One of the hottest topics around the league right now is the demise of the Flash. Strangely enough, though, it's not exactly like some didn't see this coming. Now, I could spend a lot of time going over what went wrong in San Diego but, much like Melville's classic character Bartleby the Scrivener, I would prefer not to. Instead I'd rather spend my time looking back at was once a shining light in the A-League. Though that light is somewhat dimmed now, rest assured that the legacy of the Flash before the present debacle is well worth remembering.
On the strength of Yan Skwara and his hard working staff a club that over-achieved in some people's estimations became one of the brightest prospects in the A-League for a long and successful tenure. Gaining sponsorship dollars from the likes of Delta and Sprint while averaging attendances of well over 2,000 per game showed the kind of payoffs that countless hours of effort could provide. For a city whose professional soccer scene was still reeling from the loss of the indoor Sockers, the Flash provided a veritable breath of fresh air. The commitment exhibited by the personnel to make the Flash a top-notch club was seen in many ways. From the quality of players that were brought in, to the kind of hustle the front office staff had to go through to gain fans, and the kind of money it takes to run a club, it clearly appeared to outsiders that this group would be around for awhile.
Unfortunately, when some people see a good thing and try to come along for the ride, it can ruin the delicate balance it often takes for a front office staff to keep everyone happy at this level. It appears that that may have been what happened in San Diego, but it would be fruitless to focus on what went wrong in Flash-land. Needless to say the past few weeks (and months even) have to have been an emotionally and physically draining experience for those involved, especially for Skwara who was brought back from the fringes to try and rescue the club from its imminent demise. Obviously, those who were "in control" for the last few moments before Skwara was called upon realized what a job he had done in the first place to build the club to its former heights.
Now, while Yan himself played a huge role in what the club was able to do in its first two seasons he'll be the first to admit and praise all of the members of his staff who put in "a lot of 15 hour days" to get things off the ground. In talking to him he can list just about everybody who had worked alongside him to get the Flash rolling and it's a list that would just be ridiculously long to put down here. When questioned about possibly working with this group of people in the future in pro soccer after he takes some time off he made it clear that they were all pretty much just "one phone call away." That just goes to show the kind of loyalty and friendship the original group of the Flash staff had and sheds some insight into why they were able to surprise a lot of people while making the outdoor game a modest hit in the city by the sea.
So now what? What does the future hold? While one member of Yan's "team" has moved on to the WUSA's San Diego Spirit, others have moved on to other things. Yan himself has moved on to coaching a U-19 team and will get back into playing. Something he told me he hadn't done much of at all in the past three years. He says he will take the next one or two years for himself. Frankly, it's hard to say he doesn't deserve that time off considering what the last 365 days held for him. As for footie in San Diego it appears to be on a steadying course after an opening night win for San Diego FC (someone please get them a name soon!) over conference rival, and heavily favored, Milwaukee. The long-term future is still up in the air, though, since the league is still looking for a buyer for the San Diego franchise and who knows? Maybe once Yan has had some rest he can take another stab at it.
So what, in the long run, should everyone remember about the experiences of the Flash? Some of the things that should be remembered about this franchise would have to be the way in which they helped to establish the outdoor market. With their on and off the field successes of the first two seasons, it made selling the WUSA on San Diego as well as causing interest from MLS much easier. Also, their "soccertarian" efforts to attempt to salvage clubs in the Bay Area and Sacramento over their first couple of seasons should be remembered for the spirit (no pun intended) with which their actions were carried out. Also, in a market like that in San Diego where the soccer community is fairly tight knit, it would be hard to not draw conclusions that the efforts of the Flash had something to do with the revival of the Sockers. So now besides San Diego FC there will also be the Spirit and Sockers… and, oh yeah, the Crusaders who will be coached by Skwara. So if you're not busy at an SDFC, Spirit, or Sockers match go check out his kids and give him an earful if he makes any bone-headed tactical moves.
Remembering what the Flash were able to accomplish is important. They almost pulled off being floated on the stock market, almost were able to help the Bay Area Seals soldier on, did pull off putting a good product on the field, and even put some butts in the seats. For the early years of their all too brief tenure they did things the right way. Unfortunately, it didn't last but Skwara and those who were there from the start giving it all they had hardly deserve to feel the brunt of any anger or resentment because of what happened. In Yan's words: "I would like to thank all the supporters of the Flash over the past three seasons and also all the shareholders and business partners that helped make it happen." Personally, I think San Diego should thank he and his staff for making such a wonderful effort and sacrifice over the past three seasons as well. As always, that's the view from here.
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