USSF Division 2 Professional League

USSF Division 2 Professional League (D2 Pro League)[1] was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues (USL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL). The D2 Pro League was the second tier of the American and Canadian soccer pyramids below Major League Soccer.[2]

USSF Division 2 Professional League
Founded2010
Folded2010
CountryUnited States
Other club(s) fromCanada, Puerto Rico
ConfederationCONCACAF
ConferencesUSL Conference
NASL Conference
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toNone
Relegation toNone
Domestic cup(s)Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Canadian Championship
Last championsPuerto Rico Islanders
(2010)
WebsiteUSSF D2 Pro League at ussoccer.com

History

On August 27, 2009, Nike agreed to sell their stake in the United Soccer Leagues to investment company NuRock, instead of Jeff Cooper, who had aligned with a group of USL First Division team owners. Disappointed with the sale and state of the league, the ownership group broke away after the 2009 season with the intent to form a new incarnation of the North American Soccer League. The leagues sued each other, but ultimately withdrew their lawsuits and agreed to mediate with the United States Soccer Federation.

The USSF found that three of the NASL teams (NSC Minnesota Stars, Rochester Rhinos, and FC Tampa Bay) had binding contracts to play in the USL First Division in 2010, leaving the NASL with too few teams to be sanctioned. However, this left the USL First Division with only six teams, also too few for sanctioning. The USSF stripped the USL First Division of its sanctioning, and denied sanctioning to the NASL. After a week of negotiations among the three, the USSF agreed to run a 12-team interim league for 2010. The six extant teams in each league would each occupy their own conference, but teams belonging to both leagues would play each other.[3]

Teams
Team City Stadium Founded Head Coach
USL Conference
Austin Aztex Austin, Texas House Park 2008 Adrian Heath
NSC Minnesota Stars Blaine, Minnesota National Sports Center 2009 Manny Lagos
Portland Timbers Portland, Oregon PGE Park 2001 Gavin Wilkinson
Puerto Rico Islanders Bayamón, Puerto Rico Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium 2003 Colin Clarke
Rochester Rhinos Rochester, New York Marina Auto Stadium 1996 Bob Lilley
FC Tampa Bay Tampa, Florida George M. Steinbrenner Field 2008 Perry Van der Beck (interim)
NASL Conference
Carolina RailHawks Cary, North Carolina WakeMed Soccer Park 2006 Martin Rennie
Crystal Palace Baltimore Catonsville, Maryland Ridley Athletic Complex 2006 Jim Cherneski
Miami FC Miami FIU Stadium, Lockhart Stadium 2006 Daryl Shore
Montreal Impact Montreal Saputo Stadium 1992 Marc Dos Santos
AC St. Louis Fenton, Missouri Anheuser-Busch Center 2009 Dale Schilly[4]
Vancouver Whitecaps Burnaby, British Columbia Swangard Stadium 1986 Teitur Thordarson

Competition format

Pods

It was announced that the season would be centered around what are called pods. The pods are constructed around geographic regions and do not follow conference lines.[5] Teams within the same pod played each other four times, twice at home and twice away. Teams played one team outside of their pod four times, twice at home and twice away, and played the rest of the teams outside their pod twice, once at home and once away. This resulted in a thirty-game season for each team, and had the additional advantage of reducing travel costs. The season ended a playoff format to crown a league champion.

Pod Teams
1
2
3

Playoff format

At the end of the regular season, the top teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs as the top two seeds. In addition, the remaining six teams with the highest point totals, regardless of conference, also advanced to the playoffs.[6]

Each round of the playoffs was a two-game aggregate goal series (the away goals rule was not applied as a tie-breaker). In the event that the aggregate score is tied after the second game of the series, the teams played two 15-minutes periods of extra time. If the score is still tied after extra time, the series was to be decided by a penalty shootout.[7]

2010 season
USSF Division 2 Professional League
Season2010
ChampionsPuerto Rico Islanders
Matches played180
Goals scored437 (2.43 per match)
Top goalscorerRyan Pore (15 goals)
Biggest home winPOR 3–0 STL (Apr 22)
STL 3–0 MTL (Jul 10)
MTL 3–0 STL (Jul 21)
STL 3–0 POR (Jul 28)
POR 3–0 CPB (Aug 29)
CAR 3–0 CPB (Sep 3)
ROC 3–0 TAM (Sep 11)
MTL 3–0 TAM (Sep 19)
TAM 6–3 CPB (Oct 1)
Biggest away winCPB 0–5 MTL (Aug 21)
Highest scoringTAM 6–3 CPB (Oct 1)
Longest winning runRochester Rhinos (6 games, ended Aug 27)
Longest unbeaten runPortland Timbers (10 games, to end the season)
Longest winless runFC Tampa Bay (11 games, ended Oct 1)
Longest losing runCrystal Palace Baltimore (8 games, to end the season)
Highest attendancePortland Timbers (15,418; 4 times)
Lowest attendanceCrystal Palace Baltimore (507, Aug 4)
Average attendance4,449

