Tonight I was at a watch party for the US v. Brazil game. In addition to Mark Dillon showing up, we were graced unexpectedly by the arrival of Orlando Pro Soccer president Steve Donner.

Donner and Dillon are currently in overdrive with our team, as the U.S. Soccer Federation has thrown a sudden monkey wrench into the Division 2 landscape by setting some rather draconian standards for any future Division 2 sports league:

1) Each team must provide a bond of $750,000 at least 120 days prior to the beginning of each season, to ensure players are paid.

2) Each team must have a plan to play in a soccer-specific stadium within 5 years.

3) Each team’s ownership group must have one member worth at least $20,000,000 USD.

These standards are understandable, as the USSF has likely grown tired of the churn in Division 2. On average, since the advent of what is now the USL First Division in 1995, roughly 3 out of 4 Division 2 teams that have ever existed have failed.

According to Donner, our ownership group fits this profile, though he is not yet ready to divulge who the ownership group consists of because we haven’t been able to finalize our European alliance deal yet. (Personally, I’d love to know who the person worth at least $20M is.) In fact, Donner tends to believe our current ownership group could get an MLS team if there were mutual interest from MLS.

That’s not the problem.

The problem is, there aren’t many D-2 ownership groups that fit this profile. Particularly those willing to pony up the bond. By Donner’s reckoning, there aren’t enough teams that qualify as such between USL and NASL, including Orlando and excluding the teams that are going to MLS (Portland, Vancouver, Montreal).

Some teams have already been scared off. According to Donner, FC New York, which was originally scheduled for USL-1, has decided to go to the third division instead, at the USL Second Division. And there’s no way the Puerto Rico Islanders qualify, to say anything of Antigua.

The bottom line is, the hold-up is having a D-2 league to play in. We either wait for the Division 2 league to materialize, or we press forward with a Division 3 league (namely, USL Second Division). Either way, the team is still on-course for 2011, and Donner stated that the Orlando soccer team will press on regardless. Regardless of where the team ends up, Donner is committed to having an elite-quality franchise that Orlando can be proud of.

Among the ideas being thrown around is to organize an international friendly at the Citrus Bowl toward the end of 2010. Donner is in serious discussions with several national teams. One possibility we discussed at the meeting is doing a benefit for Haiti. Donner hopes to have a prospect club representing Orlando by then, to set up for the pro team in 2011.

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As an aside, I would like to point out that the Orlando Titans are not quite dead yet. More details forthcoming. Just hold on to those deposits.

This article has been edited to fix some facts that I ended up screwing up. My fault.

The Orlando Predators will continue their road to the Arena Bowl this Saturday night when they face the Tampa Bay Storm. The game will be at 7:30pm on Bright House Sports Network (BH channel 47) and 740 the Game (104.1 FM HD-3).

Tickets are still available. And will you look at that? Ticketmaster finally put their fees in the price dropdowns, so you don’t have to wait until you get to the checkout counter to find out how badly you’re getting hosed. Prices w/fees are $26-$139.

The prices still don’t include shipping (and TicketFast really ought to be free) or the order processing fee. So you’re still paying a premium of twice the price for the cheapest tickets just for the honor of ensuring you don’t get sold out on.

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Sorry for short notice, but I only found out last night. We’re getting together for the U.S. Soccer friendly (soccer term for exhibition game) against Brazil tonight at Buffalo Wings & Rings in South Orlando. Mark Dillon of the Orlando Pro Soccer franchise will be in attendance. So if you have any questions about our coming USL-1 franchise, I’m sure he’ll be able to tell.

The story came on Saturday that the Orlando Titans were forced to suspend operations for the 2011 season.

Apparently Gary Rosenbach’s divestiture from the club was the result of undisclosed personal financial problems. While the team has restructured, they were unable to complete the necessary moves in time to successfully reapply for a National Lacrosse League franchise for 2011.

The NLL, however, doesn’t appear to care. They have quietly removed mention of the Titans from the league website, though advertisement for the team still appears in ad spots. The only mention, which makes no mention of the team itself, is a news article reporting the free agency of Pat Maddalena and Patrick Merrill. Oddly enough, several other Titans players, including goalkeeper Matt Vinc and forward Casey Powell, were denied free agency, meaning they remain the property of the Titans for now.

I’m not sure if the NLL will hold a dispersal draft for the remaining players. Whether or not that happens will be telling as to what the NLL thinks of the Titans’ real chance of returning to the league in 2012, as team president Steve Donner has assured me will happen. He also told me they plan to find another indoor lacrosse league to play in for the 2011 season.

Donner also assured me this does not affect the soccer franchise. The ownership structure of Orlando Pro Soccer is totally different, and the Titans group only owns 10% of that team.

Just because you’ve heard no news lately on Orlando Pro Soccer does not mean nothing has been happening. It’s actually been very busy behind the scenes.

I had a talk with Steve Donner last night at the Tuskers fan club organizational meeting.

(He was there because the Tuskers are running season ticket sales out of the Titans home office.)

There hasn’t been an announcement because of scheduling conflicts on the part of the team’s potential European partners. When they’re able to come here and make things official, which Donner hopes will be within the next month, an announcement will occur thereafter.

He did say a name-the-team contest will be forthcoming.