VSI Tampa Bay FC was an American soccer team based in Plant City, Florida . They played in USL Pro , the third tier of the American soccer pyramid , in the 2013 season. VSI Tampa Bay FC were owned by VisionPro Sports Institute and were affiliated with a women's team in the W-League , an amateur team in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in the Super-20 League . All the teams folded in 2013.
22-551: In 2011, English soccer development academy VisionPro Sports Institute announced a venture to establish a soccer organization in the United Soccer Leagues in the United States. VSI partnered with the local Brandon, Florida area youth soccer organization, West Florida Flames, to build VSI Tampa Flames, "the perfect platform for vertical progression, giving talented youngsters the opportunity to progress from junior soccer all
44-635: A new league which was to begin play in the fall of 2011, the ' USL I-League . However, in May 2011, the USL, struggling to sign teams for the new league, agreed instead to take over operation of the MISL. Three teams from the proposed league were added: the Norfolk SharX , Rochester Lancers and Syracuse Silver Knights . In June 2012, the MISL announced that a new Chicago franchise was awarded to Armando Gamboa and Dave Mokry for
66-705: Is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Adult Soccer Association . The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida . Founded in 1985 by Francisco Marcos, the Southwest Indoor Soccer League was first intended as a minor indoor league associated with Major Indoor Soccer League . The league began with five teams, all owned by individuals who owned or operated indoor soccer arenas in
88-647: The 2013–14 season effectively ended the MISL. The NISL was one of three leagues that organized in late 2008 after the demise of the second MISL; the other two being the PASL-Pro (an offshoot of the Premier Arena Soccer League ) and the Xtreme Soccer League . The NISL and the XSL were more closely related, with both leagues first announcing four former MISL teams respectively and using the same game rules as
110-485: The Major Indoor Soccer League ; beginning indoor operations in 2011. The champions were determined by a single games in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1998. The champions were determined by a best of three series in 1998 and a best of five series in 1989, 1990 and 1991 and a home-and-home series in 2012 and 2013. In 1989, the Southwest Indoor Soccer League added a summer, outdoor season known as
132-469: The St. Louis Steamers folded in 2006. One day after the 2013–14 MISL Championship game, USL President Tim Holt released a video stating that the USL was reevaluating the MISL to create a more "sustainable" league that features the highest level of professional indoor soccer. He noted that the process would take "more than a few months" and that the possibility of not having a 2014–15 playing season existed. In
154-567: The 1994 World Cup, and the league plans to push its teams to be considered for the "three-tiered first, second and third divisions" plan the USSF envisions for soccer." The USL began operations in 1986 as the Southwest Indoor Soccer League, a semi-professional indoor league. The league quickly expanded and added an outdoor season in 1989. In 1991, the league renamed itself the United States Interregional Soccer League. By then,
176-638: The 2010–11 season. For the 2010–11 season, the league consisted of only five teams, with the Rockford Rampage and Monterrey La Raza no longer active league members. On October 15, 2010, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported the exodus of the Philadelphia KiXX and the addition of a Chicago franchise. In October 2010, the United Soccer Leagues (USL), which also oversees the men's USL Pro and USL Premier Development Leagues proposed
198-628: The 2012–13 season. The club was subsequently named the Chicago Soul, with the club making its home at the Sears Centre . Meanwhile, the Norfolk SharX announced that the team would cease operations effective immediately because of financial difficulties. A new incarnation of the St. Louis Ambush were announced as an expansion team in June 2013. This was St. Louis' first professional indoor soccer team since
220-507: The 2013 season. United Soccer Leagues United Soccer League ( USL ) is an organizer of soccer leagues in the United States. It operates several men's and women's leagues, both professional. Men's leagues currently organized are the USL Championship , USL League One , USL League Two , and the youth league, USL Youth . A women's league, the USL W League , began play in 2022. It
242-641: The MISL. Originally, five teams had been announced to play in the inaugural season; four who were in the previous MISL (Baltimore, Monterrey, Orlando Sharks, and Philadelphia) and one formerly in the American Indoor Soccer League (Rockford). However, the Orlando Sharks were forced to go inactive because of scheduling conflicts with Amway Arena . Later, a second former AISL franchise, the Massachusetts Twisters , were brought in to take
