USL First Division
USL First Division | |
Full name | United Soccer Leagues First Division |
abbreviation | USL-1 |
Association | USSF |
First edition | 1997 |
Teams | 11 |
master | Montreal Impact (2009) |
Record champions | Seattle Sounders FC (4) |
Record player | Mauro Biello (320) |
Record scorer | Mark Baena (86) |
Website | usl1.uslsoccer.com |
The United Soccer Leagues First Division (often referred to as USL-1 for short ) was a professional soccer league in North America from 1995 to 2009 . Teams from the USA , Canada and Puerto Rico played in it . It was the second division in the US football league system.
history
The old American Professional Soccer League changed its old name to A-League in its last two seasons in 1995 and 1996. In 1996 it was recognized as the second division. In 1997 it was taken over by USISL and renamed USISL A-League. In 1999, the USISL took on the name United Soccer Leagues (USL) and the league was renamed the USL A-League. From 2005 it was called the USL First Division. At the end of 2009, most teams wanted to switch to the new edition of the North American Soccer League after the investment company NuRock Soccer Holdings had taken over the rights to the USL. The league was therefore suspended in 2010. In 2011 it was merged with the USL Second Division to form the USL Professional Division . This is the third division in the hierarchy behind the Major League Soccer and the North American Soccer League .
Changes in composition
In 1998 a total of 28 teams started in the A-League. After several entries and exits, in 2006 only twelve teams remained to take part in the game. The other clubs withdrew mostly for cost reasons and are now playing in the USL Second Division (3rd division) or the USL Premier Development League (4th division).
Since there is no system of promotion or relegation, the teams of the First Division can only move up in Major League Soccer when it expands. To do this, however, they have to meet the financial and organizational requirements of the MLS.
The USL itself announced on January 26, 2006 that it would expand for the 2007 season. The Carolina RailHawks were won for this. California Victory , a newly formed club from San Francisco , has received its second new license. Other candidates for a new soccer team were Fort Lauderdale and Syracuse . In addition, the Argentine club River Plate is interested in founding a second team in Puerto Rico .
On March 30, 2007, the Virginia Beach Mariners announced that they would no longer play in the league due to disputes over the further funding of the club. In September 2007, the Spanish club Deportivo Alavés announced their withdrawal from California Victory. Since then, California Victory has not participated in gaming operations. And so there were only eleven teams left for the 2008 season.
In the 2009 season, the Seattle Sounders stopped playing because a new team from Seattle took part in the MLS. The number of participants in the USL-1 remained the same as a new team from the Texas capital Austin , Austin Aztex , started playing.
Masters / top scorer
season | master | Result | Second | Regular Season Winner | Top scorer | society | Gates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 USL-1 | Montreal Impact | 3: 2, 3: 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | Portland Timbers | Charles Gbeke | Vancouver Whitecaps | 12 |
2008 USL-1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 2: 1 | Puerto Rico Islanders FC | Puerto Rico Islanders FC | Alex Afonso | Miami FC | 15th |
2007 USL-1 | Seattle Sounders | 4-0 | Atlanta Silverbacks | Seattle Sounders | Sébastien Le Toux Charles Gbeke |
Seattle Sounders Montreal Impact |
10 |
2006 USL-1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 3-0 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | Montreal Impact |
Romário William "Cam" Weaver |
