<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/usl-soccer-field1.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/usl-soccer-field1.jpg"></a></figure></div>While we await the final release of the MLS schedule, third-division USL Pro announced their schedule and division alignments on Friday, emphasizing the league’s accessibility and stability. The press release from USL Pro emphasizes that six of their franchises have more than ten years of operational experience.
The league will feature 15 teams in three divisions: American, National, and International.&nbsp; The National Division will include the Dayton Dutch Lions, Harrisburg City Islanders, FC New York, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and the Rochester Rhinos.&nbsp; The American will include the Charleston Battery, the Charlotte Eagles, Orlando City, the Richmond Kickers, and the Wilmington Hammerheads.&nbsp; The International is comprised of Barracuda FC, the Los Angeles Blues, Puerto Rico United, River Plate of Puerto Rico, and Sevilla FC Puerto Rico.
Each team will play 24 games with a home-and-away with every team in their division.&nbsp; The games kick-off April 2nd with a Puerto Rico derby when River Plate and Sevilla FC face-off, followed by Orlando City visiting the Richmond Kickers.&nbsp; The four clubs in their first year of competitive play include the relocated Orlando City at Richmond April 2, Los Angeles at Sevilla FC on April 15, FC New York at Orlando City April 9, and Barracuda hosting LA on April 17.&nbsp; The schedule runs April through August, and the league will announce the playoff format at a later date.&nbsp; You can see the entire schedule <a href="http:\/\/uslpro.uslsoccer.com/schedules/2011/32669232.20114.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
My first thought seeing the announcement was good luck to poor LA, who we knew would struggle with travel but will definitely rack up the frequent flier miles.&nbsp; At least their players can enjoy the beach four times this season.&nbsp; Otherwise the divisions make sense.&nbsp; It will be tough to do a playoff with three divisions, but if my suggestion would be take the three division winners and have two “wild cards”.&nbsp; The wild cards would be the two best non-division winners who would have a “play-in” match, where the winner advances to the USL Pro final four playoff.
What are your thoughts on how USL Pro is developing, and is their structure so far sustainable?

USL Pro Releases Schedule and Divisional Alignment - World Soccer Talk

USL Pro Releases Schedule and Divisional Alignment

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Before I start, I will say. Yes, there is a chance that they’re working quietly behind the scenes to get everything sorted out, and that come April 2010 we may all look back and say “Why’d I ever doubt them?”, but it really doesn’t look that way at the moment.
When it was announced FCNY was treated as a big deal, MLS wasn’t in New York City proper, so it was treated as if it were the largest untapped market in the country. This new team was supposed to play in Queens, and continually talked up a possible stadium in the Borough, but we haven’t even seen a sketch yet. We heard talk of the team possibly playing some games in Manhattan at Columbia, and possibly some games at Icahn Stadium. They ended up picking Hofstra’s James M. Shuart Stadium, which has artificial turf and lines from about four other sports on it. On top of that it’s in Hempstead, and not New York.
This whole thing is starting to remind me of an old wrestling gimmick gone awry, particularly the infamous <a href="http:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3CL28vgE4U" target="_blank">Shockmaster gimmick</a>. Yes, I used to watch wrestling, and before anyone pipes up being smart, no, I don’t care. My point is that this whole thing looks like it’s fallen flat on it’s face to the point where it’s become embarrassing for the USL, so much so that you don’t really hear them speak of it. All the recent talk has been about the other expansion teams the USL wants to introduce: Baltimore, Detroit, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Tampa Bay. FCNY has sort of faded into the background, and some of it’s target audience have lost hope.
The team was introduced on April Fools’ Day, and it’s website hasn’t been updated since. Obviously it wasn’t a prank, they even had tryouts, but it is starting to seem like a joke. Word is the team plans to relaunch it’s website soon, maybe even this week, I hope that proves to be true. I don’t like to make fun of any team, really, but usually teams at least have a coach in place at this point, possibly even some signings made, and certainly in this day and age, a functional website.
For the sake of lower division soccer in America, I hope this thing pans out. I do. It’d be another embarassing blow if this team were to implode before it even got off the ground, especially after the bluster we saw back in April.

FC New York: What Happened? - World Soccer Talk

FC New York: What Happened?

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Leagues: MLS

USL Pro Releases Schedule and Divisional Alignment

Leagues: MLS

FC New York: What Happened?