| USL First Division |
|---|
 United Soccer Leagues 2008 |
 |
| Founded |
| 1997 |
| Nations |
 United States  Canada  Puerto Rico |
| Higher Division |
| Major League Soccer |
| Lower Division |
| USL Second Division |
| Number of Teams |
| 11 |
| CONCACAF Qualification |
| CFU Club Championship* |
| Cups |
| US Open Cup |
| Current Champions |
| Seattle Sounders |
| Website |
| usl1.uslsoccer.com |
The United Soccer Leagues First Division (often referred to as simply, USL-1) is a professional men's soccer league in North America. The 2008 Season is the 22nd edition of the United Soccer Leagues season The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur Past Winners 2001 & 2002 Group Winners Results By Club By Country The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation (USSF affiliated teams from amateur adult club teams all the For other teams using this name see Seattle Sounders (NASL and Seattle Sounders FC. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered It is the second division of soccer in the United States and Canada league pyramid behind Major League Soccer. The American Soccer Pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U It is managed by the United Soccer Leagues (USL). 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 division It was known as the A-League until 2004, having formed from teams from the original A-League. The original A-League (formerly the American Professional Soccer League) was a professional men's Soccer league in North America.
Unlike most other nations, there is currently no system of promotion and relegation in North American soccer. In many Sports leagues around the world (with North American and Australian professional leagues being the most notable exceptions promotion and relegation
History
In 1996, the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues established the new Select League consisting of its strongest teams from its professional FIFA Division 3 sanctioned Pro League and its amateur Premier League in hopes of gaining FIFA Division 2 sanctioning. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur The next season, the Select League and the independent Division 2 A-League merged to form a new A-League under the USISL umbrella. The original A-League (formerly the American Professional Soccer League) was a professional men's Soccer league in North America. In 1999 the umbrella USISL changed its name to the United Soccer Leagues and in 2005 the league took its current name as the USL First Division. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)
As announced on February 22, 2007, the USL-1 will now be doing live Videocasts through a partnership with Turner Broadcasting. The matches, which cannot be found on traditional broadcast or cable television distribution, will be available on the new broadband channel USL Live at www. USLLive. com, launching early April 2007.
League Tables for Division 1 & Division 2, and PDL for the 2007 season can be viewed at the League Table page. The 2007 Season is the 21st edition of the United Soccer Leagues season Standings from the 2006 season are also available.
Expansion and contraction
In 1998, the A-League consisted of 28 teams. By 2006, only 12 remained in the USL First Division. For the most part, the teams that left dropped down to lower classifications, such as the USL Second Division and Premier Development League, to rid themselves of the high costs of travel and player payrolls. History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur History In 1995 the USISL split into two leagues one professional and one amateur
There is some speculation that several First Division clubs are waiting for the top-tier Major League Soccer to expand, in hopes that they will move up. Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U The First Division does not have the promotion/relegation system common in most countries' football pyramids, although teams theoretically could move up if they meet MLS' criteria for expansion franchises. The costs of moving to a higher division are usually not recouped with higher attendance at the First Division level.
On January 26, 2006, the USL announced that it was expanding USL First Division in 2007 to include a new team in Cary, North Carolina. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Cary (ˈkeər'i is a town in Wake and Chatham counties in the U The Cary franchise, since named the Carolina RailHawks, hosted an exhibition schedule in 2006 in advance of its first full league schedule in 2007. Carolina RailHawks is an American professional Soccer team founded in 2006 On May 16, 2006, it was also announced that the USL would place a team in Northern California under the ownership of Dmitry Piterman, chairman of Spanish team Deportivo Alavés. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Dmitry Pietrman also known as Dimitry Piterman (born 1964) is a Ukrainian - American businessman Deportivo Alavés, usually abbreviated to Alavés, is a Spanish Segunda División football club based in Vitoria-Gasteiz The Northern Californian team, the California Victory, folded after the end of the 2007 season, playing only one season. The California Victory was a USL First Division professional soccer team based in San Francisco California. Other possible cities mentioned for future campaigns include Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Syracuse, New York. Fort Lauderdale, known as the "Venice of America" due to its expansive and intricate Canal system is a city in Broward County, Florida, Syracuse (locally ˈsɛrəkjuːs sometimes ˈsɪrəkjuːs or /ˈsɪərəkjuːs/ by non-natives is a city in Central New York, USA. Syracuse had had a highly-attended team from 2002–2004, but it folded due to stadium issues, having ground-shared with the local baseball team. Ft. Lauderdale also has a history of teams from the NASL, ASL, and USL First Division. North American Soccer League (NASL was a professional soccer League with teams in the United States of America (U The American Soccer League has been a name used by three different professional Soccer leagues in the United States. There is also discussion that Argentinian team River Plate is interested in putting a second USL team in Puerto Rico. Club Atlético River Plate, known also as River Plate or simply River, is an Argentine Sports club best known for its football Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}}
