the many exemptions under Indiana’s code title 23. One of those exemptions allows a single franchise in a 24-month period to be offered without FDD filing. Indy XI was the only franchise offered during that time, although discussions about USLD3 expansion to Lafayette and Evansville have emerged.

Maryland – The USL’s active status expired in January 2016, per a phone call to Maryland’s Securities Division. A representative suggested that the USL would need to file a request for exemption in order to file under any exemption laws. The USL has not started new franchises in Maryland since expiration, though rumors of a Baltimore franchise have long persisted.

Michigan – The USL’s status in Michigan has been inactive since Oct. 6, 2016. A representative at Michigan’s Attorney General’s office was unable to determine whether the USL could file under any exemption law. The USL has not publicly offered franchises in Michigan since expiration. Meanwhile, USLD3 has been linked with a possible expansion into Lansing.

Minnesota – In an interview with The Athletic Soccer’s Jeff Rueter, Minnesota United FC owner Bill McGuire discussed the difficulties associated with getting a USL franchise off the ground. One additional problem may include the fact that the USL’s status with Minnesota’s Department of Commerce was canceled on June 30, 2017. A copy of the publicly available letter of cancellation can be found above.

A representative for Minnesota’s Department of Commerce informed Soc Takes that the USL would need to file a document to claim an exemption, and that in order to become an active registrant once more, it would need to file a new application. He intimated that review of any new applications would take at least two months.

As things stand, USL-Minnesota is not happening any time soon.

New York – Inactive since Feb. 21, 2017. A representative at the Office of the Attorney General suggested that exemptions allow a franchisor to offer franchises without filing FDDs if the franchisor is worth $3 million and they file a letter of “consent of service” through the secretary of state. The USL has not publicly offered new franchises in New York since 2017.

North Dakota – The USL’s franchisor status expired on May 15, 2017. An exemption letter would need to be filed in order for the league to offer franchises, per a representative at North Dakota Securities Department. The USL has not publicly offered franchises in North Dakota since that time.

Rhode Island – Status has been expired since April 2017. The USL has not publicly offered franchises in Rhode Island since that time.

Virginia – Status expired in 2015. A senior examiner at the Examination Section of the State Corporate Commission clarified that while exemptions are offered in the state, all exemptions require franchisors to file a specific form (Form H). The senior examiner said there was no Form H filed by the USL. Recently, Loudoun United was announced as an affiliate of D.C. United, and will begin play in the 2019 season.

Washington – The USL’s status expired in 2015. A representative of the Department of Financial Institutions in Washington informed Soc Takes that they do not have any system to track exemptions. Therefore, theoretically, the USL could continue to offer franchises in the state without the knowledge of the state even though they are not active franchisors. The USL has not publicly offered franchises in Washington since that time.

Wisconsin – The USL’s status in Wisconsin expired on March 2017, but the league re-activated their status on July 24, 2018 at the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. Madison-USLD3 was announced as an expansion team in May 2018.

Therefore, as things stand, the USL is unable to offer franchises in multiple states. None of this, however, prevents them from offering franchises in non-FDD-requiring states. But, it does seem to suggest that potential teams in Baltimore, Minnesota, California, etc., may not happen anytime soon. Additionally, it remains unclear why the USL stopped filing FDDs and allowed inactivation of their status as state-approved franchisors. Finally, it is unclear which, if any, exemptions were used by the USL to announce Indy XI and Loudoun United as franchisees in 2018.

A USL spokesperson responded to the information revealed in this article:

“For USL and USL Division III, we have submitted registrations (or equivalent required notices/exemptions) in accordance with applicable state law.

Note that, in the case of Indiana, state law only requires registration when the franchisor sells more than one franchise within the state within one 24-month period. Should it be necessary, we will register in Indiana in due course.

Additionally, we intentionally let our Minnesota registration expire in 2017 because at the time we were not planning to sell any franchises in that state in 2018 or 2019.

As we turn toward new expansion markets for 2020, additional state registrations will be submitted as required by state law.”

Amongst other things, USL’s statement does not clarify how USL were able to announce a Madison franchise before actively registering in Wisconsin, and how they were able to announce Loudoun United without filing form H in the state of Virginia.

Neil Morris, Wes Burdine and Kartik Krishnaiyer contributed to this story.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: NipunChopra7.

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Photo credit: Pittaya

Daniel Farke’s bumpy inaugural tenure at Norwich City certainly hasn’t been without hiccups. But based on current form — if you’re into that sort of thing — the Canaries have looked the part lately under the first-year manager.

The historic English club’s youthful attack has gotten healthier and rounded into form in recent weeks, while the defense has remained stout.

