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Will Birmingham get a minor league soccer team?

July 14, 2008
If Martin Sanchez has his way, Birmingham could have its first professional soccer team in 2009. Sanchez is the owner of the Alabama Spirit, a team mostly comprised of former area soccer players, who he hopes can move into an established soccer league next year.

Sanchez and organizers were carefully watching the fan turnout for an exhibition game against reserves from Mexico's CF Monterrey Rayados at UAB's West Campus Field. Monterrey won the contest 3-2. The most important numbers were the amount of people in the stands. "Being a Monday and having this many people coming out, that really gives me a good taste that the people love the sport. It looks like there's a need for (these) kind of matches in this city."

Organizer Scott Spencer said he has long wanted to develop a minor league soccer presence in Birmingham. He would like the Alabama Spirit to be a forerunner to a minor league team that will play here next summer, either in the Premier Developmental League or the National Premier Soccer League.

Sanchez, the owner and president of International Pallet Company, is more ambitious and hopes to have a team in the higher-caliber United Soccer League. Currently, he is a member of the investment group that owns the Nashville Metros, a USL team.

May 2009

			2009                             National Premier Soccer League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Atlanta FC		Bay Area Ambassadors		Boston Aztec		Buffalo City FC		Charm City FC
	Chattanooga FC		Chicago Fire		Eau Claire Aris		Erie Admirals		FC Indiana
	Long Island Academy		Madison 56ers		Maine Sting		Morris County Colonials		New York Athletic Club
	Lamorinda United		Pennsylvania Stoners		Pocono Snow		Pumas FC		Reading Revolution
	Real San Jose		Rocket City United		Salinas Valley Samba		Saturn FC		Sonoma County Sol
	Southern Oregon Fuego		St. Paul Twin Stars

			2010                                     Premier Development League
xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx		xxx
	Abbotsford Mariners		Atlanta Blackhawks		Austin Aztex U23s		Bakersfield Brigade		Baton Rouge Capitals
	Bradenton Academics		Brooklyn Knights		BYU Cougars		Carolina Dynamo		Cary Clarets
	Cascade Surge		Central Florida Kraze		Chicago Fire		Cincinnati Kings		Cleveland Internationals
	Des Moines Menace		DFW Tornados		El Paso Patriots		Forest City London		Fort Wayne Fever
	Fredericksburg Gunners		Fresno Fuego		Hampton Roads Piranhas		Hollywood United Hitmen		Houston Leones
	Indiana Invaders		Kalamazoo Outrage		Kansas City Brass		Kitsap Pumas		Lancaster Rattlers
	Laredo Heat		Long Island Rough Riders		Los Angeles Legends		Michigan Bucks		Mississippi Brilla
	Nashville Metros		New Hampshire Phantoms		New Jersey Rangers		New Orleans Jesters		Newark Ironbound Express
	Northern Virginia Royals		Ocean City Barons		Ogden Outlaws		Orange County Blue Star		Ottawa Fury
	Panama City Pirates		Portland Timbers U23		Reading Rage		Real Colorado Foxes		Rhode Island Stingrays
	Rio Grande Valley Bravos		Rochester Thunder		Seattle Wolves		Southern California Seahorses		Spokane Spiders
	Springfield Demize		St. Louis Lions		Tacoma Tide		Thunder Bay Chill		Toronto Lynx
	Vancouver Whitecaps Residency		Ventura County Fusion		Victoria highlanders		Virginia Legacy		West Texas United Sockers
	West Virginia Chaos		Westchester Flames		Yakima Reds

Epilogue
The hopes Sanchez had to field a professional soccer team in Birmingham never materialized.

The Premier Development League was rebranded as United Soccer League Two in late 2018 and continues to play to this date.

Soccer finally made it to the Magic City, however. In May 2017 the United Soccer League announced they would place a team in Birmingham in 2019, and the Birmingham Legion has remained active in the USL's Championship league.

The National Premier Soccer League has also continued playing to this date.

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Last update: March 20, 2022