Photo credit: USL

CINCINNATI — When MLS’ Columbus Crew SC and the USL’s FC Cincinnati meet it’s called the “Hell Is Real Derby” for a reason. And no, it’s not just because of an awkward billboard that displays the phrase on Interstate 71 between the two Ohio cities. OK, so it is, but on Wednesday evening it might as well have been for the hellacious confines of Nippert Stadium.

FC Cincinnati bested Crew FC 1-0 in U.S. Open Cup action in a match that wasn’t just another night at the boisterous stadium; it was a record-setting one — more on that later.

“When we started this wonderful club in this wonderful sports town, we wouldn’t have dreamed of a night like tonight,” said emotional FC Cincinnati GM Jeff Berding after the match. “The environment and the energy, that’s a big league soccer experience.”

Photo credit: Aaron Gunyon/Soc Takes

Early on, Crew SC mostly tried to possess, while FC Cincy absorbed pressure and countered. The home side flummoxed Crew SC by doing an excellent job of tracking back defensively in numbers. And despite a lopsided 11-3 halftime shot disparity in favor of the visitors, the hosts arguably generated the more dangerous opportunities before the break.

Columbus also saw more of the ball in the second half, but again Cincinnati’s pseudo 5-3-2 formation caused Crew SC problems in the final third. In the 64th minute, FC Cincy’s absorb-and-counter strategy finally paid off.

Djiby Fall challenged for a 50-50 ball in the middle of the box and ended up heading the ball straight back up in the air, creating another 50-50 ball. Not only did Djiby do well to win the second one, he actually generated enough torque to loft his header past the outstretched fingertips of Crew SC goalkeeper Brad Stuver.

WATCH: Djiby score a goal for FCC in the 60′#CINvCLB pic.twitter.com/TLShIXEhlc

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) June 15, 2017

Crew SC turned up the heat toward the end of the contest to find an equalizer, especially in a pressure-packed six minutes of stoppage time. But Adam Jahn’s sliding opportunity on an open net in the waning minutes of the match only made partial contact with the ball. And moments later, Federico Higuain blasted a volley just over the crossbar just before the final whistle.

Justin Meram gave Columbus fans a scare when the winger hit the turf to receive treatment in the 18th minute and briefly exited the pitch, but was able to re-enter. He and FCC defender Justin Hoyte later exchanged heated words and a shove after the final whistle.

Photo credit: Aaron Gunyon/Soc Takes

In fact, Meram got heckled by his own contingent of supporters on his way to the locker room, which resulted in the Iraqi international giving his own fans the finger-waving treatment.

The official attendance at Nippert Stadium was a whopping 30,160, which appeared to consist of about 95 percent FC Cincinnati supporters. The number set a record for the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup.

You guys have made this very, very real… thank you Cincinnati! #RiseTogether
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#CINvCLB #USOC2017 pic.twitter.com/7en1Fo66jf

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) June 15, 2017

Hell is definitely real. There will be a draw and coin flip Thursday to determine FC Cincinnati’s next opponent and venue.

Next up for Crew SC is a trip south to face Atlanta United FC on Saturday in MLS regular season action. Likewise, FC Cincy will resume USL play at home Saturday against the Charleston Battery, who currently sit in first place atop the Eastern Conference standings.

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @KJboxing.

Related

Photo credit: Jamie Smed

“Is John back on his rant soapbox again?”

Yes, yes he is.

“Well, what is it this time?”

It’s simple. There is still no Women’s Open Cup.

You see, the U.S. Open Cup is kind of the greatest thing in American sports. Every single year, teams from all over the country compete to win one of the oldest sports championships in our country. Teams ranging from the giants of MLS all the way down to our favorite #BullshitPubTeam, Harpo’s FC. Nowhere else in America will you find a World Cup veteran making millions of dollars a year playing against a group of guys who work together and play in the local league for fun on Sundays. And sometimes that group of guys beats the millionaire. It’s the best.

And that leads me right to my main point. Why is there no Women’s Open Cup?

We definitely have enough teams to make a full tournament pool. Just looking at NWSL, UWS and WPSL, there are 136 teams in the top two divisions of American women’s soccer. Even if we do something wherein each regional/conference champion of the UWS and WPSL compete alongside the nine NWSL teams, that’s still a 29-team tournament that would be loads of fun.