With seven points accumulated over its previous three matches, two of which were away from home, the Canaries are finding their stride in the wintertime. Norwich isn’t flirting with promotion, but relegation is rapidly appearing more distant in the rearview mirror. The club currently sits 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

A 2-nil road triumph at Birmingham City began the run of good form, followed by a shared point at Burton Albion. The Canaries then snagged three more points in a return to Carrow Road on Monday against Millwall.

“It was a brilliant start to the New Year,” Farke told the team’s website. “We had four points out of the two away games, and I spoke to the lads before the game and said winning this home game would make it a really decent run. And now we can look up the table a bit more, because we’ve improved our distance to the teams below us.”

It’s likely not a coincidence that Norwich’s three-match unbeaten streak has coincided with midfielder Alex Pritchard’s return to full fitness and form following a lengthy spell from a nasty ankle injury that required surgery. And the continual development of central attacking midfielder James Maddison has further awoken the Canaries from a midseason slumber. The 21-year-old maestro has emerged as a dynamic No. 10, creating chances for others while often finding the scoresheet himself.

A healthy Pritchard and blossoming Maddison seem to have quite a solid rapport.

“They both can make a difference, and when they’re both together it’s really complicated for the opponents to stop us,” Farke added. “When they’re both on the pitch our game is on a higher level. I’m not worried if they attract interest because it means they’re playing well. I’m thankful I’m able to work with these two boys, but also with all of the lads.”

Maddison tallied and assisted in the Canaries’ takedown of Millwall, with his goal having been served up by Pritchard. And in the Birmingham City victory, Pritchard notched a goal on an assist from Maddison before connecting with winger Josh Murphy to record an assist of his own.

The Norwich defense, meanwhile, has only conceded 31 times in 26 matches. Angus Gunn has impressed in net, while a steady rotation of central defensive midfielders and defenders in a 4-2-3-1 have helped shield things in front of him.

With a deep pool of talented midfielders and the offense finally clicking, the Canaries may prove a difficult out for EFL Championship contenders down the stretch.

The side’s next league test is a Jan. 13 away date at Bristol City, where Norwich will hope to schlep its fine form.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Photo credit: Jacksonville Armada FC

As the news of Indy Eleven to the United Soccer League (USL) became official, priorities immediately changed to the search for a new coach to replace Tim Hankinson, whose contract was not renewed by the club.

While Indy owner Ersal Ozdemir confirmed on Twitter that the search for candidates was underway, the identity of those candidates has remained unknown until now.

It has been a very busy & a great week for @IndyEleven with @USL. Started interviewing coaching candidates.

— Ersal Ozdemir (@ErsalOzdemir) January 11, 2018

According to sources, the club has narrowed down the candidate pool to four individuals: Trevor James, Jimmy Nielsen, Martin Rennie and Mark Lowry.

Trevor James has been involved with American soccer at multiple levels. Having previously worked at Colchester United, LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire, James served as Tim Hankinson’s assistant at Indy XI last year. While James’ knowledge of Indy XI is an advantage, much of his career has been spent as an assistant or a scout. An infamously risk-averse Ozdemir is likely to count that against him.

• Related: Tim Hankinson deserves a ton of credit for his work at Indy XI.

Jimmy Nielsen made over 500 appearances as a top-level goalkeeper including stints at Millwall and Sporting Kansas City before retiring in 2013. From 2014-17, Nielsen served as head coach of Oklahoma City Energy. Under Nielsen, OKC Energy reached the conference playoffs from 2015-17, reaching the final in two of those years. While Nielsen clearly stands apart from the other candidates due to his knowledge of the league, questions about his exit from OKC Energy remain.

Having coached the Carolina RailHawks (WTF is a RailHawk?) and Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS, Martin Rennie possesses the strongest resume of the four candidates for the Indy XI hot seat. Yet, the Scotland-born Rennie has been away from the American game for four years having coached in South Korea from 2014-16. Rennie has not had a top-level coaching job since leaving the second-division Korean side Seoul E-Land FC in June 2016. Rennie is “a very nice guy whose teams were generally organized,” noted one MLS insider, adding that “he had a habit of shoehorning as many defensive midfielders into the XI as is possible, with predictable results.”

A name familiar to all NASL supporters, Mark Lowry is the current coach of Jacksonville Armada. Lowry famously led the Armada to a strong opening to the NASL 2017 season in spite of working with a shoestring budget at the time. At that time, the team was owned by the league and therefore Lowry achieved strong on-field results in spite of any semblance of stability. Yet, Lowry’s limited experience as a head coach — he has been a head coach for 17 months — may yet count against him.

