Steven Sandor's Blog, page 97

June 3, 2015

CSA confirms that it is looking for new broadcast partner

Logo-CSAThe Canadian Soccer Association is looking for a new broadcast partner.


The CSA confirmed that it and the network have mutually agreed to part ways, even though Sportsnet’s broadcast deal to show Canada’s national teams was set to run till the end of 2015.


As of this moment, there is no broadcast deal in place to show either the June 11 or June 16 World Cup qualifiers between Dominica and Canada.


The CSA indicated that there were issues in finding space for national-team programming on the Sportsnet networks — some of that do to increased commitments to other sports. In 2014, Rogers began the first of a 12-year, $5.2 billion deal to broadcast the National Hockey League. The company also owns the Toronto Blue Jays.



The CSA says that it “is exploring broadcast avenues” for Canada Soccer as a whole, and is looking at ways to get the Canada/Dominica qualifiers in the air.


The deal does not affect the Amway Canadian Championship, which remains with Sportsnet.


(Disclosure: Steven Sandor appears on Citytv’s FC Edmonton broadcasts)


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Published on June 03, 2015 14:09

June 2, 2015

Decision made: Akindele on Canadian roster for WCQ

Tesho Akindele

Tesho Akindele


The decision has been made. FC Dallas forward Tesho Akindele has chosen to represent Canada.


(Akindele will now be removed from the list of “maybes” and into “sure things” in the upcoming editions of The 11‘s weekly Quintessentially Canadian ower Rankings)


Akindele’s name is on the roster for Canada’s upcoming qualifiers against Dominica; June 11 in Roseau and June 16 at Toronto’s BMO Field. If he gets on the field, the Calgary-born attacker will be tied to Canada.


Akindele has scored 10 times in 39 career MLS games for FC Dallas, and was named the MLS Rookie of the Year in 2014. He was invited to a Canadian camp last autumn, but chose instead to wait and see on a possible invite to a United States men’s national-team camp. But, earlier this year, Canadian national-team head coach Benito Floro told the media that he was “99.9 per cent” certain that Akindele would play for Canada.




“This is a very important moment for Canadian soccer and Canada as a country,” said Floro.


He said it would be a mistake to consider Dominica an “easy” opponent and that the team has to be

“serious.”


“We’ve been following performances. To come before, was a problem… I made a decision to call Tesho to an official camp. Because if he was in condition to say yes, it would be better… We called Tesho into an official camp and he decided to play for Canada.”


Floro said that turning down an invite to a World Cup qualifier is a lot different than turning down a camp ahead of a friendly, as Akindele did last fall. If Akindele had turned down a WCQ call, Floro said he would have know the player’s answer was a definitive no. So, when the stakes were raised, Akindele decided to follow his Canadian roots.


While he said that it’s not 100 per cent sure, Floro said he was confident that this will be the roster that Canada utilizes for the upcoming Gold Cup, as well.


CANADA ROSTER

GK- Milan Borjan | SRB / Radnicki Nis

GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga

GK- Kenny Stamatopoulos | SWE / AIK

D- Nana Attakora | USA / San Antonio Scorpions

D- Manjrekar James | HUN / Pécsi MFC

D- Dejan Jakovic | JPN / Shimizu S-Pulse

D- Ashtone Morgan | CAN / Toronto FC

D- Karl W. Ouimette | USA / New York Red Bulls

D/M- David Edgar | ENG / Birmingham City FC (on loan at Huddersfield Town)

D/M- Nik Ledgerwood | GER / Energie Cottbus

D/M- Adam Straith | NOR / Fredrikstad FK

D/M- Maxim Tissot | CAN / Impact de Montréal

M- Julian de Guzman | CAN / Ottawa Fury FC

M- Atiba Hutchinson | TUR / Besiktas

M- Will Johnson | USA / Portland Timbers

M- Jonathan Osorio | Toronto FC

M- Samuel Piette | ESP / Deportivo la Coruña

M- Russell Teibert | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC

M/F-Tosaint Ricketts | ISR / Hapoel Haifa

F- Tesho Akindele | USA / FC Dallas

F- Randy Edwini-Bonsu | GER / Stuttgarter Kickers

F- Marcus Haber | ENG / Crewe Alexandra

F- Cyle Larin | USA / Orlando City SC


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Published on June 02, 2015 10:03

Chile reception: FC Edmonton’s Lance Laing off to Copa America

Lance Laing

Lance Laing


FC Edmonton left winger Lance Laing will be heading to South America.