NASL Conference Standings
NASL Conference
Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Carolina RailHawks 30 13 9 8 44 32 +12 47 Conference leader, qualified for playoffs
2 Vancouver Whitecaps 30 10 5 15 32 22 +10 45 Qualified for playoffs[lower-alpha 1]
3 Montreal Impact 30 12 11 7 36 30 +6 43
4 Miami FC 30 7 11 12 37 49 −12 33
5 AC St. Louis 30 7 15 8 32 48 −16 29
6 Crystal Palace Baltimore 30 6 18 6 24 55 −31 24
Source: USSF D-2 schedule table
Notes:
  1. The remaining six teams with the highest point totals, regardless of conference, also advance to the playoffs.

USL Conference Standings
USL Conference
Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Rochester Rhinos 30 16 8 6 38 24 +14 54 Conference leader, qualified for playoffs
2 Austin Aztex 30 15 7 8 53 40 +13 53 Qualified for playoffs[lower-alpha 1]
3 Portland Timbers 30 13 7 10 34 23 +11 49
4 NSC Minnesota Stars 30 11 12 7 32 36 −4 40
5 Puerto Rico Islanders 30 9 11 10 37 35 +2 37
6 FC Tampa Bay 30 7 12 11 41 46 −5 32
Source: USSF D-2 schedule table
Notes:
  1. The remaining six teams with the highest point totals, regardless of conference, also advance to the playoffs.

Playoff Standings
USSF Division 2 Pro League
Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Rochester Rhinos 30 16 8 6 38 24 +14 54 Conference leaders, qualified for playoffs
2 Carolina RailHawks 30 13 9 8 44 32 +12 47
3 Austin Aztex 30 15 7 8 53 40 +13 53 Qualified for playoffs[lower-alpha 1]
4 Portland Timbers 30 13 7 10 34 23 +11 49
5 Vancouver Whitecaps 30 10 5 15 32 22 +10 45
6 Montreal Impact 30 12 11 7 36 30 +6 43
7 NSC Minnesota Stars 30 11 12 7 32 36 −4 40
8 Puerto Rico Islanders 30 9 11 10 37 35 +2 37
9 Miami FC 30 7 11 12 37 49 −12 33
10 FC Tampa Bay 30 7 12 11 41 46 −5 32
11 AC St. Louis 30 7 15 8 32 48 −16 29
12 Crystal Palace Baltimore 30 6 18 6 24 55 −31 24
Source: USSF D-2 schedule table
Notes:
  1. The remaining six teams with the highest point totals, regardless of conference, also advance to the playoffs.

Match results
Abbreviation and Color Key:
Austin Aztex – AUS • Carolina RailHawks – CAR • Crystal Palace Baltimore – CPB • Miami FC – MIA • NSC Minnesota Stars – MIN
Montreal Impact – MTL • Portland Timbers – POR • Puerto Rico Islanders – PUE • Rochester Rhinos – ROC • AC St. Louis – STL
FC Tampa Bay – TAM • Vancouver Whitecaps FC – VAN