Soc Takes understands the club flew in two of the four head coaches for on-site interviews this week, and Ozdemir is also interested in hiring a technical director before the 2018 season to assist in identifying players.

Another coach that many in Indy wanted at the club, NASL championship-winner Marc Dos Santos, has joined the coaching staff at LAFC — info first reported by Soc Takes contributor Kartik Krishnaiyer.

Sources tell me former @sfdeltas @OttawaFuryFC & @SwopeRangers Head Coach Marc Dos Santos, one of the best available North American-based coaches on the market is in talks to join Bob Bradley’s staff with @LAFC . Stay tuned, should learn more in the coming days.

— Kartik Krishnaiyer (@kkfla737) January 3, 2018

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Photo credit: Dakota Fusion FC

For his hat trick in a 5-3 win against NPSL North Conference foe Minnesota TwinStars, forward Jade Johnson of Dakota Fusion FC has been named the Mitre National Player of the Week for Week 19 of the NPSL season.

The three-goal outburst raised his his season total to 17, which moved him into elite company among the top few goalscorers in the league.

“Jade had been an integral part of our team and our success in our inaugural year with the Fusion,” said Dakota Fusion FC coach Jim Robbins in the press release announcing the award. “He possesses a unique combination of size, strength, speed, power, and goal scoring ability. He is very difficult to defend in 1v1 situations and he can beat defenders and score with either foot. Most teams try to double team him whenever possible, sometimes they even try to defend him with three. He has earned his place as the top goalscorer in our conference and is one of the top goal scorers in the entire NPSL.”

Photo credit: Dakota Fusion FC

The win left Johnson and the rest of his Dakota teammates with a second-place finish in their conference. The club ended up with a stellar 9W-0D-5L record, 27 points and — most importantly — a playoff berth.

“This is more of a team achievement to me than an individual accolade based off of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the past two weeks,” Johnson said. “The preparation and dedication in the offseason, as well as the sacrifices made over the best months of the year in North Dakota, is beginning to pay itself off heading into the regional playoffs this weekend.”

***

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Reno 1868 FC forward Sidney Rivera guests on the latest edition of the Soc Takes Pod to tackle topics ranging from his quick turnaround in joining Reno from Atlantic City FC midseason to his experience with Puerto Rico FC in 2017, including coping with the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria.

Rivera also hosts his own pod, The SidR10 Podcast, available on iTunes and elsewhere.

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Photo credit: Matt Schlotzhauer/Indy Eleven

INDIANAPOLIS — As the Indy Eleven’s 2018 roster begins to take shape, one thing is blatantly evident: New head coach Martin Rennie wants an entirely revamped defense.

Just days after ex-captain Colin Falvey announced he wouldn’t be returning to the club, fellow defenders Marco Franco and Nemanja Vukovic became the latest castoffs.

1/2 Thank you for the memories & the tremendous support over the past 2 years. It was honor & privilege to have captained your club. pic.twitter.com/ZhwiPCBhgH

— Colin Falvey (@falvey32) January 21, 2018

Vukovic, typically a left fullback, had converted to left midfielder toward the end of the 2017 season. Former manager Tim Hankinson described the move as a way to mask his defensive deficiencies while allowing his offensive game to flourish.

Regardless of how Rennie felt about Vukovic’s unique skill set, it’s clear the Montenegrin wingback wasn’t in Rennie’s future plans. Vukovic officially announced his departure from the club Saturday morning via Instagram.

Franco was the club’s primary starting right back for the past couple seasons. He had been with the club since 2014 after a standout career at UC Irvine.

Drafted in the first round of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the Chicago Fire with the 13th overall pick, Franco was soon loaned to Indy where he ultimately carved out a permanent role among the back four. He took to Twitter on Friday to bid the fans farewell.

It’s been a pleasure playing for this city the past 4 years. Grateful for everyone that made it feel like my second home and a big thanks to all the fans for your unwavering support. Wish nothing but the best for this club. Looking forward to what God has planned next ✌🏽 pic.twitter.com/8n2wq3QhKI

— marco franco (@marco3franco) January 27, 2018

Who will replace Falvey, Franco and Vukovic? The Eleven unveiled three new defensive signings earlier this week: Reiner Ferreira, Brad Rusin and Kevin Venegas.

Falvey has already found a familiar landing spot with Ottawa Fury FC after being inked by his former team earlier this week. Hopefully Franco and Vukovic will draw interest and land on their feet elsewhere in the USL or a comparable league. Veteran goalkeeper Jon Busch wasn’t retained by Indy and is seeking a new team as well.

