With the 1998 A-League season just concluded, the league is looking ahead to 1999, a year that will feature three new franchises and two relocating ones, as well as some other changes.

Expansion

The Lehigh Valley Steam is the newest A-League franchise and will take to the field for the first time during the 1999 season. The Steam is under the ownership group of the Lehigh Valley Professional Sports Clubs, Inc., which is also the owner of the Lehigh Valley Black Diamonds professional baseball team (Atlantic League). The ownership group broke ground on a brand new Multi-Purpose Sport Stadium on Sept. 25. The new facility will serve as the home venue for both the baseball and soccer teams. The stadium will have a capacity of 6,000 and will feature full clubhouses. Other amenities at the stadium include skyboxes, a full service restaurant, picnic area, specialty concession areas and an entertainment plaza area. The name “Steam” is the culmination of a “Name the Team” contest featured by the club in association with a local newspaper and radio station. The club is in the process of developing a logo and expects it to be unveiled within the next month. The Pittsburgh Riverdogs, another expansion team for 1999, are owned by Paul A. Heasley, Chief Executive Officer of Alliance International, Ltd. The Riverdogs hired Dave Kasper as the club’s first general manager on March 9. Kasper, who is the former men’s soccer coach at Duquesne University, has played an active role in Pittsburgh’s soccer community for a number of years. The club will play its home matches at Bethel Park Stadium, located approximately 10 miles south of downtown Pittsburgh. They are currently in the process of developing a new soccer-specific stadium in the Pittsburgh area. The Riverdogs will become the first professional outdoor soccer team in Pittsburgh since 1967, when the Pittsburgh Phantoms played in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), before the league merged with the United Soccer Association (USA) in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League. The Riverdogs’ web site is www.pghriverdogs.com. The Maryland Mania is yet another A-League franchise that will begin play during the 1999 season. The Mania will be headed by A.J. Ali, who will serve as the team’s general manager and is also a member of the ownership group. The Mania will be based in Columbia, Maryland and has secured the soccer stadium at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County for home games until plans are finalized for the development of a soccer stadium in Columbia. Darryl Gee has been named the head coach of the Mania. Gee, a native of Columbia, was drafted out of high school by the New York Cosmos in 1980. The Mania’s web site is www.maniasoccer.com.

Relocation

The Albuquerque Geckos, the 1997 D3 Pro League Champions, will remain in the A-League and will relocate to Sacramento, Calif. for the 1999 season. The team will operate out of Arco Arena under the same ownership group as the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA) and Sacramento Knights (PSA). At the helm of the Sacramento Geckos will be General Manager Hubert Rotteveel. Rotteveel is also the general manager of the Sacramento Knights and has numerous years of sports management and marketing experience. Dave Snuggs will continue his involvement with the team as the Vice President of Operations. With an indoor soccer team already established, the Geckos are in the process of developing a plan for year-round soccer in Sacramento. The plan will be designed to better develop players and to prepare the team for a run at an A-League title in the near future. The Worcester Wildfire is in the process of moving the team to a venue closer to the Boston area. The club is also considering a name change, but has not made any announcements to date.

Ownership Changes

The Atlanta Silverbacks, who acquired the territorial rights of the Atlanta area from the former Atlanta Ruckus, hired Mike Balson as the club’s general manager in September. Balson wasted no time in hiring Nuno Piteira as the club’s new head coach. Piteira was formerly the head coach of the Charleston Battery, leading the team to the USISL National Championship in 1996, where he was voted the USISL Coach of the Year. The Silverbacks’ new ownership group consists of Robert Glustrom and John Latham, both of whom are prominent Atlanta businessmen with strong ties to the area. The group announced the team’s name at a joint press conference in September at Zoo Atlanta. In other developments around the league, new ownership groups have emerged in Jacksonville and Raleigh. The Jacksonville Cyclones will be under the ownership of America Sports, Inc., headed by Tim Enright, Tom Hallguest and Randy Welty, The new group brings sports marketing experience to the table as the owners of the Vector Auto Racing Team. Meanwhile, Carolina Soccer Ventures, LLC has assumed the ownership of the Raleigh Flyers franchise. Carolina Soccer Ventures, LLC is owned by David W. Brown and Stanley Van Etten, who have already made plans for improvements to the WRAL soccer complex.

Other Changes for 1999

The A-League Executive Committee has been looking at the issues of playoff format and divisional alignment. The members are considering changing the second round of the A-League playoffs from a two-game series to a best-of-three series. The number of teams that qualify for the playoffs and the number of league games are also under discussion. Another important topic is the possible realignment of the four divisions to accommodate the changes for 1999.