United Soccer League
The United Soccer Leagues (USL) is the parent organization for the men's lower division leagues of US and Canadian soccer: USL First Division (second tier), USL Second Division (third tier), and Premier Development League (PDL) (fourth tier). The top tier for US and Canadian men's soccer is Major League Soccer (MLS), with Women's Professional Soccer being the top tier US women's league. The USL also includes the second-highest women's league, the W-League, and youth league the Super Y-League. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).
The USL structure allows for the Second Division champion to be promoted to the First Division, provided that the team to be promoted meets criteria set by USL and the USSF, and space exists. A formal relegation process may also be added at a future date. There is no promotion or relegation between MLS and USL.
USL rosters may consist of a maximum of 26 players, with 18 designated for each game. Each team is permitted a maximum of five foreign players on its active game-day roster and a maximum of seven foreign players on its master roster. In the PDL and W-League, at least three players in a full 26-player roster must be under 19, in accordance with guidelines set by the USASA and USSF. In the PDL, a maximum of eight players may be over the age of 23, and can retain their NCAA eligibility.
USL First Division
A premier soccer league for men over eighteen years old, the USL First Division stretches from the U.S. to Canada to the Caribbean. In 2008, each team had a schedule of thirty regular season games: fifteen home and fifteen away. Players have come from more than thirty-five countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and New Zealand. The league has around one million fans viewing matches each season.[1]
First Division Teams:
Club | Founded | Colors | Stadium | Territory |
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2008 | Red, White, Blue | Nelson Field | Austin, Texas |
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2006 | Blue, Orange | WakeMed Soccer Park | The Triangle, North Carolina |
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1993 | Yellow, Black | Blackbaud Stadium | Charleston, South Carolina |
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2007 | Green, White, Black | Krenzler Field | Cleveland, Ohio |
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2005 | Blue, Orange | FIU Stadium | Miami, Florida |
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1990 | Navy Blue, Light Blue, Silver, White | National Sports Center | Minneapolis-St. Paul |
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1993 | Blue, White, Black | Saputo Stadium | Quebec (whole) |
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2001 | Green, White, Yellow | PGE Park | Portland, Oregon |
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2003 | Orange, White, Green | Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel | Puerto Rico (whole) |
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1996 | Green, Black, Gold | Marina Auto Stadium | Western New York |
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1986 | White, Blue | Swangard Stadium | British Columbia (whole) |
Future Expansion:
Club | Begins Play | Colors | Stadium | Territory |
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2010 | Green, Gold | Rowdies Stadium | Tampa Bay Area |
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2010 | black, blue, yellow | Hofstra University, Columbia University | New York Metropolitan Area [2] |
USL Second Division
Club | Founded | Colors | Stadium | Territory |
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2007 | Green, Red | Bermuda National Stadium | Bermuda (whole) |
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1993 | Orange, Blue, White | Restart Field | Charlotte, North Carolina |
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2007 | Red, Blue | UMBC Stadium | Baltimore, Maryland |
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2004 | Navy, Sky | Skyline Sports Complex | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
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1999 | Black, Blue, White | Chartiers Valley High School Stadium | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
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2008 | White, Gold | Maryland SoccerPlex | Rockville, Maryland |
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1993 | Red, White | University of Richmond Stadium | Richmond, Virginia |
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1998 | Red, Black, White | Lusitano Stadium | Ludlow, Massachusetts |
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1996 | Sky Blue, White, Black | Legion Stadium | Wilmington, North Carolina |
History
- 1986 Established as Southwest Indoor Soccer League
- 1989 Added an outdoor league known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League. This was soon changed to Southwest Independent Soccer League which included both the indoor and outdoor leagues.
- 1990 Renamed Sunbelt Independent Soccer League
- 1991 Renamed United States Interregional Soccer League
- 1995 Renamed United States International Soccer League
- 1995 Renamed United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues and formally established professional Pro League and amateur Amateur Premier League
- 1996 Established Select League consisting of strongest teams from Division 3 Pro League and Amateur Premier League in hopes of gaining Division 2 sanctioning.
- 1997 Select League and the independent Division 2 A-League merged to form a new A-League under the USISL umbrella.
- 1999 Umbrella USISL changed its name to the modern United Soccer Leagues.
Complete historical team list
SISL
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USISL
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Champions
SISL
- 1986/87: Addison Arrows 7–2* Lubbock Lazers
- 1987/88: Oklahoma City Warriors 3–0 Austin Sockadillos
- 1988/89: Lubbock Lazers 3–2 Austin Sockadillos
- 1989: Colorado Comets 3–1* Addison Arrows
- 1989/90: Addison Arrows 3–0 Phoenix Hearts
- 1990: Colorado Comets (declared winner after championship game was cancelled)
- 1990/91: Colorado Comets 3–0 Oklahoma City Warriors
- 1991: Richardson Rockets 3–0* New Mexico Chiles
- Champions determined by best-of-five-game series, except for 1986/87, 1989 & 1991 seasons which were determined by one-game final.
USISL
- 1991/92: Oklahoma City Warriors 7–2 Atlanta Magic
- 1992: Palo Alto Firebirds 1–0 Tucson Amigos
- 1992/93: Atlanta Magic 11–7 Arizona Cotton
- 1993: Greensboro Dynamo 2–1 Orlando Lions
- 1993/94: Atlanta Magic 8–3 Chattanooga Express
- 1994: Greensboro Dynamo 2–1 (SO) Minnesota Thunder
- 1994/95: Atlanta Magic 6–3 Oklahoma City Slickers
- 1995/96: Baltimore Bays 10–8 Atlanta Magic
- 1996/97: Baltimore Bays 2–0* Tulsa Roughnecks
- 1997/98: Baltimore Bays 13–10 Tulsa Roughnecks
- Champions determined by one-game final, except for 1996/97 which was determined by best-of-three game series.
References
External links
- Official USL Website
- Fan operated discussion forum
- http://xsorbit25.com/users5/soccertalkcanada/index.php
- USL supporters on YouTube.com
- United States Power Soccer Association USPSA
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