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#1732851275525264-529: The Southwest Outdoor Soccer League. In 1990, the league dropped both "indoor" and "outdoor" from its name as it ran both a semi-professional indoor and outdoor season. By 1995, the outdoor season had grown to such a size that the USISL, as it was known at the time, split the league into two levels, the aptly named, fully professional Professional League and the semi-professional Premier League. In 1996,
286-633: The Southwest United States. League headquarters was in Austin, Texas. In 1986, Marcos' team, the Austin Sockadillos , entered the league giving it six teams. By 1989, the league had set its sights on greater prospects than remaining a small, semi-professional indoor league. A 1989 press release stated, "It is envisioned the league will be part of the USSF's plan to professionalize soccer in the USA prior to
308-700: The USISL A-League. From that point, the USL's three-level structure remained stable until 2010. Some teams left to start the North American Soccer League and the First and Second Divisions were merged to become USL Pro . Major Indoor Soccer League (2008%E2%80%93) The Major Indoor Soccer League ( MISL ), originally known as the National Indoor Soccer League , was a professional indoor soccer league which began play in 2008. It
330-578: The USISL added a third, higher, Select League. This was formed from the strongest teams from both the Professional and Premier League. The Select League, along with the competing A-League , both received official Division II status from FIFA. However, the A-League was in decline while the USISL was expanding. In 1997, the A-League ceased operations and merged into the USISL Select League which was renamed
352-593: The Wave joined the NISL, the Massachusetts Twisters folded, leaving the 2009–10 season with only five teams again. Shortly before the league launched its 2009–10 season, the opportunity arose to purchase the rights to the "Major Indoor Soccer League" name; the league successfully acquired the rights and immediately rebranded itself as the newest MISL. The MISL expanded into Missouri (Kansas City area) and Omaha starting with
374-421: The outdoor league overshadowed the indoor league which continued to slowly dwindle in importance. By the 1997–98 season, only five teams remained indoors while the outdoor season had over a hundred teams divided into a three-division structure. This led the league to stop running an indoor league. In 2010, the USL began to consider relaunching an indoor season. However, it decided instead to take over operations of
396-681: The place of the Sharks. In July 2009, the XSL announced they were going on a one-year hiatus due to a lack of monetary backing during the Great Recession . The NISL attempted to attract the former MISL teams from the folded XSL to join for the 2009–10 season, and succeeded in acquiring the Milwaukee Wave as a result. The other XSL franchises, minus the Chicago Storm , folded along with the XSL. Shortly after
418-629: The teams there. Matt Weston resigned as Head Coach on May 8, 2013, and Joel Harrison was named as Interim Head Coach. While the W-League and PDL teams had been successful in 2012, the USL Pro team struggled throughout its only season. The remote stadium in Plant City made it difficult to attract fans, and the team suffered from competition from the more successful Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League . The organization folded all of its teams after
440-593: The way through to the professional game," according to VSI's CEO, Simon Crane. The USL Pro team was to serve as the pinnacle of the youth pyramid for men; the club also included a women's team in the W-League , an amateur team in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in the Super-20 League . The W-League, PDL, and Super-20 League teams started play in 2012, while the USL Pro team
462-668: Was the third league to be known as the Major Indoor Soccer League after the MISL I and MISL II . The MISL name is arguably the most recognizable name in indoor soccer due to its history dating back to 1978. The league name and assets are currently owned by the United Soccer Leagues . The departure of six teams which joined the Professional Arena Soccer League (now the Major Arena Soccer League ) after
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#1732851275525484-495: Was to join in 2013. On November 22, 2012, the team changed its name to "VSI Tampa Bay FC" and named Matt Weston as the head coach. Their first game was played on March 30, 2013, losing to Phoenix FC 1–0. They defeated the Los Angeles Blues 1-0 for their first win on April 2, 2013. Antonio Neto scored the first goal in team history. VSI Tampa Bay chose Plant City Stadium as their home venue on April 4, 2013, moving all
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