The closest thing we currently have is the (possibly defunct) USASA National Women’s Open, which I can’t find any current information on. The most recent results I have are from the 2016 edition, which featured all of four teams playing a total of six games. Not good enough.

I want to use the format of the men’s Open Cup, but for women’s teams. Is that too much to ask for? Seriously.

Follow John on Twitter: @JohnMLTX.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

• LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Goals by Sophia Smith and Hina Sugita helped the Portland Thorns to a 2-1 road win over Racing Louisville on Friday at Lynn Family Stadium. Alex Chidiac provided the lone tally for the hosts. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to…
• LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Goals by Paige Monaghan and Taylor Smith helped lead Gotham FC to a 2-1 road win at Racing Louisville on Friday. Savannah DeMelo provided the lone tally for the hosts. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter…
• LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A 27th-minute golazo by Racing Louisville FC’s Savannah DeMelo on a set piece was the difference between Racing Lou and San Diego Wave FC on Wednesday at Lynn Family Stadium, as the hosts held on to secure a 1-0 result. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc…
• LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Raquel Rodriguez spot kick before the half and a Simone Charley header after it lifted the visiting Portland Thorns to a 2-nil win over Racing Louisville on Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium. Portland’s Olivia Moultrie, 15, also debuted as the youngest player in NWSL history….
• LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lynn Williams’ first-half brace and an overall dominant performance by the North Carolina Courage carried the visitors to a 2-nil win over Racing Louisville at Lynn Family Stadium on Wednesday evening. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and…
• LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In its first-ever meaningful match, expansion side Racing Louisville FC dueled the Orlando Pride to a memorable 2-2 draw Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium in NWSL Challenge Cup group play. After Louisville jumped in front early on a Cece Kizer strike, Orlando answered through Taylor Kornieck…
• View this post on Instagram Still can’t believe one of my photos was used for a trading card! Extra special when it’s a legend from your hometown @lavellerose 🙌🏼 A post shared by Jamie Smed (@jamiesmed) on Jan 16, 2020 at 1:28pm PST The work of Soc Takes staff…
• “Is John back on his rant soapbox again?” Yes, yes he is. “Well, what is it this time?” It’s simple. There is still no Women’s Open Cup. You see, the U.S. Open Cup is kind of the greatest thing in American sports. Every single year, teams from all over…
• In 2018, the state of American women’s soccer is in an unusual position of stability. The NWSL has survived five seasons, and is entering its sixth in pretty good shape, United Women’s Soccer is growing at a healthy pace, and the WPSL has made a lot of changes to…
• Inverted Triangle Soccer Podcast host and WRAL Sports writer Neil Morris returns to the Soc Takes Pod to discuss the Indy Eleven’s hiring of new head coach Martin Rennie. Morris covered Rennie up close and personal from 2009-11 during Rennie’s tenure with the then-Carolina RailHawks. Co-hosts Aaron Gunyon and…
• Boca Raton FC director of communications and one of the sharpest soccer minds around, Kartik Krishnaiyer, joins Aaron, Nipun and Kevin to discuss literally every soccer league in America. Strap in and enjoy the ride. Listen: You can follow Soc Takes on Twitter @SocTakes….
• Soc Takes was able to speak to Trey Brantley about the history, current status and future plans of the Atlanta men’s and NWSL teams. Check out our article last week where we discussed the plausibility of the bid. Nipun Chopra: Tell me about the role you have within the…

Photo credit: Chad Irvine

INDIANAPOLIS — It was about 6:30 p.m. when my compadre Peter Evans arrived in his four-door Honda. I couldn’t help but sigh, laugh and shake my head all at the same time. In the back seat was nothing but a gigantic ball of fabric. It was a struggle, as it seemed hard enough to get it in there. The passenger seat had to be leaned as far forward as possible as well as slid as far up as it could be. It was a struggle getting 5,400 square feet of muslin out of his car.

In the darkness of late February, my neighbors thought we were idiots. We took the entire thing and spread it out in my parents’ driveway and cul de sac. With a little bit of planning and a lot of struggling, we folded it neatly in a way that would allow us to carry it in. With a bit of help from my father, we snaked it around the back of my house and down the stairs. Of course, my Dad told us to think smaller, which is almost impossible in our new stadium.

