What’s old is now new again. The new second division professional league formed by former members of the United Soccer Leagues is going to call itself the North American Soccer League.
The original NASL operated in the United States and Canada from 1968 to 1984 and played its final match 25 years ago last month.
“By becoming the NASL, we are paying respect to the players, coaches and leaders who were pioneers for men’s professional soccer in North America, many of whom remain involved and committed to the growth of our game in various capacities throughout the U.S. and Canada,” said Selby Wellman, principal owner of the Carolina RailHawks and newly appointed president of NASL, LLC. “For that, we honor and thank them with a new era for the NASL.
“Further, by going with NASL, we’re obligated to operate our league at a high standard befitting a name that means so much to the soccer community throughout North America. Our intention is to offer an elite brand of soccer and outstanding experience for our partners and fans, something the old NASL did very well during its day. We will do the same in the new NASL.”
Many of the cities in the new league had franchises in the old NASL, and some of them still carry the names of those teams, such as the Vancouver Whitecaps and Tampa Bay Rowdies. The other seven teams in the new nine team league are: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact and St. Louis Soccer United.
The league has submitted an application to the United States Soccer Federation for sanctioning as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League.
NASL is also active in its search for a full-time commissioner and will introduce an extensive marketing campaign in the coming months.
