“We are not about jumping the gun and putting cart before the horse,” RailHawks President Curt Johnson said. “Those things evolve in time.”

“What we’re trying to do is build the largest possible fan base that we can have here and let other people decide what at the end of the day will be the future. Those people will be the owners, MLS and the NASL and the fans and corporate partners.”

The fan base will now have room to grow as WakeMed Soccer Park, which is owned by Wake County, is undergoing a $6.3 million expansion that will add 3,000 seats and move the capacity up to 10,000 seats. The project is scheduled to be completed by the September of this year.

Abbott said “I’m a firm believer there are markets in the Southeast that can perform at the level of the Pacific Northwest.”

MLS has indicated that it is focused on establishing a 20th expansion team in New York. But an expansion timetable beyond 20 teams, and specifically a plan for the Southeast, has not been established according to league officials.

Abbott also continued to communicate the three key factors that MLS evaluates in potential expansion targets: an ownership group financially capable of operating the team, a stadium seating between 20,000 and 25,000, and a market that can draw roughly that many fans while generating corporate support.

So while the MLS may not have any immediate plans for expansion is seems as though the NASL will be expanding soon. In addition to Ottawa joining in 2014, Indyweek Sports reported that the NASL is poised to announce two expansion franchises within the next 30-45 days. The league has finalized contractual terms with one club and is in the latter stages of negotiations with the other. One is an existing soccer club while the other is an upstart franchise. Moreover, Davidson indicated one will be stationed in the western U.S. while the other will be located within the NASL’s current main geographic footprint.

USL side Orlando City seems to be the most logical team to join the NASL. They have a great team, strong fan-base, and MLS ambitions that would all make sense for them to step up into the next level.

In regards to the western club Downs did rattled off a few potential expansion locations including: Phoenix, San Diego, Indianapolis, and Detroit. Phoenix has shown some great promise in recent friendlies and would give the San Antonio Scorpions a nearby team to help foster a rivalry.

See this MLS article on the visit and vote for Atlanta in the poll “Which Southeast market do you think will emerge as the frontrunner for expansion?”.

Video of the Fan Forum can be located at www.carolinarailhawks.com

So what markets do you think the NASL should expanded to next?

The final game of the Atlanta Pro Soccer Challenge couldn’t have been played on a better day.  With temps in the low 70′s and a slight breeze you couldn’t have asked for a better day to see a game.  The crowd was much better then the first two nights but still not to the 6,000 mark that was hoped for when the tournament was first announced.

The starting lineups were compiled of mostly starters with the exception of a few players that were rested to help them get over minor injuries. The game started out pretty slow with both teams content with lobbing the ball ahead in the hopes of spring someone loose.

It wasn’t until the 31st minute that Dynamo rookie Will Bruin scored his first goal against a MLS side off poor clearance by the Revolution.  It has a great header from the top of the box and backup keeper Tally Hall didn’t have a chance.  Bruin didn’t wait long to add his second goal as he had a clinical half-volley finish on a Brad Davis cross two minutes later.  It looked like Houston was going going to run away with things when a player looked to be pushed down in the box but the ref motioned for him to get up and play on.

I’m not sure what Steve Nicol said at halftime but the Revolution came out with with a greater intensity than they played with during the first half.  There were several half chances but neither team really made the keepers work.

It wasn’t until the 88nd minute that things really got interesting again when the Revolution pulled on back on a Zach Schilawski goal.  But the comeback was cut short when the Dynamo took it down and immediately and restored their two point cushion when Alex Dixon capped the scoring to make the final score 3-1 in the Dynamo’s favor.

For what is was, a preseason tournament, I think things went okay.  You couldn’t have asked from more from the 3 MLS teams. From the play on the field to the fan interaction after the game they really did a great job.  Hopefully things went well enough in their mind that we’ll get another shot next year.

The two biggest disappointments were 1) Attendance 2) Weather.  Starting with weather you really can’t count on much help from the weather.  Sunday was perfect but Wednesday and Friday left a little to be desired.  That being said, I image the weather that will accompany most MLS games in the next two weeks won’t be much better.

