NASL Adds Oklahoma Club Backed by La Liga Team for 2016-RAYO OKC

[CDNFootballer]

Another great crowd for Rayo OKC's second home match last Saturday with over 5800 in attendance.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Rayo relegated to the best 2nd division in the world yesterday, last day of season, in spite of winning their match. They played very well all year, have a great coach, Paco Jemez, who is destined for bigger things, but perhaps were not focussed on results as much as quality of play. 

I wonder if this will affect the money they can put into Rayo OKC, or if the partnership holds up anyways. 

Getting back into 1st, with so many former top flight clubs with bigger budgets in 2nd (Mallorca, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Osasuna) is going to be very difficult, I don't think they are going to be back for a couple years. So we'll see if a few years in "hell" affects their mid term commitment to putting money into Oklahoma.

[ThatDaveCh]

From what I've heard from those who appear to know more on the subject, the Rayo V hold 35% interest in OKC, and seem to be largely just a vehicle for initial start up. Seems that the clubs finances are secure for three years (again, I don't have sources, those close to OKC say so). 

[jedinathan]

The guys from the Scissortail Podcast have more info on this... They touched on it when we had them on the Loyal Co of the River Valley podcast awhile back. 

 

Basically there was more of a "smaller" (think 3 mil or so) investment up front and ownership on all fronts had to agree to be a part of this league for several years (I feel like 3-5 years is what I heard). 

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 hours ago, jedinathan said:

The guys from the Scissortail Podcast have more info on this... They touched on it when we had them on the Loyal Co of the River Valley podcast awhile back. 

Basically there was more of a "smaller" (think 3 mil or so) investment up front and ownership on all fronts had to agree to be a part of this league for several years (I feel like 3-5 years is what I heard). 

Could you link to that? I don't know what you guys are doing and would like to take a look.

We also saw that Rayo has sent over technical staff to deal with training modes, other club organization questions. That should not change with them going down, though I am sure their shirt sponsorship deal is automatically degraded.

The Rayo president bitched about Villareal not competiting hard vs. Sporting Gijon on the last day, but of course relying on other results after 37 fixtures can only mean you have no right to complain. It is still an amazing club for being so modest, but I am personally glad they went down instead of Sporting.

[shamrock]

Marcina out as RAYO VALLECANO takes over the franchise. The work he's done there has been excellent though. Surely some of the NASL teams would like to have a chat with Alen. 

[jedinathan]

Apparently it was crazy day in the NASL yesterday. IMO this is a scary moment if you're a Rayo OKC fan. Club looks like it's imploding. The entire front office is gone... Apparently those who are now appointed from Spain are in the states on tourist visas, not working visas (curious how Canadian border security will handle that)... Just an absolute gong show for a club that was actually doing really well lately. 

[Kurt-MTL]

Kind of peculiar seeing as they were doing well for an expansion side.. is it a cost-cutting move? 

[Yohan]

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/69849/report-nasls-rayo-okc-loses-coach-and-more.html

 

O NASL... you are hilarious. Did anyone check on Rayo OKC and see an actual business plan et al?

[shermanator]

I have to wonder how long NASL will be around. NASL looked like a very stable D2 until the end of 2015 rolled around, but now it looks increasingly unstable. 

The stronger clubs have been leaving for MLS or MLS aspirations (Montreal, Minnesota, San Antonio, Atlanta), and the recent expansion decisions have been baffling. A Spanish farm club (Rayo OKC), a club in an already oversaturated market (Miami FC) and a club in a location that already failed (Puerto Rico).

[yothat]

Would it make sense for the The USSF might have to get involved and seperate the USL teams like cincinati, sacremento, louisville from the minor league teams. Have a stronger d2 by combining the NASL and non-affialiated USL teams in bigger markets together.

[ted]

19 hours ago, yothat said:

Would it make sense for the The USSF might have to get involved and seperate the USL teams like cincinati, sacremento, louisville from the minor league teams. Have a stronger d2 by combining the NASL and non-affialiated USL teams in bigger markets together.

Oh my, that is so cute.

</snark>

While I agree with you that would be a smart way to go there are two problems:

1. The USL and the NASL have an irrational hate on and will not work together unless forced.
2. The USSF is a paper tiger with no backbone and is controlled by MLS who has as much love for NASL as USL does.

Any non-affiliated teams from USL would, I am pretty sure, be welcomed with open arms by NASL so long as they do not compete in the same markets.

[CDNFootballer]

On 8/5/2016 at 6:40 AM, jedinathan said:

Apparently it was crazy day in the NASL yesterday. IMO this is a scary moment if you're a Rayo OKC fan. Club looks like it's imploding. The entire front office is gone... Apparently those who are now appointed from Spain are in the states on tourist visas, not working visas (curious how Canadian border security will handle that)... Just an absolute gong show for a club that was actually doing really well lately. 