Wanted to thank the best fans in the game! It has been my honor and privilege to play for you the past two years. I wish you all the best! Thank you for all your support!@The_BYB @BYBBattery37 @Indy11EastEnd @sh19indy @11thOldSoldier

— HPG (@HPG_GK) January 23, 2018

The Eleven defense was the most porous in the NASL last season. The unit conceded a league-worst 56 goals in 2017. Clearly, revamping the entire defense was at the top of Rennie’s priority list upon landing the gig.

Rennie expects his men to report to training around Feb. 7, so look for plenty more player news — both incoming and outgoing — from the club in the near future.

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Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s either here, or almost here. While the soccer season is already underway for some central Indiana-based clubs, others are busy making preparations for what’s to come. Here’s a local roundup of some of the area’s latest footy happenings.

BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER

The Bulldogs unveiled their 2018 schedule earlier this month, and it’s a doozy. The defending BIG EAST regular-season champions will tango with 2017 national semifinalist Akron to open their 2018 campaign on Aug. 24. Six days later, Butler will face Western Michigan, another 2017 NCAA tournament squad and also a team that bested Butler at the Sellick Bowl last season. Both those matches are on the road, as is the Bulldogs’ annual clash with perennial powerhouse Indiana on Oct. 16.

The Bulldogs recently released their competitive 2018 schedule. Hear Coach Snape’s thoughts on the non-conference and BIG EAST match-ups —> pic.twitter.com/y5f5iR2zlo

— Butler Men’s Soccer (@ButlerMenSoccer) May 16, 2018

“We have put together another tough schedule that will challenge our players to perform at their absolute best in every game,” head coach Paul Snape told ButlerSports.com. “The non-conference schedule is against nine teams that can play in many different styles and this will fully prepare us for our highly-competitive BIG EAST schedule. We have big expectations for this upcoming season, but you can only fulfill them if you are taken out of your comfort zone and forced to adapt; this schedule will certainly do this.”

INDY SAINTS FC

Saints owner Chris McGrath said the club’s recent focus has primarily been on two things: the new women’s side that’s set to debut in the WPSL this year, and achieving nonprofit status. Cross item two off the list.

Indy Saints FC announces the creation of the Indy Saints Soccer Foundation, Inc.

📰 https://t.co/cC14aSHSIo pic.twitter.com/Ks4Db8XnHy

— Indy Saints FC (@IndySaintsFC) May 18, 2018

The club officially announced the launch of the Indy Saints Foundation (ISF) on Friday. Both the men’s and women’s teams will operate under the umbrella of the newly formed nonprofit entity, with an emphsais on providing players with more than just a place to play in the summer.

“The Indy Saints Foundation (ISF) believes that well-formed soccer players make better family members, employees, co-workers, citizens, role models and ambassadors of the beautiful game,” states the organization’s website. “It does that by providing financial support to its teams in the areas of coaching, housing, education and training, match play opportunities and fostering mentorship opportunities for its players with members of the community.”

USAi OLD BHOYS

Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

The Old Bhoys are playing competitive football in their inaugural season in the UPSL, but it hasn’t translated to results yet. Sitting at 0W-0D-3L after a 3-1 setback Saturday at Toledo Villa FC, they’ve yet to win a league match. But they did grab an impressive preseason win over Lafayette, Ind.-based NPSL side FC Indiana.

The “Bhoys in Red” will return home to Cardinal Ritter Stadium on Saturday in search of their first UPSL win. They’ll rematch Oakland County FC, a team they previously fell to 6-2 on the road, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Tickets for the match can be purchased in advance or at the gate for $8.

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Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

The World Cup has reached the knockout rounds with upsets galore and many a favored contender heading home early. But you probably knew that already.

Instead of using some weird metric to rank and/or predict the World Cup, I’ve been itching to get back to my bread and butter: USL analyses. Today, that itch has been scratched.

Back around the ides of May, I wrote a reasonably detailed, two-part progress report on the 2018 USL season about a quarter of the way through it. Right now, there have been 266 of 561 matches played, which means we’re at roughly the midway point of the season. And most importantly, it’s a period where the season has a 48-hour break for me to sit down, write, make spreadsheets, calculate arbitrary percentages and write. And for the really mathematically inclined, it means that every team has played, on average, 16 games. Plenty of data over which I can pore and jump to conclusions.

As before, the two primary metrics I’m tracking are points per game and average attendance, for reasons explained at length in the Q1 progress reports. Also, this report is being deliberately written as a two-part affair due to the sheer lengthiness of the previous two USL pieces. Hopefully it’ll be easier to swallow once I break this in half.