Win  • Loss  • Draw  • Home

ClubMatch
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
Austin AztexMTLSTLROCMINTAMCPBTAMMIACPBPUEPORVANMIAMIAPUEROCSTLMIATAMPUECARPORVANMINPUETAMSTLSTLCARMTL
2–02–11–22–12–22–13–33–12–02–10–01–23–12–11–10–02–03–14–20–23–21–12–22–01–31–11–24–21–30–2
Carolina RailHawksSTLMINROCMIATAMPUEMTLPORVANCPBMTLSTLPUEMTLROCROCVANMTLROCCPBMIAAUSTAMPUECPBPORMINCPBPUEAUS
2–00–11–11–11–22–12–01–11–11–12–22–02–00–11–00–12–22–00–21–22–12–32–12–33–00–00–14–22–13–1
Crystal Palace BaltimoreTAMPUESTLVANPORAUSROCPORAUSMIAROCCARMINMINPUEROCMTLSTLMTLMIAMTLCARROCMTLPORCARVANCARPORTAM
0–11–30–10–01–01–21–02–10–23–31–21–11–31–00–20–02–10–11–10–10–02–10–20–50–30–30–32–41–33–6
Miami FCROCVANTAMCARMINMINAUSPUEMTLCPBPORAUSAUSTAMPORVANPUETAMAUSCPBPUETAMCARROCSTLMTLROCSTLROCPUE
1–10–01–11–11–11–01–32–41–13–31–01–31–21–10–21–31–10–21–31–01–13–31–21–31–32–12–14–21–01–1
NSC Minnesota StarsVANCARPUETAMROCAUSMTLMIAMIATAMSTLROCMTLPORPORCPBCPBTAMSTLPUEVANSTLPORVANPORAUSSTLCARVANTAM
0–21–01–31–00–31–21–21–10–11–33–20–01–01–00–23–10–11–02–21–11–12–22–20–10–10–23–01–01–03–1
Montreal ImpactAUSPORPUEMINVANPORCARMIAMINTAMROCCARVANROCSTLCARCPBSTLVANCPBCARCPBROCCPBROCPUEMIATAMVANAUS
0–21–11–02–10–01–00–21–10–12–11–12–21–21–20–31–01–23–00–11–10–20–01–25–02–02–11–23–01–02–0
Portland TimbersROCSTLMTLVANCPBSTLMTLCPBCARAUSMIAMINMINTAMVANMIAVANSTLTAMROCMINSTLMINAUSCPBPUECARPUECPBVAN
1–03–01–12–10–11–10–11–21–10–00–10–12–01–00–02–02–10–32–20–12–21–01–01–13–01–00–01–03–12–2
Puerto Rico IslandersMINCPBMTLCARTAMMIAAUSSTLVANTAMROCAUSCPBCARTAMMIAMINROCMIATAMAUSSTLCARPORVANMTLAUSPORCARMIA
3–13–10–11–21–24–21–20–11–11–00–31–12–00–20–01–11–13–11–11–12–01–13–20–10–01–23–10–11–21–1
Rochester RhinosMIAPORAUSMINCARSTLCPBVANVANMINCPBMTLPUEMTLAUSCPBCARTAMPUECARPORCARMTLCPBMIAMTLTAMMIAMIASTL
1–10–12–13–01–12–10–10–22–10–02–11–13–02–10–00–00–11–01–31–01–02–02–12–03–10–23–01–20–12–1
AC St. LouisCARAUSPORVANCPBROCPORTAMMINPUEVANCARVANMTLMINAUSMTLCPBPORMINVANPORPUETAMMIAMINAUSMIAAUSROC
0–21–20–30–11–01–21–10–32–31–00–00–21–13–02–20–20–31–03–02–20–00–11–12–23–10–32–12–42–41–2
FC Tampa BayCPBMINMIAAUSCARAUSSTLMINPUEVANMTLPUEPORMIAMINPUEROCMIAPORAUSPUEMIAVANCARSTLROCAUSMTLMINCPB
1–00–11–12–22–13–33–03–12–10–11–20–10–11–10–10–00–12–02–22–41–13–31–11–22–20–31–10–31–36–3
Vancouver Whitecaps FCMINMIASTLPORCPBMTLROCROCTAMCARAUSPUESTLMTLPORSTLMIAPORMINMTLCARSTLMINTAMAUSPUECPBMINMTLPOR
2–00–01–01–20–00–02–01–21–01–12–11–10–02–10–01–13–11–21–11–02–20–01–01–12–20–03–00–10–12–2

Final regular season results. Based on the results at the NASL results table and USL schedule table

Playoffs
Each round was a two-game aggregate goal series. Home teams for the first game of each series listed at the bottom of the bracket.
  Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
                                         
1 Rochester Rhinos 0 2 2  
8 Puerto Rico Islanders 2 1 3  
  5 Vancouver Whitecaps 0 0 0  
  8 Puerto Rico Islanders (a.e.t.) 0 2 2  
4 Portland Timbers 0 1 1
5 Vancouver Whitecaps 2 0 2  
  2 Carolina RailHawks 0 1 1
  8 Puerto Rico Islanders 2 1 3
3 Austin Aztex 0 2 2  
6 Montreal Impact 2 3 5  
  2 Carolina RailHawks 0 2 2
  6 Montreal Impact 1 0 1  
2 Carolina RailHawks 0 4 4
7 NSC Minnesota Stars 0 0 0  

