USL First Division

The United Soccer Leagues First Division is a professional men's soccer league in North America. It is the second division of soccer in the United States league pyramid behind Major League Soccer, and is effectively the top division in Canada. It is managed by the United Soccer Leagues (USL). It was known as the A-League until 2004.

Expansion and Contraction

The USL First Division team structure currently remains very unstable. While 2004 saw the addition of three new teams, the Calgary Mustangs, Edmonton Aviators, and Puerto Rico Islanders, only the Islanders would play in 2005. Additionally, 2003 expansion team Syracuse Salty Dogs folded after only two seasons due to significant losses, and the Milwaukee Wave United announced that they will not play in the USL First Division in 2005. With only a few exceptions, the teams are not profitable, and require the committed investment of owners willing to suffer a degree of losses for the foreseeable future. The league has been declining in size for several years - in 1998, it had 28 teams; in 2001, it had 21; it currently stands at 12. Although the remaining teams are in general more financially viable than many of the departures, the small size of the league and the significant travel costs in a large country like the United States may put a significant strain on the resources of the remaining clubs. Many of the clubs that leave the league disappear completely, while others fall to lower divisions in the USL pyramid, such as the USL Second Division and the Premier Development League; unfortunately, and in contrast to other countries, the league sees very few teams promote themselves from lower divisions, most likely because of the increased costs associated with a national league, unaccompanied by significant increases in revenues.

Related Topics:
Calgary Mustangs - Edmonton Aviators - Puerto Rico Islanders - Syracuse Salty Dogs - Milwaukee Wave United - USL Second Division - Premier Development League

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