And with that, let’s jump to some Eastern Conference midterm conclusions.

Atlanta United 2

* Points per Game: 0.733, 15th in East (-.017 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 3,134, 22nd in USL (-14.5% from Q1)

I’m pretty confident in my current opinion of Atlanta United 2: They’re not very good. Two wins from 15, an active six-game winless streak, plus they’re not showing much sign of improving any time soon. They’re only win since the season opener was a 5-4 late comeback win over Toronto FC II. Since then, they’ve been outscored 12-2. Removing that one score from their goal totals leaves them at 11 for, 27 against, with a -16 differential. That is unmistakably not good. Their current pace has them finishing on 25 points or so, which is where Charleston is right now. At least with the postponed game against Ottawa, they avoided making it another seven-game winless streak, and at least the fans are still showing up.

Prognosis: They’ll finish 15th, only ahead of Toronto II, and quite possibly drop to USL D3 for 2019.

Bethlehem Steel FC

* Points per Game: 1.438, 7th in East (+.438 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 2,254, 25th in USL (+5.7% from Q1)

Bethlehem turned around their season after that five-game streak between wins, and have shot up the standings. They’re the most improved team on points per game in the Eastern Conference, and didn’t lose at all in June. They’re actually putting together their best season yet in terms of PPG. At this point, I’m pretty sure I have more confidence in Brendan Burke as a head coach than I do in Jim Curtin. Maybe the Union should look to their USL team for more than just player development. Off the field, attendance is up from Q1, but not up to 2017 levels. I’m not entirely sure what could be done on that front, but again, I don’t really know if that’s a problem in the eyes of management.

Prognosis: They sneak into the playoffs, but go out in the first round.

Charleston Battery

* Points per Game: 1.563, 6th in East (-.326 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 3,141, 21st in USL (-12.6% from Q1)

Charleston went on a bit of a tear after some early shakiness, going unbeaten in nine games with a four-game win streak. They’ve since cooled off just a bit, but not to any worrying levels. Their goal differential is still in the positives, their defense is performing well and they’re firmly inside the top eight. Hell, they’re only three points shy of Pittsburgh. Ataullah Guerra is having one of his best seasons in the USL, while Joe Kuzminsky has not only won the starting spot in goal but already has six shutouts. Attendance has returned to roughly where it was last season, which isn’t necessarily bad, but does mean their early achievements on that front have been — at least temporarily — erased. But really, this team is performing at a level pretty close to where they’ve been for most of their history, so there’s no major cause for concern. They’re going to make the playoffs, like they usually do.

Prognosis: Nothing in life is guaranteed except for death, taxes, and Charleston making the playoffs.

Charlotte Independence

* Points per Game: 1.412, 8th in East (+.037 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 1,854, 29th in USL (+9.9% from Q1)

Charlotte has been weirdly streaky this season. They won the first two, didn’t win the next five, won the next four and haven’t won since. There was a lengthy four-game road trip in there, and they haven’t been shut out since early May, but they still need to find some wins if they’re going to make the playoffs. This team finished fifth in the two seasons prior and at their best this season have looked better than last year. They just haven’t been able to stay good for more than a few games at a time. Their goal differential is just +1, lowest of the current top eight. That said, Cordell Cato and Jorge Herrera have been nothing short of spectacular, both with eight goals through 17 games. The problems lie more on the defensive side. Attendance wise, though, things are very promising. Not only is this their highest average attendance ever, they even broke 3,000 at their most recent weekend home game. At the very least, new investment and increased fan support mean the team’s future is mostly secured. Now it’s time to focus on results and keep those people coming back.

Prognosis: Top five? Maybe. Playoffs? Probably. Worth watching? Definitely.

FC Cincinnati

* Points per Game: 2.000, 1st in East (+.111 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 24,953, 1st in USL (+3% from Q1)

In the time since the Q1 progress report, FC Cincinnati has been granted an expansion franchise in MLS, and this is officially their final season in the USL. They’re definitely making the most of it. Cincinnati was the first club in the Eastern Conference to hit ten wins, they have a comfortable lead over Pittsburgh and Louisville, and they’re selling hella tickets as usual. Like, hella tickets. Like, their average attendance is a bigger number than the total attendance for 21 teams. It’s higher than MLS’s average attendance right now. Nuts. Emmanuel Ledesma continues to be one of my favorite players to watch, while Danni König has settled in nicely. Both have eight goals already, while Nazmi Albadawi has seven. This team is finally looking like the best team in USL on the field and not just in the stands. And what better way to end their time in USL than by winning the trophy?

