LD Update: Rowdies extend lease; CSL match-fixing report statement

Wednesday - FC Edmonton 2 :: 2 Carolina RailHawks - Despite elimation from playoff contention the night before, the hosts did not give up after a fifth minute strike from Nick Zimmerman. Kyle Porter evened terms just four minutes later and gave Edmonton the lead four minutes after intermission. Zimmerman, however, put away the rebound of his own shot in the 56th minute for the draw. - MORE

NASL News: The Tampa Bay Rowdies will continue to play in a baseball stadium in St Petersburg, signing a new four-year deal to continue leasing Al Lang Stadium.

CSL News: The league released a statement in regards to a recent CBC report focused an alleged match-fixing incident that occured in 2009 and further attempts to affect the outcome of matches for European betting interests.

LD Update: Possible Atlanta name change - an homage or offensive?

The Atlanta Silverbacks are considering a name change, giving fans the option to re-brand the team as the former NASL name Chiefs or even as something completely different. The polling will run until the US Presidential Election Day.


The previous Chiefs were founded in 1967 and were original members of the previous NASL, winning the inaugural league championship in 1968.

Though it is obviously an attempt ride the retro branding wave around the league, the move is particularly surprising in a sports era in which teams and schools are moving away from and changing the verbiage used in regard to names and mascots. And particularly so considering the city's Atlanta Braves are one of the most cited teams, aside from the NFL's Redskins and MLB's Cleveland Indians, for being offensive.

LD Update: NASL honors & midweek games

The Canadian Soccer League issued a statement today regarding fixture conflicts with national team matches - a matter that has plagued soccer in the United States for many years, whether it be professional clubs scheduling games at the same time as the national team(s) or local soccer organizations not scheduling in an effort to maximize support of the professional team.

LD Update: Battery win USL Pro title; Cunningham gets first NASL goal

Charleston celebrates title | courtesy Charleston Battery

Two rookies led the Battery, the playoff team with the most losses on the season (10), to the franchise's fourth championship in 20 years as Charleston defeated the Wilmington Hammerheads for the USL Pro title.

Meanwhile, in the NASL it was all ones... nearly. Three of the four matches concluded in 1-1 draws with the fourth finishing with just one strike between the two clubs.

LD Update: Bixler retires; USL Pro award winners; MISL sched released

USL Pro News: Veteran Harrisburg City Islanders defender Dustin Bixler, a three-time All-League selection and 2007 USL Second Division championship MVP, announced his retirement... The expansion club in Arizona announced it will play as Phoenix FC, unveiling Wolves as the mascot and prominent feature of the new logo... The league announced the season award winners at the championship banquet, honoring Kevin Molino (Orlando) as MVP, Adrian Heath (Orlando) as Coach of the Year, Troy Roberts (Rochester) as Defender of the Year and Jose Cuevas of the championship finalist Charleston Battery as the Rookie of the Year.  

LD Update: NASL adopts split season; USL Pro award finalists

The big news of the day was the announcement from the North American Soccer League that it is altering its competitive structure to a two-season format in which the spring season will be held from March to July 4 followed by a 3-4 week break before the fall season commences.

LD Update: USL Pro All-League honors; NASL honors; Blues to play Pachuca

LD News: Orlando City of USL Pro is loaning Jamie Watson to the NASL Minnesota Stars for the remainder of the season.

NASL News: The league recognized Matt Horth of the Atlanta Silverbacks as the Offensive Player of the Week and Frankie Sanfilippo of the Tampa Bay Rowdies as the Defensive Player of the Week... The Carolina RailHawks duo of Nick Millington (Guyana) and John Krause (Puerto Rico) have been called in for national team camps in preparation for World Cup qualifiers and the Digicel Caribbean Cup (qualifiers for Gold Cup).