RailHawks help form new NASL

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Soccer leagues compromise

The standoff threatening to keep the Carolina RailHawks sidelined this summer ended Thursday when the U.S. Soccer Federation announced plans for a 12-team league encompassing teams from the RailHawks' old league and the new one it hoped to join.

The Division 2 professional league, set up for this year only, will be divided into two six-team conferences, with Carolina playing in the NASL Conference.

The announcement ends a nearly four-month struggle between Division 2 franchises, as owners of the RailHawks and eight other franchises attempted to break away from the United Soccer Leagues, which were sold by Nike last fall, to create the proposed North American Soccer League. The RailHawks were at the forefront of that movement, as the nine teams tried to apply for USSF sanctioning under the NASL name.

RailHawks no longer in USL

The Carolina RailHawks' front office maintains the organization will field a team next year in Cary, despite notifications from the United Soccer Leagues on Friday that the RailHawks no longer have a franchise in the league.

Every player on the RailHawks' roster received an e-mail message Friday that his contract had been terminated, as per the USL Standard Contract for Professional Players.

But RailHawks owner Brian Wellman insists the players are still under contract with Carolina.

RailHawks to host MLS's Revolution

Major League Soccer's New England Revolution is coming to the Triangle. The pro team will compete against the Carolina RailHawks at 7 p.m. on March 14 in the inaugural Community Shield Match at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.

The match is included in the RailHawks' season-ticket package. Individual tickets will go on sale in early February, the RailHawks, a United Soccer Leagues First Division team, said in a news release Wednesday. Call 919-859-5425 or visit www.carolinarailhawks.com.

Railhawks add veteran player

The Carolina RailHawks have added English and Scottish Premier League veteran defender Paul Ritchie to their roster.

The RailHawks, who play in the United Soccer Leagues First Division, start play at 7 p.m. on March 14 when they host Major League Soccer's New England Revolution in an exhibition game. For tickets, which cost $10 to $20, call 919-859-5425 or visit www.carolinarailhawks.com.

Railhawks land veteran

The Carolina RailHawks made a big deal out of Thursday's news conference to introduce their new "marquee" player, but let's be frank.

There are only a few names in the world of soccer that would be recognizable to most regular readers of this newspaper -- David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, maybe Cristiano Ronaldo -- and they aren't signing with the RailHawks anytime soon.

What the RailHawks added instead was a professional with experience in one of Europe's top leagues, a veteran of the 2002 World Cup, who at 32 should still have some good years in front of him.