On March 30, 2007 the Virginia Beach Mariners team folded just prior to the start of the 2007 season due to an ownership dispute which left the team without financing. The Virginia Beach Mariners were an American soccer club who formerly played in the USL First Division of the United Soccer Leagues, the second
2008 teams
| Club | Founded | Colors | Stadium | Territory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Silverbacks |
1993 | Red, Black, White | Atlanta Silverbacks Park | Atlanta Metropolitan Area, GA |
| Carolina RailHawks |
2006 | Blue, Orange | WakeMed Soccer Park | Research Triangle, NC |
| Charleston Battery |
1993 | Yellow, Black | Blackbaud Stadium | Charleston, SC |
| Miami FC |
2005 | Blue, Orange | Tropical Park Stadium | South Florida |
| Minnesota Thunder |
1990 | Blue, White, Gold | National Sports Center | Minneapolis-St.Paul |
| Montreal Impact |
1993 | Blue, White, Black | Saputo Stadium | Quebec (whole) |
| Portland Timbers |
2001 | Green, White, Yellow | PGE Park | Portland, OR |
| Puerto Rico Islanders |
2003 | Orange, Navy Blue, White | Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel | Puerto Rico (whole) |
| Rochester Rhinos |
1996 | Green, Black, Gold | PAETEC Park | Western New York |
| Seattle Sounders |
1994 | Light blue, White, Green | Starfire Sports Complex Qwest Field (home opening game) |
Greater Seattle, WA |
| Vancouver Whitecaps |
1986 | White, Blue | Swangard Stadium | British Columbia (whole) |
2009 Expansion
| Club | Founded | Colors | Stadium | Territory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Aztex |
2008 | Red, White, Blue | Dragon Stadium | Greater Austin |
Playoff format
Eight teams qualify for the playoffs, 1 vs. Atlanta Silverbacks is an American professional Soccer team founded in 1995 RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium, is a soccer complex located in Atlanta, Georgia, and is home to the USL First The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule Carolina RailHawks is an American professional Soccer team founded in 2006 Notable events 2002 USA Men's National Team World Cup Training Camp 2002 Women's Nike Cup 1st Round 2003 North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Charleston Battery is an American professional Soccer team founded in 1993 Blackbaud Stadium is a Soccer-specific stadium located on Daniel Island in Charleston South Carolina, that opened in 1999. Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. Miami Football Club is an American professional Soccer team founded in 2006 Tropical Park Stadium is a 7000-seat stadium located in Glenvar Heights Florida a CDP near Miami, Florida. Minnesota Thunder is an American professional Soccer team founded in 1990 The National Sports Center is a 600 acres (24 km² multi-sport complex located in Blaine Minnesota that includes a soccer stadium over 50 full-sized soccer fields a golf Montreal Impact Football Club ( Impact de Montréal) is a Canadian professional Football team founded in 1993 Saputo Stadium ( French: Stade Saputo) is a Soccer-specific stadium in Montreal Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21 Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Portland Timbers is an American professional Soccer team founded in 2001 PGE Park (formerly Civic Stadium, a name still used by locals originally Multnomah Stadium) is a Stadium located in Portland Oregon, Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers Puerto Rico Islanders is a Puerto Rican professional Soccer team founded in 2003. The Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel is a 12500 seat Stadium at Route 2 and Route 5 in Bayamon Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Rochester Rhinos is an American professional Soccer team founded in 1996 PAETEC Park is a Soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York, for the Rochester Rhinos soccer team of the USL First Division. Western New York refers to the westernmost region of New York State. For other teams using this name see Seattle Sounders (NASL and Seattle Sounders FC. Starfire Sports Complex is a sporting facility in Tukwila Washington, on the banks of the Green River, near Seattle. Qwest Field is a multipurpose Stadium located in Seattle Washington, USA The Seattle metropolitan area in the US state of Washington includes the city of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. For information about the original NASL team see Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL. Swangard Stadium is a 5288 seat Stadium in Burnaby British Columbia. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Austin Aztex is an American professional Soccer team based in Austin Texas, set to begin play in 2009. Greater Austin (officially known as the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan statistical area) is a five-county Metropolitan area in Central Texas, anchored by 8, 2 vs. 7, etc. The first two rounds consist of two-game, total goals series. The highest remaining seed is matched against the lowest remaining seed in the semifinal round. The Championship is a single match played at the home stadium of the higher seed. In previous years, six teams qualified for the playoffs - the top two seeds receiving byes to the second round.
League Derbies
Stars indicate derby titles won
(Starting in 2008, the MLS's Toronto FC will also play for the Voyageurs Cup]])
Former teams
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|
1996 USISL Select League
|
Notable players
Past Regular Season Champions (Commissioner’s Cup Winners)
Past Playoff Champions / Top Goal Scorer
1996 USISL Select League
League average attendance
All-Time USL Leaders
See alsoNotes
External links |
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