He was named as part of the final 23-man Jamaican roster for the 2015 Copa America. Jamaica has indicated that this roster will also be in place for the upcoming Gold Cup.


In Chile, Laing’s Jamaican side is in a group with Paraguay, Uruguay and some other left-footed superstar named Messi and his Argentine teammates.



FC Edmonton coach Colin Miller has indicated that preliminary indications were positive that Laing could remain with his NASL side through to this coming weekend’s game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Laing will miss the final game of the spring season, against the Indy Eleven.


If Laing joins the Jamaican national side for the Gold Cup, he will be miss much of FCE’s July schedule — how many games will depend on how far Jamaica goes in the Gold Cup.


Laing has established himself as the best left-sided player in NASL; combining speed with arguably the best crossing ability of any player in the league. He has also scored twice this year on vicious free kicks.

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Published on June 02, 2015 09:55

June 1, 2015

FC Edmonton: No contact at all with Canadian professional league backers

fcedmonton-logo_rgb_jpgformat-150x150Sources have indicated that the Canadian professional league is close to becoming reality, with key meetings expected in the coming weeks.


But, if the league does indeed come to be — and, to be fair, there is still a lot of skepticism out there — the assumption that the North American Soccer League’s Ottawa Fury and FC Edmonton would simply come along for the ride is well, off-base.


FCE’s lack of involvement in the Canadian professional league may come as a surprise to some; the club said today that “no one in the organization has been contacted in any capacity.”


It’s not that the Eddies are acting willfully blind; the franchise has not been invited to the party.



When Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani spoke in June 2014 about the drive to launch a Division “1A” in Canada (CLICK HERE), he said the goal was for it to co-exist with Major League Soccer and the North American Soccer League.


And that looks to be the case going forward; that if a Canadian “1A” was to come to pass, then you could have a scenario where there are Canadian pro franchises in the new Canadian pro league, MLS, NASL and USL. That’s a very crowded space. It would open up lots of discussion on how to handle the awarding of Canada’s CONCACAF Champions League place.


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Published on June 01, 2015 15:34

May 31, 2015

Quintessentially Canadian Power Rankings, MLS Week 13/NASL Week 9

Karl Ouimette

Karl Ouimette


Before the season, the Montreal Impact waived homegrown defender Karl Ouimette.


The New York Red Bulls picked up the Canadian and, over the last month, he has cemented a put-his-name-in-ink starting position with his new team.


Ouimette now has five appearances, four of them starts, for the Red Bulls. He’s played a total of 412 minutes. And that’s significantly more minutes this season than — ahem — all of the Canadians combined on the Impact roster.


In eight MLS games — Canadians have only accounted for a total of 242 minutes of playing time with the Impact. Ouimette is the lone Canadian on the Red Bulls, and he’s got 170 more minutes of playing time than the Impact’s Canadians. Ouimette has played in five games, the Impact’s Canadians have had chances — most of them unfulfilled — to play in eight MLS games.


As the Quintessentially Canadian Power Rankings continue through the MLS and NASL seasons, we’ll have to keep an eye on Ouimette-vs.-all-of-his-countrymen-on-his-old-team. Who will have more minutes at the end of the season?



MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIANS (MLS AFTER 13 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 9 WEEKS):

?1. Ashtone Morgan, TFC, MLS, 836 (10)

2. Russell Teibert, VAN, MLS, 761 (11)

3. Mallan Roberts, FCE, NASL, 720 (8)

4. Carl Haworth, OTT, NASL, 697 (8)

5. Jonathan Osorio, TFC, MLS, 680 (10)

6. Dominic Oppong, ATL, NASL, 675 (8)

7. Cyle Larin, ORL, MLS, 663 (10)

8. Kyle Porter, ATL, NASL, 634 (8)

9. Julian de Guzman, OTT, NASL, 620 (7)

10.Sam Adekugbe, VAN, MLS, 615 (7)

11. Eddie Edward, FCE, NASL, 570 (7)

12. Nana Attakora, SAS, NASL, 516 (6)

13. Marcel de Jong, SKC, MLS, 453 (6)

14. Karl Ouimette, NYRB, MLS, 412 (5)

15. Allan Zebie, FCE, NASL, 371 (5)

16. Adrian Cann, SAS, NASL, 360 (4)

17. Frank Jonke, FCE, NASL, 337 (5)

18. Drew Beckie, OTT, NASL, 334 (6)

19. Mason Trafford, OTT, NASL, 270 (3)

20. Kyle Bekker, FCD, MLS, 194 (6)

21. John Smits, FCE, NASL, 180 (2)

22. Patryk Misik, OTT, NASL, 166 (5)

23. Kianz Froese, VAN, MLS, 142 (5)

24. Sadi Jalali, FCE, NASL, 124 (3)

25. Patrice Bernier, MTL, MLS 116 (5)

26. Michael Nonni, FCE, NASL, 104 (4)

27. Hanson Boakai, FCE, NASL, 90 (4)

28. Maxim Tissot, MTL, MLS 90 (1)

29. Will Johnson, POR, MLS 84 (1)

30. Mauro Eustaquio, OTT, NASL, 69 (2)

31. Anthony Jackson-Hamel, MTL, MLS 30 (1)

T32.Jay Chapman, TFC, MLS, 6 (1)

T32. Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, MTL, MLS, 6 (1)


MLS AND NASL MINUTES BY PLAYER, THE CANADIAN MAYBES — PLAYERS WHO COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR CANADA, BUT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR OTHER NATIONS AND HAVE NOT COMMITTED TO CANADA (MLS AFTER 13 WEEKS, NASL AFTER 9 WEEKS):?

1. Ethan Finlay, CLB 989 (12)

2. Steven Vitoria, PHI 810 (9)

3. Tesho Akindele, FCD 807 (13)


TEAM RANKINGS, MINUTES PLAYED BY CANADIANS IN 2015 (INCLUDES BOTH SUREFIRES and MAYBES); RANKED BY AVERAGE MINUTES PER GAME:

FC Edmonton, NASL, 2496/8 GP (312) (+6.9)

Ottawa, NASL, 2156/8 GP (269.5) (+2.8)

Atlanta, NASL, 1309/8 GP (163.6) (NC)

Toronto FC, MLS, 1522/11 GP (138.4) (+4.2)

San Antonio, NASL 876/8 GP (109.5) (+6.6)

Vancouver, MLS, 1518/14 GP (108.4) (-8.3)

Columbus, MLS, 989/12 GP (82.4) (+0.7)

FC Dallas, MLS, 1002/13 GP (77.1) (+7.3)

Philadelphia, MLS, 810/14 GP (57.9) (-4.4)

Orlando City, MLS, 663/13 GP (51) (+1.7)

Sporting Kansas City, MLS, 453/13 GP (34.8) (-3)

New York Red Bulls, MLS 412/12 GP (34.3) (+5)

Montreal, MLS, 242/8 GP (30.3) (+2)

Portland, MLS, 84/14 GP (6) (+6)


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Published on May 31, 2015 19:14

May 29, 2015

Schmidt’s super show propels Canada to win — but it also serves as pre-World Cup warning

Sophie Schmidt (13) accepts congratulations from her teammates. PHOTO: PAUL GIAMOU/CANADA SOCCER

Sophie Schmidt (13) accepts congratulations from her teammates. PHOTO: PAUL GIAMOU/CANADA SOCCER


The Sophie Schmidt show was good enough to beat England. She scored a fantastic goal from just outside the penalty area, had a free kick fly just inches over the bar, and had a good attempt off a short-corner set piece.


Schmidt’s goal was enough for a 1-0 Canadian win over England in front of a sold out Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.


There was a festive atmosphere and it was a feel-good win in Canada’s final tune-up ahead of next weekend’s World Cup opener.