By far the greatest disappointment was the attendance. Official attendance numbers weren’t released but my rough guess-timation would be as follows: Wed.  500,  Fri. 1200,  Sun. 4500.  In my opinion the two primary contributing factors were ticket cost and public awareness.

If you were a Columbus Crew fan you could buy comparable regular season single game tickets cheaper then those at the Pro Challenge.  The $50 price tag on  center circle tickets exceeds the highest price ticket the Crew offers. Over half of the stadium was available as General Admission and cost a reasonable $20.

Last but not least is the bane of every soccer fan… the void of advertising. I think if I polled soccer fans and asked what could pro soccer in Atlanta do better they would almost unanimously point to advertising.  On the flip side I think its likely one of the most difficult constraints that every front office has to deal with while working within a budget they feel is necessary to break even, or minimize losses. It’s not as if they aren’t aware but more so how to maximize the dollars they do have.  Well until you or I buy our own team or are in their shoe’s we really don’t have much of a say in how that money is spent. What we can do is make sure we get the word out to the best of our abilities with our capabilities.  Talk in up on Facebook, Twitter, or invite a friend to a game.

What else can fans do to help get the word out? What did you think about the Pro Challenge?

On the second night of the Atlanta Pro Soccer Challenge the Houston Dynamo and Columbus Crew squared off.  It was another chilly night with temps in the low 40′s.  Both teams started out of the gate fast with several goal scoring chances on both sides. In the 22nd minute a handball in the box gave Jeff Cunningham the oppourtunity to put the crew on the board early. Unfortunately for Cunningham Houston GK Tally Hall guessed right. Literally, with a diving save to his right he deflected Cunninghams shot wide.

It wasn’t until the 34 minute that the Columbus Crew’s newly crowned Designated Player, Andres Mendoza, scored the games first and only goal of the game. In the second half of the game the tempo slowed and became more of a defensive battle with fewer offensive opportunities.  It was still a great match and my two biggest takeaways are 1) I’ve always heard MLS is a “physical” league. But TV doesn’t do it justice, once you see it live you understand. 2) I could get used to this. It’s been great having these matches but to have our own team in Atlanta would be incredible.

After the game Will Hesmer and several other Columbus Crew players hung out in the cold and signed autographs and took pictures with the fans.  It was a great jesture and a moment those fans will remember forever.  As far as the number of fans are concerned the attendance was improved over Wednesday’s game but  still not to the level it should be for these games.  Hopefully Sunday will be the day that the fans come out and the stadium fills up.

Have you been to a game yet? What did you think?

Today the first match of the Atlanta Pro Soccer Challenge was played between the Columbus Crew and New England Revolution.  Several individuals have identified this series of games as an indicator to determine if Atlanta is ready for Major League Soccer. If the turnout tonight is any indicator the answer would be a resounding NO! The weather has been pretty nasty for a few days and lasted through most of the day today. Many will point to the bad weather, the game being played midweek on a school-night,  or lack of advertising for the poor turnout. Whatever the reason Atlanta really needs to come out strong Friday and Sunday to redeem itself.

It was a fun game to watch, from the comforts of the press box, as the Crew and Revolution went through one of their last preseason games before the season kicks off next week. In the 16th minute Crew Forward, Bernardo Anor, started the scoring with a header off of a free kick played in by Robbie Rogers. It only took about a minute for the Crew to add their second goal when Tommy Heinemann took advantage of a poor back-pass and chipped the Revs keeper Matt Reis.   The Revolutions best shot of the half came when Zak Boggs took it past the keeper and instead of slotting it in he hit a flier above the goal.

In the second half the Crew add to scoreline making it 3-0 when Heinemann hit his second goal of the game.  Ilija Stolica scored in the 62 minute to get the Revs on the board and back into the game but it wasn’t to be. Sainey Nyassi had several quality runs and some powerful shots but was never able to break through with a goal. 

Tickets are still available for Fridays match between Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo. You can also join Atlanta United on Sunday for the match-up of the Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution. Atlanta United is a new organization that wants fans interested in bringing MLS to Atlanta to come together. They will be meeting at 1:30 PM at Kayson’s to discuss plans and come up with some chants to sing during the game. Then everyone will head over to KSU Soccer Stadium to watch Houston Dynamo take on New England Revolution at 3:00 PM. They’re encouraging all fans that want to bring MLS to Atlanta to wear Black and sit in section 116.