Fortunately, we had some time to prepare as details were finalized between Peter and the design team. By the time the following Monday rolled around, I had the fabric hung and ready to be traced. Well, somewhat. When you’re tracing on a 9 x 18-foot wall, it takes numerous movements to get the whole thing. To be able to project and trace the whole thing, we had to trace 42 individual panels onto the fabric. It was a coordinated effort to make sure we were tracing the proper dimensions each time, as well as making sure everything lined up.

Forty-one moves and three days of tracing later, we were ready to move. Of course, we couldn’t just go ahead and paint it. With so many individual panels having to line up, we wanted to check them and make sure each piece lined up with those surrounding it.

We threw it in the back of a pickup truck and showed up unannounced at a local church and took over its lobby. It was entertaining to say the least. I was unfortunately not immediately behind the truck, but I could only hear stories from Peter and the driver, Brandon, about how it felt like it could fall out at any moment, but fortunately got there in one piece. Thankfully, churches are usually empty on Thursday nights so it wasn’t too busy, but the few who were there certainly thought we were crazy.

Here we ran into our first issue: the crest. One of the most important pieces of the display was nowhere near perfect. Each of the three parts that contained the crest were nowhere near aligned, about 8 inches off from one another. None of us are artists either. So, we freehanded the entire thing. Peter and I were both wearing club shirts with the crest on it, therefore we would alternate lying next to the design to use ourselves as references. She didn’t come out perfect, but she was as good as we could get it. Next, we folded her back up and put her in the back of John Chope’s SUV. Seriously, we couldn’t even move this thing from point A to B to C without this guy.

Onto the next location. A few days later, it took about five or six of us to carry this thing folded up. We were too stupid to find a dolly, but we got it inside, up a freight elevator six floors to our new downtown painting location. We got her there, got tarps taped down and finally got things ready to go. It wasn’t the easiest task, but we got it all laid out and ready for paint. Things started off smoothly. With over a dozen volunteers on the first full day of painting, we were finished in a matter of hours. Things were going very smoothly. Almost too smoothly.

After the first day of painting wrapped up, we had to figure out our plan of action. Peter and I met up, just the two of us, the next day to move the fabric and get working on the crest. Remember when I said things were going too well? Peter was basically on his deathbed with some sort of virus going around his work, so I was on my own. I got the entire thing moved and recruited some help to get us started on the crest. It was painstaking, but we finally got Lady Victory painted. For being somewhat freehanded, it worked out better than expected, but still not perfect. After getting Peter’s approval via text, we called it an early night and moved onto Thursday.

With reinforcements, the entire second portion — which had the most detail — was completed in basically two days. I was surprised at that, because there were so many fine areas to be painted, but we moved on. The third panel was relatively easy. Other than the start of a few letters, the design was simply the shoulder of Eleven’s jacket. That went by too quickly. By the end of Saturday, we were all ready for a break and had one planned for Sunday.

Unfortunately, I get a little stir crazy, and after tossing some cornhole with a buddy downtown, I headed over and simply moved the design with a little help from Tony. We got it moved and thought that we had one more day. We were wrong. With more and more fabric piling up on the north side of the room, we had to settle for one final day to get the final lettering done as well as the very edge of the display. So close, but yet so far.

As Monday wrapped up, we realized just how low on paint we were. We already had to make a trip to PPG on a day off to pick up another few gallons, but alas, still short. It was now Tuesday again, and we essentially had a four-person party finishing up and celebrating our hours and hours of tracing, checking lines, painting and moving fabric. I’d estimate Peter and I each put about 45 hours into this display.

Finally.

After heading downtown for 10 days straight, I was able to catch up on much needed sleep. We took off for Richmond that Friday to watch our boys get our first USL win and returned to figure out what our final steps were. Friday before the match came around, about five or six of us snaked the heap of fabric down the hall into a large open area and folded the display.

It was quite the operation, as we had to ensure once we got it into the stadium it would unfurl properly and things not go wrong. I’ve seen tifo tear, get tangled or simply not display in the proper orientation. None of us wanted that. So, after getting it folded, we commandeered a dolly and strapped her down for the move.

Match day arrived, and it was an early start. We met at 12:45 p.m. to load up the display and threw it into the bed of the truck once again. Thankfully, with the weight of the paint she wasn’t coming out of the truck this time. After diving into the bowels of Lucas Oil Stadium, we worked with the club to get her into position.

