Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995 TAG: 9511080071
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
During the league owners' meetings during the weekend in Dallas, USISL commissioner Francisco Marcos spoke of a potential relationship with Major League Soccer, the top American professional league, which will begin play April 6. USISL owners voted to pursue such a relationship, which Marcos is negotiating.
``We have in principle an actual agreement on most of the basic items,'' Marcos said.
The agreement is a one-year deal with an option. When the two leagues are linked, the USISL likely will serve as a farm system for the MLS.
MLS officials ``realized they need support from the bottom up,'' said Phil Benne, the RiverDawgs' director of player personnel, who attended the Dallas meetings. ``They see the USISL as being that league.''
Although there is no formal structure in place for a farm system, word among this region's USISL teams is the Richmond Kickers would like to be a farm club for D.C. United of MLS. If that happens, Roanoke might look to be a farm club for Richmond. Marcos stressed, however, that one of the leagues could do the assigning of affiliations.
``This is a league-to-league agreement,'' he said. ``We don't want to stack the deck in favor of one of our teams.''
The RiverDawgs must move up to the Pro Division to serve as a farm club, however, because any promotion to another professional team would jeopardize a player's college eligibility. Roanoke's roster was made up primarily of amateur players this year, most from Virginia colleges.
``We decided to compete in the [amateur] basically so we can use college players and keep costs down,'' Benne said.
When a USISL team loses a player to MLS, it will be compensated financially. Aaron Heifetz, an MLS spokesman, said each MLS team also might add two players to its 18-man rosters and farm them out to a USISL club. The USISL also will help MLS with coaching and referee development a la the CBA and NBA.
``It affects the entire league, not just the [pro] teams,'' Marcos said.
DIFFERENT DIVISIONS: The USISL has changed the names of its playing divisions.
Instead of the Pro and Premier (amateur) divisions of last season, the USISL now has the Select, Pro and Pro-Am. Roanoke's division, the Pro-Am used to be known as the Premier.
The new Select Division represents the highest USISL classification. Select teams, which are made up entirely of pro players, include Richmond; Hampton Roads; Raleigh, N.C.; and Greensboro, N.C.
Roanoke has some new neighbors in the Pro-Am's East Conference. They include: Jersey; Philadelphia; Jackson, Miss., Orlando, Fla.; Cocoa, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; the Florida Stars; and South Florida. Jersey is based in Newark, and the Florida Stars and South Florida are based in the Miami area. The USISL plans to announce the league schedule by Dec.1.
'DAWG BITES: The RiverDawgs are hoping to re-sign former Radford University star Dante Washington and Virginia Tech assistant coach Eric McLelland for next season, if they don't make a MLS roster. The two players spent May playing for Roanoke. They left Roanoke to play for the Washington Warthogs of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, where McLelland was an all-star. ...
D.C. United is holding open tryouts Nov.18-19, and MLS expects to hold a player combine in January. ... The RiverDawgs have formed a marketing staff, which includes Amoreli Ronquilo, formerly with the East Coast Hockey League's Roanoke Express. ... Marcos said the USISL is close to a deal with cable's Prime Network to televise a game of the week.
by CNB