Prognosis: Early favorite for champion.

Indy Eleven

* Points per Game: 1.667, 5th in East (-.083 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 10,315, 3rd in USL (-7.9% from Q1)

Indy is still looking strong and drawing well. While their road undefeated streak is over, they’re still solidly a playoff contender, and their early season pace is essentially unchanged. Owain Fon Williams deserves to be in the conversation of best goalkeeper in the USL, while Ayoze, Soony Saad, Jack McInerny and Justin Braun have been part of a potent offensive machine. I subjectively find it better for teams to have multiple dangerous goal scorers rather than relying on just one or two guys, and this is a perfect example of such a team. And considering how quickly this team came together after last season’s chaos, they should feel incredibly pleased with the results so far.

Prognosis: Chad Irvine is a nerd.

Louisville City FC

* Points per Game: 1.733, 3rd in East (-.267 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 7,454, 6th in USL (+5.9% from Q1)

Louisville’s head coach James O’Connor has replaced Jason Kreis at Orlando City, and this makes me feel uncertain for Louisville’s immediate future. In the interim, Luke Spencer, Paolo DelPiccolo, and George Davis IV have been appointed joint head coaches, and their first test comes this weekend. If these three guys can continue the system implemented by O’Connor in the interim, they’ll continue to be almost unstoppable. But that’s a tall order in an unusual situation. Off the field, attendance is moving up again, and the club will soon be breaking ground on their own stadium. As soon as they find a permanent replacement head coach, their future is secure.

Prognosis: If the Cerberus Coach works, they keep winning. If it doesn’t, they’re screwed for a little while.

Nashville SC

* Points per Game: 1.733, 4th in East (+.233 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 10,012, 4th in USL (-14.2% from Q1)

Nashville started off strong and I speculated they might sneak into the playoffs. I’m changing that now: Nashville is going to finish top 4 and host a playoff game. Brandon Allen and Lebo Motolo both have five goals already, Ropapa Mensah has four and Matt Pickens is probably an MLS-caliber keeper. The dude has eight clean sheets from fifteen starts, and has played every single minute of his team’s existence. That’s nothing short of extraordinary. Nashville’s defense has been the second best in the entire league, allowing only 10 goals in total. With Boluwatife Akinyode, Justin Davis, Ryan James and Michael Reed, they’re shutting down the most potent offenses we’ve ever seen in USL history with ease. When Nashville joins MLS in 2020, I would actually be more surprised if they didn’t keep a lot of these guys. Same thing goes for Gary Smith. He definitely deserves another shot at MLS with the results he’s gotten. Attendance wise, the numbers have dropped a little bit, but they’re still averaging north of the 10,000 listed capacity of First Tennessee Park. Not much else to say other than Nashville is almost certainly going to keep winning a lot of games.

Prognosis: Don’t be surprised to see them in the championship game.

New York Red Bulls II

* Points per Game: 1.294, 10th in East (-.261 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 772, 33rd in USL (-0.4% from Q1)

Performance wise, the Baby Bulls have slipped from their early season form. If I had to point to any result in particular, it’s losing 3-0 to Bethlehem, Pittsburgh and Ottawa. They won just once in the month of June. Strangely enough, they have one of the biggest discrepancies between home form and road form. All five wins have come at home, while they’ve managed just six points from nine road games. Normally, home field advantage comes from having a loud and passionate fanbase making it hard for visitors to get comfortable. I don’t think that’s the case here. Their average attendance is under 1,000 still, and it has essentially not changed since Q1. Here’s an interesting factoid: Don Garber was the first season ticket holder for NYRB2, since he actually lives not far from where they play. I wonder how many games he’s actually been to.

Prognosis: If a team loses in the forest but there’s no one there to see it, does it still affect the Eastern Conference standings?

North Carolina FC

* Points per Game: 1.200, 12th in East (+.057 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 3,702, 17th in USL (+9.6% from Q1)

There’s a team that plays in Cary, N.C. that has been absolutely electric all year. They’ve only lost once, have a 13-point lead over their closest opposition, have a goal differential of +18, and are only getting better. That team is the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL, and they’re on the cusp of eliminating teams from shield contention roughly halfway through the season. Their male counterparts, North Carolina FC, have not been anywhere near as good. Daniel Rios and Kyle Bekker have been the two standout attacking players so far. Rios has eight goals in 14 games while Bekker has seven assists and 25 chances created. Alex Tambakis has been good enough in goal, and his defense hasn’t done much to help. The problem is that this team has two different forms. There’s the team that beat Ottawa 4-2 at home and looked fantastic all game, and there’s the team that was bossed around by Cincinnati for ninety minutes. On any given gameday, either team could show up, and that’s not how you make the playoffs. At times like this, I start wondering if Colin Clarke is still the right man for the job as head coach. He’s been in charge since 2011, coaching the team in all seven NASL seasons they played. It’s one of the longest spells for any active coach in USL. That said, the state of D2 soccer is in a very different place than it was in 2011, and I’m not sure he’s keeping up with the rising tide. I’ve talked with some NCFC fans about this, and the general consensus is that they’d like to see someone different in charge in the not-so-distant future. Right now, I agree. Can Paul Riley coach both teams? Asking for a friend.

