The longest running professional soccer franchise in America could be calling it quits. It's been a tough week for the Milwaukee Wave, who have found out that not only is their ownership group leaving them, but they are also without a league. Last season, they were a charter member of the four-team Xtreme Soccer League, which has ceased it's operation. Just goes to show that leagues with "Xtreme" in the title never last more than one season.
The Journal Sentinel posted an article of the whispers SportsBubbler.com's Dan Walsh has been hearing for a couple of days now, but no official announcement is going to be given until Friday. With their future in limbo, again (the Wave have already been forced to find a new league a few times in their history) things may be looking bleaker than ever before. Walsh says he's heard the phrases "in trouble" and "might be folding up shop" floating around in response to the blows the Wave have suffered this week.
Whether that's true or not won't be known until Friday, but there is another indoor soccer league, the NISL, that already has interest in all four of the former XSL clubs. The two leagues should have been probably working together from the start, as they were both born after the collapse of the MISL. Basically, for the last 25 years there has always been indoor soccer in America, it's just that the teams and leagues keep changing. However, the Milwaukee Wave have always been that one constant.
Personally, with my familiarity with the Wave organization, I know that they will do everything they can to keep that team afloat. However, if they can't find and owner, then their survival is unlikely. With the way the economy is, I'm not sure how many people will be willing to take a chance on an indoor soccer team right now.
For more on this story, check out Jen Lada's report on FOX6 Milwaukee. I think she might know what he's talking about, she's married to a former player.
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