Massive Attack Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Oh, I agree, Puerto Rico SHOULD host the final. Seems the fairest thing to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moncho Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Islander fan here, glad to be on your forums. First of all, congrats on your victory over Montréal. Now, regarding the location of the USL final... Thank you for the support towards our "right" to host the final, very appreciated. To me, and probably most Islanders supporters, the decision to host the match in Vancouver was, at the very least, very strange. Case in point, the Islanders (along with Montréal) are *leading* their respective groups in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL). The Islanders, as you know, have even beaten regional powerhouses such as Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (Costa Rica) and Mexican champion Santos Laguna. All local CCL matches have been broadcast live by *FSC*... The Islanders' goalkeeper has been named best in the league, have one candidate to MVP, and another one for Defender of the Year. Plus the Islanders won the "Commisionner's Cup". First, some incompetent refereeing, now this... Now, this "rant" is nothing to do with the Vancouver club, but against the USL, which, in our opinion, looks less serious every day. This is perhaps why they call it "the US Second Division"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islanders4Ever Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Hello Canadian friends, Another Islander supporter here. I was pleasantly surprised to see that you would also support the final being held in Puerto Rico. All the fans in Puerto Rico are quite speechless at this decision. It's very saddening to see how the USL responds to external interests and influences. Our club is particularly concerned because of all the hard work that the team put in this season. If we didn't get to host the final this time around there's a feeling we would probably never get it. We're all looking forward to hearing from USL to see what they based their decision on. Regardless, we're looking forward to a great final match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 quote:Originally posted by moncho Islander fan here, glad to be on your forums. First of all, congrats on your victory over Montréal. Now, regarding the location of the USL final... Thank you for the support towards our "right" to host the final, very appreciated. To me, and probably most Islanders supporters, the decision to host the match in Vancouver was, at the very least, very strange. Case in point, the Islanders (along with Montréal) are *leading* their respective groups in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL). The Islanders, as you know, have even beaten regional powerhouses such as Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (Costa Rica) and Mexican champion Santos Laguna. All local CCL matches have been broadcast live by *FSC*... The Islanders' goalkeeper has been named best in the league, have one candidate to MVP, and another one for Defender of the Year. Plus the Islanders won the "Commisionner's Cup". First, some incompetent refereeing, now this... Now, this "rant" is nothing to do with the Vancouver club, but against the USL, which, in our opinion, looks less serious every day. This is perhaps why they call it "the US Second Division"... You are new to the board if you call that a rant! That has to be the politest, best worded rant in the history of this board. If the situation were reversed I'd be livid, fuming and spewing vitrol by the gallon on the USL. As a Caps fan I am glad we are in the final but in all honesty PR deserves to host it. Standards? USL? Yea right. Low and sinking. I wonder if they are trying to force PR into one of the Carribean leagues to cut down travel expenses for the rest of the teams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calgary Boomer Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Typical USL though. They make it clear that one of the benefits of finishing first (apart from the bye) is that you get to host the championship if you make it. EVERYONE in the media was saying the final was to be in PR. But wait...there's never a sure thing in this league, which is one of the reasons why the Whitecaps and Impact want out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie Monster Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Grizzly Also the revenue of the larger crowd should be able to cover some of the extra broadcasting costs. Well, herein lays the problem. Vancouver's *cheapest* tickets are $24 after taxes & fees. It appears from ticketpop.com that *all* of PR's tix are about $11. I'm not saying that what happened was right, I'm just saying that if production costs are the issue, then I can see why Vancouver received the nod. There's plenty of broadcasting equipment, staff & infrastructure here, which means production costs are driven down. That may not be the case in PR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footy Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I think both clubs knew going in that there are standards that have to be met by each club to host a final and one of those being that broadcasting rights holder FOX Sports/Soccer Channell must be able to get their trucks and equipment to a location be able to operate. Clearly this is an issue for Puerto Rico and its unfornate but they are not the only club in the past to be slighted by the league to host a final. So maybe next year they can prepare a little better to ensure that if Fox is the broadcaster in 09' that they can work on getting the facilities to the venue and or improving their media area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 ^ and what? Build a bridge to the island? Perhaps you missed this in the post above from PR: "All local CCL matches have been broadcast live by *FSC*..." The most arcane part of all this is that they have never published a reason, let alone that their rules online have no reference to anything PR is in default of. And again, this is something they knew well ahead of time. There is no excuse for the communication gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footy Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Vic bottom line the Caps again showed they were prepared on the field and off ... a line from this mornings paper - "But the best news -- besides the win, of course -- was that the league had awarded the championship game to Vancouver even though the Islanders finished first and beat Rochester in the other semifinal. The reason was that Vancouver fulfilled more of the league requirements than Puerto Rico". I'm trying to see Puerto Ricos side but the fact of the matter is Vancouver was ready its shame that Puerto Rico brass was not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moncho Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Footy Vic bottom line the Caps again showed they were prepared on the field and off ... a line from this mornings paper - "But the best news -- besides the win, of course -- was that the league had awarded the championship game to Vancouver even though the Islanders finished first and beat Rochester in the other semifinal. The reason was that Vancouver fulfilled more of the league requirements than Puerto Rico". I'm trying to see Puerto Ricos side but the fact of the matter is Vancouver was ready its shame that Puerto Rico brass was not. The question is, what were those "requirements"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Boy Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Even though I am a diehard 'Caps fan I must admit to being shocked that we are staging the final, and if I was PR fan I'd be really pissed off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moncho Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Tractor Boy Even though I am a diehard 'Caps fan I must admit to being shocked that we are staging the final, and if I was PR fan I'd be really pissed off And we are. We are certainly "missing something" here (other than hosting the final). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Boy Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I think all 15,000 of you PR fans should write/phone to the USL demanding answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montreal_FC_fan Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I didn't know the USL had standards... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islanders4Ever Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I'm copying here one of many letters sent to the USL hq by PR fans: Dear league officials, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to communicate directly with you. My name is Jose Luis Arroyo. I am a local attorney at Puerto Rico and as many other fans here on the Island I follow the Islanders when they play here and also when the play at other venues. When the team plays away some of us follow the games through USLlive and others follow the play by play provided in our fan website chat room. I, personally, have not missed one game this season. We feel very proud of our team’s achievements this year. I am sure that you have to be more than happy and excited as the Islanders franchise, along with the Montreal Impact’s, have heighten the league’s prestige in the CONCACAF area. This communication is to relay a message from a great number of Puerto Rico Islanders’ fans. Just as we started celebrating yesterday nights’ pass to the league’s championship game, we were informed that the 2008 final game was going to be held at Vancouver. Not only that, but we also learned that the game was rescheduled to Sunday, October 12, 2008, coinciding with Canadian’s Thanksgiving celebration. We were all shocked and full of disbelief. It has been difficult enough to get to the finals given the poor performance of the referees assigned to both games of our semifinal series. Choosing not to go into details about that issue in this message, I invite you to sit and watch the two games played against the Rhinos. We, as fans of the 2008 Regular Season Champions, demand public clarification and explanation of the criteria and process followed to select the venue for the 2008 championship game. The Islanders won the regular series. Our stadium has cleared FIFA standards and has been venue for international competitions; it seats almost three times as many people that can be seated at the Swangard Stadium. Our team has endured not only the long trips back and forth to fulfill the league schedule but also the CONCACAF Champions League schedule. This past week alone they have gone from Puerto Rico, to Guatemala, to Rochester and back to Puerto Rico. Tomorrow they go to Mexico to play against Mexican powerhouse Santos Laguna on Wednesday and bring yet more glory to their fans and the USL, while the Whitecaps rest, recover and train. Despite everything mentioned before, you are going to make our players flight from Mexico to Vancouver!! The Islanders are going to be denied the clearly earned right to win this year’s championship in front of their fans!! It is very curious that even the Whitecaps fans do not understand why is the final game going to played at Vancouver; you can verify this information at their fan website. I cannot emphasize enough how we, the fans of this great team, feel like we are being treated unfairly. I hope to get a prompt public response from you that reaches the Islanders fan base. Make us believe that you run a credible and fair organization. Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footy Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 IF the league coul clarify why the Whitecaps met the requirements vs. Puerto Rico but I doubt that they would do this its a shame because as supporters of teams that play in USL we should know the reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islanders4Ever Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Here is the response we received today: From: Tim Holt <tim.holt@usisl.com> Sent: Monday, October 6, 2008 10:58:44 AM Subject: RE: Puerto Rico Islanders, the 2008 USL Commissioner's Cup winners, don't meet the league's minimum requirements for hosting a final??? Jose We appreciate your passion/support for the Puerto Rico Islanders. With respect to your inquiry, the higher seeded team has certain hosting rights provided it is willing/able to meet all of the required USL-1 Championship hosting specifications. In the event the higher seeded team is unwilling or unable to meet all of these event hosting requirements, then the host is determined on the basis of which finalist submits a superior overall proposal - this is the circumstance by which the Vancouver Whitecaps are hosting the 2008 USL-1 Championship next weekend against the Puerto Rico Islanders. (It is also the basis on which the Rochester Rhinos were awarded the right to host the 2006 USL-1 Championship against Vancouver.) The major determining factors include stadium and field considerations, television, fan attendance, media coverage, hotel, transportation, ancillary events, visiting team support, and other financial requirements. To clarify a misconception that appears to exist, Juan Roman Loubriel Stadium sufficiently meets all of the venue standards for the USL First Division; however the fact that the stadium’s seating capacity is greater than that of Swangard in Vancouver was not a determining factor in our decision. Finally, our decision to award the hosting rights for this event to the Vancouver Whitecaps is in no way, shape or form a slight on Puerto Rico. As a league, we took the bold and exciting step in 2004 of having the confidence to expand into Puerto Rico due to our belief that the ownership/management was solid and that there would exist support for the team. We have every respect for the fans of the Puerto Rico Islanders and their performance over the past few seasons has exceeded all expectations especially in the CONCACAF Champions League. Keep in mind, the Whitecaps also enjoy strong and passionate fan support. In a situation such as this one, it would be our preference to award both teams the right to host the Championship, which although not possible under our current format, is one of the reasons we are seriously considering the adoption of a two-leg Championship series (consistent with our earlier playoff rounds) moving forward. Importantly, a two-leg format would allow the dedicated fans within each participating market the opportunity to attend our Championship event. Again, we appreciate you taking the time to express your feelings and opinions. Regards, Tim Holt USL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islanders4Ever Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 The USL still hasn't been clear as to why they made the decision. Also, from the USL statements one could assume that the Islanders' management wasn't ready for it but they have been preparing to host the final since the beginning of the season. They were full speed ahead even before the Islanders won the Commisioners Cup. Everyone pretty much assumed it was a sure deal but yet again the USL surprises.... Many Islanders fans believe that the real reason was to help push for the Vancouver MLS bid. I'm not sure why that would benefit the USL (maybe $$$ we don't know about?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamboAl Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 I just saw this decision and am flabbergasted. It actually sets a very bad precedent. If I had a question for the USL folks it would be: "If PR had adequate enough facilities to enter USL-1 as a member franchise, how come all of a sudden, it's not good enough to host the final which by your rules, it is entitled to?". If I was a PR Islander supporter/owner, I'd be threatening to sue USL. And all this time, I thought MLS was a bit amateurish; USL is way worse. ...I just saw USL's reply...well worded but told me nothing except that it's all about saving money for the league. If I were PR ownership, I'd demand I get the majority of Vancouver's gate receipts and concessions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie Monster Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 2008 Good luck getting a share of Vancouver's concessions. Even the Whitecaps don't get any of that! Let me preface this by saying if I was a PR fan, I would be howling mad too. However, there's obviously more to this than meets the eye, and I suspect it has to do with some sort of financial commitment to the league that PR's front office isn't willing - or capable - of addressing. Perhaps it could also be some sort of bizarre issue related to an inability to obtain insurance for the event? I highly doubt this has anything to do with the USL attempting to assist Vancouver's MLS bid. If anything, it would be a bribe to keep them in the USL. That said, the USL's handling of the situation has definitely been piss poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 "In the event the higher seeded team is unwilling or unable to meet all of these event hosting requirements." What's most interesting is they do not mention what they are. If this was all on the up and up, you would think they would have mentioned it in the communication immediately after the game, and they would have definitely put it in this communication as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 Really curious what's coming out of the Islanders front office... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morbital Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 just to address the "but CCL games are on FSC" if you notice, every one of those games has no live production like USL FSC games do. its a straight satillite feed to commentators in the states somewhere and the production happens there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted October 6, 2008 Share Posted October 6, 2008 "Finally, our decision to award the hosting rights for this event to the Vancouver Whitecaps is in no way, shape or form a slight on Puerto Rico." Pure BS! It is the biggest "slight" you can do to a team is to give home field to their competition. Welcome to the minor leagues Puerto Rico! I'll be so glad when the Caps and Impact are out of this league. If there is one thing that makes the MLS look good it is the USL and that is hard to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnie Monster Posted October 6, 2008 Author Share Posted October 6, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Vic If this was all on the up and up, you would think they would have mentioned it in the communication immediately after the game, and they would have definitely put it in this communication as well. No, they wouldn't. This is classic PR damage control, and by PR I mean public relations, not Puerto Rico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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