Prognosis: NCFC isn’t very good. #analysis

Ottawa Fury FC

* Points per Game: 1.200, 13th in East (+.200 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 4,714, 12th in USL (-11.5% from Q1)

Ottawa has been pretty average so far this season, and I honestly don’t feel like writing another lengthy paragraph that says the exact same thing I’ve said nearly a dozen times already. Instead, speculation time. Is Ottawa likely to join the Canadian Premier League? At this point, I’m definitely leaning “yes”, especially given recent rumours (like rumors, only Canadian) that there have been discussions on exactly that. I think it makes a lot of sense. They’re the only fully professional team in Canada that isn’t part of MLS, they’ve been very well run their entire existence, and they would be an immediately strong addition to the new Canadian league. We know that the Canadian Soccer Association wants a team in the capital city (they were part of the initial list of eight cities, and the other seven have been confirmed), and there’s not really any point to try and start a team from scratch when you have the Fury right there. Is it a step down from USL in quality? We won’t know until a ball is kicked in CPL play. And yet, my gut tells me it probably won’t be, at least not significantly. There are a lot of Canadian players putting up results throughout the USL, and I figure quite a lot of them will head closer to home if given the opportunity. I can only imagine that Ottawa would find the travel much easier throughout Canada than having to go all the way down to Tampa every year.

Prognosis: Oh, Canada.

Penn FC

* Points per Game: 1.375, 9th in East (+.264 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 1,913, 27th in USL (+43.3% from Q1)

I’m a lot less confused and concerned by Penn FC now than in May. Their performances on the field have been much, much better, they’re on a five game unbeaten streak with three wins, and the fans are finally showing up. In terms of points per game, they’re the second most improved team from Q1 after Bethlehem Steel, and they’re now firmly in contention for playoffs. Lucky Mkosana has his mojo back, and is having his best season in years back in Harrisburg with five goals already. Tommy Heinemann, despite what Cincinnati says, is fit and functional, and he’s been doing really rather well. Richard Menjivar has emerged from relative obscurity to become a solid attacking midfielder, with three assists and 25 chances created. Both goalkeepers Romuald Peiser and Sean Lewis have been good, and the team has only conceded 18 goals. Attendance wise, my worries have been mostly alleviated. Their most recent weekend home game drew a crowd of 4,507 against Toronto II, and Penn FC won thanks to a ridiculously late 90+7 minute penalty. Even their most recent midweek game, a Tuesday evening game against Richmond, brought out 2,114 fans. That’s much, much better. If they keep this trend up on and off the field, they’re in excellent shape. Now if only their jerseys were the same color as their new crest.

Prognosis: Promising postseason possibilities for Penn FC.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

* Points per Game: 1.867, 2nd in East (-.133 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 2,240, 26th in USL (+0.1% from Q1)

Pittsburgh’s unbeaten streak ended at 11 games in USL with a 1-0 loss at home to Nashville. They immediately regrouped and are on a four-game active unbeaten streak with just the one loss all season. They have allowed just seven goals. Incredible. They have more points at midseason than they finished with in 2016, and are eight points shy of last season’s total. Neco Brett and Kevin Kerr spearhead a powerful offensive core which combines local veterans, Bob Lilley’s old firm from Rochester and smart signings. Daniel Lynd and Kyle Morton have been absolute studs in goal, with a total of 10 clean sheets in 15 games. Ten! Even attendance is looking better, with a crowd of 3,652 at their most recent home game. And now, to hop on my soap box. PEOPLE OF PITTSBURGH! HEAR ME, HEAR ME! THE RIVERHOUNDS ARE A REALLY GODDAMN GOOD TEAM, AND YOU SHOULD BE GOING TO THEIR GAMES! HOCKEY SEASON IS OVER, BASKETBALL SEASON IS OVER, AND THE PIRATES ARE ASS THIS YEAR! THERE ARE NO EXCUSES, GO TO THEIR GAMES AND WATCH YOUR EXCELLENT LOCAL SOCCER TEAM IN THE MIDST OF A HISTORICALLY DOMINANT SEASON!