I wiped the sweat off my brow after we struggled for what felt like hours, but was actually about 15 minutes, to get her down the stairs. Consuming drinks at our tailgate couldn’t help ease my nerves knowing that our hard work had yet to pay off. After heading back inside, I couldn’t help but anxiously watch the clock as time approached.

Myself and a few others stood in front of the display simply feeding fabric to the hundreds standing above us ready to unfurl her in all her glory. She went up spectacularly without a hitch. I took a deep breath and was glad to see things go smoothly.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

And that, friends, is the story of my baby — the story of another incredible Indy Eleven tifo.

Follow Chad on Twitter: @Chad_Irvine.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

• The southwest Florida-based Cape Coral Cyclones have become the WPSL‘s latest expansion team, the league announced today. The Cyclones will debut in the upcoming 2021 season and host their home matches at Mariner High School’s Tony McKenna Stadium. Under the umbrella of the Cape Coral Soccer Association, which was…
• Westchester United FC, based in Westchester, N.Y., is the WPSL‘s latest expansion side, the league announced Thursday. The team will debut in 2021. The 4-year-old club already fields a men’s squad in the UPSL, and now brings a women’s side to the second tier of the American pyramid. Antonio…
• With the recent announcement that the WPSL will be partnering with Movement Interactive, Soc Takes was interested in exploring the idea and science behind using accelerometer-based equipment for diagnosing concussive injuries. The idea behind using accelerometers is fairly simple, at least in premise. It has to do with g-forces…
• Indianapolis-based FC Pride has been selected as one of 16 new recipients of the Players First license, US Club Soccer announced this month. The Players First license focuses on developing players to their full potential by taking a holistic approach to the game. Select clubs are chosen after a…
• LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — My third “Supporting Local Soccer” adventure takes me on the farthest trip yet: 338 miles and roughly five hours northeast from Dallas to Little Rock. I’m here to check out the Little Rock Rangers’ season-ending doubleheader. This trip technically began back in November 2017. I…
• 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…
• “Is John back on his rant soapbox again?” Yes, yes he is. “Well, what is it this time?” It’s simple. There is still no Women’s Open Cup. You see, the U.S. Open Cup is kind of the greatest thing in American sports. Every single year, teams from all over…
• In 2018, the state of American women’s soccer is in an unusual position of stability. The NWSL has survived five seasons, and is entering its sixth in pretty good shape, United Women’s Soccer is growing at a healthy pace, and the WPSL has made a lot of changes to…
• Current WPSL associate commissioner for the central region and former Des Moines Menace general manager Matt Homonoff guests on the podcast to touch on the WPSL, PDL, FC Edmonton and MLS SuperDraft. Homonoff also spent several years working in D.C. United and FC Edmonton’s front offices. In 2015, he…
• CARMEL, Ind. — A partnership between Indy Saints FC and Midwest Business Funding that spawned earlier this year in the Saints’ inaugural season will be renewed for 2018, the two parties told Soc Takes on Friday. Midwest Business Funding will sponsor both the men’s and women’s Indy Saints FC…
• INDIANAPOLIS — A new Division II women’s side may soon be coming to the Circle City. Indy Saints FC submitted a bid to join the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), the club announced Friday. The expansion bid will now be considered by the WPSL’s Executive Committee at an upcoming…

• “Is John back on his rant soapbox again?” Yes, yes he is. “Well, what is it this time?” It’s simple. There is still no Women’s Open Cup. You see, the U.S. Open Cup is kind of the greatest thing in American sports. Every single year, teams from all over…

In 1996, John Harkes was named “captain for life” by then-U.S. national team coach Steve Sampson. In 1998, he was dropped from the team under mysterious circumstances. Over the next decade, via published books, rumors and mutual slandering, salacious reasons appeared to underlie the separation between Sampson and his once-beloved pupil.

John Harkes. Credit: FC Cincinnati

Twenty years later, on the back of an incredible debut season as head coach of FC Cincinnati, Harkes seemed untouchable once more. Yet, last night (Feb. 17), merely weeks before FCC’s 2017 kickoff game against Sacramento Republic, and two days before a friendly against OKC Energy, Harkes was fired as head coach. He was replaced by Alan Koch. Yet again, the reasons behind the termination are puzzling.

Head coaches are usually fired for one of three reasons:

1. Poor on-field performances. This cannot be levied at Harkes, for FC Cincinnati finished in a very respectable third place in their debut season in the USL. Their style of play, under Harkes, was widely applauded by hardcore soccer supporters.

2. Poor relationship with players. This does not apply to Harkes either. Ostensibly, FCC players respected Harkes’ influence on and off the pitch.

3. Poor relationship with owner and/or GM. Ding ding ding. While Soc Takes does not know the nature of Harkes’ relationship with FCC’s owner, Carl Lindner III, Soc Takes has learned that Harkes’ relationship with general manager Jeff Berding has been confrontational and antagonistic for some time. A source close to the club confirmed that the relationship had been tenuous.

“Let’s just say that a man of John’s stature and experience presents unique difficulties,” the source told Soc Takes.

Individuals close to the story also revealed that Berding and Harkes consistently battled for power within the FCC structure. Seemingly, both Harkes and Berding felt the other was overstepping their roles and wading into unwelcome territory.

For example, at the NSCAA convention, Harkes seemingly asked the coaching/front office staff of other United Soccer League clubs if their respective presidents were involved in making player decisions. Harkes then shared his frustration at Berding’s overbearing and unwarranted recommendations about the quality of players, leaving Harkes frustrated at not being able to bring in specific players Harkes desired.

On the other hand, Berding was seemingly exasperated at learning that Harkes was trying to negotiate sponsorship deals on his own volition, without the knowledge or approval of FCC club officials. Sources intimated that during the early days of the club, Harkes had stated his displeasure with the club’s marketing policy and had decided to take matters into his own hands.

Trading pieces on the chess board can be unrepresentative of the reality of the game. Both players might feel that they have equal points, but, a better player will know whether or not he/she has a better control of the center of the board.

FCC GM Jeff Berding. Credit: FC Cincinnati

As a direct result of these sorts of power struggles, Berding made the decision to send Harkes a warning; by not rehiring assistant coach Ryan Martin. Sources suggested that this was a “message to Harkes about who is in charge.” Multiple sources revealed that Harkes was angered by the decision to not bring back Martin, whom he trusted. Martin’s replacement only further maligned Harkes’ position within the club.

Berding had taken control of the game by trading his bishop for Harkes’ queen. And, from this point on, there was really only going to be one winner.

The hiring of Alan Koch, someone with more coaching experience than Harkes himself, was, in hindsight, a clear move by Berding to have a replacement for Harkes at the club. Another contentious moment came due to Harkes’ decision to not permanently move to Cincinnati.

Berding had previously discussed the need for Harkes to move to the Ohio city, yet, Harkes returned to Virginia at the end of the season. A source close to the club claimed that this “lead to a confrontation.”

Alan Koch. Credit: FC Cincinnati

What remains unclear is whether there was a breaking point viz a viz a singular event over the last few days which exacerbated Harkes’ demise. A source suggested the firing was not a “snap judgement type of decision from the club.” This would suggest that the firing was just a result of cascading problems between Harkes and Berding.

FCC has lost the face of its club — a head coach popular with players and fans alike, and a head coach who played a style of football admired by soccer media. A maverick who wanted to do things his way. In Alan Koch, Berding will undoubtedly have someone who toes the line. It remains to be seen what the fans will have in Koch.

What is obvious, however, is that the writing was on the wall for Harkes’ departure.

While initially they traded equal pieces, Berding had slowly been using his two rooks to maneuver Harkes’ king into the corner of the chess board for months. February 17 was merely checkmate for Harkes.

As Harkes takes on his next head coach job somewhere, perhaps he will reexamine his aggressive openings and stay away from gambits.

Koch begins his FC Cincy career on the (Sicilian) defense.

Berding, meanwhile, just played e2-e4 in the new era of FCC.

Koch will now lead FCC into its second season in the USL.

You can follow Nipun on Twitter at @NipunChopra7.

Related

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

One of the enduring questions about lower-division soccer remains: Where do USL franchise fees — currently at $10 million for the Championship and $1 million for League One — go? The seeming answer is a reinvestment into USL headquarters; namely front office salaries, benefits, office rent, etc. However, based on financial statements obtained by Soc Takes, a significant portion of USL revenues and profits end up in the hands of USL owners NuRock Soccer Holdings LLC.

NuRock Soccer Holdings

A subsidiary of NuRock Companies, a real estate organization, NuRock Soccer Holdings is the ownership group behind USL LLC. The USL was formerly the USISL in 1996. This LLC was taken over by Umbro in 1997, which ran it until 2008 when Umbro was acquired by Nike. In 2009, NuRock purchased what became the USL from Nike.

