BY RYAN JOHNSTON
sportsnet.ca
Amid rampant speculation over its future, Vancouver Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi would like to report that rumours of his club's demise are greatly exaggerated.
Lenarduzzi quelled speculation on Thursday by confirming that the league the Whitecaps calls home, the United Soccer League, has not closed its doors entirely on both the Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact. The response from Lenarduzzi comes after comments made by USL owner Alec Papadakis to a Montreal radio station were interpreted as a farewell gesture to both Vancouver and Montreal.
The USL-1 is the second tier of soccer in the United States and Canada behind Major League Soccer. It was known as the A-League until 2004.
"The hiccup came out of Alec's comment," Lenarduzzi told sportsnet.ca. "Our course has not altered. We are looking at this alternate league, and the USL -- based on the report yesterday -- have said that the doors have closed but they have not said we can't get in and we haven't said we want in. The question now is with proceeding with the TOA and attempting to get our league off the ground."
The Team Owners Association (TOA) is a group of eight USL teams who in the wake of the league being sold from Nike to the NuRock Soccer Holding expressed their disappointment in the sale by suggesting "other options" would be considered. Lenarduzzi and the seven other TOA teams had hoped that their own bid to buy the USL would be accepted, and not be passed over for another private company.
"The whole premise of the TOA is owner involvement in the running of the league," Lenarduzzi explained. "It is ourselves, Montreal, Minnesota, Carolina, Miami, Tampa, St. Louis and Atlanta."
The proposed new league would operate outside of the current pyramid, and would welcome further expansion in both the U.S. and Canada.
"Absolutely, if there are teams interested, then sure." Lenarduzzi explained. "The eight that we have named are the eight that have shown interest. Beyond that, if others pop up, then absolutely."
The Whitecaps would only be involved in the breakaway league for one season as the team is set to move to MLS in 2011. However, Lenarduzzi admitted that keeping a Vancouver representative in the new league when the Whitecaps move up is under consideration.
"That is part of our planning process," Lenarduzzi said. "We are looking at our options, but we have thrown out the idea that we will retain either a USL-1 or the new level, we would entertain the idea of still having a team participate at that level."
The profile of soccer in Canada has grown thanks to the success of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Each summer the three teams compete in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and passage to the lucrative CONCACAF Champions League. Any breakaway league would not jeopardize the event, which was won by Toronto in 2009.
"In that particular property, it doesn't matter what league you are in," Lenarduzzi said. "The last thing that we want to do is to not promote (the Nutrilite). It is a great property and it is a tournament that people are now looking forward to every year."
The USL-1 season ended two weeks ago with Vancouver falling to Montreal in a two-leg final. With the off-season underway, Lenarduzzi sees a drop-dead date for the project being one month from now.
"I would suggest that something will need to materialize in the next month, or sooner.”
