Any Phoenix residents interested in having a soccer team? (Scottsdale: scorpions, club) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

LondonUSA · 05-18-2011, 03:21 AM

Soccer team in your city, would you be interested?

Bondurant · 05-18-2011, 08:37 AM

Emphatic yes.

There's a club starting at the end of the year called Phoenix Monsoon. Not sure if it's indoor or outdoor but it will launch in the lowly divisions of the US soccer tier. So long as the game schedule does not clash with my work schedule I will attend a few games. I'd like to see MLS here one day. It's a long shot but I'd love it. Former Chicago Fire season ticket holder myself.

Ponderosa · 05-18-2011, 09:12 AM

Fine with me as long as the taxpayers don't get tapped to pay for a stadium or some smoke and mirrors "deal" that ends up costing us millions when it flops. It could be moderately successful if it taps into the enthusiasm for the game in the immigrant Hispanic community.

observer53 · 05-18-2011, 09:18 AM

While I would not be opposed to it so long as the same conditions suggested by Ponderosa exist, I am reminded of a comment my sister has made re: soccer (and it is not original to her) "Soccer is the sport of the future... and it always will be."

It's strong here in youth leagues, etc., but I do not see a future for it on a professional level here. I think there have been other minor league soccer teams here before, with no long term success.

acrylic · 05-18-2011, 11:00 AM

The more things we can get here in the Phoenix metro, in my opinion, the better. I love soccer, so I'd really like to see it in the area

azriverfan. · 05-18-2011, 11:10 AM

Absolutely but I think it has to be placed in the right city. You can't have the team located in one extreme part of the city.

I think a soccer team would succeed in Tempe or South Scottsdale. That's a fairly central location that is proximal to a lot of young people and young families. It wouldn't be so out of the way that people couldn't catch a game after work. A lot of the people in that area are well traveled and ASU has a lot of international students.

The team also has to be intelligent in how it markets and promotes itself. It should give discounts to soccer leagues, Thunderbird graduate students, ASU students, it should do more to be a part of the community. They should sponsor local soccer events. They should work with local businesses to give discounts to ticket holders on meals and drinks to entice people to make a night out of attending a game. As crowds become more consistent and a following develops then they can stop providing those perks. If it did these things, it would be extremely successful. I've noticed that people in this community really desire that personal touch with regards to sports. Even though the D-backs are struggling, they are still ranked 19th out of 30th in attendance and average 22,000 fans due in large part to their successful marketing within the community and trying to appeal to young people.

Lastly, whoever brings a team here has to be committed to winning and not filling seats. The community will respond to winning, it always has. After the Dbacks won the World Series, their attendance was 4th best in the league so people were willing to watch a winner. It seems like a lot of our teams are not truly dedicated to winning and putting the best product out on the field. The last thing I want to see is another cheap owner who isn't willing to invest in the team and is someone who can barely afford the team.

Bondurant · 05-18-2011, 11:12 AM

Here's a link for the Monsoon. Indoor PASL club. Won't make a dent but it's better than nothing. The indoor game has it's small group of loyal fans but I'm not into it.

Phoenix Monsoon Soccer (http://www.phxmonsoon.com/index.shtml - broken link)

azriverfan. · 05-18-2011, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bondurant

Emphatic yes.

There's a club starting at the end of the year called Phoenix Monsoon. Not sure if it's indoor or outdoor but it will launch in the lowly divisions of the US soccer tier. So long as the game schedule does not clash with my work schedule I will attend a few games. I'd like to see MLS here one day. It's a long shot but I'd love it. Former Chicago Fire season ticket holder myself.

There was a point a few years ago when the MLS was seriously considering Phoenix for expansion. The reality is the Phoenix metro is the 12th largest television market in the United States and will soon be the 10th largest market so the MLS has a strong desire to eventually come here.

Ponderosa · 05-18-2011, 11:37 AM

What would we name it? The good names are taken: coyotes, scorpions, heat, suns, diamondbacks, rattlers. Maybe the Prickly Pears. That would lend itself to a clever nickname.

Bondurant · 05-18-2011, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azriverfan.

There was a point a few years ago when the MLS was seriously considering Phoenix for expansion. The reality is the Phoenix metro is the 12th largest television market in the United States and will soon be the 10th largest market so the MLS has a strong desire to eventually come here.

Not so sure about that. I never heard Phoenix mentioned anywhere but the Big Soccer forums. MLS wants at least $45 mil and plans for stadia. As far as I know no one in Phoenix has offered. At times like this I wish I was a billionaire. I'd fund a MLS side in a heartbeat.