As we reported, a major announcement was expected this week and to our surprise we received two important press releases. Both can be seen below. Yet another press release is expected from the TOA as a whole within the next few weeks.
United Soccer Leagues issued the following elaboration regarding Wednesday morning’s CKAC Sports radio interview with USL CEO Alec Papadakis concerning the status of USL-1 teams. “While the statements made in the earlier interview are accurate in that we have ceased negotiations with the Team Owner’s Association (TOA) as a group, we remain in dialogue with certain individual TOA teams about their possible participation in USL-1 for 2010. We are open to the return of the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps to
“Following the press release issued earlier by the USL, I would also like to confirm there are still ongoing talks between ongoing talks between the Montreal Impact and the USL,” declared Montreal Impact President Joey Saputo. “The negotiations are not over. We continue to work on various options, including the possibilitiy of seeing the Impact in the USL-1 in 2010.”
We have been told by a source close to the USL/TOA situation that an important press release is expected on Tuesday. This is much sooner than expected as we were not anticipating much news before November 20.
A spokesman for U.S. Soccer declined to comment on the situation surrounding the USL and a possible TOA breakaway league. Apparently the federation was holding meetings with the two groups, hoping to come to an amicable agreement. There is not much information out there regarding this issue. However, several of our sources believe that there should be some resolution by November 20th. We were told by one TOA member that Fleischman-Hilliard (St. Louis) has been hired by the association to handle their public relations and marketing
Several outlets are reporting that TOA members have been meeting with MLS executives regarding a Second Division for MLS. Our source reports that another level for MLS is not happening any time soon. Here is a comment from that source close to the situation: “Major League Soccer has had conversations with TOA clubs (including the Vancouver Whitecaps) but no arrangement is on the table.”