Last week, the USL/NASL controversy hit a little closer home when rumors were flying around that the Puerto Rico Soccer League (PRSL) club ‘Ponce River Plate‘ (PRP) had received an invitation to join the newly formed North American Soccer League (NASL). We spoke with club president Steven Alvarez about the NASL invitation and he told us these were just rumors.
Alvarez mentioned that his club was committed to the PRSL and also to elevating the quality of professional soccer on the Island. While he admitted some people had been calling him and inquiring about the prospects of PRP joining the NASL, he said it’s nothing they’re interested in for the time being. The club president also noted that while they won’t close the door on any options in front of them, they expect to play in the PRSL for the 2010 season.
The possibility of NASL picking up the Ponce team was a very intriguing rumor. Ponce and the Puerto Rico Islanders already have a burgeoning rivalry as the two most popular and well funded clubs on the Island. It’s been mentioned several times in the past the Ponce attempted to join the USL-1 a few years ago but that the Islanders ownership blocked their entry.
So far the young PRP club, affiliated with River Plate of Argentina, has enjoyed much success in the PRSL having been to the Finals in 2008 and making the playoffs again in 2009 while being crowned regular season champions. Now, the club is tripling its budget for the 2010 season. The primary reason for this increase in budget is Ponce’s aim to compete in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL). To make it to the CCL, Ponce will first have to defeat the PR Islanders in a battle for Puerto Rico’s 2nd spot in the Caribbean Football Union’s Club Championship. The first spot to represent Puerto Rico went to Bayamon FC, as PRSL 2009 champions.
With a very active and well organized ownership group, Ponce would be a great pickup for NASL. With the strong interest the Ponce club has in international competition, we’re sure that moving to a league like NASL must be quite the temptation for the River Plate affiliate. Still, there doesn’t seem to really be anything in the works for now. But with another Island team (Sevilla FC-Puerto Rico) having been offered an invitation into USL-1, it looks more and more as if Puerto Rico might be the latest battleground in the USL/NASL controversy.
Puerto Rico the latest battleground? nah, I doubt it.
Well, both the USL and the NASL are looking for potential markets and ownership groups. Other than the lower divisions of the USL, there aren’t a lot of markets with established professional teams. Puerto Rico has at least two viable teams that are already running in Sevilla and Ponce.
Please correct…Ponce was not in the finals of the 2009 PRSL season…thanks for the info.
True, they made it to the semis. Thanks Mega.