Indoor league to go on “one-year hiatus” while they look for additional investment.

by Dan Gaichas

 

CHICAGO, IL--The Xtreme Soccer League (XSL), citing the difficult economic climate and its impact on the Chicago Storm and Milwaukee Wave, has decided to go on a “one-year hiatus” from league competition in order to find additional investment, strengthen their existing markets, and finalize additional teams for 2010-11 in a message on the league and team websites. 

All teams will continue to operate camps though throughout the summer.

The XSL was formed as a four-team league after the breakup of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), last year. Its teams, the Chicago Storm, Milwaukee Wave, Detroit Ignition, and New Jersey Ironmen have all been making moves that signify that the league is indeed disbanding.

The first signs of trouble for the XSL came on Tuesday when a report by WITI-TV in Milwaukee and later reported by Charlie Corr on examiner.com stated that Milwaukee Wave owner Charles Krause is stepping down and that the team will disband if another is not found.

The XSL is not the first pro sports league to go on hiatus as Arena Football did the same earlier this year. Historically though, leagues--as some teams--who go “on hiatus” never resume operations and fold. The National Hockey League has been an exception after the 2004-05 lockout.

Teams folding has been an all too common occurrence in indoor soccer, especially in recent times. In 2004-2005, the San Diego Sockers and the Monterrey Tigres folded in midseason in the MISL. The Kansas City Coments went “inactive” at the end of the season, but never returned. The St. Louis Steamers went “on hiatus” the after the 2005-2006 season, but they too would never return.

After the demise of the MISL, the California Cougars joined the Premier Arena Soccer League while the Baltimore Blast, Orlando Sharks, Philadelphia Kixx, and La Raza de Monterrey formed the National Indoor Soccer League (NISL). But before a ball was kick, Orlando folded and were hastily replaced by the Rockford Rampage and the Massachusetts Twister, formerly of the American Indoor Soccer League (AISL) which is a second-tier indoor soccer league. The Blast won the inaugural NISL campaign in a series over the Rampage while the Twister went on to set records for futility both on the field (1-17) and at the gate (average attendance:  458).

If the Storm were to fold alongside the league, it would be the end of a five-year run dogged by poor attendance throughout its existence first at the UIC Pavilion (2004-2006) and then at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates (2006-2009) never averaging more than 4,000 a match. It’s best year at the gate was 2007-2008 when averaged 3,609--though it must be said that those are announced crowds.

They made the playoffs of the old MISL three times after missing out in their inaugural year, but were eliminated in the first playoff round each time. In their first year of the XSL, the Storm finished bottom of the four-team league with a record of 7-13. Detroit won the inaugural championship which was determined by regular season records and no playoffs.

The Milwaukee Wave have been in existence since 1984 and completed their 25th year this past season. They started life in the old American Indoor Soccer Association which later became the National Professional Soccer League, and then the new version of the MISL. They would play three different Chicago teams during their tenure: the Shoccers/Vultures (1984-1987), the Power (1988-1996), and the Storm (2004-2009). All told, the Wave played about 40 different franchises in the 25 years they’ve been around ranging from the Dallas Sidekicks and Wichita Wings to the Dayton Dynamo and the Kalamazoo Kangaroos.

The Wave won three titles in the NPSL (1997-98, 1999-00, 2000-01) and a fourth in the MISL in 2004-05. During their heyday at the Bradley Center, they averaged nearly 8,000 a match. However, attendance dwindled since their 2003 move to US Cellular Arena across the street averaging less than 5,000 a game since 2004.