GO Indoor

New Pro Indoor League to Rival MISL PORTLAND, OR -- The MISL claims that for the first time since 1983 there is only one professional soccer league operating in the United States. All that is about to change. Founders of the new International Major Indoor Soccer Association (IMISA) announced a 56-game schedule for its six charter teams. The teams will be grouped into two divisions. The resurrected Portland Pride/Pythons will now be known as the Portland Patriots. The Patriots, along with the Sioux City Stars and Sioux Falls Stripes will compete in the United Division. The Wheeling Memorials, Kalamazoo Capitals, and Trenton Nationals will play in the American Division. "Following September 11, we felt it was important for us to capitalize, no pun intended, on our nation's pride," said IMISA Commissioner Steve Everett. "As far as I know, we are the first pro sports league in the country to have all of our teams and divisions evoke the American spirit." The playing season will also be unique. Games will be played in January-March, then resume in May, pick up again in August and conclude in early December. "We looked at all the previous indoor leagues and realized that their best attendance was coming in the early, middle, and end of the year," rationalized Everett. Each team will play its two division rivals 22 times each and then each team in the opposite division three times each. "This will help us generate fierce rivalries that will add to the storylines of our games," said Everett, smoking a cigar at the podium during last Wednesday's IMISA press conference. One such rivalry, Sioux City against Sioux Falls, is expected to be one of the tops in sports, challenging those historic Yankees-Red Sox and Lakers-Celtics duels. "By the 14th or 15th meeting these teams are really going to hate each other," said Sioux Falls coach Barry Jenkins. Another unique feature of the IMISA is its multi-point scoring system. While the MISL currently employs its own multi-point system, the IMISA system promises to deliver more scoring and more excitement. All natural goals will be worth four points in the IMISA. Goals from behind the arc will be worth six points. Shootout goals will be worth two points. "Teams will never be out of games with the six-point shot," beamed Everett. "In the MISL if you're down by 12 points the game is over, but in the IMISA you hit two six-pointers and you're right back in it." One other new rule is the restart rule. All stoppages in play, including fouls and balls G O A L I n d o o r • June-July 2002• 22 kicked out of play, will resume at the top of the opposing team's goal box. "This will give fans a chance to see a lot of goals," said Everett, who hopes to see one of his IMISA teams become the first pro soccer team to score 100 points in a game, a feat he likened to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point contest. While several indoor soccer leagues have gone by the wayside in recent years, Everett sees nothing but potential for his new IMISA. Everett cites the huge youth soccer population in each of the six league markets as the key for his league's success. "It's really all about the kids," said Everett via phone from the IMISA headquarters in Portland. "No other league has realized this so far." Expansion is another obstacle the IMISA will have to overcome if the league is to reach national, let alone international, status. "We're looking at several markets," said Everett. "Toronto, obviously, with their success with the Shooting Stars and ThunderHawks, is a great market. Chicago has a great tradition with the Horizon, Sting, Power, Vultures, and Shoccers. Then there's Florida. I've recently bought some swamp land down there and I'm looking to perhaps build an arena there that could be used for indoor soccer." The IMISA, whose first game will take place January 3, 2003 with Kalamazoo traveling to Wheeling, faces stiff competition from the MISL. Both leagues' schedules overlap and the IMISA is treading on MISL territory with its Trenton franchise. The MISL's Philadelphia KiXX regularly play games in Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena and now will have to compete for dates with the Nationals. A IMISA spokesman for the KiXX, who asked not to be identified, was not aware of the conflict. "What is the IMISA?" asked the source. "As far as I know, the SBA has not booked anything with any competing soccer teams." When confronted with this, Everett explained that the final details of the lease needed to be ironed out, but that he expected a deal would be signed in the next couple weeks. The controversy over the lease has already triggered merger rumors involving the MISL even though the IMISA is barely a week old. IMISA deputy commissioner Larry Anderson called the rumors "unfounded." "We're going to do something that has never been done before in sports and in indoor soccer," said Everett. "Just you wait and see. The IMISA is going to be the fifth major league in this country by Year 5. I can't make any guarantees, but let's just say the MISL better watch its back." Sydney Nusinov is a regular columnist for GOAL Indoor. Indoor He plans soon to take his stand-up comedy act on the road along with NGOAL:

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