The ownership group has changed slightly over the years, but it has always comprised Robert Hoskins and USL CEO Alec Papadakis. The Papadakis family trust remains undefined, though it includes, at the very least, Alec and managers Joan and John Papadakis. Alec’s brother, Nick, and son, Justin, are also involved in USL operations, though it is unclear whether they are a part of the Papadakis family trust. Beyond Hoskins and Papadakis’ undefined percentage stake in NuRock, they also have individual stakes in the league.

Breakdown

NuRock has drawn approximately $10.7 million in revenue from the USL over the previous two years alone. That is 27.9% of the revenue generated by the USL during that time.

1. In 2017, the USL generated $14.5 million in revenue, of which $13.5 million (93.1%) came from franchise and participation fees and approximately $1 million (6.9%) from other income such as hotel rebates, sponsorship, merchandise sales, etc.

In 2018, the USL generated $23.8 million in revenue, of which $22.3 million (93.7%) came from franchise and participation fees and $1.5 million (6.3%) from other revenue sources.

While it is no longer reported as an exact amount, the USL reported that it earned $167,025 in sponsorships in 2016.

2. Under NuRock’s agreement with USL LLC, NuRock ownership receives 3.5% of annual revenues. Via this agreement, NuRock was paid $514,000 in 2017 and $828,428 in 2018.

3. NuRock borrowed $2 million in 2009 to purchase the USL from Nike. That loan (and interest) was paid off by USL revenues in 2016-17. In other words, NuRock paid off the loan used to acquire the league using league revenues.

4. In 2017, the USL executed a promissory note of $5.8 million to NuRock. While the total amount is due in 2047, the note accrues annual payable interest of 15% of the principal; a rate that is higher than the best certificates of deposit (CDs) currently on the market, which offer a rate of ~2%. Under this agreement, NuRock earned $792,462 in 2017 and $864,180 in 2018. The current balance of the promissory note principal is $5.76 million.

5. In 2018, NuRock was paid $5.68 million as member distributions. This distribution correlated with a change in equity within the organization. Since 2018, NuRock’s ownership stake in the league stands at 50.5% for NuRock, 49% for Papadakis Family LLC and 0.5% for Robert Hoskins. This meant that Alec Papadakis had a greater stake in the USL than before (an unspecified stake in NuRock, combined with the increased Papadakis family stake).

Along with its $10.7 million in revenue, NuRock is poised to continue generating revenue via their high-interest promissory note and annual 3.5% revenue return. Additionally, the organization can collect larger payouts as they did in 2017.

Other non-NuRock-related USL expenditures included payroll ($3.7 million in 2017, $3.8 million in 2018), legal fees ($1 million in 2017, $800,000 in 2018), broadcast and TV production ($400,000 in 2017, $1.2 million in 2018), and operating expenses ($1.8 million in 2017, $3.6 million in 2018).

It is important to note that none of this is illegal. Owners (in this case, NuRock) of franchisors (USL LLC) are allowed to collect from revenues generated by the franchisor. NuRock could, at any point, extract money from USL LLC.

Meanwhile, USL teams are struggling to generate revenue, and in some cases, may resort to questionable solutions to counter their low revenue problem. On the other hand, investors continue to consider the USL to be a viable non-MLS option, evidenced by increasing expansion (and expansion fees).

As mentioned earlier, most of the USL’s revenue is contingent on the league’s franchise and participation fees. Currently, a significant portion of that revenue is being directed toward NuRock.

The USL declined to comment on this story.

WRALSportsFan.com’s Neil Morris and Soc Takes managing editor Kevin Johnston contributed to this story.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Image credit: Kingston Stockade FC

Kingston Stockade FC owner Dennis Crowley guests on the panel to discuss his and Miami FC owner Riccardo Silva’s claim filed in the Court of Arbitration for Sports. The two clubs are suing the USSF, FIFA and CONCACAF to force U.S. Soccer to implement a system of promotion and relegation across all divisions of the pyramid.

LISTEN HERE

***

Image credit: Kingston Stockade FC

Related

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Fort Wayne FC picked up its first win in club history Tuesday with a 1-nil home win over Erie Commodores FC in a friendly at Shields Field. Max Amoako’s tally in the 41st minute ended up being all that separated the two sides.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related