Quarterfinals
October 7, 2010 Rochester Rhinos 0–2 Puerto Rico Islanders Bayamón, Puerto Rico
8:05PM AST Report Faña  44'
Foley  77'		 Stadium: Bayamón Soccer Complex
October 9, 2010 Puerto Rico Islanders 1–2
(3–2 agg.)		 Rochester Rhinos Rochester, New York
7:00PM EDT Rivera  21' Report Hoxie  39'
Hamilton  54'		 Stadium: Marina Auto Stadium
Attendance: 4,620
October 7, 2010 Portland Timbers 0–2 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Burnaby, British Columbia
7:30PM PDT Report Koffie  1'
Nash  13' (pen.)		 Stadium: Swangard Stadium
Attendance: 5,018
Referee: Mathieu Bourdeau
October 10, 2010 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0–1
(2–1 agg.)		 Portland Timbers Portland, Oregon
6:00PM PDT Report Marcelin  49' Stadium: Merlo Field
Attendance: 4,884
October 6, 2010 Austin Aztex 0–2 Montreal Impact Montreal, Quebec
7:30PM EDT Report Gerba  39', 76' Stadium: Stade Saputo
Attendance: 7,962
Referee: Daniel Belleau
October 9, 2010 Montreal Impact 3–2
(5–2 agg.)		 Austin Aztex Austin, Texas
7:30PM CDT Gerba  4', 49'
Sebrango  89'		 Report Griffin  43'
Johnson  57'		 Stadium: House Park
Attendance: 2,872
October 6, 2010 Carolina RailHawks 0–0 NSC Minnesota Stars Blaine, Minnesota
7:00PM CDT Report Stadium: National Sports Center
Attendance: 686
October 9, 2010 NSC Minnesota Stars 0–4
(0–4 agg.)		 Carolina RailHawks Cary, North Carolina
7:00PM EDT Report Paladini  64'
Gardner  72'
Lowery  84'
Kallman  88' (o.g.)		 Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 2,556

Semifinals
October 14, 2010 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0–0 Puerto Rico Islanders Bayamón, Puerto Rico
8:05PM AST Report Stadium: Bayamón Soccer Complex
Attendance: 2,831
October 17, 2010 Puerto Rico Islanders 2–0
(2–0 agg.)		 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Burnaby, British Columbia
4:00PM PDT Addlery  113', 120' Report Stadium: Swangard Stadium
Attendance: 5,325
October 14, 2010 Carolina RailHawks 0–1 Montreal Impact Montreal, Quebec
7:30PM EDT Report Di Lorenzo  35' Stadium: Stade Saputo
Attendance: 7,502
October 17, 2010 Montreal Impact 0–2
(1–2 agg.)		 Carolina RailHawks Cary, North Carolina
5:00PM CDT Report Rusin  73'
Heinemann  90'		 Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 2,869

Finals
Carolina RailHawks0–2Puerto Rico Islanders
Report Gbandi  4'
Faña  20'
Attendance: 6,257
Puerto Rico Islanders1–1Carolina RailHawks
Gbandi  7' Report Heinemann  10'
Attendance: 5,074

Statistical leaders

Individual awards

Best XI

References

  1. "U.S. Soccer Division 2 Professional League Schedule Announced". ussoccer.com. 2010-02-08. Archived from the original on 2010-02-13. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
  2. "U.S. Soccer Conference Call Regarding 2010 Division 2 Soccer League". ussoccer.com. 2010-01-07. Archived from the original on 2010-01-10. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  3. "Division 2 Professional League To Operate in 2010". ussoccer.com. 2010-01-07. Archived from the original on 2010-01-10. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2010-06-25.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "U.S. Soccer Division 2 Professional League Schedule Announced". www.ussoccer.com. 2010-02-08. Archived from the original on 2010-02-13. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
  6. "2010 USSF Division-2 Pro League Kicks Off this Weekend with Eight Teams in Action". www.ussoccer.com. 2010-04-08. Archived from the original on 2013-05-26. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
  7. "USSF D-2 Pro League Postseason To Get Underway on Oct. 6 as Playoff Seeding Determined". www.ussoccer.com. 2010-10-03. Retrieved 2010-10-09.
  8. "USSF D-2 Pro League Best XI and Awards". NASL.com. North American Soccer League, LLC. 21 October 2010. Archived from the original on 6 February 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
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