With league play scheduled to begin on April 9, NASL is working hard to promote its eight teams (Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina Railhawks, FC Edmonton, FC Tampa Bay, Miami FC, Impact De Montreal, NSC Minnesota Stars and Puerto Rico Islanders) that are located in major markets across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati believes that with a solid foundation, NASL will be difficult to ignore. "The opportunity and the stability of the league are, obviously, very much related," he said. "If the league is stable, and that's what we're counting on, and the business plan makes sense and you have sensible attendance and so on, then there will be increased interest for people to make an investment in a team."

NASL's Aaron Davidson views the 2011 season as a litmus test to see where the league stands and what needs to be done to create stability in the future. "This year is really about focusing on [foundation] and making sure we run a league where the teams are happy with the direction it's headed, where the [U.S. Soccer] Federation is happy with the direction it's headed, where the media and fans are happy so we can build a methodical growth plan going forward," he said.

One of the teams, Montreal, will only be on board for one year before joining MLS and the five U.S.-based NASL teams will not be involved in this year's U.S. Open Cup soccer tournament due to delays in sanctioning. For NASL, the promising but difficult journey has just begun.

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