Prognosis: They might not lose again.

Richmond Kickers

* Points per Game: 0.933, 14th in East (-.317 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 4,059, 15th in USL (-0.2% from Q1)

Leigh Cowlishaw has stepped down as head coach in Richmond, and the team has a new coach for the first time since 2000. Cowlishaw has been involved with the Kickers in some capacity ever since their inception in 1993, and was the longest-serving head coach in USL history. As a player, he was a constant presence from day one, and won the USISL playoffs and the Open Cup with the Kickers in 1995, playing in 148 games before his retirement at the end of the 1999 season. In his first season as head coach, the Kickers finished second in their division in the A-League, and won the regular season title the next year. He guided the club to back-to-back regular season titles in 2006 and 2007, complete with a playoff championship in 2006. The Kickers won the USL Second Division again in 2009, cementing them as one of the strongest D3 clubs in America at the time. Cowlishaw even temporarily came out of retirement in 2007, playing four more games from then through 2009. Most recently, the Kickers finished atop the USL Pro table in 2013 in a season where they only lost once. He has now taken the role as director of soccer, with yet another Kickers alumnus getting the head coaching job. David Bulow played 105 games for Richmond from 2006-13 while also coaching Richmond’s youth teams. While his coaching debut didn’t go that well against North Carolina FC, he has the endorsement of Cowlishaw, a solid roster, and nearly half a season to prove himself.

Prognosis: End of an era, but also maybe the start of a new one.

Tampa Bay Rowdies

* Points per Game: 1.267, 11th in East (-.067 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 6,009, 9th in USL (-2.3% from Q1)

Immediately after I finished writing the Q1 report, Stuart Campbell resigned as head coach. Like, hours after I submitted my draft. Neill Collins retired to take the head coaching job, not as interim, but with some degree of permanency. At first glance, not much has changed in their results, with only one win in the last nine. That said, a number of games that might have been losses under Campbell have become draws under Collins, including two in recent weeks where the Rowdies scored in the last 10 minutes. With the recent addition of Stefano Bonomo, the Rowdies now have another proven goal scorer to help out Georgi Hristov and Joe Cole. They also signed Dominic Oduro (not that one, the other one) from FC Golden State Force after a solid run in the Open Cup. They might actually be able to salvage this season and sneak into the playoffs. Attendance wise, things continue to be excellent in St. Petersburg, and the plan to expand Al Lang even further looks like it’s happening even if the Rowdies don’t join MLS.

Prognosis: Let’s see how Neill Collins handles the transition from player to coach.

Toronto FC II

* Points per Game: 0.188, 16th in East (-.063 from Q1)
* Average Attendance: 926, 32nd in USL (-25.1% from Q1)

Nothing is going right for the Toronto FC organization in 2018. The MLS team looks nothing like the juggernaut from last year, and the attempts to fix it left their USL side even worse. In sixteen games, they have three draws without a win. Three points in 16 games. There’s no sugarcoating this. They’re approaching 2013 Antigua Barracuda levels of futility here, and are making last year’s hot garbage Timbers 2 look competent by comparison. While normally struggling MLS 2 teams don’t change coaches until the offseason, Laurent Guyot and TFC II have “mutually separated,” with a “director of high performance” coming in to take over the reserve side. In four games in charge, they’ve lost three and drawn one by an aggregate score of 6-13. Not a great start. News recently broke that they’re officially dropping to USL D3 for 2019. Maybe next year they can finally win a game.

Prognosis: Yikes.

My Western Conference midterm progress report can be found here. I hope you enjoyed this sprawling, rambling analysis of the USL Eastern Conference at roughly the halfway mark.

Follow John on Twitter: @JohnMLTX.

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Photo credit: San Francisco Informer

The United Soccer League is expanding into another prominent West Coast market.

A club in the San Francisco Bay Area is the league’s latest expansion club, multiple sources confirmed to Soc Takes. The league will announce the club Monday afternoon.

The club is expected to start playing as early as 2020 or 2021.

The addition of the Northern California club will continue the growth of the league’s presence on the west coast. Las Vegas and Fresno joined the league as 2018 expansion clubs.

The club will also fill a potential Division II geographical void in Northern California. The North American Soccer League’s San Francisco Deltas folded after their inaugural 2017 season, and the USL’s Sacramento Republic are the frontrunners for upcoming Major League Soccer expansion.

Follow James on Twitter: @James_Poling.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to patron-only Soc Takes Pod episodes, exclusive written content and tier rewards. Click here to become a patron today.

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