Article originally published August 24, 2008

The San Jose Frogs have decided to close down their franchise.  The reason is not unfamiliar to the Bay Area - lack of fan support. 

There is a large amount of passionate soccer fans in the Bay Area, but the interest to support  teams playing at the higher levels seems to be less than required to support those teams for the long haul. Perhaps it is a lack of available time to attend.  Perhaps it is a lack of understanding that soccer is a professional sport that young men and women can play in this country, and elsewhere through the opportunities the PDL, USL, and MLS provide. 

Whatever the reason is, it is a fact.

In the past two years the Frogs and Seals had developed quite a rivalry.  The Seals wish to thank Hartmut Esslinger for bringing a class organization to the Bay Area.  They put together strong teams in each of their three years (one in the NPSL), and their players had considerable success, with 10 players drafted by MLS and European teams.