Some Thoughts on the A-League v.2002
04.12.2002
To borrow a phrase from ESPN and MLSnet's Jeff Bradley, here are twelve things that I think I think before the 2002 season kicks off in earnest:
- Charleston and Rochester are loaded. With their meeting at Frontier Field scheduled for May 10th with maximum exposure we could be seeing the most watched match of the season on FSW… well, until these teams meet again. When they meet again it could be in the Eastern Conference final or it could be in the championship at, you guessed it, Blackbaud Stadium. The league's been itching to show off its Southern jewel for quite some time and it looks like this year maybe, just maybe, the Battery can oblige on tons of promise.
- "Welcome to a jam-packed, erm, slightly crowded, uhhh, Hamilton County Fairgrounds…." The guys in the USL offices are no doubt grinning ear to ear about the announcement of the FSW television schedule but you have to wonder how they'll feel if a "crowd" of 500 or less show up for some A-League games as in the past. Seriously, though, I for one am very excited at the idea of seeing games from places I might never have gotten around to traveling to and seeing with my own eyes. Thanks to this deal I'll get to see places like Dudley Field (El Paso), Foothills Park (Calgary), the Hamilton County Fairgrounds (Cincinnati), and Kuntz Stadium (Indiana).
- There will be a lot of eyes on Charleston on April 27th. Despite not getting their home opener onto the FSW roster there will not be a lack of media coverage for the first regular season A-League appearance of Eric Wynalda and the host of other stars on the Battery roster. Everyone could be in for a shock, though, if they think this won't be a battle of a game. The Coppertops face the Pittsburgh Riverhounds who have their own designs on the league this year.
- Minnesota will be back… with a vengeance. The Thunder had quite an anomalous season in 2001 and will be looking to get out of their rut early on this year. They'll start the season on the road again but things look a tad bit easier with their early matches coming at El Paso, Vancouver, Calgary, Milwaukee, Indiana, and Cincinnati. They finally get to play a home game on May 25th against the Riverhawks. To avoid last year's trauma they will need to have at least 10-15 points before their first home match.
- Richmond could very easily win their division. The addition of David Hayes to the Kickers lineup could prove to be a move that takes them to the top of their division. The Kickers have a very hungry group of players and the challenge of keeping the highly touted Battery out of the top spot could be just the thing that keeps them going over the long haul. Then there's also the fact that there are several players who have something to prove on this roster.
- The Montreal Impact will be ready to play. There is no better reason to believe this than one name: Bob Lilley. For those who haven't been paying attention, he's been one of the better motivators around and he did a great job in taking the Hershey Wildcats to the very brink of a championship in their final season. Speaking of which, is anybody else hoping that the kickoff of a new A-League season won't be too painful for the thousand or so fans that consistently showed up to see the Wildcats?
- At least one more team will create further rumors of building their own stadium/complex. This is already partially true with the continued speculation that a site will be chosen "soon" for a new facility in Pittsburgh to be used by the Riverhounds. Then there's all those rumors floating around Milwaukee that someone, not the Rampage, is looking to build an MLS stadium. Let's face it, these days the perpetuated myths of soccer specific stadiums are some of our favorite talking points.
- At least one team will wind up near the brink of extinction and could fold by the end of the season. Anyone taking the bait yet that the first team to possibly go will be Hampton Roads? After some startling and unsettling news about a lack of funds for the investors/operators of the new Mariners the fans around the league are once again reminded of the temporary nature of many teams in the league. I'd like to think that we will get through this year without casualties but that's probably too much to ask. Let's all hope I'm wrong.
- Several unsuspecting victims will lose to Calgary this season. It's going to be déjà vu all over again as the Storm gets to play the spoiler role that Charlotte played last season. Many people were very surprised to see how successfully Charlotte made the jump last year but this season will be a different story because it is a long, long way from the PDL to the A-League in terms of playing a full season. Considering all that, though, look for Calgary to take a few scalps at home due to a nice long trip for anyone that has to go there and a bunch of determined youngsters.
- Francisco Marcos will show up on at least one of the Fox Sports World televised games. This I can almost guarantee because I am positive he will show up at the A-League final. Then there are the W-League and PDL championship telecasts to consider. So I think it is a rather safe bet that we will see his smiling face on our television screens in the near future. Somehow I have to wonder, though, if he will find his way to Charlotte for the first televised match between the Silverbacks and Eagles?
- There will be continued talk about the formation of the CUSL then there will be an extension agreed to between Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary and the USL. Thunder Bay will also remain in the PDL and the Canadian teams will have to suffer American partiality or some such thing for another couple of years. Seriously, though, I believe the Canadian teams add a lot to the league and the league brings a lot to the table for the Canadian teams. That being said, I would love to see the CUSL happen so that Canada and Canadians have their own league that is specifically tailored to the Canadian sporting landscape.
- By the end of the year someone will be screaming bloody murder if Rochester is handed the opportunity to host yet another championship match. This one is a bit of a no-brainer but I figure after going out on a limb and saying that if Charleston gets into the Championship then the match will be at the 'Baud it would be prudent to add this caveat. Obviously, a championship game in Rochester guarantees a packed house but will it be worth re-igniting the indignation of many fans after last year's controversial decision allowing Rochester to host over the higher-seeded Hershey Wildcats?
So those are just a handful of thoughts that are bouncing around my cranium as we draw ever closer to the kick-off of another A-League season. Oh, that season preview I mentioned? Don't worry, it's on its way just like the start of the season.
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