Tampa gets pro team; Houston Dynamo expand into Texas Rio Grande Valley

Seven years after MLS folded the Tampa Bay Mutiny, a move that caused many to predict the sudden demise of the league, professional soccer is returning thanks to a new USL First Division squad. The new team will begin play next season.

This announcement comes one day after 'Hillsborough County commissioners gave limited approval to building a $15 million soccer complex and stadium at a site to be determined' but a spokesperson for the team says the two are unrelated as the owners want to build their own stadium in northwest Tampa. The proposed new stadium would seat between 6-7,000 and be expandable.

By joining the league now, the new owners were able to pay the current expansion fee of $350,000. After 15 August, the fee will increase to $750,000.

The new Tampa club will join the Austin Aztexs as an expansion USL-1 team next season.

This all sounds like a great move for the league and soccer in southern Florida, especially since the stadium project is not looking for public money. With a good place to call home and a stable financial situation, this new Tampa Bay club will have a much easier time then the Mutiny.


In other expansion news, it looks like the Houston Dynamo will expand into the Texas Rio Grande Valley. According to this report, after seeing the talent in the area through team sponsored youth academies, they feel a professional team could do well here and hope to bring a USL-PDL team in the area in the next 18-months.

It comes as no surprise that there are quality soccer players along the Texas-Mexico border. What is a surprise is that the no one else has stepped up to make this happen earlier.

If this does happen, there could be an interesting twist as the Houston area has a team in the PDL, the Houston Leons, however they are not affiliated with the Dynamo.

Edmond, OK, to get a pro soccer team?

The endless talk of MLS expansion is a fun game, but it is not the only one it town. The USL-First Division is also looking at increasing their numbers, which brings us to Edmond (just north of Oklahoma City), Oklahoma.

The league recently sent a letter to the mayor concerning their interesting in placing a team in the city for 2009, they just need to find some interested investors.

Here is what the mayor had to say:

"We are interested to begin exploring opportunities to expand United Soccer Leagues (USL) into the City of Edmond. I welcome you to encourage ... potential investment groups to bring USL to Edmond in 2009.”

O'Neil said the city has always been interested in a professional sports team, particularly soccer.

"Now we have to see if there is viable interest from private investors,” O'Neil said. "If there is genuine interest, then we need to get others involved.”

If there is interest and they can find ownership, they will probably play their games at 10,000-seat, University of Central Oklahoma owned, Wantland Stadium.

Oddly enough, USL's interest in Edmond sprang from the city's failed bid to land a MLS team back in 2004. Hard to believe that Oklahoma City was in the running at the time.

The hopeful addition of Edmond to USL is part of the league's plan to put more teams in 'the middle part of the county, including the Southwest and Midwest.' Seeing as MLS is pretty much focusing on the costs these days (with some exceptions), this seems like a good plan. They have already added a team in Austin, Texas for the 2009 season, so an additional team in Oklahoma would make for a great rivalry.

The league is also in 'active negotiations with groups in Omaha, Phoenix and San Antonio.'

USL might not have the glitz, glamour and TV contracts of MLS, but it is a very important part of growing the sport in the US. People love cheering for a local team and since MLS cannot reach everyone, USL will need to fill the void. Add this to the chance of seeing a local side take on a MLS 'giant' in US Open Cup competition and you've got a wonderful publicity machine.

English club owner brings professional soccer to Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas is the home to the newest USL First-Division expansion team, the Austin Aztex. The new club will begin play in 2009 and is also owned by Phil Rawlins. Rawlins also owns Stoke City FC who play in the English Championship League. Not surprisingly, the two teams will work together as far as players are concerned. Also, Stoke City will hold their summer training camp in Austin.

Rawlins believes this is a great move as "Central Texas has long been a hot-bed of young soccer talent with over 35,000 kids playing the game locally."

Austin had an USL-PDL team, but they will now become the U-23 club for the Aztex.

Overall, this is an outstanding move by the USL. Austin is a large, second level market that is lacking in professional level sports. The team needs to figure out a stadium situation (the old PDL team played a distance away from the city center) and a few other issues, but if with the experience Rawlins brings, there is a great chance Austin could become a big USL town.

It will also be interesting to see if they try to have a 'Battle for Texas' during spring training. They could invite FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo to town to see who is the best in the lone star state.