The Los Angeles Blues, an independent minor league soccer team, is set to debut in spring at the team’s new home at California State University, Fullerton.
The Blues, part of the newly minted United Soccer League Pro, is hosting player tryouts this weekend at Riverside Community College in Norco.
So far, the Blues have a handful of players signed up to compete in their 15-team league.
Fielding a team could be easier than building a following in Orange County’s fickle sports market, especially with the letters L.A. plastered on the Blues’ jerseys.
The L.A. Blues name has been around for 12 years in soccer, according to managing director Ali Mansouri, who owns the team with his wife Maryam.
“That’s why we felt like we should stay with that name,” said Mansouri, a soccer fanatic who, by day, is executive director of Santa Monica-based general contractor ZDX Industries. “People respond to this name they have known.”
Challenges
The Blues face plenty of other challenges for long-term success here, an achievement that has evaded other minor league franchises.
Just ask the backers of the now-defunct Mission Viejo Vigilantes baseball team or the Anaheim Street Boys of arena football.
The Blues have a three-year deal to play at Cal State Fullerton’s 10,000-seat Titan Stadium. The team’s closest opponent, the Dayton Dutch Lions, is two time zones away in Ohio.
“We will have a bit more aggressive travel schedule,” said Charlie Naimo, vice president and head coach of the Blues and a former professional player in the United Soccer League, a precursor to Major League Soccer.
“We hold the flag for the Western Conference,” he said.
The team will have some “pretty long road trips,” said Chris Economides, senior director of United Soccer League Pro, from the league’s Florida headquarters. “Ali and Charlie are taking a leap of faith.”
The Blues will get some breaks on the road.
Under the league’s model, the home team pays for the visitors’ accommodations. The Blues are set to save money at home with Marriott International Inc. as a sponsor. As part of their agreement, the hotel chain—which has a franchise hotel at Cal State Fullerton—will provide rooms for visiting teams.
The league expects to expand the Western Conference by 2012 with four to eight teams. It has commitments for two more Southern California teams, according to Economides.
The Blues also have a sponsorship deal with Nike Inc. and is seeking a presenting sponsor.
The team is talking to several potential backers and hopes to make an announcement in the next few weeks, Naimo said.
“We don’t want to make the wrong decision that will cost us money,” he said.
In minor league sports, a bad business decision can set a team back for years. In some cases, it can put them out of business.
To supplement revenue, the Blues plan to start a youth club and academy to go along with their women’s team, the Pali Blues, who play in Pacific Palisades.
The Blues are working to contact hundreds of youth and amateur leagues to get the word out about the team.
Hispanics are a big target. So are Iranians (owner Mansouri is of Iranian descent). The Blues plan to sign players from the top Iranian league and already have a goalie from the Mexican Primera División.
“We’re doing anything that might appeal to our potential fans,” Naimo said.
Game Day Environment
Time will tell if it works. Naimo and Mansouri said they believe they can sell soccer in one of the most competitive entertainment markets in the country.
“We want to create a game day environment,” Mansouri said. “We want to make it a place to be.”
The team expects to attract 1,500 fans for home games with a goal of growing to 3,000. Tickets are $12 at the gate, $10 in advance. A seven game package costs $65.
The Orange County Flyers, of the independent Golden Baseball League, draw about 1,900 people per game at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field, which seats 3,500.
The Flyers are looking to build a stadium in downtown Fullerton as part of a bid to keep the minor league baseball team in the county.
The team’s owners, who range from Hollywood types to lawyers and accountants, have lost $2 million since buying the Flyers in 2007.
Mansouri and Naimo declined to say what their franchising fee for the Blues is. League officials said inaugural teams pay “six-figures.”
As with most startup leagues, that fee will be higher in subsequent years.
The league depends on strong owners, according to Economides.
“You’re only as strong as your weakest link,” he said.
The league is helping franchises manage their budgets as well as providing marketing materials. Proceeds from franchise sales are divvied up among the teams in a revenue sharing system.
There’s no salary cap. Most players have second jobs, typically as a coach or trainer.
A potential television deal with Fox Soccer Channel could be a boost for the league.
“We’re in the final stages of finalizing our television deal,” Economides said.
Once that’s secured, the league plans to roll out a national television marketing campaign.
Home: Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium<br >League: United Soccer League Pro<br >Owners: Ali and Maryam Mansouri<br >Vice President, head coach: Charlie Naimo<br >Operating budget: $800,000<br >Notable players: Mexican goalie Oscar Dautt, former L.A. Galaxy midfielder Josh Tudela <br >Expected game attendance: 1,500, goal of 3,000