Miami FC Seattle Sounders |
18th |
2005 USL-1 | Seattle Sounders | 1: 1 | Richmond Kickers | Montreal Impact | Jason Jordan | Vancouver Whitecaps | 17th |
2004 USL A-League | Montreal Impact | 2-0 | Seattle Sounders | Portland Timbers | Alan Gordon Dante Washington |
Portland Timbers Virginia Beach Mariners |
17th |
2003 USL A-League | Charleston Battery | 3-0 | Minnesota Thunder | Milwaukee Wave United | Thiago Martins | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 22nd |
2002 USL A-League | Milwaukee Rampage | 2: 1 | Richmond Kickers | Seattle Sounders | Fadi Afash Eduardo Sebrango McKinley Tennyson |
Portland Timbers Montreal Impact Portland Timbers |
18th |
2001 USL A-League | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 2-0 | Hershey Wildcats | Richmond Kickers | Paul Conway | Charleston Battery | 22nd |
2000 USL A-League | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 3: 1 | Minnesota Thunder | Minnesota Thunder | Paul Conway Greg Howes John Menyongar |
Charleston Battery Seattle Sounders Minnesota Thunder |
17th |
1999 USL A-League | Minnesota Thunder | 2: 1 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | Rochester Raging Rhinos | Mark Baena Niall Thompson |
Seattle Sounders Vancouver 86ers |
20th |
1998 USISL A-League | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 3: 1 | Minnesota Thunder | Rochester Raging Rhinos | Mark Baena | Seattle Sounders | 24 |
1997 USISL A-League | Milwaukee Rampage | 1: 1 | Carolina Dynamo | Montreal Impact | Doug Miller | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 23 |
1996 A-League | Seattle Sounders | 2-0 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | Montreal Impact | Doug Miller | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 18th |
1995 A-League | Seattle Sounders | 2: 4, 3: 0, 3: 2 | Atlanta Ruckus | Montreal Impact | Peter Hattrup | Seattle Sounders | 11 |
Complete list of franchises
- Atlanta Ruckus (1995-1998)
- Atlanta Silverbacks (1999-2008)
- Austin Aztex (2009)
- Boston Bulldogs (1997-2000)
- Calgary Mustangs (2002-2004)
- California Jaguars (1997-1998)
- Carolina Dynamo (1997)
- Carolina RailHawks (2007-2009)
- California Victory (2007)
- Charleston Battery (1997-2009)
- Charlotte Eagles (2001-2003)
- Cincinnati Riverhawks (1998-2003)
- Colorado Foxes (1995-1997)
- Connecticut Wolves (1997-2001)
- Edmonton FC (2004)
- El Paso Patriots (1997-2003)
- Hershey Wildcats (1997-2001)
- Indiana Blast (1999-2003)
- Jacksonville Cyclones (1997-1999)
- Lehigh Valley Steam (1999)
- Long Island Rough Riders (1997-2001)
- Maryland Mania (1999)
- Miami FC (2006-2009)
- Milwaukee Wave United (1997-2004)
- Minnesota Thunder (1997-2009)
- MLS Project 40 (1998-2000)
- Montreal Impact (1995–1998, 2000–2009)
- Nashville Metros (1997-2001)
- New Orleans Storm (1997-99)
- New York Centaurs (1995-96)
- Orange County Waves (1997-2000)
- Orlando Sundogs (1997)
- Pittsburgh Riverhounds (1999-2003)
- Portland Timbers (2001-2009)
- Puerto Rico Islanders FC (2004-2009)
- Raleigh Express (1997-2000)
- Richmond Kickers (1997-2005)
- Rochester Rhinos (1996-2009)
- Sacramento geckos (1998–1999)
- San Diego Flash (1998-2001)
- San Francisco Bay Seals (1998-2000)
- Seattle Sounders FC (1995-2008)
- Staten Island Vipers (1998-99)
- Syracuse Salty Dogs (2003-2004)
- Toronto Lynx (1997-2006)
- Vancouver Whitecaps (1995-2009)
- Virginia Beach Mariners (1998-2000, 2002-2006)
Average attendance per game (season / playoffs)
- 2008: 5,164 / 7,786
- 2007: 4,420 / 7,741
- 2006: 4.667 / 5.998
- 2005: 4,527 / 12,498
- 2004: 3.879 / 9.402
- 2003: 3.335 / 9.672
- 2002: 3.034 / 8.902
- 2001: 2,954 / 9,193
- 2000: 2,684 / 7,562
- 1999: 2,374 / 5,309
- 1998: 2,531 / 6,091
- 1997: 1.690 / 5.092
Individual evidence
- ↑ The NASL is returning , published November 23, 2009 on thetelegraph.com. ( Memento from May 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive )