By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
There will be a National Premier Soccer League Founders Cup in 2019 and the Cosmos will compete in it.
The NPSL made it official Thursday as 11 clubs have launched the new pro soccer league.
FrontRowSoccer.com originally reported the story last week (https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/11/06/the-kickoff-npsl-will-start-its-pro-division-with-founders-cup-next-august-and-at-11-least-teams-including-cosmos)
The clubs will compete in the first NPSL Founders Cup competition that will run from next August to November. That competition will lead to a full league schedule in 2020m, which will run from spring to fall.
The 11 founding members include ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC, Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, FC Arizona, Miami FC, Miami United FC, Milwaukee Torrent, Cosmos and Oakland Roots.
Plans are being developed to add additional clubs.
These 11 clubs will include professional players, coaches and staff.
“We are very excited to bring a new brand of community-based soccer to the U.S. market,” NPSL chairman Joe Barone said in a statement. “Beginning with the Founders Cup, fans will be able to enjoy watching authentic clubs compete with professional players and staff. This new venture will build upon the success and experience of NPSL and its nationwide network of local soccer club members.”
United States Adult Soccer Association president John Motta gave his support to the fledgling league.
“We support our members’ growth and expansion of their leagues,” he said in a statement. “This is another opportunity to develop players, coaches, administrators, and referees at the highest level of adult soccer. This is absolutely critical for player development, as it prepares players onto the next level and also for referee development, as this level of adult soccer is the best training ground for referees in this country.”
The format, player roster information, schedule and additional details of the Founders Cup will be announced later this winter.
The number of games each team will play has not yet been determined.
A professional NPSL season would not commence until the spring of 2020. That would be a full season and run through November.
According to national soccer sources, the 2020 season could see several more teams added to the league, which is entertaining ownership possibilities from Jacksonville, New Orleans Jesters, Virginia Beach, Asheville and a team in Seattle, primarily all NPSL teams.
Later, it was discovered that three other NPSL teams are possibilities for 2020 — the Fort Worth Vaqueros, FC Buffalo and Cleveland SC.
One source said that “2020 will be a great expansion year.”
Here’s the original story about the NPSL Founders Cup, which was broken by FrontRowSoccer.com on Nov. 6:
