from trisoccerfan.blogspot.com

Town of Cary Mayor Ernie McAlister has called a press conference for Thursday, January 26th at SAS Soccer Park to make an announcement that Cary is ready to welcome professional soccer back to the Triangle. It is expected that the mayor will announce that Triangle Professional Soccer, L.L.C., a NC company owned and operated by the same ownership group which owns the Rochester Raging Rhinos of the United Soccer Leagues (USL), intend to own and operate a new local soccer team to compete in USL Division 1.

Cary Town Council also has an agenda item on that same night to address an amendment to its current lease of SAS Soccer Park in order to make way for a a 6 year sub-lease to allow TPS to bring a team to the Triangle.

It is expected that the new pro team would play 6-10 exhibition games during 2006 in order to build awareness and a fan base in the local area before entering the USL First Division in the Spring of 2007.

One interesting note about the sub-lease terms: it grants TPS the exclusive rights to pro soccer and pro lacrosse at SAS Soccer Park during the 6 year span.


Other teams are: Montreal Impact, Toronto Lynx, Vancouver Whitecaps, Rochester Rhinos, Portland Timbers, Puerto Rico Islanders, Virginia Beach Mariners, Atlanta Silverbacks, Charleston Battery, Seattle Sounders, Miami FC, and Minnesota Thunder. It would be likely that Atlanta and Charleston would add Cary to their "Southern Derby" rivalry cup.

Attendance for the league runs around 5000 as an average. The team that is organizing the Cary team, Rochester, averaged 9500 last year.

Here's hoping for lots of deep runs in the US Open Cup.

1/21/2006 10:16:59 AM

Cary Imps

1/21/2006 10:32:44 AM

so it's not MLS?

1/21/2006 10:43:41 AM

no its a hell of alot lower than MLS

1/21/2006 10:47:51 AM

The division right below MLS, but in the US Open Cup, a competition involving all pro and amateur soccer teams in the US (that enter), this new team would get the opportunity to face and host MLS sides.

[Edited on January 21, 2006 at 10:53 AM. Reason : .]

1/21/2006 10:49:35 AM

my cousin used to play for Charleston Battery....after his MLS career was over

1/21/2006 11:05:14 AM

awesome

1/21/2006 1:28:05 PM

It's actually not a hell of a lot lower than MLS.

It's USL Division 1, and there are plenty of USL Division 2 teams that can beat MLS teams on any given day. I'll direct your attention to August 6th, 2003: Wilmington Hammerheads (PSL) 4-1 Dallas Burn (MLS).

1/21/2006 2:07:43 PM