You can buy tickets ahead of time at www.TheAtlantaBeat.com or at the gate. Will you be there?

Have you gotten your tickets yet for the upcoming Atlanta Pro Soccer Challenge? This is Atlanta’s chance to see MLS teams play as the Columbus Crew, New England Revolution, and Houston Dynamo compete in a preseason tournament at the KSU Soccer Stadium in Kennesaw, GA.  This should be a great tournament as teams will likely be putting their first 11 on the field as part of final preparations before the MLS season starts.

Atlanta won’t be the only southern city playing host to MLS teams.  The WALT DISNEY WORLD® Pro Soccer Classic kicks off on February 24th and will feature FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC, along with Orlando City of the USL. Teams have also been announced for the Carolina Challenge Cup. Toronto FC, DC United, and Chicago Fire will play a preseason round robin tournament with host Charleston Battery from March 5th through the 12th.  Prior to their first match in Kennesaw will see the Crew and Revolution play a preseason game at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga on March 6th. Finley Stadium is home to Chattanooga FC of the National Premier Soccer League who’s average attendance last year was nearly 4,000.

Atlanta Silverbacks

Over the weekend we got word that the USSF has provisionally sanctioned NASL to operate a division 2 outdoors mens soccer league in the U.S. for the 2011 season. There is a conference call Monday at 3 pm in which U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati and NASL CEO Aaron Davidson will discuss the provisional sanctioning and likely the next steps which will be required before the 2012 season to have the “provisional” part dropped.  On the list of things to change is likely to be the ownership situation in Atlanta.  Specifically to remove Traffic USA from their partial ownership in the club.

To my knowledge no preseason plans or player acquisitions have been announced by the Silverbacks at this time. However Rodrigo Rios, Silverbacks Director of Soccer, discussed the upcoming season and recently announce coach Jose Manuel Abundis at the recent NASL combine.  You can also see more about Assistant coach and former MLS MVP Alex Pineda Chacon who was recently featured on MLSSoccer.com’s “Where are they now?“.

Atlanta Beat

One of the Atlanta Beat’s 2011 signings, Carli Lloyd, will be heading off to Portugal soon with the U.S. Women’s National Team to compete in the Algrave Cup.  The Beat recently announce their full 2011 Preseason Schedule and give you a chance to see the remade Beat and give them a chance to get to know each other as this is a completely different team then what was here at any point in time last year.  More on that soon.

Sunday, March 6
Atlanta Beat vs. University of South Florida (KSU Soccer Stadium – Closed Door)            12:00PM

Wednesday, March 9
Atlanta Beat vs. Auburn University (Auburn University, Auburn, AL)            7:00PM

Saturday, March 12
Atlanta Beat vs. Clemson University (KSU Soccer Stadium – Closed Door)            1:00PM

Saturday, March 19
Atlanta Beat vs. UNC (KSU Soccer Stadium)                                 12:00PM

*If you buy a $15 ticket for the UNC match it includes a ticket to the home opener on April 9th against the Boston Breakers.

Sunday, March 20
Atlanta Beat vs. Florida State (Walden Soccer Complex, Columbus, GA)      4:00PM

Sunday, March 27
Atlanta Beat vs. Florida (KSU Soccer Stadium – Closed Door)                               2:00PM

Tuesday, March 29
Atlanta Beat vs. Georgia (Turner Soccer Complex, Athens, GA)                     7:00PM

Sunday, April 3
Atlanta Beat vs. Auburn University (Spain Park HS Stadium, Hoover, AL)      4:00PM

National Premier Soccer League (NPSL)

In the 4th division of soccer in the U.S. we see a few changes taking place. An announcement from the Atlanta Silverbacks indicated that they will be fielding a reserve division this year. Formerly known as Atlanta FC, the new Atlanta Silverback reserves will play their home matches at Silverback Park. One of their opponents will be the new Georgia Revolution who will play in Conyers, GA as part of the NPSL.

Are you as ready as I am to put the chaos of this off season behind us and start enjoying the game. What are you looking forward to most this upcoming season?