The United Soccer Leagues (USL) is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and two leading youth leagues, the Super-20 League and Super Y-League. As of 2011 it has also assumed the operations of the Major Indoor Soccer League. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, the United States Adult Soccer Association and the Canadian Soccer Association. There is no promotion and relegation in US soccer.
On September 8, 2010, USL announced the formation of USL Pro which will merge the USL First Division and USL Second Division to begin play in 2011. The merger is meant to consolidate USL's position within the American professional soccer landscape and focus on commercial growth and professional development of soccer in four main regions throughout the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean.
Famous quotes containing the words united, soccer and/or leagues:
“An inquiry about the attitude towards the release of so-called political prisoners. I should be very sorry to see the United States holding anyone in confinement on account of any opinion that that person might hold. It is a fundamental tenet of our institutions that people have a right to believe what they want to believe and hold such opinions as they want to hold without having to answer to anyone for their private opinion.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“If we were doing this in the Falklands they would love it. It’s part of our heritage. The British have always been fighting wars.”
—British soccer fan. quoted in Independent (London, Dec. 23, 1988)
“Good news about someone never gets past the door, but bad news will travel a thousand leagues away.”
—Chinese proverb.