Tourist visas for the Spanish allow them to work/stay in USA for 90 days so that will cover to the end of the season apparently. Front office was 10 and they're now 5 (2 left plus 3 Spaniards).

[CDNFootballer]

On 8/5/2016 at 7:48 AM, shermanator said:

I have to wonder how long NASL will be around. NASL looked like a very stable D2 until the end of 2015 rolled around, but now it looks increasingly unstable. 

The stronger clubs have been leaving for MLS or MLS aspirations (Montreal, Minnesota, San Antonio, Atlanta), and the recent expansion decisions have been baffling. A Spanish farm club (Rayo OKC), a club in an already oversaturated market (Miami FC) and a club in a location that already failed (Puerto Rico).

Think you meant SA and Atlanta as markets not clubs. Only Montreal 's left for MLS and Minnesota set to leave in the 6 years of NASL V2.

San Antonio was a unique situation with Hartmann originally doing well and then selling his stadium and folding the club for the money for his Soccer for a Cause charity. If he wished to continue the NASL club he would have in the NASL. Atlanta Silverbacks with MLS coming wasn't long for this world and yet the NASL has a group interested in a suburban Atlanta club returning, no doubt for the large media market the city is.

 

Not correct to classify Rayo OKC as a farm club or affiliate at all. They're a partnership with the local owner for branding and have no players whatsoever from Rayo Vallecano on the club. OKC was a percolating NASL expansion club for years so no surprise but the Rayo angle wasn't desireable as we've come to see. They are a good market for NASL with good average attendance (4400) and a good on field team. Hope a new majority owner is found as Rayo is looking to sell their interest, then they can drop the "Rayo" from their name.

 

Puerto Rico FC was a surprise but the league's not going to say no to a NBA star as owner who has the $ to run the club and they've gotten off to a good start and made smart decisions with hiring a strong FO with former LA Galaxy man Thomas Payne. Attendance has been surprisingly good too so far.

 

The Miami FC and owner Da Silva/Maldini have big $ and a league's wasn't going to say no to them. Luckily they're righted the ship and are performing very well on the field now and doing well in attendance also after retooling.

 

There has been some bad news lately but NASL's not alone in that, div 3 Usl is losing another club for next year and another on haitus wont be coming back as they said they planned. Usl's Arizona is likely to fold as well after the year as their bleeding $ and attendance has dropped dramatically, 803 at their last game. Only thing that saves Usl is the fact they can add clubs quicker with the lower wages/costs of a div 3 club and have more clubs as a result of the deal they made to be Mls's farm team and affiliate league.

 

I think NASL will work thru the Rayo OKC difficulties and with San Fran entering the league next year and the league in serious talks with 6 more groups (including Chicago and LA) there's likely to be 1 or 2 more for 2017. The NASL's made strides this year in national TV/media deals and sponsorship $ as well an continues with good attendance overall.

[CDNFootballer]

New Coach Nus Brings Wealth Of Experience To Rayo OKC Touchline

 

http://www.rayookc.com/news/2016/08/05/gerard-nus-brings-wealth-of-experience-to-rayo-okc-touchline

 

Gerard Nus, the new coach of Rayo OKC, has experience working in a number of countries around the world and with several top coaches, including Rafael Benitez during his time at Liverpool of England’s Premier League. Nus replaced Alen Marcina on Friday ahead of Rayo OKC’s Fall Season Week 6 contest at the New York Cosmos on Sunday afternoon. He joined the Oklahoma-based club from Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, the club’s majority shareholder.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

The NASL seems to hang in there like the proverbial cockroach after nuclear Armageddon. What works in their favour at the moment is that both the Miami and Minnesota MLS expansions have run into stadium issues giving them more time to expand elsewhere to maintain the numbers they need, because that looked like the issue that was most likely to sink them in the short to medium term. Another thing to watch is whether there will be any USL to NASL defections, due to some of the standalone franchises not being keen on the MLS reserve team angle. There are also rumours of the USL being divided into two camps over how to proceed on the D2 sanctioning issue, so the pro soccer landscape could change considerably over the next 12 months.

[jedinathan]

IMO the soccer landscape has and will change considerably over the next few years. There is a limit to how far the MLS can grow, and the number of USL clubs that have promised that expansion just doesn't match the number that will fit in there.

USL potentially going D2, CPL potentially becoming a reality... There's way too much to say "yep, NASL is gone now". This Rayo OKC situation is poor, but its hardly the end of the world for the NASL. Don't forget that they're getting that big time google/twitter money coming in next year with San Fran. Additionally, the BoG is meeting (regularly scheduled meeting, though I'm sure they'll talk about OKC) for today in Atlanta. Wouldn't be surprised if there were a few more groups that were in attendance applying to join the NASL.

