The Major Indoor Soccer League, the American Indoor Soccer League, the Professional Arena Soccer League — indoor soccer has had its fair share of false dawns in the American sporting landscape. Where all of these leagues have failed, another is looking to finally succeed in the USA.
While investors and organizers have banked on the fast-paced, high-scoring nature of indoor soccer to appeal to the American psyche, the sport likened more to the NBA or NHL has never been able to capture enough media and fan attention for professional leagues to survive very long.
However, following the success of the 2014 and 2015 World Cups with American audiences, along with the sustained growth of Major League Soccer, a new group of investors is looking to try again.
The Professional Futsal League (PFL) is due to begin play in 2018, and with investors ranging from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to FC Barcelona, long-term success may yet be in the cards for professional indoor soccer in the States.
Can't get enough of the bicycle kick goal & many more highlights from @Falcao12oficial at the PFL All-Star Showcase! pic.twitter.com/6DoEzqKAdC
— Professional Futsal (@profutsalleague) August 9, 2016
Apart from the growing fan-interest in the USA, PFL leaders, including executive director Donnie Nelson, see the league as the solution for soccer’s problem to appeal to inner-city areas.
“I think we can become the urban solution for U.S. soccer, because a lot of kids in inner-cities don’t have access to fields, and they’ve got a lot of natural talent, but they don’t have the infrastructure to really get involved with soccer,” said Nelson.
PFL organizers have been buoyed by an event in Frisco, Texas that drew 5,200 spectators in 2015, along with a recent event at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports that drew nearly 5,000.
FourFourTwo is reporting that the league will begin play with sixteen teams, including sides in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Miami and Orlando.
Matches will be played in 12-minute quarters, deviating from the usual setup of two 20 minute halves to mimic the NBA.
(H/T: FourFourTwo)
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