But, the joy of a win in front of a big crowd can’t obscure one uncomfortable truth; that, outside of Schmidt, Canada created very little going forward. Christine Sinclair was crowded out by a packed English midfield. Adriana Leon spent much of the game as a peripheral figure. And Melissa Tancredi was a physical presence, but her runs into the penalty area weren’t in sync with the service that was provided to her.



Make no mistake; if Schmidt continues to be the top offensive threat for Canada at the World Cup, it’s a sign that we could be in a lot of trouble. Most of the time, you’re simply not going to get the kind of wonder strike that Schmidt provided. You’re usually not going to get away with getting only a couple of quality looks at goal over 90 minutes. To do well at a World Cup, you’ll need ugly goals, team goals, the kind of goals that come after periods of sustained pressure. You’ll need seven or eight good chances in order to get the goal you need.


Leon and Tancredi may have the most pressure of all to perform; if Sinclair continues in the attacking midfield role, she will often face packed midfields that look to crowd her out, as England did on Friday.


Schmidt’s 22nd-minute goal was a thing of beauty; off a Canadian throw-in, right back Josee Belanger thumped an awkward, bouncing pass across the top of the box. But, Schmidt was able to put her foot through the ball — and it flew into the top corner.


But, Canada came very close to paying for its failure to add to the goal total. In the dying minutes, English sub Fara Williams’s 30-yard attempt to chip Canadian keeper Erin McLeod came back off the crossbar.


Sure, there were positives for Canada; Belanger, pushed into the right back slot because of an injury to Rhian Wilkinson, was able to get forward. At left back, Alysha Chapman was once again able to run miles up and down the sideline. But their work will go for naught if there aren’t strikers to get on the end of crosses from the wings.


And remember that this 1-0 win came on the heels of a 0-0 draw with Nigeria. So, with a week to go before the curtain-raiser in Edmonton, we have every right to wonder if this team has enough goals in it for a final-four run.


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Published on May 29, 2015 22:18

Canadian stalemate: Fury shuts out Eddies’ NASL-leading offence

Ottawa's Julian de Guzman (25) challenges Edmonton's Daryl Fordyce for the ball. PHOTO: OTTAWA FURY

Ottawa’s Julian de Guzman (25) challenges Edmonton’s Daryl Fordyce for the ball. PHOTO: OTTAWA FURY


The pattern for FC Edmonton this NASL season has been to start games slowly, then take over as the minutes tick by.


On Friday night, the opposite was true. The Eddies were very bright in the first 20 minutes, but didn’t create a decent scoring chance in the final 70. In the end, the Eddies escaped their trip to Ottawa with a 0-0 draw against the Fury.


“Escape” is the appropriate word, because FCE keeper John Smits, making his second start in a row, made two outstanding point-blank second-half saves, to give the Eddies their first clean sheet of the season — in Cup or NASL play.


First, he dove to palm away a volley from Fury striker Carl Haworth. The ball skipped on the turf, and Smits didn’t have a clean look as the shot came through a couple of defenders.


His second big stop came off Fury midfielder Nicki Paterson, who had a chance from less than 10 yards out after a nice run and low cross from Paulo Jr.



“He’s done very well in both games,” said FCE Coach Colin Miller. “His kicking still needs to improve, it’s not the same as that [Matt] VanOekel kick, but in the game Smits has been in, he’s made the saves, it’s been a benefit to the team.”


While Smits helped the Eddies to their first clean sheet of the season, the Eddies were also shut out for the first time this season. And, really, after the 20-minute mark, FCE did nothing to worry Fury keeper Romuald Peiser. Really, the best chance came just a few minutes after the opening kickoff; Sainey Nyassi made a nice run down the right side, and then pushed the ball to the goalmouth. Ritchie Jones spun and attempted to shoot, but whiffed when he had Peiser at his mercy.


Frank Jonke, starting in place of injured striker Tomi Ameobi, lashed a decent left-footed drive towards goal at the 20-minute mark, but Peiser was able to palm it away.


After that, the Fury controlled the tempo and had the territorial advantage but, for the rest of the first half, the story was shots that went high, shots that went wide.


In the second half, the Fury kept pressing; and, right back Ryan Richter was able to get the measure of Eddies mercurial winger Lance Laing; and, with Laing’s influence on the game limited by Richter, the visiting team’s ability to hit on the counter was stripped.


Playing its last home game of the spring season — as TD Place will be taken over by FIFA on the weekend in preparation for the Women’s World Cup, the Fury was able to create chances; but, when called upon, Smits was there.


As always seems to be the case when the Fury plays, there was a controversy in the box; a goal-bound shot hit Eddies’ midfielder Cristian Raudales, and the home team made claims that the ball had gone off the arm. But, the whistle wasn’t blown — and the Fury were left to rue the chances that were missed or saved, including a volley from Sinisa Ubiparipovic that fizzed over the bar right after the unheeded penalty claim.


The Fury and Eddies have identical 2-3-3 records. But it was a case of Ottawa’s third-best defence shutting down the league’s top offence.


Miller said that he and the coaching staff feared that the Eddies, who have had the burden of a Cup run and a short week with a cross-country trop (the Eddies played Sunday, then were back at it Friday in Ottawa), would be tired. They were right.


“To be honest, what we saw out there tonight, we sort of expected it. With the amount of games we’ve played, the amount of travel, there were a lot of dead legs out there.”


LAING

Miller said the Jamaican Football Federation still hasn’t told the Eddies if Laing will be on his country’s final roster for the Copa America and the Gold Cup.


But he’s hopeful that, if Laing does get the call, that he’ll be allowed to stay with the Eddies for another week.


“Right now it is looking positive that the Jamaican Football Federation wants to work with us, and we are hopeful that Laing will be with us for the Tampa game.”


The Eddies will not return to Edmonton this week. With Women’s World Cup making practice fields scarce, FCE will spend the week in Florida to prepare for next weekend’s match against the Rowdies.


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Published on May 29, 2015 19:00

May 28, 2015

Canada’s anti-Blatter vote may be the most significant of them all

Victor Montagliani

Victor Montagliani


Canada is not a global soccer power.


But, during his reign as president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter has made the Canadian Soccer Association one of his favourite federations.


Blatter has been an enthusiastic Canada backer. Canada has earned the right to host many prestigious tournaments over the past 13 years. The Women’s U-19s. The Men’s U-20s. The Women’s U20s and, starting in just two weeks, the Women’s World Cup. A cynic will point out that Canada was acclaimed as the Women’s World Cup host; but remember that FIFA sent out a strong message that no other nation need apply.


And, with the blessing of FIFA, Canada is the first one in the pool with a 2026 World Cup bid.


This is what makes the CSA’s decision to back Blatter’s presidential-race opponent, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, one of the most significant public declarations made by any national association ahead of Friday’s FIFA vote.



The Americans, led by United States Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, have been lobbying hard in Switzerland on the Jordanian’s behalf — even before the Swiss police swept through a posh hotel and arrested a series of FIFA officials on racketeering and fraud charges. Canada, hasn’t always had the friendliest relationship with the USSF — they are partners in many regards, including a shared professional pyramid, but aren’t exactly allies.


For Canada, this is a case of doing what’s good for soccer over pragmatism. To be frank, it’s in Canada’s best interest that Blatter remain; he’s been a big backer of this country. And, CSA president Victor Montagliani has been lobbying hard for 2026 with Blatter and the old guard. And, if Blatter remains in power, chances are less countries would want to challenge the Canadians. They would rightly be suspicious of the bidding process in the wake of the votes to award the 2018 and 2022 tourneys.


If the Prince wins on Friday, we may see some regime change in short order — and a lot of the people who had Canada 2026 on their minds may no longer be in power. Canada could actually help undo some of what it had set out to do by announcing its 2026 bid so early on.


“We are not playing poker here,” Montagliani told me last summer (in an interview featured in Plastic Pitch No. 2, the issue we dedicated to Canada’s World Cup bid). “There is no harm in telling the world that we are ready for these kind of challenges. And I have to say that, in my travels, I have received nothing but positive feedback.”


When Blatter was in Canada for last year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup, he said “it’s time” for Canada to host the World Cup.


But, if Blatter wins on Friday, Canada is still in a bad position; we are no longer among his pack of reliable boy scouts. And, of course, that also impacts a bid. And the goodwill between Canada and the FIFA hierarchy — standing together on the use of artificial turf, for example — will be damaged.


For Canada, there is more at risk than arguably any of the 209 confederations in FIFA in the vote. And that’s why Montagliani’s public declaration of support for the reformer is one of the most significant events to come to pass since Tuesday’s series of arrests.


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Published on May 28, 2015 18:27

May 27, 2015

FCE injury update: Edward available for Ottawa trip, Ameobi listed as day-to-day

FCE's Tomi Ameobi in action against Atlanta's Simon Mensing.

FCE’s Tomi Ameobi in action against Atlanta’s Simon Mensing.


Two FC Edmonton players were forced to leave Sunday’s 4-2 win over the Silverback due to injuries.


One will be available for Friday’s match in Ottawa. The jury’s out on the other.


Fullback and Ottawa native Edson Edward will be available and will make the trip to the nation’s capital. He was on the pitch Wednesday as FCE broke in the brand new turf that has been laid down at Commonwealth Stadium ahead of the Women’s World Cup. Several times during practice, the players had to tell workers at the stadium to look out for balls that had been shot either high or wide of the goals.


But forward Tomi Ameobi — who has scored in seven of his last eight games (and got an assist in the game in which he didn’t score) wasn’t on the pitch. After Sunday’s game, he was seen leaving Clarke Field on crutches.



Coach Colin Miller said that Ameobi is officially listed as day-to-day, and is undergoing a scan to assess the severity of the injury to his foot.


Ameobi, with the goal-scoring streak, has been a major part of the Eddies’ rise to the top of the NASL offensive charts. In seven games, the Eddies have scored 15 times — and have scored six in two Cup matches against Ottawa earlier this season.


Edmonton has scored three times as many goals as Ottawa (15-5) so far this season, and given up more than twice as many goals (17-8).


Keeper Matt VanOekel, who sat out Sunday’s game with injury, trained on Wednesday. Miller would not comment on whether VanOekel or John Smits, who was named Man of the Match in Sunday’s win, will start against Ottawa.

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Published on May 27, 2015 12:53

Traffic stop: NASL suspends Davidson, distances itself from disgraced superagency

Blast from the past: Steven Sandor and Gareth Hampshire interviewing Aaron Davidson on-air

Blast from the past: Steven Sandor and Gareth Hampshire interviewing Aaron Davidson on-air


The North American Soccer League 2.0 and Brazil-based superagency Traffic Sports had been joined at the hip since the league was formed by rebel USL-team owners back in 2010.


Traffic had stakes in previous iterations of what is now Minnesota United, Atlanta Silverbacks and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. It still has an interest in the Carolina RailHawks. And Traffic had been the marketing arm of the league.


On Wednesday, the NASL announced that it had suspended league chairperson Aaron Davidson (also a Traffic employee) and has ceased all relationships with the super-agency. Davidson has been charged in relation to a U.S.-Swiss operation that has resulted in the arrests of many key FIFA officials. Davidson is accused of helping facilitate bribes that were allegedly paid to CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, as a kickback for Traffic securing marketing rights to Gold Cup and CONCACAF Champions League matches.


Traffic, the company, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy on May 14. The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed that case on Wednesday.



In 2012, NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson had this to say about Traffic: “They are the agent for the league. What I can say is that we have a great partnership. They have a great will to succeed. And it is a company on the rise right now. For us, they are very strong.”


That tune has changed. On Wednesday, this release was issued byNASL:


“In light of the ongoing investigation announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, the North American Soccer League’s Board of Governors has suspended Chairperson Aaron Davidson, along with all business activities between the league and Traffic Sports, effective immediately. Commissioner Bill Peterson will serve as acting Chairperson.


“The Carolina RailHawks, the sole NASL club owned by Traffic Sports, will continue to operate in the ordinary course of business. The club’s management team will continue to manage the day-to-day operations.”


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Published on May 27, 2015 12:28