I was talking with a Timbers supporter on Monday night, and he mentioned how he had been around Portland and the Timbers for the last 10 years. The amount of change in the soccer landscape of North America is mind boggling. I think the rumored fee for TFC to join the MLS was around 10 Mil. Now its 200 Mil. In less than 10 years. Just crazy.

I'm not worried quite yet, and this is hardly the end of the NASL. Absolute worst case, the league can step in and run the team for a year (like they did multiple times with Minnesota and Atlanta), before Chicago joins (rumored for 2018).

[Kurt-MTL]

8 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

The NASL seems to hang in there like the proverbial cockroach after nuclear Armageddon. What works in their favour at the moment is that both the Miami and Minnesota MLS expansions have run into stadium issues giving them more time to expand elsewhere to maintain the numbers they need, because that looked like the issue that was most likely to sink them in the short to medium term. Another thing to watch is whether there will be any USL to NASL defections, due to some of the standalone franchises not being keen on the MLS reserve team angle. There are also rumours of the USL being divided into two camps over how to proceed on the D2 sanctioning issue, so the pro soccer landscape could change considerably over the next 12 months.

I can't see any USL sides defecting to NASL anytime soon. The only way that happens is if/when MLS is finally done expanding (likely to 32 teams) and if/when USSF decides that USL should remain D3. As long as some of these upper-echelon USL sides believe they have a shot at MLS, they won't go to NASL. And as long as there is still hope for USL being D2, they won't go to NASL. In fact, the more likely scenario is NASL teams defecting to USL if USL gets sanctioned as D2 (that is something which very well could spell the end of the league but as I mentioned in another post even that might not be a death-blow to NASL since they might still have other options and opportunities with other leagues, but I digress). 

Regarding OKC, it seems like they are in need of new ownership/investment. As jedinathan said, the league can probably run the team for awhile until they get local ownership shored up. 

Btw if anyone hasn't read the article at midfield press regarding the future of US club soccer, I'd highly recommend it; very interesting: http://midfieldpress.com/2016/08/03/the-future-of-us-club-soccer-at-a-crossroads-part-one-usls-second-division-ambitions-the-consolidation-of-us-pro-club-soccer-under-mls/

[CDNFootballer]

Q&A With Coach Gerard Nus

 

http://www.rayookc.com/news/2016/08/09/qa-with-coach-gerard-nus

 

He earned a 1-1 draw against the New York Cosmos in his NASL coaching debut, and following that result, he spoke to Matthew Levine of NASL.com about his impressions of the team, his coaching philosophy, and more.

Levine: You go into the game against the New York Cosmos (who had won 10 straight home games) and pushed them further than any team has all season at Shuart Stadium. What did you say to the players beforehand or why do you think the team performed so well?

Nus: In life, when you are facing adversity, there are two kinds of people: those that try to look somewhere else and those that try to fight and be brave. The players showed they are the second type of people. I’m very happy they chose to fight and we almost got the three points as we had a good performance. We showed what we can do and we stuck together. We’re a group of professionals, we’re a family, and we’ll build from this.

 

 

 

[shamrock]

On 10-8-2016 at 5:57 PM, Kurt-MTL said:

I can't see any USL sides defecting to NASL anytime soon. The only way that happens is if/when MLS is finally done expanding (likely to 32 teams) and if/when USSF decides that USL should remain D3.

Currently I could only see club like Rochester making such a move.

But you are right; there's a lot of "succesfull" USL clubs out there who are selling a dream: MLS. 

Once that dream is gone, would clubs like Cincinatti or Sacremento still draw the same numbers in USL? I highly doubt it. 

[Grizzly]

3 hours ago, shamrock said:

Currently I could only see club like Rochester making such a move.

But you are right; there's a lot of "succesfull" USL clubs out there who are selling a dream: MLS. 

Once that dream is gone, would clubs like Cincinatti or Sacremento still draw the same numbers in USL? I highly doubt it. 

Rochester has the stadium to move to NASL but their attendance is very poor. Their current attendance average is 3717 but that includes "tickets distributed". I was at the game that FC Montreal played in Rochester and attendance was announced at 4560 but there was at most half of that actually in the stadium. 

[shamrock]

Geographically, Arizona United would make sense too, come to think of it. 

[CDNFootballer]

On 8/27/2016 at 4:14 AM, shamrock said:

Geographically, Arizona United would make sense too, come to think of it. 

Usl's Arizona United is in danger of folding at seasons end apparently, they've drawn around 800 fans a match only in recent games.

[shermanator]

Apparently Rayo OKC's minority owner took the turf from Miller Stadium:

 

And his statement on why he took the turf:

 

[Dub Narcotic]

The NASL is the greatest.